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Summer Steelhead: Slow Start or Bad News? by Rich Landers Spokesman-Review, August 8, 2016

FISHING -- Comparing Columbia River dam fish counts from year to year can be insightful or simply frustrating. For what it's worth, here's the latest on summer steelhead from Joe Hymer of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department in Vancouver:

Summer steelhead crossing Bonneville Dam between July 1 and October 31 are considered either Group A or Group B stock. The 52,886 steelhead (of which were 19,614 wild fish) counted from July 1 through August 4, 2016 are the lowest since 1998 when 39,443 (14,847 wild) fish were tallied during the same period.

A factor to consider, recalling last year's drought and resulting low, warm flows that killed Columbia sockeye and sturgeon:

Flows and water temps at Bonneville Dam are getting pretty close to the same time last year. The water temp was 70.5o F and average flows were 129,400 cfs at Bonneville Dam yesterday.

Last year at this time, water temps were 70.9o F and flows were 128,700 cfs. By the way, the first coho of the year crossed Bonneville Dam on Thursday.