Fishing Report, July 2

The new-look 2020-21 Washington Sport Fishing Rules is now online through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

It is effective July 1-30 and features rules and regulations for hundreds of lakes, rivers, and marine areas around the state, as well as species including trout, salmon, shellfish, and others.

The regulations can be found online at http://www.eregulations.com/washington/fishing/. This year’s pamphlet is being hosted on a new platform, allowing for easier browsing online.

With the spread of COVID-19 still a concern in Washington, be sure to call ahead to ensure your license dealer is open and has copies of the pamphlet before making the trip.

Among the changes to this year’s regulations that anglers should be aware of include:

• Warmwater species: Daily limits for bass, channel catfish, and walleye have increased in select lakes, and daily limits for those species have been removed for all rivers, streams, and beaver ponds. Be sure to check specific rules for the water body where you plan to fish to see if it is managed under river or lake rules. These changes implement recommendations and legislation meant to help recovery of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population.

• Sturgeon: Statewide night closure is in effect and sanctuary areas have been extended May 1 through Aug. 31. It is unlawful to remove sturgeon with a more than 55-inch fork length from the water.

WDFW issues updates and corrections to the pamphlet as needed. Anglers can stay up to date with regulations by downloading the Fish Washington mobile app on their smartphone. More information can be found at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/app. The department also issues emergency rules throughout the year, available at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/.

Salmon and steelhead

Columbia River mainstem

Megler/Astoria Bridge upstream to Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco — Salmon and steelhead fishing is closed through July 31: Hatchery chinook may be retained.

I-182 Bridge upstream to Priest Rapids Dam — Effective through July 31: Daily limit is two sockeye. Release all other salmon and steelhead. Salmon minimum size is 12 inches.

Columbia River tributaries

Cowlitz River — Closed to Chinook salmon retention from the mouth upstream to Forest Road 1270, the Cispus River and Lake Scanewa.

Kalama River — From the mouth to 1,000 feet below the fishway at the upper salmon hatchery the daily salmon limit is six fish, of which only one may be an adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery chinook and hatchery coho.

Sturgeon

From the mouth of the Columbia River upstream to McNary Dam including adjacent tributaries — White Sturgeon is open for catch-and-release fishing only. Fishing for sturgeon at night is closed.

Fishery reports

Salmon/steelhead

Mainstem lower Columbia

Bonneville — Six bank anglers with two sockeye kept and one Chinook released; 1 boat/2 rods released one Chinook.

Camas/Washougal — One bank angler had no catch; 4 boats/9 rods with two sockeye kept and one Chinook and one jack released.

Interstate 5 area — 14 bank anglers with two sockeye and one steelhead kept and two Chinook released.

Vancouver — 40 bank anglers with two sockeye kept; 4 boats/6 rods with one sockeye kept.

Kalama — 18 bank anglers with four sockeye, one steelhead kept and one jack, one steelhead released; 3 boats/9 rods with five sockeye, two steelhead kept and three Chinook and one jack released.

Longview — Eight bank anglers with two sockeye, one steelhead kept; 8 boats/20 rods with 10 sockeye, four steelhead kept and one jack, two steelhead released.

Cathlamet — 45 bank anglers with 10 sockeye, three steelhead kept and two jacks, two steelhead released.

Sturgeon

Longview — 2 boats/4 rods had no catch.

Shad

Bonneville — 17 bank anglers with 31 shad kept; 2 boats/6 rods with eight shad kept.

Camas/Washougal — Three bank anglers with 12 shad kept.

Columbia River tributaries

Salmon/steelhead

Cowlitz River from I-5 Bridge downstream — 14 bank rods had no catch.

Above the I-5 Bridge — 29 bank rods with two steelhead kept; 22 boats/63 rods with 30 steelhead kept and two steelhead released.

Kalama River — 46 bank anglers with three steelhead kept; 6 boats/14 rods with one steelhead kept.

Lewis River — 20 bank anglers with one steelhead kept and one Chinook released; 4 boats/9 rods had no catch.

Wind River — Three bank anglers had no catch; 1 boat/2 rods had no catch.

Drano Lake — Three bank anglers had no catch; 1 boat/2 rods had no catch.

Klickitat below Fisher Hill Bridge — Two bank anglers had no catch.

Klickitat above No. 5 Fishway — Five bank anglers had no catch.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/creel

Recent area trout plants

Council Lake, June 23/24 — 3,068 rainbow trout, 2.36 fish per pound / 3,044 rainbow trout, 2.36 fish per pound.

Swift Power Canal, June 23 — 1,472 rainbow trout, 1.48 fish per pound.

Goose Lake, June 22 — 3,040 rainbow trout, 2.36 fish per pound.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking/trout-plants