Current and upcoming fishing opportunities:
Ocean salmon fishing is excellent out of Ilwaco and Westport.
Albacore tuna have arrived in Marine Area 1.
Angling for summer steelhead is open from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the Oregon/Washington border. Retention of Chinook and sockeye is prohibited.
White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 upstream to McNary Dam but remains an option for catch-and-release fishing.
Walleye angling has slowed in the John Day Pool, but is still fair. Walleye fishing is also fair near Troutdale.
Trout fishing is good in high elevation lakes.
Panfish, bass, and catfish are biting well in local lakes and rivers.
Columbia River Mainstem
SALMON/STEELHEAD
Megler-Astoria Bridge upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge at Pasco: Effective July 1-31, 2019, the daily limit is one hatchery steelhead. Salmon and steelhead night fishing closure. Release all salmon.
Hwy 395 Bridge at Pasco upstream to Priest Rapids Dam: Effective June 16 through August 15, 2019, salmon and steelhead closed.
Mainstem Columbia Creel surveys
Bonneville: 15 bank rods released one jack chinook and seven steelhead.
Camas/Washougal: Two boats, five rods had no catch.
I-5 Area: 13 bank rods had no catch. One boat/two rods had no catch.
Vancouver: 33 bank anglers kept one steelhead and released four. Five boats/six rods released one steelhead.
Woodland: 58 bank anglers released two steelhead. Two boats/two rods had no catch.
Kalama: 42 bank anglers kept one steelhead and released 11. Seven boats/17 rods released one steelhead.
Cowlitz: no report
Longview: 201 bank anglers kept 16 steelhead and released seven. 15 boats/30 rods kept five steelhead and released eight. (WDFW)
Columbia River Tributaries Creel Surveys
Elochoman River — Four bank anglers released one steelhead.
Cowlitz River – I-5 Bridge downstream — Five bank rods had no catch.
Above the I-5 Bridge — 55 bank rods kept 16 steelhead and released eight Chinook jacks. 45 boats/133 rods kept 73 steelhead and released one steelhead, one Chinook and one Chinook jack.
Kalama River — Seven bank anglers had no catch.
Lewis River — Eight bank anglers released one steelhead. Five boats/nine rods released three steelhead.
Drano Lake — Two bank anglers had no catch. 15 boats/23 rods kept four steelhead and released 21 steelhead.
Klickitat below Fisher Hill Bridge — Two bank anglers had no catch.
Klickitat above No.5 Fishway — Two bank anglers had no catch. (WDFW)
Recent Trout Plants
Lake Merwin (Cowlitz): July 15, planted with 1,416 rainbows at 0.18 per pound, and 1,142 rainbows at 0.8 per pound.
Mayfield Lake (Lewis): July 2, planted with 3,000 rainbows at 1.5 per pound. July 11, planted with 2,700 rainbows at 1.35 per pound.
Sturgeon
Bonneville Pool Closed for retention. Weekly checking showed 24 sublegal, and five legal white sturgeon released for six boats (20 anglers).
John Day Pool Closed for retention. Weekly checking showed one legal white sturgeon released for two boats (six anglers). (ODFW)
Walleye
Gorge: Weekly checking showed three walleye kept for one boat (five anglers).
Troutdale: Weekly checking showed 14 walleye kept for eight boats (16 anglers).
Bonneville Pool: Weekly checking showed two walleye kept, plus one walleye released for three boats (five anglers).
John Day Pool: Weekly checking showed two walleye kept for two bank anglers; and 24 walleye kept, plus seven walleye released for 24 boats (62 anglers). (ODFW)
Tuna update
Albacore tuna have finally arrived off the Washington Coast. Captain Mike Colbach of Shake and Bake Tuna Charters (360-562-0333), reported the first good trip of the summer fishing out of Ilwaco on July 22. Anglers caught 29 tuna for the boat.
