CLARKSTON, WA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced an extension of the 2025 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery season through October 12 at select registration stations. The program, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), pays anglers to catch northern pikeminnow, a predatory fish that feeds heavily on juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake rivers.
Registration stations that will remain open include Cathlamet, Rainier, Ridgefield, Washougal, The Dalles, Boyer Park, and Swallows Park. All other stations will close after September 30 as originally scheduled.
“This extension gives anglers more opportunities to earn cash rewards during a time of year when catch rates are typically highest,” said Eric Winther, WDFW’s Pikeminnow Program Manager. “Each fish harvested contributes to the protection and recovery of juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin”.
Anglers can earn $6 for their first 25 qualifying fish, $8 each for fish numbered 26 through 200, and $10 for every fish beyond 200. Tagged northern pikeminnow are also in play, with some worth up to $500. To qualify, fish must measure at least nine inches, be freshly caught within program boundaries, and turned in on the date of registration. Anglers must register daily, either at a station or through the Pikeminnow Registration mobile app, and follow all licensing and state regulations.
So far in 2025, more than 125,000 qualifying northern pikeminnow have been turned in. The season’s top angler has earned $130,760 — the second-highest payout in the program’s 35-year history — by catching 13,000 fish.
The program aims to remove 10–20% of larger northern pikeminnow annually, reducing predation on young salmon and steelhead. It is administered by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in partnership with WDFW and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
For full details on registration, station maps, and regulations, visit pikeminnow.org or call the hotline at 800-858-9015.
