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Columbia River Reports Indicate Slow to Excellent Fishing for Fall Chinook by Mark Yuasa Seattle Times, October 10, 2012

Salmon and Steelhead

The Columbia River fishing report by Oregon Fish and Wildlife:

Weekend Fishing Opportunities:

Sturgeon retention will remain closed from Wauna Powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam for the remainder of the year. Catch and release angling is allowed during retention closure.

Fall chinook catches are poor to excellent from Longview to Bonneville Dam.

The Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to the Oregon/Washington Border is open for fall chinook, adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead.

Anglers are catching a few salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River above the John Day Dam and in the John Day Arm.

SALMON, STEELHEAD AND SHAD:

The following modifications are now in effect for the mainstem Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to the Oregon/Washington border above McNary Dam:

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, BUOY 10 LINE UPSTREAM TO THE TONGUE POINT/ROCKY POINT LINE:

October 1 through December 31, this section of the Columbia River is open for fall chinook, adipose fin-clipped coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead. The daily bag limit is two adult salmon/steelhead in combination and five jacks. Jack salmon are chinook less than or equal to 24 inches and coho less than or equal to 16 inches. It is unlawful to angle for jack salmon after the adult daily bag limit has been reached.

Seasons may be subject to in-season modifications.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, TONGUE POINT/ROCKY POINT LINE UPSTREAM TO A LINE PROJECTED FROM WARRIOR ROCK LIGHTHOUSE ON SAUVIE ISLAND THROUGH RED BUOY #4 TO A MARKER ON THE LOWER END OF BACHELOR ISLAND:

October 1 through December 31, this area is open for fall chinook, adipose fin-clipped coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead. The daily bag limit is two adult salmon/steelhead in combination and five jacks. Jack salmon are chinook less than or equal to 24 inches and coho less than or equal to 20 inches. It is unlawful to angle for jack salmon after the adult daily bag limit has been reached. The retention of chum and sockeye is prohibited.

Seasons may be subject to in-season modifications.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, A LINE PROJECTED FROM WARRIOR ROCK LIGHTHOUSE ON SAUVIE ISLAND THROUGH RED BUOY #4 TO A MARKER ON THE LOWER END OF BACHELOR ISLAND LINE UPSTREAM TO BONNEVILLE DAM:

September 10 through December 31, this area is open to the retention of fall chinook, adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead. The daily bag limit is two adult salmon/steelhead in combination and five jack salmon. Jack salmon are chinook less than or equal to 24 inches and coho less than or equal to 20 inches. It is unlawful to angle for jack salmon after the adult daily bag limit has been reached. The retention of chum and sockeye is prohibited.

Seasons may be subject to in-season modifications.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, BONNEVILLE DAM TO THE OREGON/WASHINGTON BORDER ABOVE MACNARY DAM:

Effective August 1 through December 31, this section of the Columbia River is open for fall chinook, coho (only adipose fin-clipped coho may be retained between Bonneville Dam and the Hood River bridge), and adipose fin-clipped steelhead. The daily bag limit is two adult salmon/steelhead in combination and five jacks. Jack salmon are chinook less than or equal to 24 inches and coho less than or equal to 20 inches. It is unlawful to angle for jack salmon after the adult daily bag limit has been reached. The retention of chum and sockeye is prohibited. Seasons may be subject to in-season modifications.

On the lower Columbia this past weekend, there were 102 salmonid boats and 33 Oregon bank anglers counted from Bonneville Dam downstream to Tongue Point on Sunday's (10/7) flight. Anglers had the highest catch rates in the gorge this past weekend where the boat anglers averaged 2.11 fall chinook and 0.33 coho caught per boat, and the bank anglers averaged 0.17 fall chinook, 0.17 steelhead, and 0.04 coho caught per bank angler. In the Portland to Longview area boat anglers averaged 0.17 fall chinook, 0.15 coho, and 0.02 steelhead caught per boat, while in Troutdale boat anglers averaged 0.11 fall chinook and 0.16 coho caught per boat.

Gorge Bank:

Weekend checking showed three adult fall chinook, one adipose fin-clipped adult coho, and four adipose fin-clipped steelhead kept, plus one adult fall chinook released for 24 bank anglers.

Gorge Boats:

Weekend checking showed 19 adult fall chinook, six jack chinook, three adipose fin-clipped adult coho, and one adipose fin-clipped jack coho kept for nine boats (33 anglers).

Troutdale Boats:

Weekend checking showed four adult fall chinook, and five adipose fin-clipped adult coho kept, plus one unclipped coho and one jack chinook released for 37 boats (70 anglers).

Portland to Longview Bank:

Weekend checking showed no catch for four bank anglers.

Portland to Longview Boats:

Weekend checking showed seven adult fall chinook, two jack chinook, and five adipose fin-clipped adult coho kept, plus one unclipped steelhead, one unclipped adult coho, and one unclipped jack coho released for 41 boats (89 anglers).

John Day Pool (Columbia River above John Day Dam and John Day Arm:

Weekly checking showed no catch for three bank anglers; and six adult fall chinook, and two adipose fin-clipped steelhead kept, plus five unclipped steelhead released for 39 boats.

The Dalles Pool:

Weekly checking showed no catch for three bank anglers; and four adipose fin-clipped adult coho, and four adipose fin-clipped steelhead kept for one boat (three anglers).

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