The record sockeye run predicted for the Columbia River seems to be coming to fruition. On Sunday, a record 38,756 sockeye were counted at Bonneville Dam, smashing the previous record of 30,690 fish on June 24, 2010.
A record 462,000 sockeye are forecast to pass through the mouth of the Columbia this year. Of those, 431,300 fish are expected to be headed to the Okanogan River.
RIVERS
Columbia: A state sampling report showed a check of 1,672 anglers who had caught and kept 73 adult chinook, 131 sockeye and 67 steelhead. The best chinook catches were in the Woodland-Kalama area, while the Longview area produced the most sockeye and steelhead.
Cowlitz: Fishing has been fair in recent days. Some steelhead are being caught as well as some chinook at Barrier Dam, said Marshall Borsom at Fish Country. Eggs and sand shrimp, together or separately, are effective baits. Boat anglers should try back-trolling coon shrimp for steelhead.
Lewis: Fishing has been poor since the weekend.
Skagit: Sockeye fishing is picking up. Anglers are using pink spoons or side-drifting shrimp.
Skykomish: Anglers were catching some fish over the weekend, but frequent showers and warm weather brought water levels up and dirtied the water.
Yakima: This is a good time to hit the river. Flows have dropped to around 4,200 cfs as of Tuesday morning, and the fish are eager to hit a fly. A size 14 gold Lightning Bug has been a hot fly to use, said a staffer at Red’s Fly Shop.
LAKES
American: Trout fishing has been very good, including plenty of limits, said David Anderson at Bill’s Boathouse. Dodgers trailed by a worm on a short leader are working for trollers, and dock anglers are using dough baits. Late last week, an angler caught a 51/2-pound smallmouth bass off the dock.
Bradley: This small lake produced some limits of trout over the weekend.
Chelan: Trolling for lake trout near Mill Bay early in the morning and late in the evening has been producing some big fish, said Anton Jones of Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service. Kokanee are moving around the lower basin in big schools. Anglers have been catching them off Rocky Point and around Wapato Point, but the action has been inconsistent.
Mayfield: The action remains on the slow side for trout. Those catching fish are using dough baits or worms fished off the bottom.
Potholes: Fishing has been very good to excellent for rainbow trout and walleye. Bass fishing has been stable, but anglers must adjust tactics to account for higher water levels, said Nick Barr at MarDon Resort. Trout fishing has been best along the shores of Medicare Beach, Frenchman’s Wasteway and off the resort dock. You can find largemouth in the back bays along Crab Creek and Winchester Wasteway.
Riffe: The lake is the hot spot for silver salmon. Borsom recommends using cocktail shrimp, worms or corn about 8-10 feet below a bobber or cast lures like Super Dupers or Kastmaters.
SALT WATER
Tacoma: Salmon fishing is showing signs of improving. The best spots seem to be the clay banks, the shelf, Point Evans and Point Dalco, said Art Tachell at Point Defiance Boathouse. Most fish are weighing 8-12 pounds, with some topping the 20-pound mark. Anglers also are hooking a few 30-pounders, but they must be released because they are wild fish.
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com 253-597-8640 blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
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