Fishing report, Feb. 21

White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia River upstream to Bonneville Dam, and in The Dalles Pool but remains an option for catch-and-release fishing.

Bonneville and John Day pools are open to the retention of white sturgeon until quotas are reached under permanent regulations.

The Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to the I-5 Bridge is open for hatchery Chinook salmon (coho remains closed); and hatchery steelhead is open from Buoy 10 upstream to the Oregon/Washington Border under permanent regulations.

Steelheading in the Columbia and local tributaries is still slow.

A few spring Chinook are being caught in the lower Willamette River.

Trout are still biting well in local lakes, with most anglers taking home limits.

All warm water fishing has been poor since the cold weather hit.

Salmon/Steelhead

Notice of Columbia River Compact/Joint State Hearing: The fish and wildlife departments of Oregon and Washington scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to consider mainstem recreational spring season fisheries plus Select Area Commercial and recreational fisheries. The seasons could be finalized February 27.

Mainstem Lower Columbia River

Woodland bank — Two salmonid anglers had no catch.

Kalama bank — Three salmonid anglers had no catch.

Longview bank — Four salmonid anglers had no catch.

Portland to Westport bank — No catch for 29 bank anglers.

Portland to St. Helens boats — Weekend checking showed no catch for three boats (four anglers).

Columbia River Tributaries

Grays River — Four bank anglers had no catch. One boat/two rods released one steelhead.

Elochoman River — 18 bank anglers kept one steelhead and released six steelhead. Two boats/six rods released five steelhead.

Abernathy Creek — Seven bank anglers had no catch.

Germany Creek — 10 bank anglers had no catch.

Cowlitz River — I-5 Bridge downstream: 21 bank rods kept one steelhead. Above the I-5 Bridge: 13 bank rods kept one steelhead; 16 boats/45 rods kept 11 steelhead and released four steelhead.

East Fork Lewis River — 32 bank anglers released four steelhead.

Salmon Creek — Eight bank anglers had no catch.

Sturgeon

John Day Pool — Five bank anglers had no catch.

Walleye

John Day Pool — Four boats/eight rods released eight walleye.