September 2020

Fall Chinook fishing has been nothing short of phenomenal this year!  We started our season in Astoria Oregon for the world class fishery known as “Buoy 10” and it started off with fantastic fishing from start to finish.  Our season projections for fall chinook and coho salmon were just decent, but dam counts and fishing success has proved to be above the original predictions.

Many Columbia fishing guides agree that catch rates, and Bonneville Dam counts are proving the fact that we are in for a big season for catching our prized Fall Chinook.  Fishery managers have been very cautious this year with season setting, but now they are seeing the light that this is truly a big run of fall fish!  Tomorrow a compact meeting is set to take place discussing reopening the Columbia River till the end of the year.

Due to dam counts, I predict the Columbia will most likely reopen this Friday the 17th.  Despite what happens on the compact meeting though, the season on the Columbia is set to reopen on September 23rd.  Being able to fish on the Columbia for Chinook and Coho is always a real treat anytime  during mid September- Mid October.  Historically, fishing has always been best out there from September 12 onward, and with the dam couns remaining strong, we all predict a major beat down when the Columbia reopens.

This has definitely been the best fishing we have seen since 2014 when 1.2 million Fall Chinook passed over Bonneville Dam!  We are so excited to get have the opportunity to fish on these Fall Chinook during the peak of the season!  The good news also is we are still early in our season as it will be good through early November.

When fishing on the Columbia slows down, fishing on the tributaries of the Columbia heats up!  We will target Fall Chinook and Coho salmon on Sw Washington’s small rivers with great success every day!

This is a season of fishing you don’t want to miss! With the fires getting put out and the smoke clearing from SW Washington, now is the time to get out and catch some Chinook.  We still have a great season ahead of us, but don’t wait to long to book. See you on the water! Continue Reading

This year’s Fall Chinook season started out with a bang!  The first day of the season through the last day in Astoria Oregon was lights out fishing!  Fishing got a little tougher on the bigger tides, but we always found them and got our fish!

The original run forcast set by the Washington department of fish and wildlife was slightly below the ten year average.  Now, numbers are showing that they were wrong.  We already have 15-18 thousand fish crossing over Bonneville dam as of the 1st of September, which usually doesn’t happen until around the 12th!

This years season was set to go through the 6th of September, Fri Sat and Sun only, but we are all fairly confident that the when the run update happens It will reopen through the end of the year! The Chinook season plans to reopen regardless on the 23rd of Sept.  This is very exciting news to NW anglers as it stays good on the Columbia River through mid October.

In the meantime,  there are plenty of opportunities to catch Chinook Salmon on the tributaries of the Columbia as we wait for the reopening on the 23rd of September or sooner.  On Oct 1st the salmon limit goes to 2 adult Chinook.  Hatchery or wild may be retained on some of the tributaries of the Columbia that we fish!

We have a very exciting Fall Chinook and Coho season ahead of us and it’s far from over.  It’s not too late to get out and do some catching, so book your seats asap for the best dates. See you on the water!