SW WA, Lower Columbia, Hanford Reach Fishing Reports (7-18-22)

THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORTS WERE FORWARDED BY BRYAN SPELLMAN AND PAUL HOFFARTH

Preliminary Washington Columbia River mainstem and tributary sport sampling summary July 11-17, 2022

Lower Columbia River Megler-Astoria Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam – 143 salmonid boats and  169 Washington bank rods were tallied during Saturday’s (7/17) flight count. 

Mainstem Columbia River 

Salmon/Steelhead

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – 20 bank anglers kept one Chinook, four steelhead and released two Chinook and 10  steelhead.  

BOB SUYAMA CAUGHT THIS SOCKEYE IN JULY 2020 WHILE FISHING IN THE TRI-CITIES AREA. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

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

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 17 bank anglers kept one jack, one steelhead, three sockeye and released one steelhead. 1 boat/2 rods kept one Chinook.  

Sec 4 (Vancouver) – 122 bank anglers kept eight Chinook, five steelhead, six sockeye and released six Chinook, two jacks and seven steelhead. 25 boats/46 rods kept five Chinook, two steelhead and released two Chinook. 

Sec 5 (Woodland) – 40 bank anglers kept one Chinook, two steelhead and released one Chinook and  two steelhead. 11 boats/22 rods had no catch. 

Sec 6 (Kalama) – 187 bank anglers kept 12 Chinook, seven steelhead, five sockeye and released seven Chinook, two jacks, seven steelhead and one sockeye. 14 boats/31 rods kept one Chinook, four steelhead, one sockeye and released one Chinook and two steelhead. 

Sec 7 (Cowlitz) – 5 boats/12 rods released one Chinook. 

Sec 8 (Longview) – 101 bank anglers kept one Chinook, 10 steelhead, one sockeye and released one  Chinook and five steelhead. 29 boats/59 rods kept three Chinook, three steelhead and released one Chinook and one steelhead. 

Sec 9 (Cathlamet) – 27 bank anglers kept one Chinook, one jack, three steelhead, one sockeye and  released three steelhead. 8 boats/17 rods kept one Chinook, 10 steelhead, four sockeye and released  two steelhead.  

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

Sturgeon: 

Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 1 boat/2 rods released four sublegal and one oversize sturgeon Sec 4 (Vancouver) – Three bank anglers released one legal, four sublegal and one oversize sturgeon Sec 6 (Kalama) – 3 boats/13 rods released one legal and one oversize sturgeon. 

Shad

Sec 1 (Bonneville) – Two bank anglers kept five shad.  

Walleye: 

Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) – 1 boat/3 rods had no catch. 

Columbia River Tributaries 

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River I-5 Br downstream – 47 bank rods kept six steelhead.  

Cowlitz River Above the I-5 Br – 39 bank rods kept 25 steelhead. 22 boats/72 rods kept 100 steelhead and released one jack. 

Kalama River – No report.

Lewis River – No report. 

Drano Lake – No report. 

Klickitat River below Fisher Hill Bridge – No report.

Klickitat River above #5 Fishway – No report.

Hanford Reach Summer Chinook & Sockeye Sport Fishery

Sockeye passage through Bonneville peaked in late June. Sockeye counts are currently less than 5,000 per day.  Chinook counts have also dropped off.  Sockeye counts at McNary Dam are still above 5,000 per day but will continue to decline through the week. Fishing, both effort and harvest, continued to decline during the week. Boats still averaged a salmon per boat, ~12 hours per salmon.

(WDFW)

WDFW staff interviewed 509 anglers this past week, 294 boat anglers and 215 bank anglers.  For the week, 476 sockeye, 40 hatchery adult chinook, and 6 hatchery jack chinook were harvested.

Based on the data collected through July 17, there have been 12,855 angler trips for salmon in the Hanford Reach summer salmon fishery with 7,571 sockeye, 213 hatchery adult chinook, and 15 jack chinook harvested. 55 wild adult chinook have been caught and released.

Friday, July 15, was the final day to fish the “Bank Angler Only” area at Columbia Point (downstream of the Interstate 182 bridge). Anglers, bank and boat, can continue to fish for sockeye and summer chinook upstream of the Interstate 182 bridge through August 15.

(WDFW)