SW WA, Columbia Fishing Report (5-19-20)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORT WAS FORWARDED BY BRYANT SPELLMAN, WDFW

Fishery Reports: 

Lower Columbia mainstem from Tongue Point-Rocky Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam – 338 salmonid boats and 285 Washington bank rods were tallied during Saturday’s (5/16) flight count. 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Mainstem Lower Columbia River 

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 598 bank anglers kept 49 Chinook, 11 jacks and released 21 Chinook. 15 boats/29 rods kept 5 Chinook, two jacks and released one Chinook. 

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 63 boats/126 rods kept four Chinook and released one Chinook. 

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 55 boats/116 rods kept three Chinook and released one Chinook and one jack. 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 85 bank anglers kept one Chinook and released two Chinook and one jack. 121 boats/269 rods kept 20 Chinook, one jack and released four Chinook and one steelhead. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – Four bank anglers had no catch. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – Eight bank anglers had no catch. 2 boats/5 rods had no catch. 

Sec 8 (Longview) – 28 bank anglers released one Chinook. 2 boats/2 rods had no catch. 

Sec 9 (Cathlamet) – 19 bank anglers kept one steelhead. 1 boat/1 rod had no catch. 

Sec 10 (Cathlamet) – Five bank anglers had no catch. 1 boat/1 rod had no catch. 

Sturgeon: 

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 1 boat/2 rods had no catch 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 3 boats/12 rods released 11 sublegal and two legal sturgeon. 

Shad: 

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 31 bank anglers kept 16 shad. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 3 boats/12 rods kept five shad. 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Columbia River Tributaries 

Salmon Creek – One bank angler had no catch. 

Cowlitz River – I-5 Br downstream: Nine bank rods had no catch. 2 boats/6 rods had no catch. 

Above the I-5 Br: Nine bank rods released one steelhead. 1 boat/1 rod had no catch. 

Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 146 winter-run steelhead adults, 30 spring Chinook adults, 30 spring Chinook jacks, and 11 summer-run steelhead adults during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. 

During the past week, Tacoma Power released 18 spring Chinook adults, one spring Chinook jack, and 13 winter-run steelhead adults into Lake Scanewa near Randle and they released 15 winter-run steelhead adults into the Cispus River near Yellowjacket Creek in Randle. 

Tacoma Power released eight winter-run steelhead adults into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton. 

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 6,340 cubic feet per second on Monday, May 18, 2020. Water visibility is 12 feet and the water temperature is 47.1 F. 

Kalama River – 32 bank anglers kept one Chinook. 5 boats/10 rods kept three Chinook. 

The hatchery spring Chinook escapement goal is about 500 adults. Return as of May 14 is 234 adults including 18 natural origin. 

Lewis River – No report. 

The hatchery spring Chinook escapement goal is about 1,380 adults. Return as of May 14 is 832 adults including 64 natural origin. 

Wind River Mouth – Four bank rods had no catch. 55 boats/110 rods kept 19 Chinook, two jacks and released one Chinook. 

Wind River above Shipherd Falls – Three bank rods released one Chinook. 

The Carson National Fish Hatchery fish ladder is open, and 117 spring Chinook have returned. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,500 fish. 

Drano Lake – Eight bank rods had no catch. 52 boats/94 rods kept 18 Chinook and released one Chinook. 

Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery fish ladder is open, and 1,737 spring Chinook have returned. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,363 fish. 

Klickitat below Fisher Hill Bridge – 14 bank anglers kept one Chinook and released two Chinook. 

Through May 17, a total of 171 spring Chinook adults including 5 natural origin have been counted at the Lyle Falls trap. The hatchery escapement goal is 500 fish. 

Pikeminnow Sport – Reward Fishery Program: 

The 2020 program will operate from May 11 to September 30 in the lower Columbia River (mouth to Priest Rapids Dam) and the Snake River (mouth to Hells Canyon Dam). http://www.pikeminnow.org/ 

Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery 2020 

Weekly Catch 

May 11-17, 2020 

Station Tags Total NPM CPUE 

Cathlamet 0 430 3.1 

Willow Grove 0 189 2.5 

Rainier 0 89 1.5 

Kalama 0 20 0.5 

Ridgefield 0 529 5.5 

Gleason 0 96 1.2 

Chinook Landing 0 261 1.9 

Washougal 1 428 5.3 

Cascade Locks-closed 0 0 0.0 

Bingen 0 15 0.9 

The Dalles 1 1,662 5.4 

Giles French 0 180 3.8 

Umatilla 0 928 8.1 

Columbia Point 0 1,439 8.7 

Vernita 0 26 2.9 

Lyon’s Ferry 0 0 0.0 

Boyer Park 0 188 3.0 Greenbelt 0 139 2.4