Spring chinook fishing in the lower Columbia River begins in earnest starting Sunday, when waters upstream of Interstate 5 open for retention.
Fishing will be open for boaters upstream as far as Beacon Rock and up to Bonneville Dam for bank anglers.
Angling is scheduled to continue through April 10, although could close early or be extended depending on the catch.
Three Tuesdays — March 24, March 31 and April 7 — will be closed to allow for commercial fishing on the lower Columbia without a clash between the sport and net fleets.
As expected, the catch in February has been pretty much non-existent.
Angler checks from the Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife:
Lower Columbia — Westport to Portland, 161 bank anglers with one adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook and four adipose fin-clipped steelhead kept, plus nine unclipped steelhead released. One boat angler with no catch. No reports for Gorge bank and boats, Troutdale boats an estuary bank and boats.
Mid-Columbia — Bonneville Pool, one legal white sturgeon kept, plus 29 sublegal sturgeon released for 28 bank anglers; one legal white sturgeon kept, plus one legal and 12 sublegal sturgeon released for 16 boat anglers; no walleye catch for two boat anglers.
The Dalles Pool, no salmon catch for six bank anglers; one legal white sturgeon kept, plus one sublegal sturgeon released for 28 bank anglers; one legal white sturgeon kept, plus one legal and 12 sublegal sturgeon released for 16 boat anglers; two walleye kept for three bank anglers; 33 walleye kept for 30 boat anglers.
John Day Pool, two adipose fin-clipped steelhead kept for 25 bank anglers; one unclipped steelhead released for two boat anglers; no sturgeon catch for 23 bank anglers; three legal white sturgeon kept, plus 11 sublegal sturgeon released for 55 boat anglers; no walleye catch for one bank angler; 60 walleye kept, plus 35 walleye released for 68 boat anglers.
