FISHING -- Angling pressure for fall chinook decreased last week at the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, but the catch rate continues to be high at 2.2 fish per boat, according to the following report from Paul Hoffarth, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fisheries biologist in the Tri-Cities:

With the start of several hunting seasons the numbers of anglers fishing for salmon in the Hanford Reach declined slightly from the previous week.  Harvest remained strong at 2.2 chinook landed per boat.  An estimated 2,413 boats fished for salmon in the Hanford Reach this past week.  WDFW staff interviewed anglers from 684boats (1,638 anglers:10,474 pole hours) and 159 bank anglers (679 hours).  An estimated 5,419 Chinook (4,784 adults & 635 jacks) were harvested.   Bank anglers didn’t fare as well only averaging one chinook for each 11 anglers.   There were an estimated 6,012 angler trips for fall Chinook in the Tri-cities this past week. 

For the fall salmon season that started August 1, there have been over 38,000 angler trips harvesting 21,822 adult Chinook, 2,756 jacks, and 162 coho.

The Hanford Reach (Hwy 395 to Priest Rapids Dam) opened to fishing for hatchery steelhead on October 8. The area upstream of the old Hanford townsite wooden powerline towers will only remain open through October 22.  There was very little effort for steelhead this past week with anglers continuing to concentrate on Chinook. 

Yakima River fall chinook fishing action has been slower, but this is the week to be there, Hoffarth says:

This past week WDFW staff interviewed 189 anglers fishing for salmon in the lower Yakima River with 30 adult chinook, 2 Chinook jacks, and 2 coho harvested. Anglers averaged a salmon for every 11 hours of fishing.  This is the last week of the season with the fishery closes after October 22. The fishing is usually the best just before the season closes.

An estimated 264 salmon were caught this past week (247 adult fall Chinook, 8 jacks, and 9 coho) bringing the season total to 877 salmon.