Hanford Reach Chinook, Sockeye Fishing Report (7-5-22)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORT WAS FORWARDED BY PAUL HOFFARTH, WDFW

Hanford Reach Summer Chinook & Sockeye Sport Fishery Update

Sockeye counts at Bonneville have exceeded 500,000 to date and are now beginning to decline. Counts at McNary Dam just peaked at over 50,000 sockeye and will likely begin to drop. Fishing should be excellent through the upcoming week.

River flows in the Columbia River remain high, ~200,000cfs, but significantly lower than the week prior and should continue to decline. Water temperatures remain cool, ~60F at Priest Rapids Dam.

Fishing was excellent this past week.  WDFW staff interviewed 820 anglers from 327 boats and 312 bank anglers.  Boat anglers averaged 3.2 salmon per boat, 5 angler hours per fish. Bank anglers also averaged less than 5 hours per salmon. For the week, 3,703 sockeye and 77 hatchery adult chinook were harvested. Bank anglers at Columbia Point harvested over 700 sockeye.

Based on the data collected there have been 6,297 angler trips for salmon (summer fishery) in the Hanford Reach fishery to date with 4,717 sockeye, 104 hatchery adult chinook, and 9 jack chinook harvested. 16 wild adult chinook have been caught and released.

The bank fishery at Columbia Point is open through July 15 by emergency regulation. Anglers are reminded that the Columbia River from the Hwy 395 bridge upstream to the I-182 bridge (CRC534) is not open to fishing for salmon this summer with the exception of the bank fishing only area at Columbia Point. The Columbia River from the I-182 bridge to Priest Rapids Dam is scheduled to remain open through August 15. Daily limit is 6 salmon in both areas, but anglers are restricted to 3 adults under the emergency regulation. Anglers can harvest sockeye, hatchery or wild, but are restricted to hatchery origin summer chinook as part of their 3 adult daily limit. No more than 2 adult hatchery chinook can be harvested in the daily limit. Anglers must stop fishing when the adult daily limit is harvested.

Emergency Regulation

• Columbia Point (1/3 mile downstream of I-182 Bridge at Richland) upstream to I-182 Bridge at Richland: July 1 through July 15; Daily limit 6,Up to 3 adults may be retained, but only 2 may be hatchery Chinook. Release wild adult Chinook. This area is closed to angling from a floating device or by any method except hand-cast lines from the west shore (Richland side of the river).
• I-182 Bridge at Richland upstream to boundary markers 650’ below the fish ladder at Priest Rapids Dam: July 1 through Aug. 15;Daily limit 6,Up to 3 adults may be retained, but only 2 may be hatchery Chinook. Release wild adult Chinook.