Apr 20

Apr 20 Fishing Report: April 19

By Terry Otto, Columbian staff writer

Spring Chinook angling on the Columbia River is open from Tower Island powerlines upstream to the Oregon-Washington border above McNary Dam, plus the banks between Bonneville Dam and Tower Island powerlines.

White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 at the Columbia River’s mouth upstream to McNary Dam but remains an option for catch and released fishing.

The McNary Pool is open to the retention of legal white sturgeon through July 31.

Trout fishing continues to be good in Southwest Washington.

Salmon/Steelhead

From Bonneville Dam downstream to the top of Puget Island, nearly 1,200 salmonid boats and over 600 bank anglers were counted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife during last Saturday’s flight.

Cowlitz River — From the I-5 Bridge downstream: 120 bank rods kept two adult spring Chinook and two steelhead. Seventeen boat rods kept one adult spring Chinook. Above the I-5 Bridge: 146 bank rods kept 14 adult spring Chinook and 20 steelhead and released two steelhead, 199 boat rods kept 3 adult spring Chinook and 49 steelhead and released 4 steelhead.

Most of the spring Chinook were checked at the barrier dam; steelhead at the trout hatchery.

Kalama River — 33 bank anglers released one steelhead. Seven boat anglers had no catch.

Mainstem Lewis River — 15 bank rods released one adult spring Chinook. One boat angler had no catch.

North Fork of the Lewis River — 20 bank rods had no catch. Seventeen boat rods kept three adult spring Chinook and released two steelhead.

Wind River — three boat anglers had no catch.

Drano Lake — four boat anglers had no catch.

Klickitat River — four bank anglers had no catch.

Oregon report

On Saturday’s flight, 1,167 salmonid boats and 386 Oregon bank anglers were counted from Westport to Bonneville Dam.

In the gorge, boat anglers averaged 1.00 spring Chinook caught per boat, while anglers fishing in Troutdale averaged 0.21 spring Chinook caught per boat.

In the Portland to St. Helens area, boat anglers averaged 0.50 spring Chinook caught per boat, while anglers fishing from Goble to Beaver averaged 0.34 spring Chinook caught per boat.

In the Westport to Buoy 10 area, boat anglers averaged 1.19 spring Chinook caught per boat.

Bank anglers fishing in the gorge averaged 0.09 spring Chinook caught per angler, while bank anglers fishing from Portland to Longview averaged 0.11 spring Chinook caught per angler.