Effective Thursday, angling for summer steelhead and spring Chinook jacks will be open between Tongue Point and the I-5 Bridge on the Columbia River. Angling for shad will be open from Buoy 10 at the river’s mouth upstream to Bonneville Dam.
White sturgeon retention is open from Buoy 10 upstream to Wauna powerlines on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays until June 5.
White sturgeon retention is closed from Wauna powerlines upstream to McNary Dam but remains an option for catch-and-release fishing. Anglers are reminded that spawning sanctuaries took effect May 1.
Walleye angling is good in The Dalles and John Day pools.
Spring Chinook are crossing the Bonneville Dam in good numbers, and fishing is improving in Drano Lake and the Wind River.
Trout fishing is good in most local lakes.
Warm water fisheries in local lakes are heating up.
Salmon/Steelhead
Mainstem Columbia
Salmonid anglers did well in the pools above Bonneville this past weekend. In The Dalles Pool, boat anglers averaged 0.83 spring Chinook caught per boat, while anglers fishing in the John Day Pool averaged 0.68 spring Chinook caught per boat. Bank anglers fishing in the Bonneville Pool averaged 0.20 spring Chinook caught per bank rod, while anglers fishing The Dalles Pool averaged 0.07 spring Chinook caught per bank rod.
Columbia River Tributaries
Elochoman River — Six bank anglers kept three steelhead and released one steelhead.
Cowlitz River — I-5 Bridge downstream: 16 bank rods had no catch. Above the I-5 Bridge: Three bank rods had no catch. Five boats/10 rods had no catch.
Kalama River — 42 bank anglers kept two Chinook. Five boats/13 rods kept one Chinook. The hatchery spring Chinook escapement goal is about 500 adults. Return as of May 14 is 223 adults including nine natural origin.
Lewis River — One bank angler had no catch. One boat/two rods had no catch.
The hatchery spring Chinook escapement goal is about 1,350 adults. Return as of May 14 is 404 adults including 7 natural origin.
Wind River — Two bank anglers had no catch. 107 boats/311 rods kept 68 Chinook, three jacks and released one Chinook and one steelhead.
The Carson National Fish Hatchery fish ladder was opened May 3 and 34 spring Chinook have returned. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,500 fish.
Drano Lake — Four bank rods had no catch; 140 boats/423 rods kept 68 Chinook and released two Chinook.
Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery fish ladder was opened on April 29 and 660 spring Chinook have returned. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,000 fish.
Klickitat — two bank anglers had no catch. Through May 10, a total of 15 spring Chinook adults including 1 natural origin have been counted at the Lyle Falls trap. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,100 fish. (WDFW)
Recent trout plants
Davis Lake — planted with 1,200 rainbow trout at 0.36 per pound on April 25.
Sturgeon
Buoy 10 upstream to Wauna Powerlines — Monday’s check showed 32 legal white sturgeon kept, plus 91 sublegal and 28 oversize sturgeon released for 141 boats (387 anglers).
Walleye
The Dalles Pool — Weekend checking showed 55 walleye kept, plus three walleye released for 10 boats (27 anglers).
John Day Pool — Weekend checking showed 93 walleye kept, plus 18 walleye released for 30 boats (62 anglers). (ODFW)
