FISHING -- The fall chinook fishery in the Hanford Reach is starting to pick up, says Paul Hoffarth, Washington Fish and Wildlife biologist in the Tri-Cities. 

"This past week several nice bright chinook were harvested at Vernita, White Bluffs, Ringold, and in the Tri-Cities," he reports.

From Aug. 17 -Aug. 23, WDFW staff interviewed 57 boats (102 anglers) fishing for fall chinook in the Hanford Reach.  Anglers reported harvesting 16 adult fall chinook, 4 jacks, and 3 sockeye.  Staff sampled 35% of the boats fishing for salmon this past week.  Estimated harvest for the week was 46 adult chinook 12 jacks and 9 sockeye.

Fall chinook counts at Bonneville Dam were more than 22,000 on Saturday and McNary counts reached 3,600 adult chinook on Sunday.

Incidentally, bass anglers were getting the most action on the Reach, according the creel surveys. They averaged 0.4 hours per fish caught.

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