Summer chinook-steelhead fishing continues in the lower Columbia River with salmon catches dwindling but steelhead harvests getting better, especially in the Cathlamet area and downstream.
Sturgeon angling remains about average in the estuary. State officials agreed Wednesday the season will remain open through July 31.
Kokanee fishing is not fast at Merwin Reservoir, but trollers willing to put in four to five hours have a chance at a five-fish limit. Many of the kokanee are 13 1/2 to 14 inches now.
Bass fishing has been good in the Columbia Gorge on days calm enough to fish. Walleye catches also are holding up nicely in The Dalles pool.
At the coast, anglers off the Columbia River mouth averaged 1.28 salmon per rod last week. Seven percent of the Ilwaco-area coho quota has been taken.
Angler checks from the Washington (WDFW) and Oregon (ODFW) departments of Fish and Wildlife:
Lower Columbia — Buoy 10 to Puget Island, five charter anglers with no sturgeon; 454 private boaters with 146 legal sturgeon kept plus 10 legal, 21 oversize and 528 sublegals released. (ODFW)
Ilwaco, Chinook, 33 charter anglers with nine legal sturgeon kept plus one legal, 16 oversize and 13 sublegals released; 116 private boaters with eight legal sturgeon kept plus one legal, seven oversize and 27 sublegals released. (WDFW)
Chinook to Knappton, two bank rods with one legal sturgeon kept. (WDFW)
Astoria Bridge to Puget Island, 14 boaters with two adult summer chinook and five steelhead kept plus one summer chinook and two steelhead released. (ODFW)
Knappton, Deep River ramps, 44 private boaters with 17 legal sturgeon kept plus one oversize and 27 sublegals released. (WDFW)
Estuary, 23 boaters with four adult summer chinook, 10 steelhead and four sockeye kept plus four adult chinook and eight steelhead released; 112 bank rods with two adult summer chinook, one jack chinook and 43 steelhead kept plus 24 steelhead released; four boaters with two legal sturgeon kept plus eight sublegals released; one bank rod with two sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Cathlamet, 83 boaters with six adult summer chinook, one jack chinook, 34 steelhead and five sockeye kept plus three adult chinook, one jack and 11 steelhead released; 138 bank rods with three adult summer chinook, three jacks, 35 steelhead and three sockeye kept plus three adult chinook and 24 steelhead released; four boaters with one legal sturgeon kept and five sublegals released; three bank rods with no sturgeon. (WDFW)
Longview to Portland, 58 boaters with six adult summer chinook, two jack chinook and one steelhead kept plus five adult chinook and four steelhead released; 55 boaters with one legal sturgeon kept plus five oversize and 69 sublegals released. (ODFW)
Longview, 160 boaters with seven adult summer chinook, one jack chinook and nine steelhead kept plus four adult chinook, eight steelhead and two sockeye released; 330 bank rods with four adult summer chinook, 31 steelhead and 10 sockeye kept plus two adult chinook, one jack and 14 steelhead released; 27 boaters with one legal kept and 24 sublegals released; 33 bank rods with two legal sturgeon kept. (WDFW)
Cowlitz River mouth, two boaters with no salmon or steelhead. (WDFW)
Kalama, 64 boaters with four adult summer chinook and two steelhead kept plus one adult chinook released; 190 bank rods with two adult summer chinook, three jacks, three steelhead and one sockeye kept plus nine adult chinook, two jacks and 17 steelhead released; 17 boaters with three legal sturgeon kept plus 21 sublegals released; four bank rods with two sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Woodland, 65 boaters with one adult summer chinook, one steelhead and one sockeye kept plus two adult chinook and one jack released; 10 boaters with one legal sturgeon kept plus one oversize and five sublegals released; nine bank rods with one legal sturgeon kept plus seven sublegals released. (WDFW)
Warrior Rock to Kelley Point, 47 boaters with one adult summer chinook, three jack chinook, two steelhead and one sockeye kept plus two steelhead released; 163 bank rods with seven adult summer chinook, and two steelhead kept plus two adult chinook and two steelhead released; four boaters with two sublegal sturgeon released; five bank rods with three sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Davis Bar to Portland airport, two boaters with no salmon or steelhead; two boaters with three sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Troutdale, 41 boaters with two adult summer chinook kept and one steelhead released; 28 boaters with one legal sturgeon kept plus three oversive and 32 sublegal sturgeon released. (ODFW)
Camas-Washougal, 38 boaters with one adult summer chinook kept; 31 bank rods with one adult summer chinook kept plus one adult chinook and two steelhead released; 18 boaters with three oversize and 12 sublegal sturgeon released; 10 bank rods with one sublegal sturgeon released; three boaters with no walleye; four boaters with two shad kept; seven bank rods with one shad kept. (WDFW)
Columbia Gorge (downstream of Marker 82), three boaters with three sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Columbia Gorge (downstream of Bonneville Dam), 24 boaters with one adult summer chinook and one jack chinook kept plus one chinook released; 21 boaters with 60 shad kept. (ODFW)
Columbia Gorge (downstream of Marker 82), 32 boaters with eight oversize and nine sublegals released. (ODFW)
North Bonneville, 10 boaters with no salmon or steelhead; 198 bank rods with 16 adult summer chinook, two jack chinook and one steelhead kept plus six adult chinook and two steelhead released; two boaters with one shad kept; 60 bank rods with 126 shad kept and one released. (WDFW)
Mid-Columbia — Bonneville pool, 48 boaters with 21 legal sturgeon kept plus three oversize and 118 sublegals released; 34 bank rods with seven legal sturgeon kept plus one leal and 49 sublegals released. Sturgeon retention is closed for the rest of 2011 in the pool; four boaters with four bass kept and two released; two bank rods with no bass. (WDFW)
The Dalles pool, 20 boaters with two oversize and 64 sublegal sturgeon released; 50 bank rods with four legal sturgeon kept plus 52 sublegals released; 38 bank rods with three summer chinook kept and one released; two boats with no salmon or steelhead; 20 boaters with 59 walleye kept and three released; seven boaters with one bass kept and 53 released; three bank rods with three bass kept and 14 released. (WDFW)
John Day pool, six boaters with nine sturgeon released. Sturgeon retention is closed for the rest of 2011 in the pool. Thirty-one boaters with 141 shad. (WDFW)
Merwin Reservoir — Three boaters with 15 kokanee. Try trolling with 3 ounces of weight at 70 to 75 arm-lengths of line.
