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2014 poised to be year of the salmon in Washington

The 2013 run of fall chinook salmon to the Columbia River has set records for abundance and sportfishing catch. (Rich Landers)
The 2013 run of fall chinook salmon to the Columbia River has set records for abundance and sportfishing catch. (Rich Landers)

SALMON FISHING -- The early forecasts are phenomenal.  If you're not making plans for salmon fishing this year, get your head examined.

Here's the latest report from Joe Hymer, salmon specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:

In addition to nearly a million Columbia River coho swimming in the ocean, 1.6 million fall Chinook are expected to the Columbia River in 2014, the largest return since at least 1938!

Nearly 1 million of those Chinook are expected to be upriver brights of which 2/3 will be four-year-olds. 

This year’s forecasted run is over 25% larger than the 2013 actual return.  Last year’s actual return came in nearly twice as large as the preseason forecast.  


 

Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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