Columbia River fish wrap

Here’s the latest on sport fishing rules, conditions, etc, updated a couple of times a week:

Columbia River — The forecast of spring chinook to the mid- and upper Columbia river is a relatively low 141,400 salmon. That converts into 5,010 fish available for sport harvest below Bonneville prior to the run update in early to mid-May. State biologists project the catch allocation will be filled about April 5, but really it’s a quota fishery and angling could close sooner or might last a bit longer.
Beginning March 1, fishing from a boat will be open upstream to Beacon Rock. Bank fishing will be open to the deadline at Bonneville Dam. Sport fishing will be closed March 26 and April 2 to allow for gillnetting.
Currently, the Columbia is ranging from about 140,000 to 160,000 cubic feet per second (that’s relatively low) at Bonneville Dam with 3.5 feet of visibility and is 40 degrees.

Willamette River — The forecast is a 59,800 spring chinook. That’s not great, but at the low side of normal. Angling is open daily with a limit of two hatchery chinook in the lower Willamette and Multnomah Channel. The streamflow is 19,300 cubic feet per second (below normal), the water temperature is 43 degrees and the visibility is 3.8 feet. Oregon reports two spring chinook have been verified between Portland Harbor and the Sellwood Bridge.

Lewis, North Fork Lewis — Chinook retention is closed. The forecast is for 1,600 adult and the hatchery needs 1,300 for spawning. Steelhead fishing will remain open downstream of Johnson Creek.

Kalama — Chinook retention is closed. The forecast is for 750 spring chinook and Kalama Falls Hatchery needs 450 for spawning. Steelhead fishing remains open.

Cowlitz — Spring chinook is open with a daily bag limit of two hatchery adults. The forecast is for a return of 5,500 adults. The hatchery needs 1,500 for spawning.

SUMMER CHINOOK — The forecast to the Columbia is 73,500 summer chinook with about 60 percent of them marked, thus able to be kept by anglers. Normally this season opens June 16 and lasts a couple of weeks until a catch allocation is taken.