Indian Salmon Harvest

The tribes are excited to be able to share the spring Chinook salmon harvest with the public, but due to high demand and the relatively low availability of salmon on the West Coast, prices may be higher than previous years and the numbers of fish for sale direct to the public may be somewhat limited. Price is determined at the point of sale.

Tribal fishers may be found selling fish at a number of locations along the river: Marine Park at Cascade Locks, Lone Pine at The Dalles and the boat launch near Roosevelt, Washington. Commercial sales will not occur on Corps of Engineers property at Bonneville Dam. To find out where the day's catch is being sold, call the salmon marketing program at (888) 289-1855 or click here. Sales are cash only.

Indians have fished the waters of the Columbia for thousands of years. Take part in this centuries-old tradition.

The Columbia River is known for its distinctly flavored, rich red chinook salmon, also called king salmon. For thousands of years, the Columbia has been home to coho, sockeye, chum and steelhead salmon as well as chinook. And for thousands of years, the Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla and Nez Perce Indians have harvested these fish for commercial purposes and for physical and spiritual sustenance.

Today, the Columbia River is the only place in the Northwest where you can share in this historical Indian Salmon Harvest. Tribal fishers can be seen fishing from small boats and from scaffolds with long handled dip nets, as their ancestors did centuries ago.

During the spring, summer, and fall, the public can purchase premium chinook, coho, steelhead, sockeye, walleye, carp and shad over-the-bank much like they have for hundreds of years. The fish is fresh, reasonably priced and can be purchased already cleaned from some vendors.

Over-the-bank sales help tribal fishers support their families and make it possible for them to continue their traditional livelihood. Buying Columbia River Indian-caught salmon directly from the river is a tradition that non-Indians started participating in some 200 years ago, about the time Lewis and Clark passed through the Columbia Basin.