In order to qualify for the bounty, northern pikeminnows must measure at least 9 inches. (Photo courtesy of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)
June 18, 2025
By M.D. Johnson
Imagine an outdoor pursuit in which you could improve conditions for your favorite gamefish species while simultaneously putting a little cash—maybe even a lot of cash—in your pocket.
For those plying the waters of the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon, such an undertaking is far from fantasy, existing as an opportunity known as the Northern Pikeminnow (NPM) Sport-Reward Fishery Program .
In a nutshell, the NPM Program pays anglers a bounty for catching and removing from the river system any NPM measuring 9 inches or more. A species native to the Pacific Northwest, NPM are voracious predators of salmon and steelhead smolts. By removing these larger NPM, fisheries managers hope to decrease the amount of predation, thus increasing the number of salmon and steelhead that enter the Pacific Ocean and return to the Columbia as adults.
As for the money, the program operates on a graduated scale. The first 25 fish checked in at an established registration/check station are worth $6 each. Any fish from 26 to 200 fish net $8 apiece, and any registered over the 200 mark garner a cool $10 each.
Advertisement
Tagged fish net the angler $500 each, while “verified tag loss fish,” or tagged fish that have lost their external tag but retain their internal Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag, which station monitors can detect with the use of an electronic “wand,” are worth $200 each.
In 2024, the leading money-maker boated 16,150 NPM over 9 inches long and cashed vouchers totaling $164,260. Even the angler who brought it the twentieth most NPMs earned just over $24,000 during the five-month season. Not a bad way to spend the summer .
WHERE TO GO Understandably, the first question those looking to cash in ask is where to fish. As explained in the program details, there are boundaries within which one must fish to qualify for the program. In a typical year, the bite begins upriver first, often in mid-April or early May, and gets progressively better as the summer continues, with the Cathlamet check station (Wahkiakum County, Wash.) reporting its best numbers from mid-August to the program’s end on September 30.
Advertisement
“The reason, probably, is water temperature,” says Eric Winther, Pikeminnow Program Project Leader for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “The water gets warmer a bit earlier upriver, and with the combination of warm air and water, the fish are more active. The Dalles check station is one where the fishing is traditionally red-hot right off the bat.”
Most accomplished NPM anglers target water depths of 7 to 25 feet with a fast current and typically a rocky bottom. Good jumping-off spots include suitable water depths near dams, islands, feeder streams, shallow drop-offs or on the downstream side of pilings. Though notoriously tight-lipped about specific locations, experienced pikeminnow anglers advise newcomers not to spend all day in an unproductive spot. After 20 or 30 minutes without a hit, it’s time to move downstream.
The pikeminnow fishery can take some time to dial in, but once you do, there’s an opportunity to make some serious money. (Photo courtesy of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) HOW TO FISH Tackle for NPM angling is as elemental as the fishery. A 6- to 8-foot light to medium-light spinning rod with a matched reel spooled with 10-pound braided line is ideal. A traditional bottom rig consisting of a 1/2- to 2-ounce bank sinker, 5 mm bead and a swivel, followed by a 12-inch monofilament leader and a No. 4 baitholder hook works well. Some, myself included, peg a small floating corky 6 or 8 inches above the hook to keep the bait off the bottom.
Most NPM anglers use a natural bait of some kind, including chicken livers, nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, small crayfish or crayfish tails and cocktail shrimp. However, artificial lures such as twister-tail grubs or tube-style jigs fished on 1/8- or 1/4-ounce lead heads often entice these aggressive predators, as do spinners like No. 1 to 3 Mepps Aglias or smaller crankbaits like Rapala Shad Raps. These are either cast or, more often, trolled slowly downstream.
“You have to have some patience,” Winther says. “Pikeminnow fishing can be tricky to learn. It takes a time commitment. I know folks who are proficient at salmon and steelhead fishing, and they try pikeminnow fishing and find it a little humbling at times. But I believe if you take the time, there’s no reason you can’t figure it out. It’s just a bit of a puzzle.”
Things to Know Before You Go An overview of rules and regs associated with the pikeminnow program. Shutterstock photo The Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Program was started in 1991 by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for two reasons. First, NPM are efficient predators that are detrimental to salmon and steelhead smolt populations. Second, the reward money is BPA’s way of partially mitigating the interruption their facilities, like Bonneville Dam, have played in the lifecycle of many native fish species, including Chinook and silver salmon.
While the BPA controls the purse strings, the program is overseen by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in cooperation with BPA and the Washington and Oregon departments of fish and wildlife. Since its inception, the program has seen some 5.2 million NPM removed from the Columbia and Snake river systems.
All in all, the sport-reward fishery is straightforward and explained quite well on the comprehensive web site dedicated to program, pikeminnow.org. Key points to keep in mind include:
This year, the season runs from April 14 (at select check stations) to September 30, although most check stations and their associated fisheries open May 1. Legal boundaries for the program are from the mouth of the mainstem Columbia River upstream to the river’s confluence with the Snake. From there, the program continues on the Columbia to the restricted zone below Priest Rapids Dam, and to the restricted zone below Hells Canyon Dam on the Snake. The mainstem Columbia is defined as backwaters, sloughs and upstream tributaries to 400 feet from the tributary mouth. Anglers are required to register daily in-person at a check station (see the full list on the web site) or with a new mobile app. Legal fish must be checked at the same station where registration occurred and on the same calendar day (see details online). A valid fishing license (if required) and photo identification must be presented to register.
Pikeminnows must be at least 9 inches long to qualify. Fish must be alive or in fresh condition; previously frozen fish will not be accepted. This article was featured in the May 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
