Historically small Columbia run changes the fall plan
Hatch Magazine reports this year's Columbia River run is the smallest ever recorded, with fish counts at Bonneville Dam running far behind the normal pace since counting began July 1. That makes this a season to plan around the fish you can actually find rather than the numbers you expected. WA WDFW Fishing Reports is the place to check current access and any fishing changes before you commit to a trip.
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Nothing in this week's intel points to a turn in the run, so plan for a slow stretch and treat any improvement as news. Watch the Bonneville count as the early signal. If it stops falling behind the usual pace, the outlook changes.
During a thin run, fish tend to concentrate in holding water rather than spread out, so scouting a few known spots beats driving far to cover new water. The moon is a waning crescent, which means nights are dark ahead of the new moon. Many anglers favor low light, so the early and late hours of the coming days are the windows to plan around.
Context
Early October is late in the fall season on Washington's big rivers, when fish that have already moved upstream typically thin out. A run this small would be unusual in any year, so treat this season as an outlier rather than a normal fall. Check state regulations before harvesting, since openings, closures and gear rules change through the season.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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