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The Wind River is home to quality Salmon
fishing.
Wind River
Fishing: Spring Chinook, Steelhead
Wind River Fishing Seasons: generally May 1 – June 30 (see See
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Sport Fishing Rules
for more information.)
Access: Wind River Hwy parallels most of the Wind River
Camping: Panther Creek Campground, Beaver Campground, Paradise
Creek Campground
Map:
The area open to fishing and the length of the season depends on
the yearly run of spring Chinook. Steelhead fishing also occurs,
but has been depressed in recent years. See Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife Sport Fishing Rules for more
information.
More Information: Contact Mt Adams Ranger Station, 2455 Hwy 141,
Trout Lake, WA, 98650 (509.395.3400)
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Mid Columbia River
Guide Service featuring full-time fishing guide
Elmer Hill. Specializing in Trophy species such as
Walleye, Spring & Fall King Salmon, Keeper &
Oversize Sturgeon, B run Steelhead and Shad in areas
from Bonneville Dam and surrounding areas upstream
in the Columbia River to Tri Cities Washington
"Hanford Reach" Including Snake River Fishery. 30
years experience will insure you have a comfortable
and safe trip.
CALL TODAY 541-969-2537 OR Visit our website
www.midcolumbiariver.com |
Spring Chinook forecast up for
Wind River, Drano Lake
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An estimated 9,600
spring Chinook salmon
are forecast to return
to Drano Lake in 2009.
(ALLEN THOMAS/The
Columbian)
State fisheries
biologists are forecasting a healthy
return of 18,500 spring Chinook
salmon to the Wind, Little White
Salmon and Klickitat rivers of the
Columbia Gorge in 2009.
Joe Hymer of the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife said
the prediction includes 6,900 spring
Chinook for the Wind River, 9,600
for Drano Lake and 2,000 for the
Klickitat River.
Drano Lake is a large backwater of
the Columbia at the mouth of the
Little White Salmon River.
Those forecasts are plenty large
enough to provide decent angling if
the fish cooperate.
Wind River and Drano Lake both open
for fishing on March 16. The daily
limit will be two hatchery Chinook
or hatchery steelhead, or one of
each.
The upper Wind River will not open
until May 1. |
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Wind River and Drano
Lake have confounded state and
tribal fishery officials the past
few years by having large numbers of
three-year-old jacks, which predict
large future runs, then having the
return of four-year-olds the next
year come in far under forecast.
In 2008, the
forecast for Drano Lake was 36,800,
yet the actual return was 7,700. At
the Wind in 2008, the forecast was
10,000, yet only 3,200 spring salmon
returned.
Hymer said PIT (passive integrated
transponder) tags inserted in the
Chinook at Carson National Fish
Hatchery are noted when the salmon
pass the fish ladder at Bonneville
Dam, but the fish fail to show up in
catches or escapement at the
hatchery.
A year ago, the sport catch was
estimated at 1,700 adults in the
Wind, 1,900 adult in Drano Lake and
35 adult Chinook in the Klickitat.
Catches traditionally peak in the
final week of April and first week
of May.
It is anticipated the lower Columbia
River will be closed for spring
Chinook in late April and early May,
a situation which likely will focus
considerable fishing pressure at the
mouth of Wind River and Drano Lake.
Anglers troll plugs such as Magnum
Wiggle Warts, plus spinners and
herring at both locations. |
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