Summer Chrome Awaits

Nothing better than the sun glistening off chrome in early July.

No, not the shine you get after hours of detailing your car.

Summer chinook and sockeye salmon are moving up the Columbia River right now and it's time to capture the true Washington summer experience.

Fishermen can keep any sockeye they catch, right now. Folks over at Pike's may salivate over Copper River sockeye, but there is nothing better than a July sockeye from the Columbia. You can also catch a summer king, but only hatchery-raised chinook with a clipped adipose fin may be retained.

Downstream of the Blue Bridge in Pasco, you have a daily limit of six salmon, including up to two adult salmon or one adult salmon and one hatchery steelhead.

Upstream from there, you can use your "two-pole endorsement" to fish with two poles for all species except sturgeon. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife warn you that wild adult chinook and coho must be released in all areas of the Columbia River upstream of the Hwy. 395 Bridge during the summer and steelhead fishing is not open in the upper stretch of the Columbia.

According to WDFW, daily limits for salmon in the Columbia River upstream of the Hwy. 395 Bridge are as follows:

Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco to the I-182 Bridge
Now thru Aug. 15: Daily limit four salmon. Up to one adult hatchery chinook and two sockeye may be retained.

I-182 Bridge to Priest Rapids Dam
Now thru Aug. 15: Daily limit six salmon. Up to two adult hatchery chinook and three sockeye may be retained.

Priest Rapids Dam to Hwy. 173 Bridge at Brewster
Now thru Aug. 31: Daily limit four salmon. Up to two salmon may be adult hatchery chinook.