It is unlawful to fish for sturgeon in the lower Columbia River for commercial purposes or to possess sturgeon taken from those waters for commercial purposes, except as provided in this section:

Gear

1. (1) It is unlawful to use a gillnet to fish for sturgeon if the net exceeds 1,500 feet in length along the cork line.
2. (2) It is unlawful to use a gillnet to fish for sturgeon with mesh size larger than 9 3/4 inches.
3. (3) It is unlawful to use a gillnet to fish for sturgeon if the lead line weighs more than two pounds per fathom of net as measured on the cork line, provided that it is lawful to have a gillnet with a lead line weighing more than two pounds per fathom aboard a vessel when the vessel is fishing in or transiting through the Tongue Point Select Area, and it is also lawful to have additional weights and anchors attached directly to the lead line in the Deep River, Blind Slough, Knappa Slough and South Channel Select Areas.

4. (4) From December 1 through March 31 it is lawful for sturgeon fishers to have smelt or salmon gillnets aboard while fishing for sturgeon.

   General

5. (5) A person engaged in commercial fishing may retain one sturgeon of legal commercial length for personal use.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-05-112 (Order 17-04), recodified as § 220-358-040, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 07-21-128 (Order 07-266), § 220-33-020, filed 10/23/07, effective 11/23/07; WSR 00-17-117 (Order 00-146), § 220-33-020, filed 8/17/00, effective 9/17/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 97-07-043 (Order 97-51), § 220-33-020, filed 3/14/97, effective 4/14/97; WSR 88-18-066 (Order 88-86), § 220-33-020, filed 9/2/88.]