Fishing Report, March 17

Fishing updates and reports for waters in southwest Washington, including the Columbia River and tributaries as reported to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as of March 15.

Always check the WDFW website at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing for the latest fishing rules and regulations as seasons can change or close quickly if necessary.

UPDATES

Salmon/Steelhead: Columbia River mainstem

Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam, including Deep River — Through April 4, salmon and steelhead daily limit is six with up to two adults may be retained of which no more than one may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook. Release wild steelhead. Salmon minimum size is 12 inches.

Fishing for salmon or steelhead from a vessel is prohibited in the area adjacent to the Cowlitz River mouth and includes all of Carrolls Channel. To see full details of the boat-fishing closure area, view the emergency rule online at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/.

Bank angling with hand-cast lines only from Beacon Rock to the Bonneville Dam deadline.

Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam — Through May 5, the daily limit will be six with no more than two adults may be retained of which no more than one may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook. Release wild steelhead. Bank angling with hand-cast lines only between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island powerlines.

The Dalles Dam upstream to the Washington/Oregon border — Through May 5, the daily limit will be six, no more than two adults may be retained of which no more than one may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook. Release wild steelhead.

Washington/Oregon border upstream to Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco — Through March 31 the daily limit is one hatchery steelhead. Release all salmon and wild steelhead.

Sturgeon: Columbia River mainstem

Columbia River, from Buoy 10 upstream to John Day Dam including adjacent tributaries — Catch and release only. Fishing for sturgeon at night is closed.

Columbia River, John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam — As of Friday, March 19, retention of white sturgeon is closed due to quote being met. Catch-and-release only. Fishing for sturgeon at night is prohibited.

Salmon/Steelhead: Columbia River tributaries

Cispus River — Closed to salmon fishing until further notice.

Cowlitz River — Closed to salmon fishing until further notice.

Lake Scanewa — Closed to salmon fishing until further notice.

Kalama River from the mouth to 1,000 feet below the fishway at the upper salmon hatchery — Daily salmon limit is six fish, of which only one may be an adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery Coho.

Salmon Creek from the mouth to the 182nd Ave. bridge — Through May 28, steelhead daily limit is three. Selective gear rules, except barbed hooks are allowed.

Wind River from the mouth to 800 yards downstream of Carson National Fish Hatchery — Closed to salmon and steelhead fishing until further notice.

Drano Lake — Through May 5 in the waters downstream of markers on point of land downstream and across from Little White Salmon National Fish hatchery and upstream of Highway 14 Bridge the daily limit for salmon and steelhead is two, with no more than one may be an adult salmon. Only hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead may be retained. Effective May 6, lake will be closed to salmon and steelhead fishing until further notice.

Klickitat River from the mouth to Fisher Hill Bridge — Effective April 1, the adult salmon daily limit is one fish. Effective May 29, from 400 feet upstream from No. 5 fishway to boundary markers below Klickitat Salmon hatchery, the daily salmon limit will be six fish, of which only one may be an adult.

FISHERY REPORTS

Lower Columbia mainstem from Bonneville to Astoria — 219 salmonid boats and 119 Washington bank rods were tallied during the March 13 effort count.

Salmon/Steelhead: Columbia River mainstem

Bonneville — Four bank anglers had no catch.

Camas/Washougal — No report.

Interstate 5 area — Two boats/three rods had no catch.

Vancouver — 32 bank anglers had no catch; 51 boats/102 rods had no catch.

Woodland — 23 bank anglers had no catch; 27 boats/72 rods had no catch.

Kalama — 24 bank anglers kept one Chinook; 32 boats/80 rods kept two Chinook.

Cowlitz — Three boats/four rods had no catch.

Longview — 39 bank anglers had no catch; 22 boats/41 rods kept one Chinook.

Cathlamet (Sec. 9) — Three bank anglers had no catch; eight boats/21 rods kept one Chinook.

Cathlamet (Sec. 10) — 25 boats/56 rods kept one Chinook.

Bonneville Pool — No report.

The Dalles Pool — Three bank anglers kept one steelhead and released one steelhead.

John Day Pool — No report.

Sturgeon: Columbia River mainstem

Kalama — One boat/three rods had no catch.

Bonneville Pool — No report.

The Dalles Pool — One boat/four rods released five sublegal and one oversize sturgeon.

John Day Pool — 18 bank anglers had no catch; 31 boats/80 rods kept seven legal and released three sublegal and two oversize sturgeon.

Walleye: Columbia River mainstem

Bonneville Pool — No report.

The Dalles Pool — Seven bank anglers kept five walleye; 27 boats/58 rods kept 51 walleye, one bass and released eight walleye and one bass.

John Day Pool — Five bank anglers had no catch; 103 boats/234 rods kept 134 walleye, 10 bass and released 77 walleye and 47 bass.

Salmon/Steelhead: Columbia River tributaries

Cowlitz River at Interstate-5 Bridge downstream — 76 bank rods kept four steelhead and released one.

Above Interstate-5 Bridge — 54 bank rods kept 10 steelhead; 90 boats/325 rods kept 110 steelhead and released three steelhead and two cutthroat.

Kalama River — Nine bank anglers had no catch; four boats/nine rods had no catch.

Lewis River — No report.

Recent trout plants

Lake Sacajawea, March 10 — 3,159 rainbow, 2.43 fish per pound from Goldendale Hatchery.

Klineline Pond, March 10 — 2,560 rainbow, 2.0 fish per pound from Vancouver Hatchery.

Ice House Lake, March 15 — 1,000 rainbow, 2.0 fish per pound from Vancouver Hatchery.