Fishing report: Columbia River salmon, anglers on collision course

Starting tomorrow, hordes of salmon and anglers are expected to converge around the popular Buoy 10 area at the Columbia River mouth.

"It can be really good on the opener, and if you get a strong (incoming) tide it can flush in bait and salmon," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

The incoming tide for tomorrow's opener is fairly strong, and low tide change is minus-0.9 feet at 10:30 a.m., so the afternoon will be the best time to hit the water.

"Chinook peak usually the third week in August, and for coho try around Labor Day through mid-September," Hymer said.

With more than 595,000 fall chinook expected to return to the Columbia mouth this year, along with 429,000 coho, the sport fisheries are expected to attract considerable attention.

The projected fall chinook return would be the fourth-largest since 1948. This year's expected coho return is similar to last year.

This season, a few new fishing rules will also benefit anglers in their pursuit of chinook and coho.

A new party fishing regulation in Oregon, which mirrors a previously existing rule in Washington, allows boat anglers on either side from Buoy 10 to the Rocky Point-Tongue Point line to keep their gear in water until daily limits for all licensed and juvenile anglers on board have been reached.

Previously, boat fishers in Oregon waters were required to bring in their lines once their individual limits were reached, even if others on board had not caught their limit.

"The problem last year with the ruling was that most of the Buoy 10 waters was in Oregon territory, and only a small part of it was in Washington," Hymer said. "The new ruling opens up a lot more fishing ground."

In another new rule, a bonus bag limit for coho will go into effect Aug. 16 around Buoy 10. The fishery opens with a two-fish daily limit, but increases to three daily beginning Aug. 16. Only one per day may be a chinook.

Salmon fishing on the mainstem Columbia from Rocky Point-Tongue Point upstream to Bonneville Dam, also opens tomorrow under fall rules, when both marked and unmarked chinook and adipose fin-clipped coho may be retained.

Salmon seasons also begin tomorrow in Cowlitz, Toutle, Green, Kalama, Lewis, Washougal, Wind and Klickitat rivers, and Drano Lake.

Check the state regulation pamphlet for specific details on the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Top spots of the week

1. Chinook and coho off the coast: "Fishing at Westport remains good, and more than half the catch were chinook and there are some big ones in the 20- to 40-pound range," said Wendy Beeghley, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

At Ilwaco, the catch was 1.8 fish per person, almost all coho running about 7 pounds.

At Westport, the overall catch per angler was 1.2 fish per rod, but coho fishing slowed and the pink bite has picked up. At La Push, the catch was 1.3 per angler, and mostly coho and chinook.

"Pinks are really plentiful at Neah Bay, and the charters are still doing well for chinook at Umatilla Reef," Beeghley said. "We are also seeing quite a few coho in the Strait (of Juan de Fuca) and I know of a person who was just killing them on surface flies."

The entire coast is open daily for salmon fishing. La Push and Neah Bay reopen Aug. 9 only for halibut.

2. Salmon in Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound: "Been a fabulous king season, but the keeping hasn't been all that great," said Gary Ryan, manager of Van Riper's Resort at Sekiu. "Still good for humpies (pinks), and there are more hatchery-marked coho showing up."

The Sekiu and Port Angeles (Catch Areas 5 and 6) closes for kings after Sunday. Both areas will remain open for pink and hatchery coho. A four-fish daily limit starts tomorrow in both areas.

Central Puget Sound (Area 10) has been fair to good for catch-and-release chinook and coho at Jefferson Head, Point Monroe and Kingston.

"Salmon fishing has been hit and miss, but we've had good opportunities," said Keith Robbins, owner of A Spot Tail Salmon in Seattle. "We hooked two kings (Tuesday) and were getting coho about 3 to 4 pounds on every trip."

In northern Puget Sound (Area 9), coho and pink fishing is fair off the west side of Possession Bar, Point No Point and Midchannel Bank.

Last weekend, inner-Elliott Bay and Tulalip terminal chinook fisheries were fair to good, and catches included some kings in 20- to 30-pound range.

"We chased some silvers in Elliott Bay, and there was a good king bite with the afternoon being most notable," said Steve Foley, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

In South-central Puget Sound (Area 11), chinook fishing slowed around the Point Defiance Park area in Tacoma.

Other places giving up some chinook are south of the Southworth Ferry Landing, Dolphin Point, the entrance to Gig Harbor, Point Dalco, Redondo Beach and Point Robinson. Commencement Bay opens tomorrow for salmon.

Areas 8-1 and 8-2 in Puget Sound are open for coho and pinks, and fishing improved last weekend.

"On Sunday there was some decent numbers of pinks being caught (in Area 8-2)," said Curt Kraemer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

3. Tuna off the coast: "Tuna trips out of Ilwaco were still pretty successful this past week about 30 to 40 miles out in the ocean," Beeghley said.

4. Steelhead in Cowlitz River: "The area from Blue Creek downstream has been producing some decent steelhead fishing," Hymer said.

5. Cutthroat, bass and perch in Lake Washington: Like the weather, perch and bass fishing is heating up around Gene Coulon Park in Renton, the Arboretum area, the east side of Mercer Island and the Mount Baker area. Also, there is decent trolling for cutthroat off the I-90 bridge and from Kirkland to North Point.

Other fishing spots

Hood Canal: Fair and good for pinks.

South Puget Sound: Slow for chinook.

San Juan Islands: Slow to fair for pinks and a few chinook, mainly on the west side of San Juan Island.

North-coastal rivers: Fair for salmon and steelhead, with the Hoh being the best bet. Water remains very low and clear in all rivers.

Stillaguamish River: Slow for steelhead in the North Fork at Fortson.

Snohomish river system: "Slow for steelhead and the water is very low," Kraemer said. "We checked (last weekend) 58 people with no steelhead and one jack chinook, and 11 jacks released."

Green River: "A few steelhead showing up at the hatchery," Foley said.

Kalama River: Fair for steelhead.

Lewis River: Good for steelhead.

White Salmon River: Good for chinook.

Drano Lake: Effort and steelhead catches increased for boat anglers.

Columbia River: "Seeing an upturn for steelhead on mainstem Columbia from Kalama downstream," Hymer said. Good for walleye in Camas-Washougal area.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com