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Fishing Report, March 22 by Staff The Columbian, March 22, 2018

Spring Chinook angling on the Columbia is open to both boat and bank anglers from Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock. Beacon Rock to Bonneville Dam is open to bank angling only.

Above the Bonneville Dam, spring Chinook angling is open from Tower Island powerlines upstream to the Oregon/Washington border above McNary Dam. It's bank angling only between Bonneville Dam and Tower Island powerlines.

White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 upstream to McNary Dam but remains an option for catch-and-release fishing. The McNary Pool is open to the retention of legal white sturgeon through July 31.

Trout fishing continues to be good in many Southwest Washington lakes.

Salmon, steelhead

Angler effort is increasing, but catch rates are still low. Last week on the lower Columbia, anglers made 6,973 trips and caught 193 adult spring Chinook (169 kept and 24 released) and 25 winter steelhead (nine kept and 16 released).

Upriver spring Chinook comprised 40 percent of the kept catch, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife visual sampling.

On Saturday's flight by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 523 salmonid boats and 226 Oregon bank anglers were counted from the Columbia River estuary to Bonneville Dam.

From Portland to St. Helens, Ore., boat anglers averaged 0.08 adult spring Chinook caught per boat, while anglers fishing from Westport to Buoy 10 averaged 0.14 spring Chinook and 0.01 steelhead caught per boat. Bank anglers fishing the Portland to Westport area averaged 0.01 steelhead caught per angler.

Troutdale Boats -- Weekend checking showed no catch for six boats (12 anglers).

Portland to Westport Bank -- Weekend checking showed one steelhead kept for 161 bank anglers.

Portland to St. Helens Boats -- Weekend checking showed 10 adult spring Chinook kept, plus one adult spring Chinook released for 140 boats (357 anglers).

Goble to Beaver Boats -- Weekend checking showed no catch for 19 boats (51 anglers).

Wauna Powerlines to Clatsop Spit Bank -- Weekend checking showed no catch for four bank anglers.

Westport to Buoy 10 Boats -- Weekend checking showed four adult spring Chinook kept, plus one adult spring Chinook released for 36 boats (92 anglers).

Cowlitz River -- From the I-5 Bridge downstream: 44 bank rods had no catch. Above the I-5 Bridge: 38 bank rods kept 5 steelhead. 97 boat rods kept 23 steelhead and released 6 steelhead and 2 cutthroats.

Kalama River -- 26 bank anglers released 3 steelhead. 11 boat anglers released 3 steelhead.

Mainstem Lewis River -- 4 bank rods had no catch. 3 boat rods released 1 steelhead.

North Fork of the Lewis River -- 7 bank rods had no catch. 2 boat rods had no catch.

Wind River -- No report. Anglers are reminded Wind River from the Hwy. 14 Bridge upstream is closed to all fishing through March.

Note: 2017-18 winter steelhead creel efforts ended on March 15. They will resume May 26 on the Elochoman River for summer steelhead only. Winter steelhead creel will resume on all rivers Nov. 1.

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Related Pages:
Fisheries Managers Forecast 'Unprecedentedly Low' Summer Steelhead by George Plaven, East Oregonian, 5/22/17