Smelt fishery returns to Sandy River Wednesday, March 11
Published 10:13 am Tuesday, March 10, 2026
A rare fishing event is returning to East Multnomah County.
From noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, dippers are invited to the banks of the Sandy River, near Troutdale, for the recreational harvest of eulachon smelt. This marks the fourth-straight year for the smelt fishery (the first time that has happened in half a century). That not only means fun and tasty fish, but that the vulnerable species is thriving enough for the controlled culls.
“Four years in a row — it’s quite an unusual thing to witness,” said Tucker Jones, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife ocean salmon and Columbia River program manager. “That said, the eulachon smelt have already been in the Sandy for a few days now, this return doesn’t appear to be as big as last year’s return, and we’re already seeing some post-spawn die-offs.”
Regulations
Open area: The mouth of the Sandy River to the Stark Street Bridge
Limit: 10 pounds per dipper. Each person must dip smelt for themselves with their own container
Harvest method: Harvest is allowed with a dipnet only and smelt may only be caught from the bank
Required permit: Each dipper must have a valid 2026 Oregon angling license
Some of the best spots to join the fun is Lewis and Clark Park, Glenn Otto Park, along the dike off perimeter way near the Troutdale Airport, and pullouts along the Historic Columbia Highway.
Officials warn participants to follow the rules. In the past years several went well over the weight restrictions.
The eulachon smelt spends most of its life in the ocean, migrating up rivers, including the Columbia and some of its tributaries, to spawn. They grow to be six to nine inches long and live three to five years. Most adults die shortly after spawning, so it is not uncommon to see large numbers of dead smelt along the river.
While Columbia River eulachon smelt were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2010, abundance has increased to levels that allow limited, conservative harvest. The smelt return each year to the Columbia, but just periodically to the Sandy River.
