Hanford Reach Fishing Report (8-31-20)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORT WAS FORWARDED BY PAUL HOFFARTH, WDFW

Fishing remains slow and should slowly pick up over the next two weeks. Fishery greatly improves after mid-September in most years (see 2019 harvest information below). Boats averaged slightly less than a 1/4 salmon per boat, 37 hours per fish. From August 24 through August 30, WDFW staff interviewed anglers from 159 boats (315 anglers) with 28 adult chinook and 10 jacks. Based on the sampling, an estimated 112 adult chinook and 40 chinook jacks were harvested from 1,254 angler trips.

Fall chinook counts at Bonneville and McNary continue to climb and are running roughly double of the 2019 counts. From August 1 to August 30, 88,698 adult chinook have passed upstream of Bonneville Dam (2019: 44,353). Adult fall chinook through McNary are currently at 15,705 compared to 6,625 in 2019. Technical Advisory Committee updates for the Columbia River were not available. The first in-season run update for Hanford Reach returns will be calculated on September 15.

For the season, there have been 1,981 angler trips harvesting 188 adult chinook and 48 chinook jacks. In addition, 157 sockeye and 20 wild steelhead were caught and released.

The Hanford Reach fall salmon fishery opened August 16 (Hwy 395 Bridge upstream to Priest Rapids Dam). Pre-season forecast for fall chinook to the Hanford Reach is 92,000 adults, 65,000 wild and 27,000 hatchery. Returns are expected to be very similar to last year. Daily limit is 6 salmon but anglers are limited to two adults. Anglers must stop fishing when the adult limit is retained. Anglers can harvest fall chinook and coho, both hatchery and wild. Anglers can use barbed or barbless hooks when fishing or salmon in this area of the Columbia River. Anglers may fish with two poles for any species except sturgeon with two-pole endorsement. Party fishing is not allowed when fishing for salmon in this section of the Columbia River. The Columbia River upstream of the Highway 395 Bridge is closed to fishing for steelhead.

Anglers looking for more information on Columbia River fisheries management can visit:

Columbia River Compact Fact Sheets

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/columbia-river/factsheets

Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Fishery Announcements: