Spring Chinook fishing is underway on the lower Willamette, and some fish are being caught. In the past week, anglers caught and kept 63 hatchery spring Chinook and four hatchery winter steelhead between Willamette Falls and the river mouth. Effort increased this past week as well, more than doubling, to 3,869 angler days from just over 1,600 angler days the previous week.

The lower Multnomah Channel by boat was the best area for Chinook kept, with 44 Chinook harvested and 16 released. Overall, anglers on the lower river caught 63 and released 52 Chinook. Still no hatchery steelhead or Chinook in the counts of fish crossing into the upper river at Willamette Falls but 1,494 wild steelhead have made the crossing since the beginning of November when the first fish crossed. Spring Chinook likewise have yet to make an appearance, although a few fish are being caught, mostly between the head of the Multnomah Channel and the Railroad Bridge Last week, fishermen kept 63 and released 52 Chinook. fish.

Steelhead fishing continued to be challenging, with 1,614 angler trips producing only four hatchery winter steelhead, which isn’t all that surprising given that only four hatchery winters have crossed Willamette Falls so far this year. The good news is wild steelhead counts are doing fairly well, as evidenced by the 1,494 wild winters that have crossed into the upper river, in what biologists believe is partly a positive response to the removal of sea lions at Willamette Falls. Eleven California sea lions have been removed from the lower Willamette since mid-November, and preliminary analysis suggests this is helping the steelhead population by reducing sea lion related harassment and mortality.

Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is a good option on the lower Willamette and can be productive this time of year. The 213 anglers surveyed last week reported catchng and releasing a total of 188 sturgeon. The ODFW fishing dock on the river bank below the old West Linn Police Station is a good prospect for those who want to try catch-and-release sturgeon fishing from the shore. Kelly Point Park is another popular spot on the lower Willamette for some good catch-and-release sturgeon fishing. Remember to use single, barbless hooks.

Warmwater fishing can be another option for fishermen in the lower Willamette, Multnomah Channel and surrounding sloughs. Successful warmwater anglers tend to fish around bridges, pilings, wing dams, and other structures, which can be good spots to find warmwater fish, including walleye, crappie, and bass, which are plentiful in the Willamette.

Further upstream, the section between Albany and Harrisburg is open year-round for trout fishing, which can be very good when flows are cooperating. Anglers are allowed to keep two trout per day. Smallmouth bass fishing can be excellent between Salem and Albany starting in May.

Hydrological data for the Willamette at WillametteFalls on March 19 showed flows at 20,500 cfs, the water temperature at 48° F, and visibility at 3.7 ft.