A record number of fall chinook have been caught in the lower Columbia River. Through September, an estimated 27,490 adult fall chinook have been caught in the sport fishery from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line to Bonneville Dam. The old record was 26,195 fish caught in 2003. The records began in 1969.
RIVERS
Columbia: Salmon fishing has been slow in the lower river. Boat anglers at the mouth of the Klickitat are doing well for coho and some fall chinook. Bank anglers just below Bonneville Dam have averaged a legal sturgeon kept per every 15.3 rods. Some legal-size fish were caught by boat anglers in the gorge, Vancouver and Kalama areas.
Cowlitz: People have been catching mostly coho, especially in the lower river. During last week, Tacoma Power employees released 457 coho adults, 21 jacks, 170 fall chinook adults and two jacks into the upper river at the Skate Creek Bridge in Packwood.
Lewis: Anglers on the mainstem are catching some coho, said a state report. On the North Fork, boat anglers are catching as many chinook as coho, while bank anglers are primarily catching coho.
Nisqually: The action has slowed, although a few kings and coho are being caught.
Methow: Steelhead fishing remains very good. Try swinging flies or use a jig and a bobber.
Skagit: The river has been producing consistently good catches of coho, said Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center. People are casting plugs and spinners, or fishing with jigs.
Skookumchuck: The river opened Saturday, and people were catching plenty of chinook. The trouble is most of them are dark.
Tilton: Last week, Tacoma Power employees released 1,044 fall chinook adults, 33 jacks, 179 coho salmon adults, 16 jacks and seven cutthroat into the river at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.
Yakima: Trout fishing slowed a bit over the weekend. There were some small hatches of Blue Wing Olives and October Caddis, but the fish didn’t seem to key in on them. In the lower river, salmon fishing has picked up. A state report said last week there were an estimated 1,063 angler trips for salmon. A check of 156 anglers showed they caught 21 adult chinook, eight jacks and one coho. Saturday is the last scheduled day of the salmon fishery.
LAKES
American: Kokanee bites continue to be good, with people reporting catching their limits in a few hours. Look for fish about 20 feet deep. People are trolling with a yellow or orange dodger with a bait-tipped spinner.
Chelan: Trolling the lower basin is producing great catches of lake trout, said Anton Jones of Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service. He recommends using Flatfish or Ace Hi Flies.
St. Clair: Anglers are catching some largemouth bass in the bays. One angler online said he was using Senko plastic worms.
Offut: Trout fishing has been good, although the dock action seems to have been a little better than fishing from a boat. Try orange Power Bait or floating a worm, said Becky Pogue at Offut Lake Resort.
Tapps: Smallmouth bass action has been good to very good. Anglers are finding the fish holding in water 20-25 feet deep. They are fishing plastic baits along the bottom.
SALT WATER
North Sound: Coho action remains good throughout the area, but there doesn’t seem to be one specific hot spot right now, Chamberlain said.
Tacoma: Salmon fishing is very slow. There were just 30 anglers checked by state officials over the weekend at Point Defiance ramps. They brought in just one coho.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
