Lower Columbia Fishing Report (7-11-11)

UPDATED 4:46 P.M. JULY 12, 2011, WITH ODFW CATCH INFORMATION FOR LAST WEEKEND

(REPORT COURTESY FISHERY BIOLOGIST JOE HYMER)

SALMON/STEELHHEAD

Lower Columbia mainstem below Bonneville Dam – Last week we sampled 1,873 salmonid anglers (including 234 boats) with 105 adult and 19 jack summer chinook, 294 steelhead, and 28 sockeye.  65 (62%) of the adult and 14 (74%) of the jacks were kept as were 181(62%) of the steelhead and all but two (93%) of the sockeye.

Just over 800 salmonid bank anglers and exactly 300 boats were observed on the lower Columbia mainstem last Saturday July 9.

The Dalles Pool – Bank anglers are catching some summer chinook.

John Day Pool – From Paul Hoffarth, WDFW District 4 Fish Biologist, Pasco:   No chinook, sockeye, or steelhead were harvested this past week in the John Day Pool. Seven wild jack chinook were caught and released.  Effort has been light. No boats were interviewed fishing for salmon this past week.  A few bank anglers are still coming out routinely to fish for salmon or steelhead.  There were an estimated 70 angler trips for the week.  For the fishery that began June 16, an estimated 20 adult hatchery summer chinook and 33 hatchery jacks have been harvested.

STURGEON

Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines downstream – The Deep River/Knappton/Chinook/Ilwaco ramps + Chinook to Knappton bank sampling summaries will follow in another e-mail.

During last Saturday’s (July 9) effort flight count, there were 251 private boats and 2 charters.  Slightly less than two-thirds of the fleet were observed in the estuary.

Preliminary WDFW sturgeon sport sampling summaries for below Wauna July 5-10: Private boat anglers averaged a legal kept/released per every 6.2 rods while charter boat anglers averaged one kept per every 3.3 rods.   One bank angler had kept a legal.  Overall, If an angler catches a white sturgeon, there was better than a one in four chance it would be a keeper.

Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines to Marker 82 – We sampled legals kept by boat anglers from Woodland downstream and bank anglers at Woodland and Longview.

Bonneville Pool and its tributaries – Catch and release only through the end of the year.

The Dalles Pool – Bank anglers are catching some legals.  Through June, an estimated 141 (47%) of the 300 fish guideline had been taken.

John Day Pool – 2 boats/6 anglers released 9 fish (Catch & Release Only).

WALLEYE AND BASS

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam – A few anglers trying without any success.

Bonneville Pool – Boat anglers are catching some bass.

The Dalles Pool – Including fish released, boat anglers averaged over 3 walleye and nearly 8 bass per rod.  Bank anglers are catching some bass.

John Day Pool – 3 boats/5 anglers caught 12 walleye.

SHAD

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam – Based on mainly incomplete trips, bank anglers just below Bonneville Dam averaged just over 2 shad per rod.  Bank anglers off Steamboat Landing Dock in Washougal caught some fish as did boat anglers in the gorge and in Camas/Washougal.

John Day Pool – 11 boats/31 anglers caught 141 shad.

(REPORT COURTESY TANNA TAKATA, OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDIFE)

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, ASTORIA-MEGLER BRIDGE UPSTREAM TO THE OREGON/WASHINGTON BORDER ABOVE MCNARY DAM:

Effective Wednesday June 16 through Saturday July 31, 2011 this section of the Columbia River is open to the retention of adipose fin-clipped summer chinook, adipose fin-clipped steelhead, sockeye (fin-clipped or not) and shad. The daily bag limit is two adipose fin-clipped adult summer chinook, adipose fin-clipped summer steelhead, or sockeye in combination and five adipose fin-clipped chinook jacks. All sockeye count toward the adult salmonid daily bag limit, regardless of size.

Fishing for summer Chinook was spotty on the lower Columbia last weekend as most of the run has passed Bonneville Dam; however, anglers were still making some good catches.  Summer steelhead numbers are increasing as the sockeye and shad runs are winding down. Boat anglers had the best success in the gorge, where anglers averaged averaged 0.82 summer chinook caught per boat.  Boat anglers in the Portland to Longview areas averaged 0.41 summer Chinook per boat, while boat anglers in Troutdale averaged 0.10 summer chinook caught per boat.  Bank anglers fishing in the the gorge, Portland to Longview areas, and estuary averaged 0.08, 0.09, and 0.09 summer chinook caught per angler, respectively.  On the lower Columbia this past weekend there were 300 boats, and 309 Oregon bank anglers counted on Saturday’s (July 9) flight.

Gorge Bank: Weekend checking showed one adipose fin-clipped summer chinook and one adipose fin-clipped summer chinook jack kept, plus one unclipped summer chinook released for 24 salmon anglers; and 60 shad kept for 21 shad anglers.

Gorge Boats: Weekend checking showed seven adipose fin-clipped summer chinook adults, one adipose fin-clipped summer chinook jack, and one sockeye kept, plus seven adult summer chinook and three steelhead released for 24 salmon boats (48 anglers); and five shad kept for two shad boats (five anglers).

Troutdale Boats: Weekend checking showed two adipose fin-clipped summer chinook adults kept, plus one unclipped steelhead released for 20 salmon boats (41 anglers).

Portland to Longview Bank: Weekly checking showed 13 adipose fin-clipped summer chinook adults, five adipose fin-clipped summer chinook jacks, five adipose fin-clipped steelhead, and three sockeye kept, plus seven unclipped summer chinook adults, two unclipped summer chinook jacks, four unclipped steelhead, and one sockeye released for 215 salmon anglers.

Portland to Longview Boats: Weekend checking showed six adipose fin-clipped summer chinook adults, two adipose fin-clipped summer chinook jacks, and one adipose fin-clipped summer steelhead kept, plus five unclipped summer chinook adults and four unclipped steelhead released for 27 salmon boats (58 anglers).

Estuary Bank (Jones Beach to the Astoria-Megler Bridge): Weekly checking showed two adipose fin-clipped summer chinook adults, two adipose fin-clipped summer chinook jacks, and eight adipose fin-clipped steelhead, plus one unclipped summer chinook adult, and two unclipped steelhead released for 33 bank anglers.

Estuary Boats (Puget Island to the Astoria-Megler Bridge): Weekend checking showed two adipose fin-clipped summer chinook adults, and five adipose fin-clipped steelhead kept, plus one unclipped summer chinook, and two unclipped steelhead released for three boats (14 anglers).

Bonneville Pool: Weekend checking showed one adipose fin-clipped summer chinook adult, one adipose fin-clipped summer chinook jack, and five sockeye kept for 23 salmon anglers; and five shad kept for five shad anglers.

The Dalles Pool: Weekly checking showed three adipose fin-clipped summer chinook kept, plus one unclipped summer chinook released for 38 bank anglers.