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Chinook Run Yields Fair Fishing on Lower Columbia River by Mark Yuasa Seattle Times, March 17, 2010

The spring chinook watch continues on the Lower Columbia River, and some sections were giving up fish while other areas were slow.

"It was a little better fishing around I-5 Bridge and Cathlamet area on Monday, and the Willamette River was spilling out some dirty water," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

The water color should clear up below the Willamette by Thursday. Davis Bar, Frenchman's Bar, Sauvie Island and Longview areas are the places to try heading into this weekend.

A commercial test fishery Sunday produced just six spring chinook and 17 steelhead, so there will be no chinook-directed commercial fishery this week.

Last week, 1,103 sport boat anglers caught 83 spring chinook and three steelhead, and 196 bank anglers caught one chinook and two steelhead. About 21,500 angler trips from Feb. 1 to March 14 produced a catch of 800 spring chinook below Bonneville Dam.

Fishing is closed on Tuesdays through March 30 from Buoy 10 to I-5 Bridge. Fishing from I-5 to Bonneville is open Thursdays to Saturdays only through April 3. Only bank fishing is allowed from I-205 Bridge to Bonneville.

It's fair for steelhead and some spring chinook in the Cowlitz at Mission Bar, Camelot, Barrier Dam and Blue Creek areas. Also fair for steelhead in the Kalama, but slow in the Lewis.