SW WA, Lower Columbia, Gorge Pools, Hanford Fishing Report (4-5-21)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORTS WERE FORWARDED BY KEVIN MATHEWS AND PAUL HOFFARTH, WDFW

Preliminary Washington Columbia River mainstem and tributary sport sampling summary March 29-April 4, 2021

Columbia River and Tributary Fishery Reports

Fishery Reports:

Mainstem Columbia River

Salmon/Steelhead:

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 197 bank anglers kept 10 Chinook and released one Chinook.  6 boats/12 rods kept two Chinook and released one Chinook.

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 17 boats/38 rods kept two Chinook and released one Chinook.

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 15 boats/21 rods had no catch.

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 40 bank anglers kept two Chinook.  111 boats/230 rods kept 19 Chinook and released two Chinook.

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 28 bank anglers had no catch.  96 boats/289 rods kept 20 Chinook and released 3 Chinook.

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 55 bank anglers kept two Chinook and one steelhead.  99 boats/255 rods kept 26 Chinook and released one Chinook.

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 22 boats/67 rods kept seven Chinook.  

Sec 8 (Longview) – 110 bank anglers kept two steelhead.  238 boats/482 rods kept 26 Chinook and released five Chinook.

Sec 9 (Cathlamet) – 19 bank anglers had no catch.  12 boats/32 rods kept one Chinook.

Sec 10 (Cathlamet) – Three bank anglers had no catch.  149 boats/377 rods kept 61 Chinook, three jacks and released two Chinook, one jack and one steelhead. 

Sturgeon:

Sec 8 (Longview) – Two bank anglers had no catch.

John Day Pool – 6 boats/16 rods released two oversized sturgeon.

Walleye:

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 1 boat/1 rod had no catch.

John Day Pool – 68 boats/164 rods kept 179 walleye and released 67 walleye.

Bass:

John Day Pool – 13 boats/25 rods kept 14 bass and released 152 bass.

Columbia River Tributaries 

Salmon/Steelhead:

Cowlitz River – I-5 Br downstream – 107 bank rods kept four steelhead and released two steelhead.  2 boats/5 rods had no catch.         

Above the I-5 Br – 31 bank rods kept seven steelhead.  22 boats/82 rods kept 40 steelhead and released one Chinook.

Lewis River – Three bank anglers had no catch.

Columbia River Steelhead Fishery Update (McNary Dam to Hwy 395)

WDFW has completed their monitoring of the winter/spring sport fishery between McNary Dam and Hwy 395. This area remains open to the harvest of hatchery steelhead and springchinook through May 5 under emergency regulation (listed below).

• March 16 through May 5: From the Tower Island power lines (approximately 6 miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to the Oregon/Washington border, plus bank angling by hand-cast only between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines.
  • Daily limit 6, including no more than 2 adults of which no more than 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all wild steelhead and allsalmon other than hatchery Chinook. Salmon minimum size 12 inches.

WDFW staff interviewed 493 boat anglers (210 boats) and 397 bank anglers between November 3, 2020 and March 31, 2021 to estimate catch and harvest (20% of the effort sampled). WDFW estimates there were 4,419 angler trips for steelhead with 201 steelhead harvested and 803 steelhead caught and released.

Estimated Steelhead Harvest in the McNary Reservoir, November 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021