The summer chinook salmon season on the Columbia River opens today with a run of 91,200 forecast to return. Fishing is scheduled to stay open through July 1 below the Bonneville Dam and through July 31 between Bonneville and the Washington-Oregon border east of Umatilla, Ore.
LAKES
American: Trout fishing has been good to very good. Most people are trolling, based on reports. Try using a 0/0 dodger with a Wedding Ring behind it. A few kokanee also are being caught.
Chelan: Kokanee fishing has been good to very good, and the fish are averaging 14 inches long, said Anton Jones of Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service. When it comes to gear, the thing that matters most is the attractor. He said dodgers in the 0000 size were the most productive, including Mack’s Double D dodger, Worden’s dodger and Silver Horde’s No. 1-size kokanee dodger. Jones fishes a Mack’s Lures mini-cha cha squidder 16-22 inches behind the dodgers.
Potholes: The best fishing has been trolling for rainbow trout, said Mike Meseberg at MarDon Resort. The Medicare Beach area has produced some fish weighing up to 4 pounds. Walleye fishing has been slowed by bad weather.
Silver: The pressure has been light, but those who are fishing are catching rainbow trout, said Amy Kenney at Henley’s Silver Lake Resort. Some of the trout are topping 20 inches. The catfish action has been good.
Spanaway: Fly-fishing has been the best method to catch brown trout up to 18 inches. Try using chironomid and scud patterns. Trolling Wedding Rings tipped with a worm or still-fishing with dough bait is producing rainbows, said Bud Herlitzka at Spanaway Park Boathouse.
Tapps: Local guide Todd Reis fished for tiger muskies earlier this week and had some fish follow his spinnerbaits, but no bites.
SALT WATER
North Sound: The Elliott Bay Marina area remains the most productive for salmon.
South Sound: Salmon fishing is picking up each day it seems, said Tom Pollack at Sportco. Some fish are being caught by the scout camp north of Gig Harbor using 31/2-inch Kingfisher spoons at depths between 65-120 feet. Spoons and hoochies are producing fish caught off the flats at Point Defiance. Pollack said mornings seem to be the best times to fish.
Westport: Fishing for hatchery chinook has been good to very good. Charters and private boats are catching limits. Most fish are weighing 10-20 pounds and are focused on small baitfish like anchovies and herring. The fish seem to be holding in fairly shallow water. This hatchery fish-only season continues through June 23.
RIVERS
Cowlitz: Summer-run steelhead action has been on the slow side. Guides are saying they have to cover a lot of water up to Barrier Dam to find fish willing to bite. Try using shrimp, yarn balls, spinners or floats and jigs. Chinook are hitting eggs mainly.
Naches: The river is flowing high, but the water is clear, said a staffer at Red’s Fly Shop. Guides have been using a Red Winged Thing as an attractor with a purple Holo Prince nymph as a drop. He also suggested trying golden stonefly nymphs.
North Sound: Fluctuating water levels and clarity are making the steelhead fishing a challenge, but there are fish in the rivers such as the Skykomish, Snohomish and Snoqualmie. Side-drifting eggs in the hatchery areas has been the most productive method and location.
Yakima: Trout fishing has been very good to excellent in the canyon this week, said a staffer at The Evening Hatch. Prince nymphs and streamers are working best in the morning, then switch to caddis, golden stonefly, yellow sallies and pale morning dun dry flies in the afternoon.
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com 253-597-8640 blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
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