SW WA, Lower Columbia, Hanford Reach Fishing Report (7-10-23)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORTS WERE FORWARDED BY BRYANT SPELLMAN AND PAUL HOFFARTH, WDFW

Preliminary Washington Columbia River mainstem and tributary sport sampling summary July 3-9, 2023

Lower Columbia River, Megler-Astoria Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam – 110 salmonid boats and 217 Washington bank rods were tallied during Saturday’s (7/8) flight count. 

Mainstem Columbia River 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 75 bank anglers kept seven steelhead, eight sockeye and released five steelhead. 1 boat/1 rod had no catch.  

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – No report.  

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 82 bank anglers kept one steelhead, two sockeye and released one steelhead. 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 61 bank anglers kept one jack and five sockeye. 10 boats/20 rods had no catch. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 64 bank anglers kept one steelhead, one sockeye and released two steelhead. 5 boats/11 rods had no catch. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 112 bank anglers kept two steelhead and six sockeye and released two Chinook, nine  steelhead and two sockeye. 8 boats/17 rods had no catch. 

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 2 boats/4 rods kept one sockeye and released one Chinook. 

Sec 8 (Longview) – 76 bank anglers kept seven steelhead and released four steelhead. 16 boats/36 rods  kept four steelhead, two sockeye and released one Chinook. 

Sec 9 (Cathlamet) – 21 bank anglers kept one steelhead and released one Chinook, one jack and three steelhead. 11 boats/29 rods kept seven steelhead and released two steelhead.  

Sec 10 (Cathlamet) – Seven bank anglers had no catch. 1 boat/2 rods had no catch. 

Sturgeon: 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 1 boat/2 rods released two sublegal sturgeon. 

Walleye: 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 1 boat/2 rods had no catch. 

Columbia River Tributaries 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Cowlitz River I-5 Br downstream – 51 bank rods kept six steelhead and one jack. 2 boats/4 rods kept  one steelhead.

Cowlitz River Above the I-5 Br – 35 bank rods kept five Chinook, one jack, 11 steelhead and released  five Chinook. 9 boats/30 rods kept 11 steelhead. 

Kalama River – No report. 

Lewis River – 4 boats/8 rods kept two Chinook, two steelhead and released one Chinook.

Wind River – 1 boat/2 rods had no catch. 

Drano Lake – No report. 

Klickitat River below Fisher Hill Bridge – One bank rod had no catch.

Hanford Reach Summer Salmon Fishery Update

Last week, the U.S. v Oregon Technical Advisory Committee updated the sockeye salmon run from 234,500 pre-season to approximately 331,000. Sockeye counts at Bonneville continue to decline. Sockeye counts are still strong at McNary but have dropped below 10,000 a day. Sockeye harvest in the Reach has been lower than expected given the size of the return. Flows in the Hanford Reach as measured at Priest Rapids Dam are averaging ~90,000 cfs and 67 F compared to 210,000 cfs and 60 F last year.

This past week, July 3 through July 9, WDFW staff interviewed 298 anglers from 157 boats and  148 bank anglers with 65 sockeye and 1 hatchery summer chinook jack. Anglers averaged slightly less than 1/2 a salmon per boat (0.4), 27 angler hours per fish. The bank fishery is still relatively slow at Columbia Point and Ringold Springs but a few fish are coming in.

Based on the data collected there were 1,843 angler trips for salmon this past week with 237 sockeye and 4 hatchery chinook jacks harvested. Since the opener, 1,056 sockeye, 43 hatchery adult chinook, 23 hatchery chinook jacks, and 2 wild jacks have been harvested.