Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Outdoors blog

Boyer Park hot spot for pikeminnow angling rewards


Northern pikeminnows are targeted in a BPA program to reduce predation on endangered salmon.
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Northern pikeminnows are targeted in a BPA program to reduce predation on endangered salmon. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

FISHING -- The Snake River near Boyer Park (southwest of Pullman) was by far the richest area on the Snake and Columbia Rivers last week for pikeminnow anglers.

Rewards are paid to anglers signed up to help save salmon by catching northern pikeminnows that prey on the fish, especially the disoriented smolts as they flush through the dams.

The Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Program kicked off its 2016 season on the Snake and Columbia rivers in may, and anglers immediately started cashing in on the lucrative pay-out tier system.

Anglers must report to one of 20 check-in stations along the two rivers from Cathlamet upstream to the Greenbelt at Clarkston.

Anglers in the The Dalles area were the high producers early in the season, catching and turning in 37,250 pikeminnows to date.

But the anglers reporting to the Boyer Park check station are equaling the early catch rates at The Dalles -- 13 fish an angler.  The total of 3,444 pikeminnows turned in to  Boyer Park last week was the highest among the 19 check stations on both rivers.  Next closest as Columbia Point near the Tri-Cities with 1,219 fish.

Anglers are paid for each northern pikeminnow that they catch that is nine inches or larger, and the more fish you catch, the higher the reward.

Rewards begin at $5 each for the first 25 northern pikeminnow caught during the season.  Anglers earn $6 each for fish No. 26-200, and $8 each for every fish caught above 200. 

Specially tagged northern pikeminnows are worth $500, with a total of 101 tagged fish caught this season. 

The program is funded by the Bonneville Power Administration and administered by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. It runs from May 1-Sept. 30. 



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

Follow Rich online:




Go to the full Outdoors page