The first spring Chinook was counted at Bonneville Dam on March 11.
Fishing for salmon, steelhead, and shad is closed From Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia River to Warrior Rock.
Spring Chinook angling is open to both boat and bank anglers from Warrior Rock upstream to Beacon Rock. Beacon Rock to Bonneville Dam is open to bank angling only.
Effective April 1, spring Chinook angling will be open from Tower Island power lines upstream to the Oregon/Washington border above McNary Dam, plus the banks between Bonneville Dam and Tower Island power lines.
White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam, and in The Dalles Pool but remains an option for catch-and-release fishing.
Bonneville and John Day pools are open to the retention of white sturgeon until quotas are reached.
Trout fishing in local lakes has been good.
Spring Chinook have been a no-show in the Columbia, and effort has been light. A few springers are being caught in the Willamette River.
Walleye fishing is good in the Bonneville and John Day pools.
Winter steelhead fishing is still slow in the Columbia River and the tributaries.
Salmon/Steelhead
During the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Saturday flight on March 9, 55 salmonid boats and 28 Washington bank rods were tallied on the Lower Columbia mainstem from Warrior Rock line to Bonneville Dam.
Lower Columbia Washington creel checks:
Section 3 (I-5 area) bank — five salmonid bank anglers: no catch.
Section 3 boat — Five boats/14 salmonid anglers: no catch.
Section 4 (Vancouver) bank — 22 salmonid anglers: no catch.
Section 4 boat — 31 boats/ 65 salmonid anglers; no catch.
Grays River — 4 bank anglers had no catch.
Elochoman River — Two bank anglers released one steelhead. One boat/three rods released one steelhead.
Cowlitz River — I-5 Bridge downstream: 60 bank rods kept one steelhead. Four boats/five rods had no catch.
Above the I-5 Bridge: 17 bank rods released three steelhead. 31 boats/106 rods kept 22 steelhead and released four steelhead.
Kalama River — No catch for 32 bank anglers
Lewis River — No catch for 5 bank anglers
East Fork Lewis River — No catch for two bank anglers
Salmon Creek — No catch for nine bank anglers
Sturgeon
Bonneville Pool — Seven bank anglers had no catch. Five boats/14 rods kept three legal sturgeon and released 51 sublegal sturgeon.
John Day Pool — 15 bank anglers had no catch. Two boats/six rods had no catch.
Walleye
Bonneville Pool — Three boats/six rods kept 20 walleye.
The Dalles Pool — No anglers sampled.
John Day Pool — 11 boats/23 rods kept 26 walleye and released three walleye.
Bass
John Day Pool — One boat/one rod had no catch.
Recent trout plants
Lewis County Park Pond — Planted with 2,000 rainbow trout at 2.5 fish per pound on March 7.
Klineline Pond — Planted with 1,500 rainbow trout at 2.3 fish per pound on March 5.
Lacamas Lake — Planted with 4,000 rainbow at 1.9 per pound on March 4.
