FISHING -- What appears to be the biggest one-day tally of spring chinook since 2002 passed over Bonneville Dam on Wednesday, prompting more enthusiasm for the possibility of another lower Columbia River season. The announcement could come after a recalculation of the forecast in the next week or so.

The surge of 17,409 spring chinook counted over Bonneville on Wednesday was more than double the number counted the previous day and the biggest number of the 2014 run.

Andy Walgamott of Northwest Sportsman reports that the only recent higher number was the 18,436 springers over Bonneville on May 9, 2012, "which was the sixth best day recorded going back to the late 1930s:"

This can be peak timing for fishing at Wind River and Drano Lake, just 10 and 21 miles above the plug. PIT tag data shows 384 tagged springers going through the dam over the past week, with 30 and 12 headed to those two Gorge tribs, but most to Idaho.

See our feature on fishing this run of chinook  from the S-R Sunday Outdoors section.