SW WA, Lower Columbia, Hanford Reach Fishing Report (8-6-20)

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

Washington Columbia River and Tributary Fishing Report July 27-Aug 2, 2020

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Mainstem Lower Columbia River 

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 79 bank anglers kept eight steelhead and released one Chinook and 18 steelhead. 

1 boat/2 rods had no catch. 

WHILE BUOY 10 DOESN’T OPEN UNTIL AUG. 14, SALMON FISHING IS OPEN FURTHER UP THE LOWER COLUMBIA, INCLUDING AROUND THE LONGVIEW-RAINIER BRIDGE, WHERE JOHN FIELDING SNAPPED THIS IMAGE DURING 2015’S STELLAR SEASON. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 7 boats/13 rods kept one Chinook and released two Chinook and one steelhead. 

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 20 bank anglers kept two steelhead and released three steelhead. 3 boats/5 rods had no catch. 

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 28 bank anglers kept eight steelhead and released one steelhead. 3 boats/5 rods had no catch. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 52 bank anglers released six steelhead. 7 boats/15 rods had no catch. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 182 bank anglers kept three Chinook, three steelhead and released one Chinook and nine steelhead. 17 boats/34 rods released one Chinook and one steelhead. 

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 6 boats/9 rods kept one Chinook. 

Sec 8 (Longview) – 127 bank anglers kept 7 steelhead and released two steelhead. 11 boats/21 rods kept one Chinook, four steelhead and released one jack. 

Sec 9 (Cathlamet) – 16 bank anglers had no catch. 3 boats/10 rods kept six steelhead. 

Sec 10 (Cathlamet) – Two bank anglers had no catch. 

Sturgeon: 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 1 boat/3 rods had no catch. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 1 boat/1 rod had no catch. 

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 1 boat/1 rod released eight sublegal sturgeon. 

Sec 8 (Longview) – One bank angler had no catch. 2 boats/3 rods released one sublegal and two legal sturgeon. 

Walleye: 

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 1 boat/2 rods kept two walleye. 

Salmon/Steelhead: 

Columbia River Tributaries 

Cowlitz River – I-5 Br downstream – 52 bank rods kept six steelhead. 1 boat/2 rods kept one steelhead. 

Above the I-5 Br – 48 bank rods kept 21 steelhead and released one steelhead. 40 boats/120 rods kept 63 steelhead. 

Tacoma Power employees recovered 764 summer-run steelhead adults, 30 spring Chinook adults, 29 spring Chinook jacks, 195 spring Chinook mini-jacks, and 30 cutthroat trout during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. 

During the past week, Tacoma Power released 11 spring Chinook adults, five spring Chinook jacks, and 15 cutthroat trout into the Cowlitz River in Packwood. 

Tacoma Power recycled 662 summer-run steelhead adults to the I-5 launch and they released 14 spring Chinook jacks and 100 spring Chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake. Last week, 2,620 rainbow trout were released into Mayfield Lake. 

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 2,450 cubic feet per second on Monday, July 31, 2020. Water visibility is 11 feet and the water temperature is 55.0 F. 

Kalama River – One bank angler had no catch. 

Lewis River – Eight bank anglers kept three steelhead. 

Drano Lake – 2 boats/3 rods released two steelhead. 

Klickitat above #5 Fishway – Four bank anglers had no catch. 

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 

July 27 – Aug 2, 2020 

Station Tags Total NPM CPUE 

Cathlamet 0 527 6.8 

Willow Grove 1 263 6.7 

Rainier 0 280 6.5 

Kalama 0 140 6.1 

Ridgefield 0 87 4.8 

Gleason 0 99 6.2 

Chinook Landing 0 113 3.2 

Washougal 3 325 6.3 

Cascade Locks 0 100 14.3 

Bingen 0 0 0.0 

The Dalles 0 93 1.6 

Giles French 0 101 7.8 

Umatilla 0 19 1.0 

Columbia Point 1 108 4.0 

Vernita 0 0 0.0 

Lyon’s Ferry 0 15 5.0 

Boyer Park 0 532 5.2 Greenbelt 0 372 5.4

Hanford Reach Summer Fishery Summary

The summer salmon sport fishery in the Hanford Reach closed on July 31. The Columbia River upstream of Priest Rapids Dam will remain open under the current emergency regulation (https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=2533). The Hanford Reach fall salmon fishery will open August 16. See details below.

For the 2020 summer fishery there were 11,054 angler trips for salmon with 6,262 sockeye, 135 adult hatchery chinook, 43 hatchery jacks, and 4 wild jacks harvested. In addition, 161 wild adult summer chinook, 48 hatchery adult chinook, 26 chinook jacks, 7 sockeye, 16 hatchery steelhead, and 16 wild steelhead were caught and released.

The Hanford Reach fall salmon fishery will open August 16 from the Highway 395 bridge upstream to Priest Rapids Dam. Biologists are predicting a return similar to last year with ~90,000 adult chinook returning to the Hanford Reach (wild + hatchery). Daily limit 6. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release all salmon other than Chinook and coho. Both wild and hatchery Coho and Chinook can be harvested. Anglers must stop fishing when they have retained their adult daily limit. Voluntary barbless hook restriction (you can use barbed hooks). Anglers can use two poles if they have the two-pole endorsement. Steelhead remains closed is this section of the Columbia River. The Yakima River is not scheduled to open for fall salmon fishing this year due to low projected returns for both fall chinook and coho. Check the Washington Sport Fishing Rules for all other regulations.