Salmon season underway on Upper Columbia River

Bret and Evonne Hadfield of Lewiston, Idaho, brought their Brittany spaniel Bailey and fished from an 1875 Lund Impact with good results. When they returned to the marina on July 22, they had landed three sockeye and one small king as part of the 21 total fish they had caught during the past week.

“There was a ton of fish caught this morning,” said Bret of the large number of boats on the water for the early day action “and then it just turned off.”

The Hadfields said they have fished below Wells Dam several times as part of their 25 years fishing up and down the Columbia and were making their second visit to Brewster.

Brewster resident and Chamber of Commerce president Mike Mauk, owner of Mauk Fishing Stuff said that as of July 21, 40,884 Chinook salmon and 190,497 sockeye had been counted passing Wells Dam. By Friday, July 23, those counts rose to 42,916 and 200,498 respectively.

“Most of the sockeye and some of the kings’ destination is Lake Osoyoos where they spawn with some kings going back to the Chief Joe hatchery,” said Mauk. “They travel up the Okanogan River when the water temperature is below 70 degrees.”

Mauk added that when the water temperature climbs above 70 degrees - the thermal barrier - the fish pool in the Columbia around Brewster and wait for the water to get cold enough for them to continue their journey.

“This may not happen until fall,” Mauk said of the holding action.

The latest upper Columbia season information as of July 1 from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife advises that the river opened July 4 “from the Highway 173 bridge in Brewster to the rock jetty at the upstream shoreline of Foster Creek (Douglas County side)” and will run through Oct. 15.

From Wells Dam to the Highway 173 bridge salmon season opened July 16 and will continue through Sept. 16. Two-pole fishing is permitted with the appropriate endorsement and barbed hooks are allowed.

“Right now, there is a two sockeye, two hatchery king and two Chinook jack limit,” said Mauk. “People say sockeye is the best tasting of all salmon and people come from far and wide for them.”

A technical advisory committee (TAC) comprised of representatives from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and treaty tribes closely monitor and update summer Chinook conditions weekly. The season is subject to change or closure on short notice.