SW WA, Lower Columbia Fishing Report (5-12-20)
THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORT WAS FORWARDED BY BRYANT SPELLMAN, WDFW
May 12, 2020
Columbia River and Tributary Fishery Reports
Updates: Mainstem and tributary
Salmon/Steelhead:
Columbia River Mainstem
Buoy 10 upstream to Warrior Rock line: Effective May 5 through May 15, 2020: Closed to angling for and retention of salmon, steelhead and shad.
Warrior Rock line upstream to Bonneville Dam: Effective May 5 through May 15, 2020: Open May 5th, 7th, 9th and 13th only. Open for boat and bank fishing from the Warrior Rock line to the Beacon Rock line, plus bank angling only from the Beacon Rock line upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline.
Bonneville Dam upstream to Hwy. 730 at the Washington/Oregon Border: Effective May 5 through May 15, 2020: Open May 5th, 7th, 9th and 13th only. Open to bank angling only from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island power lines (except for those waters closed under permanent regulations). Only hand-cast lines may be used. Open for boat and bank angling from the Tower Island power lines (approximately 6 miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to the Oregon/Washington border.
Salmon/Steelhead:
Columbia River Tributaries
Cowlitz River: Effective May 5, 2020 until further notice, from the mouth upstream to Forest Road 1270, the Cispus River, and Lake Scanewa: Closed to Chinook salmon retention. Until further notice, the closed waters section below the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery Barrier Dam is 400’, at the posted markers.
Kalama River: Effective May 5, 2020 until further notice, from the mouth to 1,000 feet below the fishway at the upper salmon hatchery: The daily salmon limit is 6 fish, of which only 1 may be an adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery chinook and hatchery coho.
Lewis River: Effective May 5 until further notice, from the mouth to Merwin dam: Closed to salmon retention.
Salmon Creek: Effective May 5 through May 22, 2020, From the mouth to the 182nd Avenue Bridge: steelhead: Minimum size 20”, daily limit 3. Selective gear rules, except barbed hooks are allowed.
Wind River: Effective May 5 until further notice, from the mouth to 400 feet downstream of Shipherd Falls fish ladder: salmon and steelhead daily limit is 6; no more than 2 hatchery steelhead, or 1 hatchery adult salmon and 1 hatchery steelhead may be retained. Effective May 5, 2020 until further notice, from 100’ above Shipherd Falls to 800 yards downstream of Carson National Fish Hatchery: the salmon and steelhead daily limit is 6; no more than 2 hatchery steelhead, or 1 adult salmon and 1 hatchery steelhead may be retained. The Closed Waters area around the coffer dam remains in effect.
Drano Lake: Effective May 5, 2020 until further notice, in the waters downstream of markers on point of land downstream and across from Little White Salmon National Fish hatchery and upstream of Highway 14 Bridge; Salmon and steelhead: Daily limit 2, no more than 1 may be an adult salmon. Only hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead may be retained.
Klickitat River: Effective May 5, 2020 until further notice, from the mouth to Fisher Hill Bridge: the adult salmon daily limit is one fish. Effective May 23, 2020 until further notice, from 400 feet upstream from #5 fishway to boundary markers below Klickitat Salmon hatchery: the daily salmon limit is 6 fish, of which only 1 may be an adult.
Sturgeon:
From the mouth of the Columbia River upstream to McNary Dam including adjacent tributaries — Effective May 5 until further notice: White Sturgeon is open for catch-and-release fishing only. Fishing for sturgeon at night is closed.
Fishery Reports:
Lower Columbia mainstem from Warrior Rock line upstream to Cape Horn – 606 salmonid boats and 152 Washington bank rods were tallied during Saturday’s (5/9) effort count.
Salmon/Steelhead:
Mainstem Lower Columbia River
Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 827 bank anglers kept 115 Chinook, 13 jacks, one steelhead and released 41 Chinook. 24 boats/75 rods kept 11 Chinook, one jack and released one Chinook.
Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – Two bank anglers had no catch. 89 boats/203 rods kept 20 Chinook and released four Chinook.
Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 41 boats/87 rods kept six Chinook and one jack.
Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 170 bank anglers kept four Chinook and released one jack. 262 boats/575 rods kept 24 Chinook, two jacks and released five Chinook and one jack.
Salmon/Steelhead:
Columbia River Tributaries
Cowlitz River – I-5 Br downstream: 33 bank rods kept two steelhead and released one steelhead.
Above the I-5 Br: 61 bank rods released one steelhead. 7 boats/20 rods kept one steelhead.
Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 334 winter-run steelhead adults, 36 spring Chinook adults, 27 spring Chinook jacks, and 14 summer-run steelhead adults during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
During the past week, Tacoma Power released 33 winter-run steelhead adults, 16 spring Chinook adults, and three spring Chinook jacks into Lake Scanewa in Randle and they released 32 winter-run steelhead adults into the Cispus River near Yellowjacket Creek in Randle.
Tacoma Power released 25 winter-run steelhead adults into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 8,580 cubic feet per second on Monday, May 11, 2020. Water visibility is 9 feet and the water temperature is 47.1 F.
Kalama River – 49 bank anglers kept one Chinook and two steelhead. 12 boats/24 rods kept two Chinook and one steelhead.
The hatchery spring Chinook escapement goal is about 500 adults. Return as of May 7 is 141 adults including 10 natural origin.
Lewis River – Eight bank anglers had no catch. 5 boats/9 rods released one steelhead.
The hatchery spring Chinook escapement goal is about 1,350 adults. Return as of May 7 is 562 adults including 43 natural origin.
Salmon Creek – Eight bank anglers had no catch.
Wind River – 74 boats/173 rods kept 66 Chinook.
The Carson National Fish Hatchery fish ladder is open, and 54 spring Chinook have returned. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,500 fish.
Drano Lake – 26 bank rods kept one Chinook and released one Chinook. 142 boats/354 rods kept 78 Chinook, two jacks and released two Chinook.
Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery fish ladder is open, and 1,296 spring Chinook have returned. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,000 fish.
Klickitat – Seven bank anglers kept one Chinook.
Through May 11, a total of 79 spring Chinook adults including 1 natural origin have been counted at the Lyle Falls trap. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,100 fish.
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