Bag limits changing for salmon, steelhead on Snake River in Hells Canyon
Published 12:34 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2026
ENTERPRISE — Due to record low numbers of returning steelhead and a lower than average run of chinook salmon in the Snake River in Hells Canyon, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is changing bag limits for both species starting Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Starting that day, bag limits for the Snake River from the boundary 400 feet below Hells Canyon Dam to the Washington border:
• Chinook: Through Oct. 31, anglers can keep only hatchery chinook, with a daily limit of three adult salmon (no limit on jacks).
Although anglers have been allowed to keep only hatchery chinook per day since the season started Aug. 18, fishing through the rest of the season will be limited to hatchery fish due to the lower than average numbers of wild salmon, said Kyle Bratcher, district fish biologist at ODFW’s Enterprise office.
• Steelhead: Through Dec. 31, the daily bag limit for hatchery fish drops to two fish per day (from three).
The reduced bag limit for hatchery steelhead follows the lowest returns of the total A/B index and unclipped steelhead on record at Bonneville Dam, according to ODFW.
Although steelhead fishing is closed in other tributaries of the Columbia River such as the Deschutes and John Day in Oregon, abundance in the Snake River and its tributaries will likely meet thresholds where fishery managers can maintain some retention of hatchery steelhead. The reduction in the steelhead bag limit serves to meet broodstock collection and conservation goals, largely for Idaho populations. Oregon’s rules modification will match changes already enacted in Idaho’s fishing regulations
“These rule changes reflect strong coordination with our Idaho partners,” Bratcher said. “Managing shared fisheries requires shared responsibility, and these steps give both states the flexibility we need to protect wild chinook and maintain stable steelhead seasons for anglers.”
Tightening retention of wild fall chinook preserves the allowable Endangered Species Act harvest necessary to maintain popular steelhead fisheries, Bratcher said.
“Even when anglers aren’t targeting chinook directly, incidental encounters happen, and safeguarding those wild fish is essential to sustaining steelhead access for the rest of the season,” he said.
All other permanent rules, as stated in the current Oregon Sport Fishing regulations, remain in effect.