Fishing report, March 8

Spring Chinook angling is open to both boat and bank anglers from Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia River upstream to Beacon Rock. Beacon Rock to Bonneville Dam is open to bank angling only.

Effective March 16, spring Chinook angling will be open from Tower Island powerlines upstream to the Oregon/Washington border above McNary Dam, plus the banks between Bonneville Dam and Tower Island powerlines.

White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 upstream to McNary Dam but remains an option for catch and released fishing.

The McNary Pool is open to the retention of legal white sturgeon through July 31.

Trout anglers continue to do well in Southwest Washington lakes.

Salmon and Steelhead

Mainstem Columbia River — Spring Chinook fishing remains very slow.

Gorge bank — Weekly checking showed no catch for four bank anglers.

Portland to Westport bank — Weekend checking showed no catch for 233 bank anglers.

March creel report

From March 1-4, Oregon and Washington samplers contacted 710 anglers on the lower Columbia with no salmon and six winter steelhead (one kept and five released). We did check two spring Chinook during February, both lower river types. A catch estimate for February should be available in time for next week’s update.

Cowlitz River — From the I-5 Bridge downstream: 32 bank rods kept 1 steelhead. Upstream from the I-5 Bridge: 53 bank rods had no catch. 96 boat rods kept 8 steelhead and released 2 steelhead and 1 cutt.

Columbia River Endorsement Surveys

Gray’s River — 2 bank anglers had no catch, and 5 boat anglers released 2 native steelhead.

Elochoman River — 10 bank anglers kept 1 hatchery steelhead and released 1 native steelhead.

East Fork Lewis River — 26 bank anglers released 2 native steelhead.

Salmon Creek — 19 bank anglers had no catch.

Abernathy Creek — 9 bank anglers had no catch.

Germany Creek — 2 bank anglers had no catch.

Anglers should be aware March 15 is the last day to fish for hatchery steelhead on Abernathy Creek, Cedar (Clark Co.), Mill Creek (Cowlitz County), Germany Creek (including all tributaries), Rock (Skamania Co.), Salmon (Clark Co.), and Skamokawa creeks and on the Coweeman, Elochoman, Grays, East Fork Lewis, South Fork Toutle, and Washougal rivers.

Wind River — From boundary line/markers upstream to the Hwy. 14 Bridge, Open to fishing for hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead March 16.

From the Hwy. 14 Bridge upstream to 400 feet below Shipherd Falls fish ladder, closed to all fishing March 16-31. Opens to fishing for hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead April 1.

Daily limit is 2 hatchery Chinook or 2 hatchery steelhead or one of each. Barbed hooks may be used.

Drano Lake — Opens to fishing for hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead March 16. Daily limit two hatchery Chinook or two hatchery steelhead, or one of each. Barbed hooks may be used. Expect fishing to start slowly at Wind River and Drano Lake as only two adult Chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam through Feb. 27.

Trout

Battle Ground Lake — 2,000 rainbows planted at 1.8 per pound, Feb. 28.

Klineline Pond — 1,500 rainbows planted at 1.8 per pound, Feb. 26.

Lacamas Lake — 4,125 rainbows planted at 1.6 fish per pound, March 5.

Correction

The number of spring Chinook smolts planted into the river each year is 1.8 million.

A story in Tuesday’s sports section, “Low Cowlitz spring Chinook forecast worries anglers,” contained an incorrect number.