by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff 11-23-2020 Website. A less hectic place to catch shad, mostly for boaters, is down on the Multnomah Channel (Slough), which takes part of the Willamette’s flow down the west side of Sauvie Island. A healthy chunk of the Columbia River’s might shad run never makes it to Bonneville Dam because many of these fish hang a right turn into the Willamette. OLYMPIA -- June is the hot month for shad fishing and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has a free publication telling anglers how and where to catch--and cook the fish. On Friday, 29th 43,540 when through the dam, Saturday, 30th saw over double with 89,743 and Sunday, 31st the count was 93,100. The best time to fish for shad is when they return to spawn from May until mid-July. (Dec 13, 2020) Join us for some American Shad Fishing on the Columbia River in the Washington State. For many more tips, read our guide to American shad fishing. States decline to set June retention sturgeon fishery on lower Columbia River Columbia River. 730 at the Washington/Oregon border: Closed to retention of salmon and steelhead through June 15. This river is one of the most productive and diverse systems anywhere, with strong runs of salmon and steelhead as well as a fantastic smallmouth bass fishery and noteworthy opportunities for sturgeon, sea perch and even striped bass. Forecast < broodstock need . Another excellent Columbia shad run is expected in 2021. American shad are a giant relative of the herring first introduced to the Pacific from the East Coast in the late 1800s. Shad fishing from Bonneville Dam to the Dalles Dam will also close July 9-15, in order to reduce impacts on sockeye. Shad can be caught in plenty of places on the Columbia, but some of the very best fishing is typically below the dams, where the shad tend to bottle up before climbing the fish ladders. The Columbia on the border of Oregon and Washington has the Northwest’s largest shad runs, and for practical purposes this is Washington state’s only great shad fishery. Shad will even readily strike bare Siwash hooks on a swivel or simply decorated with bright beads strung to the line so they rest against the hook’s eye. Shad are members of the herring family and enter the Columbia River in large numbers in late May and June to spawn. There is a little point with good bank access called Tunnel Point, Corbett Viewpoint or Sturgeon Point. FISHING RULE CHANGE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091 : May 14, 2020 Lower Columbia River spring chinook fishery Action: Opens spring Chinook season on the mainstem Columbia River from Warrior Rock to Bonneville Dam. Bonneville Dam upstream to Hwy. Aloha hui! Fishing For American Shad In The Columbia River With Shaka Fishing and my724outdoors.com! One of the bonuses of fishing for shad in the Umpqua, compared to the heavier waters of the Columbia below its dams or the Willamette below its falls, is that you can employ lighter gear to take full advantage of this little tarpon-like battler. For Washington anglers, try Cascade Island just below the dam, especially the spillway side. State record. One place definitely worth a try if you’re up that way is below the John Day Dam, a short drive up Highway 14 from Maryhill. There may be enough fish arriving to give shad fishing a whirl over the Memorial Day weekend. Washington closed fisheries statewide beginning March 25 to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Mainstem Columbia River waters downstream of the Warrior Rock line are closed to salmon, steelhead and shad fishing. Bonneville Dam oil spill under investigation. It's time to be thinking of a shad trip to Bonneville over the next few weeks. Don’t miss Northwest fishing news! Columbia River Report Columbia River. Effective date: July 9 through July 15, 2020. Just below this major rapids can be a very good spot for shad. Sec 3 (I-5 area) – 12 boats/26 rods … Outside the Columbia River Basin, the most reliable shad fishery in the Pacific Northwest is located on the Umpqua River in southwestern Oregon. by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff 6-8-2020 Website. State Record - 3.85 lbs; Tom Magnuson; Columbia River, Clark County; June 21, 2005 At least 6-million returned in 2020 and the 10-year average is 3.3-million. You might start around the town of Elkton, located at the juncture of Highways 38 and 138. It's easier to catch the shad swimming upstream by facing a strong current. posted by Mike on 06/01/2020 Shad numbers has soared the past few days. The new-look 2020-21 Washington Sport Fishing Rules is now online through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bank anglers have a few options in this area as well, with some of the best success coming from Clackamette Park at the mouth of the Clackamas River (Oregon City side on the south). THE FOLLOWING FISHING REPORT WAS FORWARDED BY BRYANT SPELLMAN, WDFW. 0 25,000 50,000 75,000 100,000 125,000 150,000 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 15-Mar 15-Apr 15-May 15-Jun 15-Jul 15-Aug 15-Sep 15-Oct Salmon/Steelhead Shad Make sure you have the knowledge and equipment to anchor in strong current, which can be hazardous for the unprepared. With those numbers you will see great shad fishing. Shad fishing in the Columbia River is typically awesome around Father’s Day. Shad runs coincide with spring Chinook and summer steelhead runs on many of these rivers, and those bigger fish will sometimes strike shad lures and cause quite a thrill. This is a good spot for boaters to launch for shad fishing trips. Most people use fairly heavy rods and weights to swing their lures close to the lock’s concrete walls immediately below them. Read about more Willamette River and Multnomah Channel fishing opportunities. Fishing columnist and author Dennis Dauble writes about taking kids fishing for shad on the Columbia River on the Hanford Reach, McNary and Ice Harbor dams, near Tri-Cities, WA. The most notable are the Siuslaw River upstream from Florence, the Coquille River, and sometimes the Coos River. The following three rivers are where you will find the best shad fishing in Oregon and Washington: The Columbia on the border of Oregon and Washington has the Northwest’s largest shad runs, and for practical purposes this is Washington state’s only great shad fishery. No matter what your end use for them is, they are great fun to fish for! Effective Saturday May 16 through June 15, this area is open for hatchery Chinook jacks*, hatchery steelhead, sockeye, and shad. Washington fisheries managers have noted reports of shad coming into the Chehalis and Snohomish rivers, but this appears to be an irregular event and probably not something to count on. It has been pretty decent fishing on the days when the wind isn't blowing to hard. All sockeye are considered adults and must be recorded as … Photo Credit: Courtesy of ODFW. Willamette River and Multnomah Channel fishing opportunities, ODFW weekly recreation report and regulation updates. Also, there is a Columbia Basin endorsement for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon that would apply to the Columbia and tributaries like the Willamette. In Oregon, shad have been spotted in several coastal streams better known for fall Chinook salmon and winter steelhead. Species affected: Chinook and shad. There’s a boat launch at the lower end of the locks with access to the Bonneville Pool’s sturgeon, salmon and other fisheries. #optoutside for Black Friday. salmon daily limit is one fish. Columbia River Shad retention allowed on Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to Tongue Point/Rocky Point line. Today is part one of our Oregon Fishing trip in which we do some American Shad Fishing on the Columbia River. Downstream from Elkton, toward Reedsport along Highway 38, the first place many anglers intercept shad coming up from the Pacific Ocean and through the Umpqua’s long tidewater section is Sawyer Rapids. Permanent regulations in effect, including closed for salmon and steelhead, open for shad (see e-regulations). Shad will aggressively strike a variety of small lures, including shad darts and soft crappie jigs, tiny spoons and spinners. Some people find shad tasty when properly prepared and cooked, and others also eat shad roe. Nearly 7.5 million of the 18-inch, 3 to 8 pound fish crossed Bonneville Dam, more than four times the number of salmon and steelhead that have crossed the dam this year. Word on Columbia smelt, steelhead and shad runs. The above rivers offer your best shot at shad in Oregon and Washington, but there are a few smaller runs around. Upriver, there are popular spots at Yellow Creek (on Highway 138) and farther up at River Forks County Park, an easy drive from Roseburg. As with dams on the Columbia, shad tend to concentrate below the falls, which have a fish ladder but still slow down fish migrations. Reason for action: Reopens spring chinook and steelhead season in the Columbia River consistent with the Compact Action on May 1, 2020. Boat anglers do well throughout this area, often anchoring is relatively shallow water along mainland and island shorelines. Columbia River Fish Report for 11-23-2020. COLUMBIA RIVER, Buoy 10 upstream to Tongue Point/Rocky Point line 1. A shad fishing spot entirely in Washington is the lower Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam. Photo by Thomas Lum. Another spot to go without a boat is the steamboat landing in Washougal. Oregonians also will find a good bank and boat fishery for shad below McNary Dam near the city of Umatilla. Photo Credit: Courtesy of OR Department of Fish & Wildlife. Regular anglers report that the bottom of Sawyer Rapids can be particularly good when the Umpqua is running low and shad passage through the rapids slows, forming a natural bottleneck where large numbers of shad wait to migrate upriver. They can grow to 24 inches in length and weigh up to eight pounds. Spring fishing report Columbia River. For starters, know that special harvest cards are required for those larger fish that you don’t need for shad. While those bigger rivers tend to peak in June, in the Umpqua anglers sometimes start their shad fishing in late April and May can be excellent. Probably the best place to intercept shad coming up the channel is along Coon Island, a boat fishery reached from several public and private launches on this waterway. The most popular fisheries on the Willamette are upstream from Portland, just below Willamette Falls (between Oregon City and West Linn). The most popular fishery is in the heart of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge below Bonneville Dam on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the state line. Columbia River Fish Report for 6-8-2020. www.dfw.state.or.us. Effective May 23, 2020 until further notice, from 400 feet upstream from #5 fishway to boundary markers below Klickitat Salmon hatchery: the daily salmon limit is 6 fish, of which only 1 may be an adult. Boaters interested in fishing farther downriver might also want to give Camas Slough, Government Island or other nearshore areas a try. Shad anglers also gather on the mainland bank around Tanner Creek, just below the fish hatchery. Bank only Beacon R to BON . Shad are anadromous and like the Northwest’s steelhead they potentially can return for more than one spawning run, growing to the larger size in the process. Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Returns – Fish Committee materials – February 6, 2020 1 Average daily counts of salmon, steelhead, and American Shad at Bonneville Dam, 2008–2019. Shad numbers has soared the past few days. Warrior Rock line upstream to … “Like” us on Facebook. Another Low Upriver Spring Chinook Run Forecasted For 2021, Snake River Sockeye Projected At ... December 17th, 2020... With an in-season forecast this week increasing the Columbia River fall chinook salmon run by 13 percent, Oregon ... www.cbbulletin.com. Physical description. Share: Current and upcoming opportunities. Worthwhile fishing can continue into early July some years. However, many anglers simply don’t eat shad, preferring instead to practice catch and release or to use their catch as some of the best baits known for catching Dungeness crabs and big sturgeon. With the Umpqua River fairly close by, that’s often a surer bet for catching shad. Columbia River Fisheries . Weight Angler Location Date Caught; 3.85 lbs: Tom Magnuson: Columbia River, Clark County: June 21, 2005: See all sportfish records . It's time to be thinking of a shad trip to Bonneville over the next few weeks. Columbia River 2020 Actual 2021 Forecast Salmon Returns (pdf). Typically, you should look for shad in fairly swift water that’s not much more than about 10 to 15 feet deep (and often as shallow as waist deep in some areas), usually within about 30 feet from shore. Published: March 11, 2020, 6:30pm. The main shad fishery stretches from the legal deadline below the falls down past the mouth of the Clackamas River toward Cedar Island Park (West Linn). 6 boats/11 rods kept 2 Chinook. Columbia River Shad Fishing Photo courtesy of Marvin’s Guide Service. Walleye fishing on the Columbia River has been picking up the past couple weeks. Equipment to anchor in strong current, which can be hazardous for the unprepared photo courtesy of Marvin ’ Guided. 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