Washington 2023 Fishing Planner, Part II

From kings to crabs, pinks to silvers, here’s a look at top ops for July through December.

by Mark Yuasa

Whether you’ve made a resolution to get out on Washington’s waters more in 2023 or are looking to try out a new fishery, we’ve got you covered on the places to go that are not only attainable, but could also create some memorable angling moments.

Last issue we covered the first six months of the year, and in the second half of this two-part series, we’re looking at top fishing choices and other fun activities from July through December.

July

One consistent early-summer salmon fishery anglers look forward to occurs about 500 miles upstream from the mouth of the Columbia River between Wells Dam and Brewster. In the summer of 2022, anglers along this picturesque stretch of river in Northcentral Washington saw good summer Chinook and sockeye fishing from July through August. For the past several years the Chinook season has opened on July 1, but a sockeye fishery depends on inseason updates from dam counts.

Look for summer kings migrating to the hatchery netpens located at the outfall from the Chelan powerhouse plant, where cold water gushes out of the gorge into the warmer Columbia. Boats troll along the west side of the