FISHING -- The number of anglers and the numbers of salmon harvested continues to rise in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River as fall chinook pour over McNary Dam. 

Fish passage over McNary, the last dam before the big kings enter the Hanford Reach, usually peaks around the third week of September.

From Aug. 31 through Sept. 6, WDFW staff interviewed 198 boats (433 anglers) fishing for fall chinook, said Paul Hoffarth, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in the Tri-Cities.  "Anglers reported harvesting 108 adult fall chinook and 5 jacks. 

WDFW estimates 988 boats fished the Hanford Reach last week with a harvest of 538 adult chinook and 25 jacks (up from 46 adults the week prior). 

Fish were harvested throughout the Hanford Reach with the best catch per effort at White Bluffs (1.3 fish/boat), followed by Vernita, Ringold, and then Bateman Island. 

Fish continue to pour through the dams with more than 35,000 adult fall chinook counted at Bonneville on Labor Day and more than 13,000 over McNary the same day.

Yakima River report, from Hoffarth:

The lower Yakima River salmon fishery opened on September 1 from the Highway 240 bridge at Richland upstream to the Grant Ave bridge at Prosser.  This past week WDFW staff interviewed 34 anglers with 5 adult chinook.  An estimated 205 anglers fished for salmon in the Yakima River this past week and harvested 22 adult fall chinook.  Salmon are trickling through the Prosser Diversion at this time with fewer than 50 chinook per day passing upstream.  Flows are running about 3,000 cfs.  With the cooler daily air temperatures the numbers should pick up soon.