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  FISHING

Weekend Fishing Opportunities:

• Spring Chinook angling is open above Bonneville Dam.
• Walleye anglers are doing well in the John Day pool.
• Sturgeon catch rates improved in the area between St. Helens and Portland. Effective April 1, the Oregon annual sturgeon bag limit changed from one to two legal white sturgeon.

Current Columbia River regulations for sturgeon and spring chinook can be found at the Sport Fishing Regulation Update page.

Spring Chinook -Photo by Tom Friesen-

Salmon, Steelhead and Shad:

Salmonid angling improved over the weekend despite the stormy weather. Boat anglers had the best success in the estuary where anglers averaged 0.85 spring Chinook caught per boat.  In the Portland to Longview area boat anglers averaged 0.64 spring Chinook caught per boat, while anglers fishing in Troutdale averaged 0.02 spring Chinook caught per boat.  Bank anglers in the gorge averaged 0.11 spring Chinook caught per bank rod, while anglers fishing from Prescott to Westport averaged 0.06 spring Chinook and 0.02 steelhead caught per bank rod. On Saturday’s (4/6) flight, 855 salmonid boats and 416 Oregon bank anglers were counted from the Columbia River estuary to Bonneville Dam.

Gorge Bank:
Weekend checking showed two adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook kept for 18 bank anglers.

Gorge Boats:
No report

Troutdale Bank:
No report.

Troutdale Boats:
Weekend checking showed one adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook kept for 51 boats (118 anglers).

Prescott to Westport Bank:
Weekend checking showed seven adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook and two adipose fin-clipped steelhead kept, plus one unclipped spring Chinook and one unclipped steelhead released for 137 bank anglers.

Portland to Westport Boats:
Weekend checking showed 82 adipose fin-clipped adult spring Chinook and three adipose fin-clipped jack Chinook kept, plus 21 unclipped spring Chinook released for 161 boats (446 anglers).

Estuary Bank (Clatsop Spit to Wauna Powerlines):
No report.

Estuary Boats (Tongue Point to Wauna Powerlines):
Weekend checking showed 20 adipose fin-clipped adult spring Chinook and one adipose fin-clipped jack Chinook kept, plus two unclipped spring Chinook released for 26 boats (70 anglers).

The Dalles Pool:
Weekly checking showed no catch for 33 bank anglers; and no catch for one boat (one angler).

John Day Pool (Columbia River above John Day Dam and John Day Arm):
Weekly checking showed no catch for nine bank anglers; and no catch for one boat (two anglers).

Sturgeon - Photo by Rick Swart, ODFW-

STURGEON:

Sturgeon catch rates improved slightly over the weekend. On Saturday’s (4/6) flight 28 sturgeon boats and one Oregon bank angler were counted. Anglers caught a few keepers in the John Day pool last week.

Gorge Bank:
Weekend checking showed no catch for one bank angler.

Gorge Boats:
No report.

Troutdale Bank:
No report.

Troutdale Boats:
Weekend checking showed one sublegal sturgeon released for one boat (one angler).

Portland to Westport Bank:
No report.

Portland to Westport Boats:
Weekend checking showed four legal white sturgeon kept, plus 109 sublegal sturgeon released for six boats (19 anglers).

The Dalles Pool: 
Weekly checking showed one oversize and two sublegal sturgeon released for 18 bank anglers; and three sublegal sturgeon released for two boats (six anglers).

Ben Creach, of Yakima, WA and the 7-pound Walleye he caught on the Columbia

John Day Pool: 
Weekly checking showed three legal white sturgeon kept, plus two oversize and three sublegal sturgeon released for 40 bank anglers; and five legal white sturgeon kept, plus one oversize and 29 sublegal sturgeon released for 37 boats (85 anglers).

Sturgeon creel sampling summaries and catch estimates for Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools can be found here.

WALLEYE:

Troutdale:
No report.

The Dalles Pool: 
Weekly checking showed no catch for one bank angler; and five walleye kept, plus one walleye released for 10 boats (25 anglers).

John Day Pool: 
Weekly checking showed 12 walleye kept, plus 14 walleye released for 25 boats (53 anglers).

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