Fishing report, Oct. 19

White sturgeon retention is open on Saturday from Wauna Powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam.

The fall salmon season is open from Buoy 10 upstream to the Oregon/Washington border above McNary Dam. An estimated 487,000 fall Chinook and 319,300 coho are expected to return to the Columbia River this fall.

Salmonid angling is good in the pools above Bonneville and in the gorge.

Walleye angling is good in the John Day Pool.

Salmon/Steelhead

Mainstem Grays River from the Hwy. 4 Bridge upstream to the South Fork and West Fork Grays from the mouth upstream to boundary markers 300 yards below the hatchery road bridge – Under permanent rules, closes to all fishing from Oct. 16 through Nov. 30. These areas will reopen to fishing for hatchery salmon and hatchery steelhead beginning December 1.

Cowlitz River — I-5 Bridge downstream: 25 bank rods released 1 cutt. 19 boat anglers kept 6 adult coho and released 2 adult Chinook and 4 adult coho. Upstream from the I-5 Br: 26 bank rods kept 4 jack and 1 adult coho and released 16 adult Chinook, 2 adult coho, and 1 cutt. 11 boat rods kept 4 jack coho, 1 steelhead, and 5 cutts and released 1 jack and 7 adult Chinook, 2 jack and 2 adult coho, and 2 cutts.

North Fork Lewis River — 7 bank anglers kept 1 adult coho. 2 boat anglers had no catch.

Drano Lake — 3 boat anglers had no catch.

Klickitat River — 32 bank anglers kept 10 adult Chinook and 3 adult coho and released 1 adult Chinook.

Lower Columbia mainstem below Bonneville Dam — Effort and catches are still holding up, at least until the rain forecasted for later this week. Over 300 boats were counted during last Saturday’s flight. Boat anglers averaged an adult Chinook per every other boat last week.

Gorge Boats: — 41 Chinook adults, one Chinook jack and six coho adults kept, plus two coho adults released for 28 boats (79 anglers).

Troutdale Boats — 31 Chinook adults and four coho adults kept, plus two Chinook adults, one Chinook jack, four coho adults and one coho jack released for 80 boats (167 anglers).

Walleye

Bonneville Pool — Two walleye kept for one boat (two anglers).

The Dalles Pool — Two walleye kept, plus one walleye released for three boats (six anglers).

John Day Pool — 25 walleye kept, plus 15 walleye released for five boats (eight anglers).

Sturgeon

Fisheries managers from Oregon and Washington have approved a two day recreational white sturgeon retention season for Saturday October 21, and Thursday October 26. The open area is along the mainstem Columbia River from the Wauna powerlines about 40 miles above the river mouth to the Bonneville Dam.

This is the first retention season along this reach since 2013. Legal-size sturgeon numbers had dropped to the point managers felt the need to protect these fish by closing retention. Legal size sturgeon have rebounded to the point that the two day season could be allowed.

The limit is one white sturgeon per day between 44 and 50 inches fork length and two for the year. If anglers have already kept two legal sturgeon elsewhere in 2017 they may not keep sturgeon during this season.