Salmon season opened on the upper Columbia last Saturday, and I expected big crowds on the fishing grounds. The return of both summer run and sockeye are arriving late, and many anglers may have decided to wait until better numbers of fish show up.

Due to the lower than expected return of summer run Chinook to the upper Columbia, the turnout on the opening day of the season was lighter than usual. Those who decided to fish in spite of the low counts enjoyed very good fishing. I stopped at Chelan Falls at about 7:30 and the fish checker was logging in the first catch back to the ramp. The three anglers had four nice kings. I saw a guide boat at the dock and the skipper reported that his party had landed eight kings and one sockeye. This week’s photo was taken at Chelan Falls.

I made my next stop at Wells Dam. There was a guide boat at the ramp when I arrived, and his group had caught their limit of eight kings. I could see several boats trolling in the big eddy below the dam, and I’m sure they were getting some sockeye. When I visited the boat ramp at Brewster, only one boat had come in, and it had boated two kings and four sockeye. They were just taking a break and were going back out. Anglers that fished on Saturday not only saw a light fleet of anglers, but the weather conditions and river flows were ideal.

Fish managers have observed the return of summer run salmon to be 30 percent below what was forecasted. The original forecast was for 84,000 summer runs, but so far the number has been below the 10-year average. Last week the Columbia River was closed below Priest Rapids Dam. The original forecast was for 84,000 summer runs, but so far the number has been below the 10-year average. I applaud this decision, as all of the summer run salmon are returning to their origins above Priest Rapids. This will allow better escapement for spawning, and also give the anglers in our region a good fishery.

Sockeye numbers continue to climb, and over 200,000 have now passed over Bonneville Dam, and 24,000 have been counted at Rock Island Dam. That’s enough to get anglers excited and they were getting after them below Rocky Reach Dam. Whenever sockeye show up in fishable numbers there is a pack of boats circling within the boundaries below Rocky Reach. They do their share of harvesting sockeye, and on the opening day of fishing the river conditions were great. Some years the currents can make fishing here very difficult, but on Saturday it was not the case.

Anglers can launch at Confluence Park, where a Discover Pass and launch fee is required. An alternative is the public ramp at the base of Orondo Street, where there are no fees. Anglers are reminded to be aware of the boundary markers below the dam, and to “go with the flow” and pay attention to the direction and speed of the other boats. Sockeye are returning in much lower numbers than last year, but there are certainly enough for a good day of fishing, and more on the way.

It appears that the return of sockeye will surpass the forecast of 234,000 this year. There were over 200,000 over Bonneville Dam last Sunday. That is very encouraging for those who are hoping to fish Lake Wenatchee this season. The forecast is for 44,300, well over the 23,000 needed for escapement. Soon, I will be visiting Tumwater Dam to see how many have made their way up the Wenatchee on their way to the lake. So many people, like me, stop to ask about their numbers that now they post a sign on the fence so we don’t bother the counters.

Billy Clapp Reservoir can be a “two stage” fishery this time of year. The kokanee fishing can be good in midsummer and the walleye can be on the bite, too. James Lebow, Michael Erickson, and I gave Billy Clapp a try on Thursday. We did a couple of long loops above the big basalt island but didn’t even get a kokanee bite. If the kokanee weren’t biting we planned to go walleye fishing, and the walleye were biting.

Billy Clapp, which is about 20 miles east of Soap Lake, has a dam at the very top end. This manages the flow into the reservoir, and it seems there is always a heavy current here. Couple the current with the very snaggy bottom it is not an easy area to fish. Fortunately, James is an old hand at fishing here and he did a masterful job driving the boat. He put us right on the “nursery” and we were very busy catching fish. This spot is notorious for its snags and small walleye. We probably caught 60 walleye on our way to getting three limits of keepers. It was a ton of fun and we all took home the makings for fresh walleye dinners.

Salmon anglers are on the water at the crack of dawn and off the water fairly early. Others, who are fishing for walleye and bass in our region are often out in the heat of the day. I have spent many days on the water on Banks Lake, Potholes Reservoir and other places when the temperatures have exceeded 90 or 100 degrees. I don’t have a top on my boat, so I am exposed to the sun the whole time. I have found a good way to beat the heat, though. I have a portable mister, that really helps keep me and my fellow anglers cool. It’s called an Artic Cove, and it has a two speed fan and two settings of a pump that produces the mist. It sits on top of a five gallon bucket that you fill with water from the lake. It is battery operated, and I bought a spare battery so I can run it on high speed and full mist and not run out of power. This simple unit has made it possible to stay out on the water even on the hottest days.

There’s some great summer run salmon fishing going on right now, and it looks like a better than expected sockeye fishing ahead of us this season!