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Fishing Report, July 12 by Terry Otto The Columbian, July 12, 2018

The Columbia River from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the Oregon-Washington border is open to fishing for summer steelhead, sockeye and Chinook jacks.

Shad fishing is still good in the tailraces below Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day and McNary dams.

The McNary Pool is open to the retention of legal white sturgeon through July 31. Anglers are reminded that spawning sanctuaries are in effect.

Walleye fishing is good in The Dalles and John Day pools.

Trout fishing is excellent in high elevation lakes.

Bass and panfish are biting well in local warm water lakes.

Salmon

Anglers are reminded that the Cowlitz River is closed to retention of spring Chinook, and the entire Columbia River is now closed to retention of summer Chinook.

The 2018 Cowlitz River spring chinook return was anticipated to be relatively low and so far has been below expectations. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife closed the fishery by emergency rule to ensure hatchery broodstock goals are met.

The Columbia River from Highway 395 (Pasco/Kennewick) upstream to Priest Rapids Dam opened to fishing for summer Chinook on June 16. On July 1 the fishery was expanded to include the harvest of sockeye (wild & hatchery). On July 6 the fishery was closed to retention of all adult Chinook upstream to Priest Rapids Dam.

There have been 1,781 angler trips for summer chinook and sockeye since the opener on June 16 with a harvest of 108 adult hatchery chinook, 20 jack hatchery chinook, and 790 sockeye. An additional 26 adult wild chinook, 117 sockeye, and 4 hatchery steelhead have been caught and released.

Sockeye numbers are declining and river temperatures are warming which will likely signal a decline in the fishery this week. But the fishery is likely to still be fair/good for the upcoming week.

On Saturday's Oregon flight, 72 salmonid boats and 38 Oregon bank anglers were counted from the Astoria-Megler Bridge to Bonneville Dam. Boat anglers had the best success in the Gorge where anglers averaged 1.67 Chinook and 0.63 steelhead caught per boat. Anglers fishing in Troutdale averaged 0.07 steelhead caught per boat, while anglers fishing from Goble to Beaver averaged 0.25 steelhead caught per boat.

Steelhead

During July 1-8, steelhead anglers on the lower Columbia made 3,950 trips and caught 668 summer steelhead (444 kept and 224 released), 24 sockeye (21 kept and three released) and 86 adult Chinook (released).

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