SW WA, Lower Columbia Fishing Report (7-28-20)

THIE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORT WAS FORWARDED BY BRYANT SPELLMAN, WDFW

Washington Columbia River and Tributary Fishing Report July 20-26, 2020

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Mainstem Lower Columbia River 

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 104 bank anglers kept two Chinook, 13 steelhead and released 43 steelhead. 2 boats/3 rods kept had no catch. 

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – Two bank anglers had no catch. 17 boats/31 rods kept two Chinook, two steelhead and released two Chinook. 

BLACK ROCKFISH CATCHES WON’T SHOW UP ON WDFW’S WEEKLY SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND LOWER COLUMBIA FISHING REPORT ANYTIME SOON, BUT THE FISH, ALSO CALLED SEA BASS, ARE AVAILABLE AT THE NORTH JETTY, WHICH IS WHERE JAMIE LEBON CAUGHT THIS ONE WHILE FISHING WITH JAROD HIGGINBOTHAM. (JAROD HIGGINBOTHAM)

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 27 bank anglers kept one steelhead and released two steelhead. 1 boat/1 rod had no catch. 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 57 bank anglers kept one Chinook released two steelhead. 18 boats/40 rods kept one steelhead and released 1 steelhead. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 49 bank anglers kept two steelhead. 6 boats/14 rods kept one steelhead and released two steelhead. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 32 bank anglers kept one steelhead and released two steelhead. 1 boat/1 rod released one steelhead. 

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 2 boats/4 rods had no catch. 

Sec 8 (Longview) – 178 bank anglers kept one jack, 14 steelhead and released one Chinook, seven steelhead and one sockeye. 28 boats/69 rods kept eight steelhead and released one Chinook and five steelhead. 

Sec 9 (Cathlamet) – 26 bank anglers kept two steelhead. 21 boats/58 rods kept one Chinook, 17 steelhead and released six steelhead. 

Sec 10 (Cathlamet) – 3 boats/6 rods had no catch. 

Sturgeon: 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 3 boats/5 rods had no catch. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 6 boats/15 rods had no catch. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 4 boats/10 rods released 40 sublegal, three legal and two oversize sturgeon. 

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 1 boat/3 rods had no catch. 

Walleye: Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 6 boats/7 rods kept three walleye and released two walleye. 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Columbia River Tributaries 

Cowlitz River – I-5 Br downstream – 31 bank rods kept two steelhead. 

Above the I-5 Br – 26 bank rods kept nine steelhead. 39 boats/139 rods kept 97 steelhead and released one jack and two sockeye. 

Tacoma Power employees recovered 660 summer-run steelhead adults, 32 spring Chinook adults, 23 spring Chinook jacks, 139 spring Chinook mini-jacks, and five cutthroat trout during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. 

During the past week, Tacoma Power released 13 spring Chinook adults, three spring Chinook jacks, and two cutthroat trout into the Cispus River near Yellowjacket Creek in Randle and they released two cutthroat trout into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton. 

Tacoma Power recycled 562 summer-run steelhead adults to the I-5 launch and they released 15 spring Chinook jacks and 111 spring Chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake. Last week, 2,700 rainbow trout were released into Mayfield Lake. 

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 4,530 cubic feet per second on Monday, July 27, 2020. Water visibility is 11 feet and the water temperature is 55.4 F. 

Lewis River – Three bank anglers had no catch. 8 boats/14 rods kept one steelhead and released one steelhead. 

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 

Station Tags Total NPM CPUE 

Cathlamet 0 1,123 8.6 

Willow Grove 0 291 4.5 

Rainier 2 535 6.9 

Kalama 0 437 13.2 

Ridgefield 0 174 8.3 

Gleason 2 269 11.1 

Chinook Landing 1 412 10.0 

Washougal 0 526 13.2 

Beacon Rock 0 5 1.3 

Cascade Locks 0 42 6.0 

Bingen 0 0 0.0 

The Dalles 0 78 2.1 

Giles French 0 438 13.3 

Umatilla 0 17 3.4 

Columbia Point 1 101 2.8 

Vernita 0 9 0.8 

Lyon’s Ferry 0 15 3.8 

Boyer Park 0 1,220 7.7 Greenbelt 0 754 8.9