The California Fish and Game Commission Wednesday agreed to allowing state fisheries managers to temporarily close recreational fishing in areas where local officials request such action to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

On Tuesday, April 7, the California Fish and Game Commission announced that it would meet remotely Thursday in an emergency meeting to discuss “delegating temporary authority to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to delay, suspend or restrict sport or recreational fishing if the director of CDFW, in consultation with the president of the Commission, finds that such action is necessary to protect against the threat from COVID-19 based on state, federal, local, and tribal public health guidance and public safety needs.”

With Covid-19 halting public meetings, The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife last week instead conducted a livestream to explain and gather public input on the potential for “thermal angling sanctuaries” in select Oregon tributaries upstream of Bonneville Dam.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission on March 20 approved spring chinook fishing on the Clearwater, Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers to start April 25, 2020 and run until closed by the Fish and Game director.

A number of rule changes affecting Washington sturgeon fisheries went into effect beginning Monday (March 9), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.

Oregon and Washington set recreational spring chinook and winter steelhead fishing seasons in the Columbia River downstream of Bonneville Dam that in April limits the number of days per week anglers will be allowed to fish. And, beginning March 1, angling for salmon and steelhead will not be allowed in the river from Warrior Rock at St. Helens, OR downstream to Buoy 10 to protect hatchery fish returning to Cowlitz and Lewis river hatcheries.

Following a recent die-off of fall chinook salmon in the Wilson River, excessive pre-spawn mortality of fall chinook in other nearby rivers has prompted fishery managers to close the entire North Coast to all salmon angling, effective Dec. 13 – 31.

Low steelhead returns mean no steelhead will be released into the Boise River for the first time in more than 20 years. It's an annual event that many anglers look forward to all year, but there aren't enough fish available at the trap in Hells Canyon to do it.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game says it is “well on its way to meeting broodstock goals” for steelhead at Snake, Salmon and Clearwater River hatcheries.

Two 7-foot long sturgeon were transported 190 miles from the Hagerman Fish Hatchery to the Snake River in Idaho Falls after spending the first 25 years of their life in a IDFG display pond, but these long-lived giants still have a long life ahead of them.