Columbia River Coho Salmon Fishing Hot in 2009
Over a Million Silvers, Plus Chinook, Bring Great Northwest Angling
August Update for Lower Columbia Salmon Fishing
The Buoy 10 chinook fishing season is expected to close Aug. 31 below Tongue Point. Through that date, the limit is two adult salmon per angler, only one of which may be a chinook. However, due to the expected abundance of coho salmon, already on display with excellent catches in the ocean, the coho limit for this area will be raised to three per day beginning Sept. 1. The coho fishing likely will be best in the first two or three weeks of September but this season could remain open through the end of 2009.. Only coho with a clipped adipose fin may be retained.
The port towns on both shores are bracing for the return of salmon mania this year, despite bleaker prospects for some West Coast summer and fall fisheries.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recently estimated the overall coho run in the Columbia at 700,000, less the some earlier estimates but still the biggest run since 2001
Limits of Coho Salmon
How big? The last time the coho salmon run was so huge, in 2001, fisheries managers in both states eventually doubled the usual two-salmon catch limit to four hatchery-born silvers per day.
Oregon guide Bob Rees remembers leaving port at 7:30 a.m. with five customers, and within three hours all six of them were at the docks with limits – 24 fat salmon ready for the barbecue grill.
“It was just crazy with coho,” said Rees, owner of The Guide's Forecast weekly angling report. “I don't anticipate it will be much different (in 2009). If the run comes in as predicted, the fishing is going to be flat-out fantastic.”
The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that more than a million coho salmon will enter the Columbia River, lingering in the estuary to feed on anchovies and other small fish until fall rains spur them upriver. Coho frequently tip the scales at 6 to 15 pounds or more.
The agency also predicted a better than average return of more than 500,000 fall chinook salmon, also called kings, which commonly reach 20 pounds and occasionally top 40 pounds.
Buoy 10 Fishery Begins in Mid-August
The Buoy 10 fishery, as its known, starts at this shipping marker between the jetties and extends upstream to Tongue Point, inland from Astoria.
Most years this fishery opens August 1 and goes into September for coho, which must have a missing adipose fin clipped before they were released as juveniles. Chinook fishing often is more limited, with final rules set by mid-summer.
Fish are caught on all tides in peak season. Anglers often begin their morning in the lower estuary and follow the fish upriver on an incoming tide. Sometimes slack tides produce a red hot bite.
For coho, the better fishing starts by mid-August, with the crowded “combat fishing” zone near Buoy 10 the first to light up. By Labor Day the coho should be distributed throughout the roomy estuary. Chinook often move upriver earlier.
Catch Salmon by Trolling Herring or Spinners
The most popular way to catch salmon in the Columbia River estuary is trolling whole or plug-cut herring (sometimes whole anchovies). At times, trolling spinners can be the hotter ticket, said Rees, who markets a spinner called the Fatal Flash that joins other popular choices, including Luhr Jensen's Rainbow, Guide Tech and Tee Spoon spinners. Various spoons and plugs that wobble or wiggle also catch salmon, including top sellers such as Worden's FlatFish and Luhr Jensen's Kwikfish plugs and Luhr Jensen's Coyote and Diamond King spoons. Some anglers find luck mooching plug-cut herring.
Anglers use divers or lead weight to get their offering to the proper depth, often measured in “pulls” of line from the reel to the rod's first eyelet. While 10 to 20 pulls might be plenty for shallow-swimming silvers, anglers targeting chinook often run deeper. Some anglers add flashers as an attractant.
Bait and tackle, angling licenses, local advice and good ramps for launching your boat are available in Hammond, Warrenton and Astoria in Oregon and Ilwaco and Chinook in Washington. Or you can book a guide or charter service.
Safety First With Columbia River’s Tricky Currents
Even in areas that appear calm, the Columbia River has tricky currents, sandbars and suddenly rough waters from powerful winds (especially in the afternoons), outgoing tides and massive ships. Boats must carry life jackets for everyone, but actually wearing them is the surest bet – and children 12 or younger must wear them by law.
Check Fishing Regulations Before You Go
Consult the Oregon or Washington departments of fish and wildlife for season closures, catch limits and other regulations, which can change on short notice.
Buoy 10 Salmon Success
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A Boatload of Columbia River Coho
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