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Spring Chinook forecast up at Drano Lake

Outlook good also at Wind and Klickitat rivers

By Terry Otto, Columbian staff writer
Published: December 21, 2017, 8:13pm
2 Photos
A lucky angler took this typical Drano Lake spring Chinook while fishing with Jim Stahl of NW Fishing Guides.
A lucky angler took this typical Drano Lake spring Chinook while fishing with Jim Stahl of NW Fishing Guides. Courtesy of NW Fishing Guides Photo Gallery

The officials from Washington and Oregon have released the spring Chinook projections for Drano Lake, the Wind River, and the Klickitat River. A total of 17,500 spring Chinook adults are expected to return to these three very popular fisheries in 2018.

The three systems beat their projections in 2017 when 16,600 spring Chinook, or springers as they are often called, came back instead of the 13,200 that were expected.

In Drano Lake, 10,200 springers are expected to enter at the mouth of the Little White Salmon River in 2018. Last year’s return of 8,900 adults surpassed the forecast of 7,500. However, the run came in late according to Jim Stahl of NW Fishing Guides.

“Last year the run was much later than usual,” Stahl said. “Many fishermen gave up. By the time it got good there were only eight to ten boats on the lake fishing.”

He reports that those anglers that stuck with it did very well around the end of May and early June.

The fishery has changed since the days when anglers trolled plugs and exclusively targeted the “toilet bowl,” a tight circular troll pattern right at the mouth of the lake.

Stahl reports that anglers now fish a variety of methods, and are regularly taking springers from other parts of the lake.

According to Stahl, fishing with Pro-Troll flashers and Brad’s Super Bait plugs has been very effective. The other two methods that have proven effective are trolling with prawn spinners or regular spinners.

The best time to fish Drano Lake is usually from the last week of April through the first two weeks of May.

The lake is located along Washington State Highway 14 between the Wind and White Salmon rivers.

Stahl said anglers should watch the daily counts at Bonneville Dam, and when they start topping 1,000 Chinook a day, it’s time to start fishing Drano Lake.

The actual return to the Wind River in 2017 was 5,400 adults, which beat the preseason forecast of 3,600. This year 5,300 adults are expected back to the Wind.

The Klickitat River saw a return of 2,300 spring Chinook last year, beating the projection of 2,100. 2,000 spring Chinook should return to the Klickitat this year.

Always check the regulations before fishing any water.

NW Fishing Guides with Jim and Jennifer Stahl: (425) 347-1615, www.nwfishingguides.net/

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Columbian staff writer