SW WA, Lower Columbia, Hanford Reach Fishing Report (9-23-25)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORTS ORIGINATED WITH WDFW AND ODFW

WDFW Preliminary Lower Columbia River and Washington Tributary Sport Summary – September 15-21, 2025

Mainstem Columbia River 

Lower Columbia River, Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam — 945 salmonid boats and 164 Washington bank rods were tallied on the flight count Saturday, September  20. 

Salmon/Steelhead 

Section 1 (Bonneville) — 30 bank anglers kept eight Chinook. 45 boats/117 rods kept 54 Chinook, 10  jacks, one coho jack, and released one Chinook and two jacks. 

Section 2 (Camas/Washougal) — Five bank anglers had no catch. 148 boats/319 rods kept 69  Chinook, 10 jacks, one coho, and released one coho. 

Section 3 (I-5 Area) — 11 bank anglers had no catch. 23 boats/47 rods kept eight Chinook, one jack,  and released three Chinook jacks. 

Section 4 (Vancouver) — 117 bank anglers kept five Chinook and released one coho. 240 boats/560 rods kept 234 Chinook, 20 jacks, 13 coho, and released eight Chinook, three jacks and four coho. 

Section 5 (Woodland) — 12 bank anglers kept one Chinook. 31 boats/80 rods kept 30 Chinook,  seven jacks, four coho and one coho jack.  

Section 6 (Kalama) — 231 bank anglers kept 54 Chinook and three jacks. 43 boats/118 rods kept 35  Chinook, one jack, five coho, and released three Chinook and three coho. 

Section 7 (Cowlitz) — No bank effort reported. 22 boats/81 rods kept 46 Chinook, nine jacks, five  coho, one coho jack, and released five Chinook, seven jacks, two coho and one steelhead. 

Section 8 (Longview) — 24 bank anglers kept eight Chinook, one jack, and released one coho. 7 boats/15 rods kept three Chinook. 

Section 9 (Cathlamet) — No bank effort reported. 8 boats/18 rods kept eight Chinook, one jack and  two coho. 

Section 10 (Cathlamet) — No bank effort reported. 1 boat/3 rods kept one Chinook.

Columbia River Tributaries 

Salmon/Steelhead 

Cowlitz River (I-5 Bridge downstream) — 27 bank anglers had no catch. 2 boats/4 rods kept one  coho and released one steelhead. 

Cowlitz River (I-5 Bridge upstream) — 10 bank anglers kept one steelhead. 3 boats/8 rods kept four  steelhead and released one Chinook jack. 

Kalama River — Ten bank anglers kept one Chinook and released two Chinook. No boat effort  reported. 

Lewis River — 53 bank anglers kept one Chinook, six coho, one coho jack, and released one Chinook, one jack, three coho and two coho jacks. 13 boats/26 rods kept five coho, seven coho jacks, and  released four Chinook and two coho jacks. 

Wind River — No effort reported. 

Drano Lake — 47 bank anglers kept three Chinook, one jack, and released three Chinook and five  steelhead. 65 boats/164 rods kept 66 Chinook, four jacks, 13 coho, and released 19 steelhead and  two sturgeon. 

Klickitat River (below Fisher Hill Bridge) — 22 bank anglers kept seven Chinook and one jack. No  boat effort reported.  

Klickitat River (above Fisher Hill Bridge) — 2 bank anglers kept one Chinook. No boat effort  reported. 

ODFW Buoy 10 Columbia Catch Summaries

From Monday, September 15 through Thursday, September 18, 2025 Oregon creel samplers contacted 67 boats (178 anglers) for 2 Chinook (0.06 fish/rod) and 97 Coho (averaged 0.48 fish/rod) kept; and 38 Chinook and 79 Coho released.

2025 Cumulative Report through 9/18/2025:
Boats sampled to date: 5,080 boats (16,762 anglers)
Fish sampled to date: 6,380 Chinook and 5,938 Coho
Estimated angler trips: 59,313 boat and 3,832 bank
Estimated kept catch: 23,768 Chinook and 23,321 Coho
Estimated released: 16,422 Chinook and 15,650 Coho

WDFW Hanford Sport Fishery

The Hanford Reach fall salmon sport fishery has begun to pick up. Fish numbers over McNary have started to come over in respectable numbers and should continue as river temperatures begin to drop. WDFW staff interviewed anglers from 258 boats (776 anglers) with 192 adult Chinook. Based on sampling, an estimated 524 adult Chinook were harvested from 2,119 angler trips (774 boats).