This week in SW Washington the lower Columbia has reopened and the fishing has been nothing short of fantastic. Tributary spring chinook has been fantastic in some rivers while falling flat on its face on others. Summer steelhead are starting to show in good numbers in many of the local tributaries as well, although very few are being caught on the Columbia. Merwin and Yale continue to be fishing fantastically, with limits being plentiful.
REMINDER: Please verify the regulations before fishing any body of water. AND wear a life jacket.
Lewis Report – The Lewis is flowing at 2,800 cfs for the third week in a row. Spring chinook remains closed again this week and the summer steelhead are just barely starting to show. Angling pressure is low, and the fishing is slow this week.
Kalama Report – The Kalama has been hot to say the least, as many boats are leaving with a kill bag full of fish. The river has been incredibly low for this time of year, which has put a slight hindrance on the fishing, but anglers are still finding fish up and down the river. Seems as though the steelhead have really started to thin out and the summers have started to ever so slowly trickle in as I didn’t receive one report of a winter catch but a few summers.
Washougal Report – The Washougal is fishing great as it seems a really early push of summer steelhead has started up the river. A good friend of mine went out over the weekend in his raft and landed two and other locals have been doing surprisingly well. The river is at its summer flows and drifting is not possible unless in a raft.
Cowlitz Report – Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 911 spring Chinook adults, 63 spring Chinook jacks, 22 winter-run steelhead adults, and 17 summer-run steelhead adults over five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. During the past week, Tacoma Power employees released 308 spring Chinook adults, 13 spring Chinook jacks, and six winter-run steelhead adults into Lake Scanewa near Randle and they released 146 spring Chinook adults and seven spring Chinook jacks into the Cispus River near Yellowjacket Creek. In addition,
Tacoma Power employees released 217 spring Chinook adults and 18 spring Chinook jacks at Franklin Bridge in Packwood and they released five winter-run steelhead into the Tilton River at Bremer Bridge. As of Friday, May 9, 2025, Tacoma Power has recycled 35 summer-run steelhead and 39 spring Chinook adults this season to the I-5 boat launch in Toledo. River flow below Mayfield Dam is 5,100 cubic feet per second on Monday, May 12, 2025.
Drano Lake/Wind River – Drano Lake is again the place to be this week as if you aren’t leaving with a limit you are doing something wrong! Boats have been putting each person’s two fish limit in the boat in just a few hours and the angler pressure shows that. Bank anglers have been doing alright, just not lights out fishing.
Columbia River – The Columbia River has been on fire this week from Bonneville to Longview
Woodland- Woodland fishing has been great this week for both the plunkers and boats.
Vancouver- I spent Sunday and Monday after work plunking in Vancouver with really good success both days.
Stay fishy,
Seth Kolshinski
Read this week’s Oregon fishing report.