FISHING -- Not a discouraging word comes from the Hanford Reach salmon fishery this week, according the Paul Hoffarth, Washington Department of Fish Wildlife fisheries biologist in the Tri Cities.

Fishing for fall chinook in the Hanford Reach continues to be excellent.  Harvest for the week was estimated at 6,419 fall chinook (6,107 adults and 312 jacks).  WDFW estimates there were 8,168 anglers fishing in the Hanford Reach this past week (3,000+ boats). To date, 19,950 adult chinook and 1,029 jacks have been harvested in the Hanford Reach by the 33,398 anglers.

Fish were harvested throughout the Hanford Reach with the best catch per boat at White Bluffs, Ringold, and Vernita at 2.4 fish per boat.  Anglers fishing in the Tri-Cities averaged 1.4 chinook per boat. 

Overall, anglers fishing in the Hanford Reach average 2.0 chinook per boat, 7.8 angler hours per fish. Bank anglers are picking up a few fall chinook each day at the Ringold Springs Access area.  This past week 97 chinook were harvested off the bank.

WDFW staff interviewed 2,297 anglers from 1,025 boats and 220 bank anglers fishing for fall chinook in the Hanford Reach.   

The in-season run update (Sept 30) for the Hanford Reach continues to predict a large return of Upriver brights - 200,567 adult chinook based on the long term mean, (195,523 based on the 2014 return).