Addicted Fishing Podcast · Addicted Fishing

Spring Salmon Forecasts Are In!

March 1, 2023·16 min·1 clip

Spring Chinook catch might double this year, even with just one more day on the Columbia River.

The Addicted Fishing Podcast hosts, Clint and Cam, return to discuss the Columbia River's spring Chinook salmon forecasts after a break for sportsman shows. They recount the energetic fan turnout at recent events in Portland and Puyallup, where they hosted ticketed "bashes" for hundreds of attendees. The core topic is the newly set spring Chinook season, which will run through April 7th below Bonneville Dam, just one day longer than the previous year. Fishery managers forecast a stronger overall run of approximately 300,000 spring Chinook entering the Columbia River. Despite the increased abundance, the season length remains tightly controlled due to a mandatory 30% conservation buffer and concerns over specific wild Snake River stocks. The hosts note that an estimated 100,000 fish are expected to turn off into tributaries before reaching Bonneville, with another 50,000 leaving before The Dalles. They predict angler catch could nearly double this season due to higher fish numbers, including an extra 20,000-plus fish forecasted for the Wind River and Drano Lake areas. Tribal representatives provided testimony during the season-setting process, highlighting their hatchery and habitat restoration efforts that contribute fish to the system. Spring Chinook are described as a unique, high-fat "trophy" salmon that can fetch up to $80 per pound commercially and are considered excellent for smoking. Current snowpack in the Columbia Basin is slightly below average, which the hosts hope will lead to stable, fishable water conditions instead of muddy, high runoff. They emphasize that river-specific forecasts show promising increases, with the Cowlitz River predicted to see around 9,000 fish compared to dismal recent years. The hosts reminisce about past fisheries, like a frenetic February plunking bite at Bonneville Dam where one host landed a 30.2-pound springer, but acknowledge such intense harvest periods are now prohibited to spread out opportunity. They debate the potential of filming an episode targeting springers in the Astoria area on the Columbia's estuary, a tactic they believe is underutilized and could be highly effective. Anecdotes include distributing roughly 5,000 coloring books to young fans at the sportsman shows and receiving two cases of herring from a sponsor, signaling the season's imminent start. The tone is casual, enthusiastic, and conversational, blending fishery science with personal stories and promotional announcements for their guide services and upcoming merchandise drop. Listeners interested in Pacific Northwest salmon fisheries, especially Columbia River spring Chinook regulations, forecasts, and tactics, will find this episode highly relevant. Anglers seeking in-depth, technical breakdowns of fishery management or those outside the region may find the hyper-local focus less applicable.

As heard by us

Loose spring fishery talk that settles into a practical forecast.

This episode works best once it settles into the spring fishery outlook. The talk stays loose, but it keeps coming back to the parts that matter: fish numbers, timing, snowpack, and the way conditions can shape the picture as much as abundance.

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Want a spring fishery read that sounds like local dockside intel?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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