Chinook and sockeye salmon are fair game as of July 1 on the main stem Columbia River from the Highway 173 Bridge in Brewster to Chief Joseph Dam.
Anglers can also fish for Chinook in the Okanogan and Similkameen rivers and for sockeye from the mouth of the Okanogan River upstream to the first Highway 97 Bridge.
New rules in effect for this year mandate the use of barbless hooks when fishing for salmon. Anglers are advised to check the recent fishing rule changes at www.wdfw.wa.gov for more details.
The daily limit includes six hatchery-marked Chinook, which are those missing the adipose fin and sporting a healed scar. Of those six Chinook, only two can be adults measuring at least 24 inches. The minimum keeper size for any Chinook is 12 inches.
On July 16, the stretch of the Columbia from Wells Dam to the Highway 173 Bridge in Brewster will also be open for sockeye. The daily catch limit is six salmon, only two of which may be adult sockeye of a minimum size of 12 inches.
