SW WA, Lower Columbia Fishing Report (8-11-20)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORT WAS FORWARDED BY BRYANT SPELLMAN, WDFW

Washington Columbia River and Tributary Fishing Report Aug 3-9, 2020

Lower Columbia mainstem from Cathlamet upstream to Bonneville Dam – 199 salmonid boats and 135 Washington bank rods were tallied during Saturday’s (8/8) flight count. 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Mainstem Lower Columbia River 

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 41 bank anglers kept one Chinook and released one jack and six steelhead. 1 boat/2 rods released two steelhead. 

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 2 boats/4 rods had no catch. 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 16 bank anglers kept one Chinook and released one steelhead. 11 boats/21 rods released one Chinook and one jack. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 33 bank anglers had no catch. 5 boats/8 rods had no catch. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 141 bank anglers kept six Chinook, one jack and released one jack and five steelhead. 13 boats/27 rods had no catch. 

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 25 boats/58 rods kept four Chinook, four jacks and released two steelhead. 

Sec 8 (Longview) – 42 bank anglers released two steelhead. 19 boats/35 rods kept one Chinook.

Sec 9 (Cathlamet) – Three bank anglers had no catch. 1 boat/1 rod had no catch. 

Sturgeon: 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 5 boats/8 rods released two sublegal and one legal sturgeon. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 3 boats/7 rods released 15 sublegal and four legal sturgeon. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 2 boats/7 rods released 32 sublegal sturgeon.

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 1 boat/2 rods released 16 sublegal and one legal sturgeon. 

Walleye: 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 1 boat/5 rods kept nine walleye and released five walleye. 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Columbia River Tributaries 

Cowlitz River – I-5 Br downstream – 28 bank rods kept two steelhead. 5 boats/16 rods kept one steelhead. 

Above the I-5 Br – 56 bank rods kept 22 steelhead. 24 boats/89 rods kept 67 steelhead and released one steelhead. 

Tacoma Power employees recovered 462 summer-run steelhead adults, 30 spring Chinook adults, 8 spring Chinook jacks, 85 spring Chinook mini-jacks, 19 cutthroat trout, and 4 fall Chinook during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. 

During the past week, Tacoma Power released three fall Chinook adults, and three cutthroat trout into the Tilton River and they released eight spring Chinook adults and seven cutthroat trout into the upper Cowlitz River at Franklin Bridge in Packwood. 

Tacoma Power recycled 396 summer-run steelhead adults to the I-5 launch and they released 16 spring Chinook jacks and 132 spring Chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake. Last week, 2,480 rainbow trout were released into Mayfield Lake. 

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,310 cubic feet per second on Monday, August 10, 2020. Water visibility is 11 feet and the water temperature is 56.5 F. 

Drano Lake – 5 boats/8 rods kept one Chinook and released 16 steelhead. 

Catchable Trout Plants: 

Lake/Pond Date Species Number Fish/lb Hatchery 

Goose LK (SKAM) August 5, 2020 Rainbow 1,380 1.32 Goldendale 

Mayfield Res (LEW) August 5, 2020 Rainbow 2,446 1.23 Eells Springs 

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 

Aug 3 – 9, 2020 

Station Tags Total NPM CPUE 

Cathlamet 0 740 7.1 

Willow Grove 0 429 6.7 

Rainier 0 285 8.1 

Kalama 1 434 8.5 

Ridgefield 0 44 2.4 

Gleason 0 70 4.4 

Chinook Landing 1 217 5.2 

Washougal 0 321 9.7 

Cascade Locks 0 198 9.0 

Bingen 1 4 1.0 

The Dalles 0 112 2.0 

Giles French 1 89 6.4 

Umatilla 0 36 1.9 

Columbia Point 0 82 2.7 

Vernita 0 0 0.0 

Lyon’s Ferry 0 43 14.3 

Boyer Park 0 428 5.5 Greenbelt 0 354 4.5