Fishing report: July 26

Current & Upcoming Fishing Opportunities

The Columbia River from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the Oregon/Washington is open to fishing for summer steelhead, sockeye and Chinook jacks through July 31 (see special regulations for details).

White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 upstream to McNary Dam but remains an option for catch-and-release fishing. Anglers are reminded that spawning sanctuaries are in effect (see special regulations for details).

The McNary Pool is open to the retention of legal white sturgeon through July 31. Anglers are reminded that spawning sanctuaries are in effect (see special regulations details).

Walleye fishing is good in the John Day Pool.

Trout fishing in high elevation lakes is excellent.

Angling for bass and panfish in the Columbia River and in local lakes is very good.

Shad fishing is still good in The Dalles and John Day pools.

Steelhead angling is fair in the Columbia and its tributaries.

Salmon, Steelhead, shad

Elochoman River: 9 bank anglers had no catch.

Cowlitz River: Interstate Bridge downstream: 1 bank angler/2 rods had no catch. Above the Interstate Bridge: 32 bank rods kept 10 steelhead. 37 boats/107 rods kept 67 steelhead and released 2 steelhead.

NFK Lewis River: 8 bank anglers released 1 steelhead. 1 boat/2 rods kept 1 steelhead and released 1 steelhead.

Drano Lake: 14 boats/27 rods kept 1 chinook and released 1 chinook and kept 8 steelhead and released 7 steelhead.

Klickitat River: 3 bank anglers had no catch. (WDFW)

Columbia mainstem

Gorge Bank: Weekend checking showed one adult Chinook and five steelhead released for 30 bank anglers.

Gorge Boats: Weekend checking showed one adult Chinook and three steelhead released for one boat (five anglers).

Troutdale Boats: Weekend checking showed no catch for four boats (nine anglers).

Portland to Westport Bank: Weekend checking showed no catch for nine bank anglers.

Goble to Westport (Clatskanie) Boats: Weekend checking showed one steelhead kept, plus one steelhead released for four boats (11 anglers).

Wauna Powerlines to Clatsop Spit Bank: Weekend checking showed no catch for four bank anglers.

Westport to Buoy 10 Boats: Weekend checking showed no catch for one boat (two anglers).

Bonneville Pool (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam): Weekly checking showed no catch for six salmonid anglers, plus no catch for one salmonid boat (two anglers); and no catch for six shad anglers.

The Dalles Pool (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam): Weekly checking showed no catch for three salmonid anglers; and 201 shad kept, plus 161 shad released for 21 shad anglers.

John Day Pool (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam): Weekly checking showed no catch for four salmonid anglers, plus no catch for one salmonid boat (one angler); and 60 shad released for three anglers, plus 406 shad kept, and 635 shad released for 33 boats (98 anglers). (ODFW)

Sturgeon

Buoy 10 to Wauna Powerlines Boats: Closed for retention.

Weekend checking showed one sublegal sturgeon released for one boat (two anglers).

Bonneville Pool (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam): Closed for retention.

Weekly checking showed nine sublegal, one legal and seven oversize sturgeon released for four boats (nine anglers).

John Day Pool (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam): Closed for retention.

Weekly checking showed four sublegal, two legal and five oversize sturgeon released for seven boats (21 anglers). (ODFW)

Walleye

Troutdale: Weekend checking showed no catch for one boat (two anglers).

John Day Pool: Weekly checking showed 159 walleye kept, plus eight walleye released for 52 boats (123 anglers). (ODFW)

Bass/panfish

Smallmouth bass fishing in the Columbia River is very good. Look for the fish along sheltered rocky banks, back eddies, and on the downstream tips of islands. Bright-colored swim baits are proving effective.