Sockeye salmon attempt to swim up one of the gates at the Zosel Dam in Oroville, Washington. The salmon are migrating up the Okanogan River to Osoyoos Lake, where they will wait before proceeding up tributaries in the late summer to spawn. (Richard McGuire photo)
Recreational fishers on Osoyoos Lake will be allowed to keep four sockeye salmon effective as of Tuesday.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) issued a new notice on Monday, increasing the catch from the two previously permitted.
The duration of the recreational sockeye fishery is also now extended to Tuesday, Sept. 2, the day following the Labour Day holiday.
The increase in the allowable catch and the later closing date reflects a large migration this year, one of the largest in recent decades.
In 2013, the fishery was closed on Aug. 19 due to concerns about low numbers of salmon making it into Osoyoos Lake.
This year, cool weather at the end of July allowed many sockeye to enter Osoyoos Lake before temperatures again increased.
Dean Allan, DFO resource manager for the Fraser-Thompson-Okanagan, said there are currently an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 sockeye in Osoyoos Lake.
Another 80,000 to 100,000 may still be at Wells Pool, above Wells Dam on the Columbia River near the confluence with the Okanogan River, he said.
Despite cooler temperatures in recent days, Allan said he doesn’t yet have information that the migration into Osoyoos Lake has resumed, although that may happen this week.
A thermal barrier forms when water temperatures exceed 22 degrees Celsius and the fish stay in Wells Pool awaiting cooler temperatures before continuing their migration.
Some of the waiting fish may be killed by natural causes while some will be caught in the U.S. fishery, Allan said.
As of Monday, an estimated 489,000 sockeye had passed Wells Dam. The number passing the Bonneville Dam east of Portland, OR was 614,108, making this one of the largest migrations in recent decades.
In addition to the recreational fishery, seine fishing by the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s commercial fishery is also ongoing, Allan said.
Recreational salmon fishing is only permitted during daylight hours in the north basin of Osoyoos Lake, the portion of the lake north of the Hwy. 3 bridge.
Salmon tags are required in addition to fishing licenses and only barbless hooks are permitted.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
