Current and upcoming opportunities
The Columbia River from Buoy 10 to the I-5 bridge is open to the retention of hatchery steelhead and hatchery Chinook.
From the I-5 Bridge to the McNary Dam, open for hatchery steelhead.
White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia upstream to Bonneville Dam, but remains an option for catch and release.
Fishing for white sturgeon is open in the Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools until quotas are met.
A few winter steelhead are available from Columbia River beaches, and in the tributaries.
Lowland lakes have been well-stocked with trout and are fishing very well.
Walleye and bass should be available in The Dalles and John Day pools whenever weather allows.
Salmon/steelhead
Columbia mainstem
The salmonid creel program on the lower Columbia will resume in February.
The Dalles Pool (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam): Weekly checking showed two steelhead kept for one boat (one angler).
Columbia River Tributaries
Grays River — Two bank anglers had no catch.
Elochoman River — 39 bank anglers kept 20 steelhead. One boat/two rods kept two steelhead.
Cowlitz River – I-5 Bridge downstream — One bank angler had no catch.
Above the I-5 Bridge — Six bank anglers had no catch.
Sturgeon
Lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam): Closed for retention. No report.
Bonneville Pool — Two bank anglers had no catch. 20 boats/59 rods kept six legal sturgeon and released 87 sublegal and one oversize sturgeon.
The Dalles Pool — Seven bank anglers released one sublegal sturgeon. 10 boats/25 rods kept four legal sturgeon and released 12 sublegal sturgeon.
John Day Pool — 20 bank anglers had no catch. 14 boats/31 rods released one sublegal sturgeon. (WDFW)
Walleye
Bonneville Pool: Weekly checking showed six walleye kept for one boat (four anglers).
The Dalles Pool: Weekly checking showed one walleye kept for one bank angler; and one walleye kept, plus five walleye released for one boat (two anglers). (ODFW)
Bass
John Day Pool — One bank angler had no catch.
Recent trout plants
Little Ash Lake (Skamania): Planted with 2,000 rainbows at 2.4 per pound on Jan. 10.
Silver Lake (Cowlitz): Planted with 2,000 rainbows at 2.27 per pound on Jan. 13.
Kress Lake (Cowlitz): Planted with three adult winter steelhead on Jan. 13, and with seven adult steelhead on Jan. 14.
Maryhill Pond (Klickitat): Planted with 500 rainbows at 2.27 per pound on Jan. 14. (WDFW)