Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: gaddy on August 31, 2022, 03:57:45 PM

Title: Dams and fish
Post by: gaddy on August 31, 2022, 03:57:45 PM: Didn't want to derail the other thread on the BHA but was looking at some n#s across the dams watching the Steelhead run. Let's start with YTD #s on Chinook at Bonneville 337962. The Dalles 231080. That's 106882 fish. What happened ? I understand transit times. Mcnarry 176485 counted. Ice harbor counted 82180, indicating that most are heading up the big C. The next up the Snake is Lower Monumental, Count is 80143. That's only 2037, again, transit?
Let's look at Steelhead . Bonneville ytd 81339, Dalles 33003, Mcnarry 22122. Total is 59211. The most lost is between Bonneville and the Dalles. Why?
The numbers for Steel head at Ice Harbor dam are 10566, #'s at Lomo are 10520. Thats 46 fish in transit or hanging out between dams.
Seems to me that the transit up river is better on the Snake than up the Columbia.
Need to get the fish back up the Columbia to the Snake.
Title: Re: Dams and fish
Post by: O. Nerka on August 31, 2022, 05:48:44 PM: Between Bonneville there are a ton of hatcheries such that some of those Chinook return to. Sam counts donts show if a fish died naturally, was caught by an angler or returned to a hatchery.
Title: Re: Dams and fish
Post by: HUNTIN4SIX on August 31, 2022, 06:02:02 PM: Quote from: O. Nerka on August 31, 2022, 05:48:44 PM
Between Bonneville there are a ton of hatcheries such that some of those Chinook return to. Sam counts donts show if a fish died naturally, was caught by an angler or returned to a hatchery.

:yeah:
Title: Re: Dams and fish
Post by: Stein on August 31, 2022, 06:34:11 PM: Yep, it's like the freeway, lots of exits so you can't just count the number of cars on the interstate and understand what's going on in each town.
Title: Re: Dams and fish
Post by: Alchase on August 31, 2022, 08:55:03 PM: One question I have always had, is if Steelhead can make it up to the Clearwater every year in strong numbers, why can’t salmon?

The best steelhead fishing I have ever seen was on the Snake, between Asotin and Lewiston/Clarkston.

It really should not be that hard to get the Puget Sound rivers back to real numbers without dams to worry about.
Title: Re: Dams and fish
Post by: Platensek-po on August 31, 2022, 09:56:00 PM: Quote from: Alchase on August 31, 2022, 08:55:03 PM
One question I have always had, is if Steelhead can make it up to the Clearwater every year in strong numbers, why can’t salmon?

The best steelhead fishing I have ever seen was on the Snake, between Asotin and Lewiston/Clarkston.

It really should not be that hard to get the Puget Sound rivers back to real numbers without dams to worry about.

Steelhead can survive a lot longer in the river than salmon. Salmon are on a timeline to get to spawning grounds. A lot of the puget sound rivers have damns i thought. The big ones anyway.