Lower Columbia
below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 559 salmonid anglers
(including 63 boats) with 36 adult and 3 jack summer chinook and 16
steelhead.
During yesterday's
(Saturday July 1) flight, 104 salmonid boats and 261 WA and 78 bank
anglers were counted.
Below Bonneville
is now closed to retention of adult chinook. It remains open for chinook
jacks and hatchery steelhead. Adult fall chinook from the Rocky Point/Tongue
Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam may be retained August 1.
Based on the preseason
run size of 45,600 fish, an estimated 1,650 fish were available for
harvest in sport fisheries occurring below Priest Rapids Dam (1,250
below Bonneville Dam and 400 from Bonneville to Priest Rapids Dam).
The projected catch of 2,100 kept Chinook below Bonneville Dam through
Saturday June 30 exceeds the allocation for this area.
Adult summer chinook
passage at Bonneville Dam to date is tracking slightly less than expected
based on the preseason forecast and average-timed runs. Passage is typically
50% complete around July 1.
Bonneville Dam
to the Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco - Bank anglers are catching some
summer chinook and steelhead in Bonneville Pool. No report currently
available for The Dalles Pool. Light effort and no catch observed in
John Day Pool.
Today (July 2)
is the last day adult summer chinook may be retained. Remains open for
Chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead. Adult fall chinook may be retained
August 1.
Hwy. 395 Bridge
at Pasco to Priest Rapids Dam - No report on angling success. Today
(July 2) is the last day adult summer chinook may be retained. Remains
open for Chinook jacks. Adult fall chinook may be retained beginning
August 16.
Cowlitz River
- 43 bank anglers sampled from the Barrier Dam downstream to Olequa
kept 3 steelhead. The fish were caught at Blue Creek. 79 boat anglers
sampled at Blue Creek kept 31 steelhead. During the same time last year,
boat anglers were averaging a fish per rod.
Last week Tacoma
Power recovered 43 spring chinook adults, 12 jacks, 28 mini-jacks, one
sockeye and 32 summer-run steelhead at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator
during five days of operations.
Tacoma Power employees
released five spring chinook salmon and six jacks into the upper Cowlitz
River at the Lake Scanewa Day Use Site. Three radio-tagged adult spring
chinook adults were released into the Cispus River, and two radio-tagged
spring Chinook adults were released into the upper Cowlitz River at
the Skate Bridge site in Packwood during the week.Tacoma Power employees
released 17 spring chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake, and 8 spring
chinook mini-jacks at the Barrier Dam. River flows at Mayfield Dam are
approximately 2,480 cubic feet per second on Monday, July 2. Water visibility
is over eight feet.
Wind River -
Now closed to fishing for spring chinook. Trout, including hatchery
steelhead, season remains open from the mouth to 400 feet below Shipherd
Falls. Fall salmon season on the lower river opens August 1. Above Shipherd
Falls is closed to all fishing until the catch-and-release steelhead
fishery scheduled to open in mid Sept ember.
Through June 27,
nearly 1,400 adult spring chinook had returned to Carson National Fish
Hatchery. The hatchery escapement goal (1,200 fish) has been met.
Drano Lake -
Now closed for spring chinook. Hatchery steelhead season remains open.
Fall salmon season opens August 1.
Lower Columbia
below the Wauna power lines - At the Ports of Chinook and Ilwaco,
charter boat anglers averaged nearly 0.7 legals kept per rod while private
boaters averaged one per every 3 rods. At the Knappton/Deep River ramps,
private boaters averaged a legal kept per every other rod. Bank anglers
from Knappton to Fort Columbia were also catching some legals.
Yesterday 543 private
boats and 25 charters plus 31 WA and 13 OR bank anglers fishing for
sturgeon were counted below the Wauna power lines. In June, the effort
was estimated to be 23% higher than in 2006.
Wednesday July
4 is the last day this year to retain sturgeon below the Wauna power
lines. The catch projection through Wednesday is 17,955 fish (110% of
adjusted 16,274 fish guideline). Catch-and-release will be permitted
through the end of the year. Retention is scheduled to re-open Jan.
1.
Bonneville Pool
- Catches have picked up. Boat anglers averaged a legal kept per
every 3.8 rods. Bank anglers were also catching some fish.
