Columbia steelhead

A very large run of steelhead is passing through the mainstem Columbia River, and knowledgeable anglers are getting their share of the fish. Biologist Joe Hymer in WDFW’s Vancouver office, said almost 3,000 fishermen (including 250 boats) were sampled on the river downstream from Bonneville Dam, with 1,309 steelhead.

Oddly, lower Columbia tributaries are not sharing in the bounty. Returns on most tribs are down from the same point last year, according to Hymer: Cowlitz, 3,030 this year, 5,298 last year; Kalama, 462 vs 1,776; and Lewis, 1,568 vs 5,310.