Fishing heats up for holiday weekend

From Fish and Wildlife:

Fishing for summer chinook and sockeye salmon opened July 1 on the Columbia River from Priest Rapids Dam up to Wells Dam, and from Brewster to Chief Joseph Dam. The river section from Wells Dam to the Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster opens July 16.

The chinook fishing is expected to be about same as last year, but sockeye fishing should be much better, according to Fish and Wildlife.

Up to two adult hatchery-marked chinook and up to four sockeye can be retained daily, with all wild chinook and coho released.

Anglers should also note that the Yo Yo, Old Vantage Highway, Sunland Estates and Frenchman Coulee water access sites on the Columbia River remain closed through Oct. 31 while repair work on Wanapum Dam continues.

WDFW Chelan District Fish Biologist Travis Maitland said the ongoing spring chinook salmon fishery on the Icicle River will continue through July and should be producing fish of decent quality for about the first week or two of the month.

Banks Lake anglers are mostly targeting walleye and having mixed results. About 80 percent of the walleye population in Banks Lake is comprised of two year olds. Anglers are catching lots of fish, but finding walleye over the required 16-inch minimum takes some work.

Dennis note: Remember the walleye rules for Banks Lake are: Minimum size is 16 inches, with a daily limit of five. Only one over 22 inches may be retained, but walleye may be caught, retained and released alive from a livewell until the daily limit is in possession.

Also: Crappie has a minimum size of 9 inches with a daily limit of 10. Yellow perch has no minimum size, but the daily limit is 25.

Banks Lake bass fishing is good, with both smallmouth and largemouth taking a variety of presentations. Perch and rainbow trout are also showing up in creels. A shore angler was recently checked with a 24-inch landlocked chinook salmon. Try trolling crankbaits this time of year because you can cover a lot of water and just about all species of fish in the lake are willing to strike at it.

Fishing seasons extended for chinook, sockeye, sturgeon on Columbia River

Starting today, July 3, anglers will get four extra days to fish for summer chinook salmon and the rest of July to fish for sockeye salmon on Columbia River below Bonneville Dam.

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon agreed to extend seasons for both salmon fisheries during a joint meeting Tuesday, when they also added four days of sturgeon fishing this month in the 46-mile reservoir behind Bonneville Dam.

In all three cases, fishing seasons were extended to allow anglers to catch fish available for harvest under joint catch guidelines. The catch guidelines for sockeye salmon reflect an updated forecast of 425,000 fish, up from 347,100 previously anticipated. This year's summer chinook forecast remains at 67,500 fish.

Salmon are returning at or above projections, which gives room to reopen those fisheries. There are also 468 white sturgeon in the Bonneville Pool still available for harvest.

Fish and Wildlife accepting proposals for 2015-17 hunting seasons

Fish and Wildlife is now accepting proposals for changes in state hunting rules during the 2015-17 seasons.

Hunters and other members of the public can post their proposals on Fish and Wildlife's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/seasonsetting/, which includes a timetable for rule development.

The department also plans to host six public meetings around the state in August to discuss options for proposed hunting rules.

Changes proposed by the public will play an important role in shaping hunting seasons and associated hunting regulations for 2015-17.

Meanwhile, WDFW is also accepting public input on the state's draft game management plan 2015-21, which lays out guiding principles for upcoming hunting seasons. The public can also comment on key aspects of the six-year plan via an on-line survey, available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/gmpobjectives through July 18.

Key issues considered in the draft plan include: Promoting hunter recruitment and retention; Managing predator/prey relationships; Maintaining hunter access to timberlands; Managing wolves after they are no longer classified as an endangered species; and possible new rules requiring the use of non-toxic shot.

Final recommendations for the six-year plan will be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for a public hearing in August and adoption in September. Final rules for the 2015-17 hunting seasons will be submitted to the commission next spring.