Effective
Saturday (Sept. 22) until further notice, anglers are required to release
any chinook salmon they encounter on nine tributaries to the lower Columbia
River. Tributaries affected
by the new non-retention rule include the Cowlitz, Lewis, North Fork
Lewis, Elochoman, Toutle, North Fork Toutle, Green (in Cowlitz County),
Kalama and Washougal rivers, including Camas Slough. Portions of those
rivers were previously scheduled to close to chinook retention Oct.
1. Early closure of retention fisheries for chinook salmon were prompted
by low returns to those river systems. Fisheries for hatchery coho and
hatchery steelhead are not affected by the new rule.
Cowlitz River
- Lots of bank anglers and coho at the mouth of the Toutle. Some
coho are being caught by boat anglers at the mouth of the Cowlitz.
Kalama River
- Bank anglers are catching coho throughout the river.
Lewis River -
Bank anglers near the salmon hatchery are catching coho while boat anglers
were catching mainly fall chinook.
Washougal River
- Was slow for fall chinook.
Klickitat River
- Slow for chinook in the river although reports from today indicate
good fishing by boat anglers at the mouth of the river.
Yakima River
- Effort has continued to slowly build. WDFW staff interviewed 65
anglers with 2 adults and 1 jack. One angler also reported releasing
1 adult and 1 jack. Anglers averaged 25 hours per fish caught.
Lower Columbia
below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers are catching some coho in the
Camas/Washougal area. The entire river is closed to chinook retention
until further notice.
Bonneville Dam adult
Chinook passage through September 20 totaled 115,455 fish, including
100,122 brights and 15,333 tules. The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
September 21 updated run sizes include 115,000 Upriver Brights and 17,500
Bonneville Pool Hatchery tules at the Columbia River mouth.
Late
last week the Joint State staff reviewed Chinook catch and remaining
Upriver Bright impacts for the recreational fishery below Bonneville
Dam and concluded that at the time there were not enough impacts remaining
to re-open the area from the Lewis River upstream to the Bonneville
Dam. Staff will continue to monitor the data and will review the possibility
of opening that area at the 10:00 a.m. September 25 hearing.
Hood River Bridge
to Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco - Re-opened to chinook retention
on September 22. See Klickitat River report above.
Hanford Reach
- Anglers managed to better the Catch Per Unit Effort by one-third
over last year even with fewer fish available, two days of high winds,
and unseasonably low water levels. Anglers from Ringold, Wahluke, and
Vernita averaged one fish for every 3.3 rods. Fish condition is fair
overall with a few real bright fish still being caught and twice the
number of jacks over last year. Traditionally two local derbies over
the next two weekends will boost angler effort within the Reach.
Through September
23, McNary Dam adult Chinook passage totals 31,490 fish. TAC estimated
total passage of 46,000-49,000 adults. The goal is 43,500.
