Spring Chinook angling is open to both boat and bank anglers from Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock. Beacon Rock to Bonneville Dam is open to bank angling only.
Effective March 16, spring Chinook angling will be open from Tower Island powerlines upstream to the Oregon/Washington border above McNary Dam, plus the banks between Bonneville Dam and Tower Island powerlines.
White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 upstream to McNary Dam but remains an option for catch and released fishing.
The McNary Pool is open to the retention of legal white sturgeon through July 31. Southwest Washington Lakes continue to produce good trout fishing.
Salmon and Steelhead
Spring Chinook fishing is improving in the Columbia River and tributaries. Expect catch rates to improve during the week.
On Saturday’s flight, 235 salmonid boats and 138 Oregon bank anglers were counted from the Columbia estuary to Bonneville Dam.
Gorge Bank — Weekly checking showed no catch for two bank anglers.
Troutdale Boats — Weekly checking showed no catch for one boat (two anglers).
Portland to Westport Bank — Weekend checking showed one steelhead kept for 170 bank anglers.
Portland to Westport Boats — Weekend checking showed four spring Chinook adults kept for 74 boats (194 anglers).
Estuary Bank (Clatsop Spit to Wauna Powerlines) — Weekend checking showed no catch for two bank anglers.
Estuary Boats (Buoy 10 to Wauna Powerlines) — Weekend checking showed one steelhead released for three boats (six anglers).
Bonus Factoid — More spring Chinook have returned to the Lewis River traps (10) and Willamette Falls (5) through March 11 than have been counted at Bonneville Dam (3).
FYI — during March 1-11, anglers on the lower Columbia made 4,943 trips and caught 24 adult spring Chinook (21 kept and 3 released) and 56 steelhead (12 kept and 44 released). Based on preliminary VSI sampling, upriver spring Chinook comprised 29 percent of the kept catch.
During February, anglers on the lower Columbia made 3,638 trips and caught 18 spring Chinook (kept) and 64 steelhead (released). Based on VSI sampling, all the February Chinook catch was lower river origin.(WDFW)
Cowlitz River — From the I-5 Bridge downstream: 58 bank rods kept 3 steelhead. 2 boat rods had no catch. Upstream from the I-5 Bridge: 45 bank rods kept 2 adult spring Chinook and 2 steelhead. 103 boat rods kept 18 steelhead and released 3 steelhead and 2 cutthroats.
East Fork Lewis River — 32 bank anglers released one wild steelhead. Two boat anglers had no catch
Grays River — 3 bank anglers released 3 wild steelhead, and 9 boat anglers released 9 wild steelhead.
Elochoman River — 5 bank anglers and 5 boat anglers released 6 wild steelhead.
Salmon Creek — 12 bank anglers had no catch.
Sturgeon
Lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam) is closed for retention.
Weekend checking showed no catch for two boats (three anglers).
Trout
Klineline, Battle Ground, Kress recently stocked. Good effort and harvest.
Warmwater fishing is gearing up pretty much everywhere. Walleye still chugging along in the Columbia River.
