Bridgeport Launch to Brewster Pool Navigation

[C-Money]

Anyone have any experience running the stretch of river between Bridgeport and Brewster? Trouble spots to watch for?

[DOUBLELUNG]

Anyone have any experience running the stretch of river between Bridgeport and Brewster? Trouble spots to watch for?

At least four times a month for several years.  In the upper, riverine section, stick to the middle and you'll be fine at any water elevation, if it's low water stick to the north side - but even then the exposed/shallow rocks on the Douglas County side are pretty obvious, only concern would be in the dark.  The most challenging area is above Bridgeport at the highway bridge pilings and just above when there are high flows, nothing to worry about if you are alert and know how to handle a boat, but not a good area to get distracted when making a 180 turn.

Once it widens out below Park Island, you do need to watch for shallow areas and bars.  If you have a GPS and stick to the Columbia River channel, you'll be fine the whole way.   

[C-Money]

Thanks for the info! We got a camp spot at the RV park in Bridgeport. I will go down to the pool during daylight hours the first time, glad its not to bad.

[Elkrunner]

When are you going?  Im thinking of fishing it this year.

[C-Money]

Pretty sure I"ll be driving up a few times opening weekend, even if sockeye is closed. Not sure which launch yet. Hoping I can follow a friend down from Bridgeport. If not, I will be at the Brewster launch until I can run between the pool and Bridgeport in the daylight.

[C-Money]

Well, I made the trip between Brewster and Bridgeport. Was not a problem, as long as you stick to the channel on the GPS like Doublelung said. We ran it after a morning of fishing. Nice ride. Sure does get shallow quick if you get away from the channel though...

[buddy01]

How was fishing?

[C-Money]

Fishing was ok...was a perfect morning. Gentle breeze, and fairly smooth water. Had 3 king bites, first fish broke the liter between the lure and the flasher. What a freight train, sure felt good to hook a king! We were very lucky and I landed a 15lb hatchery on the second hit, and my friend got a wild king to the boat that was quite a bit bigger than my fish. The wild fish was carefully unhooked and the brute was on his way. I was given a scale to keep in the boat from my kids for fathers day, and I would have loved to have weighed that big wild to know for sure. I guess there was an easy 5-10 more pounds of fish on that wild vs the keeper we got. Between king bites, we released a few sockeye that hit the king gear. Got back to the launch around 11am and was checked by the fish checker lady. My fish was only the second she had checked. One more hatchery fish came in behind us before we left. Fun morning, but not fast and furious at all. Sockeyes we caught were on the small side, most were not as big as last years fish. Happy to report no sockeye fatalities, they all swam away quickly once the hooks were out.

[buddy01]

I hope I get  over there, waiting for sockeye to open. Sounds like you had a good time.

[C-Money]

How far up the Okanogan do the Kings go? Do they run all the way to Lake Okanogan? Curious where they spawn. I know some return to Chief Joseph Dam...

[UBA]

How far up the Okanogan do the Kings go? Do they run all the way to Lake Okanogan? Curious where they spawn. I know some return to Chief Joseph Dam...

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00856/wdfw00856.pdf

Looks like they run all the way up.

[C-Money]

Lots of good info in that report...

[WCTaxidermy]

Hey c-money I just got back from  4 days fishing over there and I always use the Bridgeport launch as well.  What kind of boat were you in? We probably passed each other several times.  Also if anyone sees an 11 inch Fillet knife in a white sheath around the boat dock that would be my all time favorite fillet knife I left laying on the dock after filleting some fish.


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[C-Money]

How did you guys do? Sure is a fun place to fish. I run a 17.5 Alumaweld Talon, aluminum grey color. Looking forward to my camp trip up there in a few weeks!! Hope there are a few fish left to catch.

[WCTaxidermy]

Oh cool I'm pretty sure we saw you, I remember seeing a boat like yours.  I have a red hewes craft 20 foot.  We did really well. We were fishing for kings because sockeye was not open yet. We fished the 2 days of sockeye after they opened and it was lights out fishing.


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[C-Money]

Man!! I've been wanting to get up there since the sockeye opened. Maybe this weekend...Glad you guys did well...yes, I am pretty sure we saw your boat there as well. Still some fish coming, hope some will hold up for us. I'm sure LOTs are on their way to Canada with the cool snap and above average rain yesterday. Should be plenty to spawn. 

[WCTaxidermy]

I think you'll do well as long as they are still coming into the pool.  With the cooler water temps, there just not going to stack up at the mouth, there going to shoot right through. 


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