Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishing
Mainstem Columbia River Tangle Net test fishing is conducted each spring on the lower Columbia River in Catch Areas 1B and 1C (Zones 2 and 3) to evaluate the current run in regards to timing, stock composition, mark rate, and other biological data. This test fishery provides additional information to fishery managers which aides in the in-season management of the recreational spring Chinook fishery and provides a long term dataset to be used for planning future spring fisheries.
Steelhead, unclipped Chinook, and sturgeon are released immediately or are placed in a recovery box to aid in collection of biodata then released after the fish recovers. Adipose-clipped Chinook are sold to offset costs of conducting the test fishery. Upon request some upriver Chinook may be retained by Columbia River Treaty tribal members to meet immediate ceremonial needs. If a mortality occurs for a non-retainable fish it is donated to a local food bank.
Fall Pound Net Test Fishing
The pound net consists of a series of pilings with netting attached and is designed to direct fish into a netted enclosure, from which they can be gathered into a livewell, sorted, and the harvestable fish retained while the non-harvestable fish are released alive after biological data have been collected. WDFW conducted a test fishery of a pound net trap located in Cathlamet Channel, Wahkiakum County, from 2018 to 2020 to evaluate the viability of these traps as an alternative commercial fishing gear and to evaluate their economic performance. In addition, data were collected on all encountered fish stocks, including stock-composition, salmonid migration patterns, and collection of Chinook and Steelhead genetic samples. The data collected provided WDFW with information used to ensure that impact limits set under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are not exceeded for Chinook, Coho, and Steelhead.
Columbia River Smelt Test Fishing
Each winter and spring, test fishing for eulachon, commonly referred to as "Columbia River smelt," occurs in the lower Columbia River to assess the timing and abundance of the current run. This effort helps collect valuable biological data, including smelt size, age, and sex ratios, while also a building long-term dataset that may help guide future recreational fisheries in the Cowlitz River.
All non-target species are immediately released and any smelt caught during test fishing are retained for research or donated to local non-treaty tribes, food banks, and wildlife rehabilitation centers. No fish from the Columbia Rier smelt test fishery are sold.
Columbia River smelt test fishing
Columbia River smelt test fishing occurs each winter and spring in the mainstem Columbia River to assess the timing and abundance of the current run.
Test fishing results were last updated March 20, 2025.
| Date | Number of sets | Total pounds caught | Total pounds sampled | Males sampled | Females sampled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 4, 2025 | 3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb. 11, 2025 | 3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb. 18, 2025 | 4 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb. 25, 2025 | 3 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0 | 2 |
| Mar. 4, 2025 | 3 | 149.58 | 149.58 | 770 | 693 |
| Mar. 11, 2025 | 2 | 317.05 | 10.52 | 50 | 50 |
| Mar. 18, 2025 | 2 | 315.19 | 5.34 | 22 | 24 |
2025 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
The 2025 spring Chinook test fishery is scheduled to occur March 9th - May 28th. Fishing will be one day a week, primarily occurring on Mondays. As of May 28th, 336 ad-clipped adult Chinook (114 lower river, 222 upriver) have been retained and sold by the agency. Columbia River Treaty tribal members have retained a total of 4 adult upriver unmarked Chinook. Seven non-retainable fish have been donated to a local food bank (3 unclipped steelhead, 1 ad-clipped steelhead, and 3 unclipped chinook).
| Month | Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sockeye) | Total Release (Sockeye) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) | Total Handle Shad | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 9,10,11 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 10 | 9 | 67% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 |
| March | 16,18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 100% | 67% | 16 | 16 | 31% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| March | 23,24 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 60% | 20% | 12 | 12 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| March | 31 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 100% | 75% | 2 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.1 |
| April | 6,7 | 18 | 26 | 4 | 85% | 65% | 2 | 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1.4 | 13.0 | 0.1 |
| April | 14 | 17 | 53 | 3 | 85% | 77% | 6 | 6 | 83% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3.1 | 8.8 | 0.4 |
| April | 21 | 16 | 110 | 10 | 91% | 68% | 3 | 2 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 51 | 6.9 | 36.7 | 0.2 |
| April | 28 | 16 | 94 | 13 | 84% | 73% | 5 | 4 | 40% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 93 | 5.9 | 18.8 | 0.3 |
| May | 4,5,6 | 15 | 25 | 2 | 92% | 80% | 4 | 3 | 75% | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 72 | 1.7 | 6.3 | 0.3 |
| May | 11,12 | 11 | 29 | 6 | 79% | 55% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 186 | 2.6 | 29.0 | 0.1 |
| May | 18,20 | 16 | 26 | 3 | 88% | 42% | 4 | 4 | 75% | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 389 | 1.6 | 6.5 | 0.3 |
| May | 25,26,27 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 67% | 42% | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 591 | 0.8 | -- | 0.0 |
2024 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
The 2024 spring Chinook test fishery is scheduled to occur March 18th - May 27th. Additional fishing days through June 3rd were added to collect additional information on run timing and catch composition. Fishing will be one day a week, primarily occurring on Mondays. As of June 3rd, 160 ad-clipped adult Chinook (39 lower river, 121 upriver) have been retained and sold by the agency. Columbia River Treaty tribal members have retained a total of 6 adult Chinook (3 upriver unclipped and 3 upriver ad-clipped). Three non-retainable fish have been donated to a local food bank (1 unclipped chinook, 1 ad clipped steelhead and 1 unclipped steelhead).
| Month | Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sockeye) | Total Release (Sockeye) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) | Total Handle Shad | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 18 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0% | 0% | 13 | 12 | 44% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 |
| March | 25 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 80% | 100% | 11 | 11 | 9% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| March/April | 31/1/2 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 67% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.2 | 3.0 | 0.1 |
| April | 7/8/9 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 89% | 67% | 2 | 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.5 | 4.5 | 0.1 |
| April | 15/16 | 16 | 29 | 2 | 93% | 93% | 6 | 6 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 0.4 |
| April | 21/22 | 18 | 39 | 7 | 85% | 78% | 7 | 7 | 86% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2.6 | 6.6 | 0.4 |
| April | 29 | 15 | 39 | 5 | 87% | 62% | 6 | 6 | 83% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 2.6 | 6.5 | 0.4 |
| May | 6 | 11 | 29 | 2 | 90% | 72% | 6 | 5 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 2.6 | 4.8 | 0.5 |
| May | 13 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 100% | 100% | 7 | 7 | 71% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 386 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| May | 21 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 123 | 0.3 | -- | 0.0 |
| May | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 100% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 63 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| June | 2/3 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 100% | 89% | 4 | 4 | 75% | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 141 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.4 |
2023 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
The 2023 Spring Chinook mainstem tangle net test fishery will occur from March 13th - June 8th, 2023. Fishing will occur one day a week, primarily on Mondays.
As of June 8th, 250 ad-clipped adult Chinook (87 lower river, 163 upriver) and 27 ad-clipped jack Chinook (2 lower river, 25 upriver) have been retained and sold by the agency. Columbia River Treaty tribal members have retained a total of 12 adult Chinook (11 upriver unclipped and 1 upriver ad-clipped) and 1 jack Chinook (1 upriver unclipped). One non-retainable fish has been donated to a local food bank (1 unclipped steelhead).
| Month | Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) | Total Handle Shad | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 13/14 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 6 | 5 | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| March | 20 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 9 | 9 | 67% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| March | 27/28 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 67% | 67% | 5 | 5 | 80% | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| April | 2/3 | 15 | 14 | 3 | 79% | 71% | 2 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.9 | 7.0 | 0.1 |
| April | 10/11 | 16 | 29 | 6 | 72% | 72% | 8 | 8 | 25% | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 0.5 |
| April | 16/17 | 15 | 57 | 6 | 89% | 70% | 5 | 5 | 40% | 1 | 1 | 25 | 3.8 | 11.4 | 0.3 |
| April | 24 | 15 | 71 | 2 | 86% | 69% | 5 | 5 | 20% | 11 | 11 | 23 | 4.7 | 14.2 | 0.3 |
| April/May | 30/1 | 16 | 54 | 3 | 94% | 74% | 3 | 3 | 33% | 3 | 3 | 63 | 3.4 | 18.0 | 0.2 |
| May | 8 | 12 | 30 | 3 | 90% | 63% | 2 | 2 | 0% | 1 | 1 | 349 | 2.5 | 15.0 | 0.2 |
| May | 14/15 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 85% | 31% | 2 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 | 670 | 1.4 | 6.5 | 0.2 |
| May | 22 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 100% | 44% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 360 | 1.5 | -- | 0.0 |
| May | 28/30 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 100% | 1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 344 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| June | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 1 | 432 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| June | 7 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 100% | 25% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0.8 | -- | 0.0 |
2022 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
The 2022 Spring Chinook mainstem tangle net test fishery occurred from March 14th - May 9th, 2022. Additional fishing days through June 10th, 2022 have been added to continue to collect data on run timing and composition. Fishing occurred one day a week, primarily on Mondays.
As of June 9th, 360 ad-clipped adult chinook and 55 ad-clipped chinook jacks have been retained and sold by the agency. Columbia River Treaty tribal members have retained a total of 9 Chinook (6 upriver unclipped, 2 upriver clipped, and 1 lower river unclipped). Eight non-retainable fish have been donated to a local food bank (1 unclipped steelhead, 2 clipped steelhead, 2 unclipped upriver adult chinook, 1 unclipped lower river adult chinook, and 2 unclipped upriver jack chinook).The table below details the 2022 spring chinook preliminary observation summary data.
| Month | Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sockeye) | Total Release (Sockeye) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) | Total Handle (Shad) | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 14 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 89% | 67% | 8 | 8 | 38% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| March | 21/22 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 89% | 56% | 14 | 14 | 21% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| March | 28 | 15 | 17 | 0 | 88% | 76% | 11 | 11 | 55% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| April | 5 | 11 | 26 | 4 | 85% | 65% | 3 | 2 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2.4 | 8.7 | 0.3 |
| April | 11 | 15 | 36 | 7 | 81% | 89% | 5 | 5 | 80% | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 2.4 | 7.2 | 0.3 |
| April | 18/19 | 15 | 122 | 13 | 86% | 84% | 8 | 8 | 25% | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 44 | 8.1 | 15.3 | 0.5 |
| April | 25 | 14 | 42 | 3 | 90% | 79% | 1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.0 | 42.0 | 0.1 |
| May | 2 | 15 | 51 | 7 | 84% | 69% | 3 | 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 116 | 3.4 | 17.0 | 0.2 |
| May | 9 | 13 | 57 | 8 | 84% | 67% | 4 | 3 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 683 | 4.4 | 14.3 | 0.3 |
| May | 16 | 11 | 34 | 10 | 71% | 47% | 4 | 4 | 75% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 394 | 3.1 | 8.5 | 0.4 |
| May | 22 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 100% | 75% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1333 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| May | 29/31 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 93% | 36% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 882 | 1.8 | 14.0 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 9 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 69 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2021 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
The 2021 test fishery occurred from March 15th until May 10th. Fishing was scheduled one day a week, primarily on Mondays. For the 2021 test fishing period, 134 adipose clipped Chinook (111 adults and 23 jacks) were retained and sold by the agency. Columbia River Treaty tribal members retained a total of 15 Chinook (4 upriver clipped and 11 upriver unclipped (1 of which was a jack)). A total of 2 Chinook (1 upriver unclipped adult and 1 lower river unclipped jack) were donated to a local food bank. The table below details the 2021 spring chinook preliminary observation summary data.
| Month | Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 15 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 100% | 3 | 3 | 100% | 1 | 1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| March | 22 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 83% | 100% | 3 | 3 | 67% | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.2 |
| March | 29 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 89% | 56% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 1 | 0.6 | 9.0 | 0.1 |
| April | 5 | 16 | 15 | 0 | 93% | 40% | 0 | 0 | -- | 1 | 1 | 0.9 | -- | 0.0 |
| April | 11/12 | 17 | 32 | 4 | 78% | 75% | 3 | 3 | 33% | 4 | 4 | 1.9 | 10.7 | 0.2 |
| April | 18/19 | 16 | 27 | 2 | 74% | 67% | 2 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 | 1.7 | 13.5 | 0.1 |
| April | 25/26 | 15 | 36 | 8 | 78% | 50% | 5 | 5 | 40% | 3 | 3 | 2.4 | 7.2 | 0.3 |
| May | 2/3 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 73% | 73% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 5 | 5 | 0.7 | 11.0 | 0.1 |
| May | 9/10 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 67% | 33% | 1 | 1 | 0% | 5 | 5 | 0.6 | 9.0 | 0.1 |
2020 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
Due to COVID-19 the spring Chinook mainstem Columbia River test fishery was suspended after the first two fishing periods. The table below details the 2020 spring chinook preliminary observation summary data.
| Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 4 | 4 | 25% | 2 | 2 |
| Mar 22, 23 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 67% | 33% | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 4 | 3 | 50% | 0 | 0 |
- March 16 - 1 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency.
- March 22,23 - 2 adipose-clipped Chinook (1 upriver, 1 lower river) retained by Treaty tribe. 1 adipose-clipped steelhead donated to food bank.
2019 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
The table below details the 2019 spring chinook preliminary observation summary data.
| Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18 [1] | 15 | 4 | 3 | 25% | 25% | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 5 | 4 | 80% | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 25 [2] | 15 | 11 | 2 | 73% | 36% | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 7 | 7 | 57% | 3 | 3 |
| Apr 1 [3] | 15 | 13 | 2 | 69% | 67% | 0.9 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 4 | 4 | 50% | 12 | 12 |
| Apr 8 [4] | 15 | 7 | 3 | 57% | 29% | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 5 | 5 | 40% | 22 | 22 |
| Apr 15 [5] | 15 | 75 | 22 | 71% | 45% | 5.0 | 18.8 | 0.3 | 4 | 4 | 25% | 56 | 56 |
| April 21,22 [6] | 12 | 42 | 3 | 74% | 79% | 3.5 | 21.0 | 0.2 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 25 | 25 |
| April 28,29[7] | 14 | 52 | 6 | 85% | 42% | 3.7 | 10.4 | 0.4 | 5 | 5 | 60% | 49 | 49 |
| May 5,6[8] | 14 | 19 | 6 | 68% | 58% | 1.4 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 5 | 2 | 60% | 18 | 18 |
1 March 18 - 1 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency. 1 adipose-clipped steelhead donated to food bank.
2 March 25 - 8 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency. 1 lower river no mark Chinook donated to food bank.
3 April 1 - 8 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency. 3 upriver Chinook (2 no mark, 1 adipose-clipped) retained by Treaty tribe.
4 April 8 - 2 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency. 2 upriver adipose-clipped Chinook retained by Treaty tribe.
5 April 15 - 54 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency.
6 April 22 - 31 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency. 8 upriver Chinook (7 no mark, 1 adipose-clipped) retained by Treaty tribes.
7 April 29 - 48 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency. 2 lower river no mark Chinook donated to food bank.
8 May 5,6 - 17 adipose-clipped Chinook sold by agency. 3 steelhead (1 no mark, 2 adipose-clipped) donated to food bank.
2018 Spring Chinook Mainstem Tangle Net Test Fishery
Test Fishery in Zones 2 and 3, using 4.25" mesh tangle net. The table below details the 2018 spring chinook preliminary observation summary data.
Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Chinook/ Drift | Chinook/ Steelhead | Steelhead/ Drift | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18 [1] | 15 | 4 | 0 | 100% | 25% | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 4 | 4 | 75% | 22 | 22 |
| Mar 25 [2] | 17 | 16 | 5 | 69% | 75% | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 9 | 7 | 33% | 30 | 30 |
| Apr 1 [3] | 15 | 14 | 2 | 86% | 71% | 0.9 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 4 | 4 | 50% | 8 | 8 |
| Apr 8 [4] | 16 | 36 | 8 | 78% | 50% | 2.3 | 18.0 | 0.1 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 21 | 21 |
| Apr 15 [5] | 16 | 108 | 15 | 86% | 71% | 6.8 | 8.3 | 0.8 | 13 | 13 | 54% | 12 | 12 |
| Apr 22 [6] | 16 | 129 | 15 | 88% | 67% | 8.1 | 25.8 | 0.3 | 5 | 5 | 60% | 42 | 42 |
| Apr 29 [7] | 12 | 77 | 5 | 79% | 73% | 6.4 | 9.6 | 0.7 | 8 | 6 | 50% | 9 | 9 |
Notes
1 4 adipose-clipped chinook sold by agency.
2 10 adipose-clipped chinook sold by agency. 1 upriver chinook retained by Treaty tribe. 2 steelhead (1 no mark, 1 adipose-clipped) donated to food bank.
3 11 adipose-clipped chinook sold by agency. 3 upriver chinook (2 no mark, 1 adipose-clipped) retained by Treaty tribe.
4 April 8 - 27 adipose-clipped chinook sold by agency. 7 upriver chinook (6 no mark, 1 adipose-clipped) retained by Treaty tribe.
5 April 15 - 108 adipose-clipped chinook sold by agency.
6 April 22 - 113 adipose-clipped chinook sold by agency. 1 upriver no mark chinook donated to food bank.
7 April 29 - 61 adipose-clipped chinook sold by agency. 11 upriver no mark chinook retained by Treaty tribe. 2 steelhead (1 no mark, 1 adipose-clipped) donated to food bank.
Spring Chinook Cathlamet Channel Test Fishery
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission Policy C-3620 included guidance to "seek to phase out the use of non-selective gill nets in non-tribal commercial fisheries in the mainstem Columbia River, and transition gill net use to off-channel areas" by 2017.
In response to these directives, WDFW re-examined potential sites for off-channel "Select Area Fishery Enhancement" (Select Area) for rearing spring Chinook. To assess the Cathlamet Channel as a potential Select Area site, research test fishing was initiated in 2013 to determine the run timing, abundance, stock composition, mark rate and other biological data of salmon returning during the late winter and spring time frame. From 2014-2018, spring chinook have been acclimated and released from net pens in Cathlamet Channel. Test fishing is used to evaluate returns of net pen fish to Cathlamet Channel. The table below details the 2018 Cathlamet Channel spring chinook preliminary data summary.
Date | # of Drifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | % Upriver (Chinook) | Chinook / Drift | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Total Release (Steelhead) | Mark Rate (Steelhead) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 26-28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0% | 1 | 1 |
| Mar. 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0.00 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 2 | 2 |
| Mar. 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 0.13 | 5 | 5 | 60% | 0 | 0 |
| Mar. 15 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 100% | 0.13 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 2 |
| Mar. 19 [1] | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0.00 | 2 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| Mar. 22 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 50% | 0% | 0.25 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 1 |
| Mar. 26 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 25% | 0% | 1.00 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 |
| Mar. 29 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0% | 0% | 0.13 | 2 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| Apr. 2 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 1.88 | 6 | 6 | 17% | 0 | 0 |
| Apr. 5 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 75% | 50% | 1.00 | 1 | 1 | 0% | 3 | 3 |
| Apr. 9 | 7 | 31 | 4 | 87% | 65% | 4.43 | 3 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| Apr. 12 | 8 | 34 | 8 | 76% | 65% | 4.25 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 |
| Apr. 16 | 8 | 23 | 3 | 87% | 74% | 2.88 | 5 | 5 | 60% | 1 | 1 |
| Apr. 19 | 8 | 65 | 5 | 92% | 72% | 8.13 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 |
| Apr. 23 | 8 | 40 | 5 | 88% | 65% | 5.00 | 6 | 6 | 50% | 3 | 3 |
| Apr. 25 2 | 8 | 41 | 4 | 85% | 63% | 5.13 | 3 | 3 | 67% | 4 | 4 |
| Apr. 30 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 94% | 59% | 4.25 | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| May 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 100% | 67% | 0.75 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 133 | 290 | 36 | 87% | 67% | 43 | 42 | 44% | 19 | 19 |
Notes
1 1 adipose-clipped steelhead donated to food bank.
2 1 lower river, no mark chinook and 1 upriver, no mark chinook donated to food bank.
Through May 7, 252 adipose-clipped chinook sold by the agency.
Fall Pound Net Test Fishery
2020
Test fishing occurred between Aug 28 - Oct 16, 2020. Data in the table represent all retained and released adult salmonids encountered at the pound net for this fishing period.
| Date | # Lifts | Kept: Chinook (Bright) | Kept: Chinook (Tule) | Kept: Coho | Released (clipped): Chinook (Bright) | Released (clipped): Chinook (Tule) | Released (clipped): Coho | Released (clipped:): Steelhead (A-Index) | Released (clipped): Steelhead (B-Index) | Released (not clipped): Chinook (Bright) | Released (not clipped): Chinook (Tule) | Released (not clipped): Coho | Released (not clipped): Steelhead (A-Index) | Released (not clipped): Steelhead (B-Index) | Mark rate: Chinook | Mark rate: Coho | Mark rate: Steelhead (A-Index) | Mark rate: Steelhead (B-Index) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug-28 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 64% | 57% | 79% | 50% |
| Aug-29 | 11 | 9 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 94% | 45% | 63% | 90% |
| Aug-31 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 32 | 21 | 3 | 71% | 37% | 50% | 86% |
| Sep-01 | 12 | 25 | 18 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 5 | 21 | 8 | 25 | 18 | 3 | 60% | 56% | 51% | 63% |
| Sep-02 | 10 | 31 | 19 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 7 | 28 | 8 | 22 | 13 | 0 | 60% | 52% | 66% | 100% |
| Sep-03 | 12 | 28 | 25 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 56 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 46% | 66% | 63% | 74% |
| Sep-04 | 10 | 8 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 22 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 55% | 40% | 57% | 100% |
| Sep-05 | 8 | 3 | 20 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 63 | 6 | 3 | 58% | 45% | 77% | 82% |
| Sep-07 | 15 | 8 | 21 | 74 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 20 | 3 | 63 | 7 | 1 | 57% | 54% | 65% | 93% |
| Sep-08 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 71 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 28 | 3 | 53 | 4 | 1 | 39% | 58% | 81% | 80% |
| Sep-09 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 120 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 5 | 26 | 0 | 120 | 13 | 2 | 43% | 51% | 67% | 71% |
| Sep-17 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 33% | 68% | 40% | 88% |
| Sep-18 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 45% | 73% | 40% | 60% |
| Sep-19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 142 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 69 | 8 | 3 | 45% | 68% | 20% | 79% |
| Sep-20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 210 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 30 | 4 | 87 | 7 | 6 | 37% | 71% | 30% | 75% |
| Sep-21 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 127 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 57 | 3 | 4 | 28% | 69% | 70% | 50% |
| Sep-22 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 31% | 73% | 33% | 75% |
| Sep-23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 67% | 70% | 50% | 100% |
| Sep-24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 25% | 76% | 100% | 100% |
| Sep-25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | --- | 77% | --- | --- |
| Sep-30 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 0 | --- | 73% | --- | 100% |
| Oct-01 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 50% | 82% | --- | --- |
| Oct-02 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | --- | 50% | 60% | 100% |
| Oct-09 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 100% | 56% | --- | 100% |
| Oct-16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | --- | 100% | --- | --- |
| Total | 194 | 187 | 190 | 1268 | 15 | 14 | 37 | 210 | 162 | 314 | 53 | 770 | 140 | 42 | 53% | 63% | 60% | 79% |
2019
Test fishing occurred between Aug 28 - Oct 31 2019. Preliminary data in the table represent all retained and released adult salmonids encountered at the pound net for this fishing period.
Date | # of Lifts | CHINOOK Total Handle | CHINOOK Total Release1 | CHINOOK Mark Rate2 | COHO Total Handle | COHO Total Release1 | COHO Mark Rate2 | STEELHEAD Total Handle | STEELHEAD Ad-clip, Total A | STEELHEAD No Ad-clip Total A | STEELHEAD Unknown Ad-clip Total A | STEELHEAD Ad-clip Total B | STEELHEAD No Ad-clip Total B | STEELHEAD Unknown Ad-clip Total B | STEELHEAD Ad-clip (Unknown Stock) | STEELHEAD No Ad-clip (Unknown Stock) | STEELHEAD Unknown Ad-clip (Unknown Stock) | STURGEON Total Handle | STURGEON Total Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28-30 | 24 | 65 | 42 | 35% | 66 | 38 | 42% | 38 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2-6 | 37 | 141 | 60 | 57% | 351 | 225 | 37% | 39 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 9-13 | 43 | 59 | 16 | 73% | 882 | 383 | 58% | 55 | 26 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 15-20 | 45 | 23 | 8 | 65% | 799 | 255 | 71% | 40 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 23-27 | 22 | 14 | 5 | 64% | 544 | 136 | 78% | 35 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 7-10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 98 | 36 | 73% | 16 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 14-18 | 12 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 187 | 59 | 76% | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 21-23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 16 | 2 | 94% | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 197 | 302 | 131 | 57% | 2943 | 1134 | 63% | 223 | 129 | 64 | 1 | 31 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Notes: Chinook and Coho handle numbers are adults only.
1 Released Chinook and Coho may include adipose-clipped and/or unknown clip status. Refer to notes below.
2 Mark rate is total ad-clipped divided by total handle.
The shoreside lead was raised (not fishing) for Aug 28, and lowered (fishing) for following days.
- Aug 28-30 2019: 26 adipose-clipped Chinook including 3 jacks, and 28 adipose-clipped coho, sold by agency.
- Sep 2-6 2019: 85 adipose-clipped Chinook including 4 jacks, and 126 adipose-clipped coho, sold by agency.
Total Chinook released includes 1 unknown clip. Total coho released includes 4 adipose-clipped and 3 unknown clip.
Sturgeon released was legal size. - Sep 9-13 2019: 44 adipose-clipped Chinook including 1 jack, and 499 adipose-clipped coho adults, sold by agency.
Total coho released includes 13 adipose-clipped and 5 unknown clip. - Sep 15-20 2019: 9 adipose-clipped Chinook including 1 jack, and 544 adipose-clipped coho adults, sold by agency.
Total coho released includes 20 adipose-clipped and 1 unknown clip. - Sep 23-27 2019: 9 adipose-clipped Chinook, and 408 adipose-clipped coho adults, sold by agency.
Total coho released includes 14 adipose-clipped and 3 unknown clip. - Oct 7-10 2019: 62 adipose-clipped adult coho sold by agency.
Total coho released includes 10 adipose-clipped. - Oct 14 - 18 2019: 128 adipose-clipped coho sold by agency.
Total coho released includes 14 adipose-clipped. - Oct 21 - 23 2019: 14 adipose-clipped coho sold by agency.
Total coho released includes 1 adipose-clipped.
2018
Test fishing occurred between Aug. 25 – Oct. 31, 2018. Preliminary data in the table represent all retained and released adult salmonids encountered at the pound net for this fishing period.
Date | # of Lifts | Total Handle (Chinook) | Total Release (Chinook) | Mark Rate (Chinook) | Total Handle (Coho) | Total Release (Coho) | Mark Rate (Coho) | Total Handle (Steelhead) | Ad-clip (Steelhead, Total A) | No Ad-clip (Steelhead, Total A) | Ad-clip (Steelhead, Total B) | No Ad-clip (Steelhead, Total B) | Ad-clip (Unknown Stock) | No Ad-clip (Unknown Stock) | Total Handle (Sturgeon) | Total Release (Sturgeon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25-Sep 1 | 86 | 916 | 516 | 44% | 322 | 196 | 39% | 92 | 41 | 14 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Sep 2-7 | 42 | 259 | 154 | 41% | 201 | 97 | 52% | 73 | 24 | 12 | 26 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Sep 9-13, 16 | 52 | 332 | 236 | 29% | 389 | 169 | 57% | 142 | 49 | 12 | 58 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 12, 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 20 | 3 | 85% | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 14, 15, 18 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0% | 22 | 4 | 82% | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 190 | 1508 | 907 | 40% | 954 | 469 | 51% | 322 | 122 | 42 | 113 | 22 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Notes:
- Chinook and Coho handle numbers are adults only. The shoreside lead was raised (not fishing) for Aug. 25-Sep. 7, and lowered (fishing) for Sep. 9-16.
- Aug. 25 - Sep. 1 2018: 430 adipose-clipped Chinook including 30 jacks, and 130 adipose-clipped coho including 4 jacks sold by agency.
Total Chinook released includes 1 adipose-clip and 1 unknown clip.
Both sturgeon were overlegal size - Sep. 2-7 2018: 110 adipose-clipped Chinook including 5 jacks, and 107 adipose-clipped coho including 3 jacks, sold by agency.
Total Chinook released includes 2 adipose-clip and 1 unknown clip. Total coho released includes 2 adipose-clipped and 1 unknown clip.
One sturgeon was overlegal size and one was sublegal.
Fishing was unsuccessful on Sep 4 due to continuous marine mammal presence. - Sep. 9-13,16 2018: 109 adipose-clipped Chinook including 13 jacks, and 220 adipose-clipped coho including 1 jack, sold by agency.
Total Chinook released includes 2 adipose-clip. Total coho released includes 3 adipose-clipped and 1 unknown clip.
One non-adipose clipped coho was donated after being mis-identified as adipose-clipped and retained. - Oct. 12-13 2018: 20 adipose-clipped coho including 3 jacks, sold by agency. Released 1 Chum and 20 largescale suckers. One adipose-clipped A-run steelhead was donated after being mis-identified and retained
- Oct. 14, 15, 18 2018: 18 adipose-clipped coho sold by agency.