According to the information available it is opined that there will be fewer summer chinook in the Columbia River than biologists expected. But the there will be enough stocks to go around for anglers and tribal and non-tribal nets. Biologists from Oregon and Washington met this week and revised the summer run prediction downward from 70,700 to 58,000.
The biologists said that the states’ sockeye estimate of 183,800 appears to be on track. It is said that in another meeting the states will decide whether sport and commercial fishing can continue. Before the third net session of commercial fishing ends, non-tribal gill-netters took about 1,800 fish in two previous evenings and sport anglers had caught about 1,700 in a season that’s been a bit of a disappointment. Both fisheries were expected to catch about 3,000 summer chinook each.
Fish are climbing Bonneville Dam in decent numbers, but high fluctuations in flows and spill at Bonneville seem to have diminished their willingness to hit spinners and plugs. Fishing closes Sunday evening below Bonneville, but is now open above the dam.
