Anglers may now keep hatchery steelhead in Drano Lake through Oct. 31, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday.
The daily limit is six fish, of which only one may be an adult salmon or hatchery steelhead. The salmon minimum size is 12 inches.
Summer steelhead fisheries in Drano Lake were closed due to low preseason forecasts and the need to limit Endangered Species Act-listed steelhead impacts in non-treaty fisheries.
The estimated returns of A-index and B-index summer steelhead were recently increased from preseason forecasts. Due to the increased return sizes, sufficient fishery impacts are available to reopen hatchery steelhead retention.
Fishery reports
On the lower Columbia River between Warrior Rock and Bonneville Dam there were 834 salmonid boats and 172 Washington bank rods tallied during the flight count on Sept. 21
MAINSTEM COLUMBIA
Salmon/Steelhead
Sec. 1 (Bonneville) — 87 bank anglers kept eight Chinook, four jacks and one coho. 66 boats/185 rods kept 73 Chinook, 14 jacks, four coho, released one Chinook and five coho.
Sec. 2 (Camas/Washougal) — No bank effort reported. 124 boats/270 rods kept 55 Chinook, 10 jacks, 11 coho, one coho jack, released two Chinook, two jacks, three coho and one coho jack.
Sec. 3 (I-5 area) — one bank angler had no catch. 21 boats/47 rods kept four Chinook, two jacks, three coho and released one Chinook.
Sec. 4 (Vancouver) — 67 bank anglers kept three Chinook and released one coho jack. 169 boats/382 rods kept 124 Chinook, 37 jacks, 26 coho, two coho jacks, released seven jacks, 13 coho and two coho jacks.
Sec. 5 (Woodland) — 10 bank anglers had no catch. 10 boats/24 rods kept five Chinook, four jacks, five coho, one coho jack, released one jack and one coho.
Sec. 6 (Kalama) — 12 bank anglers kept one Chinook and one jack. 10 boats/30 rods kept eight Chinook and two jacks.
Sec. 7 (Cowlitz) — No bank effort reported. 6 boats/15 rods kept four Chinook.
Sec. 8 (Longview) — 15 bank anglers kept one coho. 29 boats/62 rods kept seven Chinook, one jack, ten coho, released four jacks, eight coho and three coho jacks.
Sec. 9 (Cathlamet) — No bank effort reported. 1 boat/2 rods had no catch.
Sec. 10 (Cathlamet) — Three bank anglers had no catch. 4 boats/8 rods kept four Chinook and five coho.
COLUMBIA TRIBUTARIES
Salmon/Steelhead
Cowlitz River I-5 bridge downstream — 75 bank rods kept two coho, one steelhead, released five Chinook, two coho and two coho jacks. 12 boats/26 rods kept two coho, released three Chinook and fifteen coho.
Cowlitz River Above the I-5 Br. — 51 bank rods kept one coho, four steelhead, released nine Chinook and two jacks. 14 boats/33 rods kept two steelhead.
Kalama River — 17 bank rods kept three steelhead.
Lewis River Mainstem — 217 bank rods kept 42 coho, two coho jacks, one steelhead, released seven Chinook and 14 coho. 16 boats/24 rods kept one Chinook, six coho, one coho jack and released two Chinook.
Wind River — Two bank rods had no catch. 3 boats/5 rods kept nine coho.
Drano Lake — 24 bank rods released four steelhead and one coho jack. 95 boats/296 rods kept 147 Chinook, 58 Chinook jacks, 26 coho, one coho jack, released 29 Chinook and 10 steelhead.
Klickitat River below Fisher Hill Bridge — 44 bank rods kept 13 Chinook, five jacks, three coho and released one Chinook. 2 boats/3 rods kept two Chinook and one jack.
Klickitat River above #5 Fishway — Nine bank rods had no catch.
