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Columbia River Sockeye Return Falls at this Point to Second Highest Total on Record by Mark Yuasa Seattle Times, June 19, 2015

... it was legal to keep marked or unmarked sockeye.

Here are the latest facts and figures by Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist in Columbia River sockeye, summer chinook and shad returns:

SOCKEYE

The 76,502 sockeye counted at Bonneville Dam through Thursday, June 18 has fallen to the second highest total to-date.

Through June 18, 2012, a total of 76,696 sockeye had been counted at the dam.

The total 2012 sockeye return to the mouth of the Columbia was 521,000 fish, the second highest run on record.

The record total sockeye return to the mouth of the Columbia was the 645,100 fish just last year.

Last year through June 18, a total of 40,988 sockeye had been counted at Bonneville Dam.

Normal peak passage at Bonneville Dam is usually around July 1.

The 2015 preseason forecast is 394,000 sockeye returning to the mouth of the Columbia.

SUMMER CHINOOK

The 10,862 adult summer chinook counted at Bonneville Dam from June 16-18, 2015 is the fifth highest total to-date.

In fact, it's the highest total in nearly half a century when 11,109 fish were counted during the same period in 1969.

The record count for adult summer chinook are the 20,691 fish counted from June 16-18, 1957.

The 2015 preseason forecast is 73,000 adult summer chinook returning to the mouth of the Columbia, which if true will be the sixth highest on record since at least 1980.

SHAD

The shad counts at Bonneville Dam have finally reached a million fish.

A total of 1,099,279 have been counted through Thursday, June 18. Single-day counts were: 64,847 on Thursday; 51,509 on Wednesday; 83,111 on Tuesday; and 67,309 on Monday.