Hanford Reach Fall Upriver Bright Chinook Fishing

Hanford Reach Fall Upriver Bright Chinook Fishing

The fall Chinook salmon fishing in the last free flowing stretch of the Columbia River in the state of Washington gets underway about the last week or two of September for Upriver Brights that spawn in that area. This area is basically from the White Bluffs all the way up to Priest Rapids dam. It is considered by some as being the homestead to the healthiest run of native Columbia River salmon still available to sport fisherpersons.

Watch the dam fish count from McNary dam, which is the one just downriver from this fishing location. When the total reaches 5000 Chinook, things will start being GOOD, at 7000 to 9000, you had better be there if you intend to fish this. Allow 10 days from the daily count to when the fish will move upriver into this area. Check the number over Priest Rapids dam, usually there will be few, this means the numbers of fish will be between the 2 dams (this fishing area). The fish here will tend to vary in size from 20# to 40#.

One question is often asked, if these fish are called Upriver Brights, then why are most of them a darker fish. The most commonly accepted theory is that the water temperature can vary from 65 to 72 degrees if there has been no rain for sometime during the summer months. With the water this warm as compared to the ocean temperatures 400 miles away of 56-58 degrees this time of the year, that this is what affects their coloration.

Most of these fish are still in a very good condition, just a darker color.

Main Targeted Area : The most common area fished will normally be above the Vernita Bridge. One of the most popular spots is a hole or slot in the river called the Hog Hole, which is just above the bridge. It is a deep slot that runs for a couple hundred yards right down the middle of the river. The fish tend to hold here.

The Priest Rapids dam shown on the left, with the Vernita Bridge the 2 white/blue squares the closest downriver

There are some named locations here such as King Hole, about 1 1/2 miles above the bridge. Above that will be the China Bar Drift, & the Midway Drift.

Launching & Boat Types : The lowest ramp in this section of the river is a good launch at the old ferry site near the old town of White Bluffs.

Launching & reloading is possible if you use the unimproved launching area of gravel bar on the north side of the river a few hundred yards above Vernita Bridge. Here launching will be on river gravel bar type launches & a 4 wheel drive vehicle is reecommended. These area will very often have boulders on them that you will have to navigate around.

Both of these can be fished with prop boats IF you are careful.

Again a prop boat can be used in most of the river, it may not be ideal, but if you stay in the middle or not real close to the bank, you can navigate. You will probably need hip boots to load your prop boat back on the trailer.

Fisherpersons are reminded that because of the above possible increased water flow, to be ever watchful because of changing depths because when they start dumping water thru the humongous turbines at the dam, the river can come up incredibly fast, so do not park your vehicle close to the waters edge. Below the dam the river heights can vary 5' plus when this happens.

We will break this area into 2 sections, the upriver section below the Vernita bridge & the area above the bridge as another.

Looking downriver toward the Vernita bridge

Type of Fishing : Fishing here will normally be back trolling. This is basically positioning your boat in a trolling position heading upriver, but trolling slow enough that you are drifting down river at about a walking speed, using a dropper weight or a Jet-Diver. Here the fish may not be hugging the bottom, but suspended, so using your sonar will be a must.

You will run upriver of where you intend on fishing, getting in position & back trolling down river. The water depth will normally be 18'-25' on the edges, (other than the launching beaches) with maybe 35'-40' in the center. Most fish will be picked up in the bottom 5' in the shallower water & 10' off the bottom the deeper sections. They seem to suspend in this water depth. If you drag the bottom you run the chance of picking up an oversize sturgeon.

Some fishermen even prefer to run downriggers, with herring on for bait, so to each his own, if it works.

Later in the run timing when the jacks (immature males) start showing, a good method is to back-bounce egg roe. It seems that the jacks really hit eggs & there are days that the adults will want them also.

Bait : Most common will be Kwikfish with a sardine wrap. The sardine is used as it is the oiliest of the baits, which sets up a scent trail. The added weight also slows the action of the lure down somewhat. Each time you wrap a new sardine onto the lure, you should check the action in the water, and may have to adjust the eye to allow the lure to follow true.

Other bait as cut-plug herring, egg roe, large spinners, large Spi-N-Glos, spoons, diving plugs, big FlatFish or Brad's Super Cut Plugs can all be used effectively here. Do not discount adding a large Spi-N-Glo in combination to a herring. At times when one won't pull fish, try another bait.

These fish seem to hit a lure not in that they are hungry as in feeding in the ocean, but as a river situation in that they seem to strike in defense of their territory. With this being the case, placing the lure in front of them at the right depth is critical.

Off Limits Near the Dam : Below the Priest Rapids dam on the West shore is a hatchery, there are boundaries that you are not allowed to fish inside of. Also you are supposed to stay away from the base of the dam by 600'. This is for your protection if they open the gates.

You may think you are getting away by sneaking in close& not being caught, but the WDFW does sit up on the bluffs with a spotting scope & will read boat numbers, then the next week send you a citation in the mail.

Below the Bridge : There is also fishing below the bridge. About 3 1/2 miles below the bridge is the B/C hole. Another 4 miles downriver you will encounter the first Hanford Reactor. The #1 Reactor is the one most upriver, with the #2 next downriver.

Downriver another couple of mile below #2 you will encounter a couple of shallow gravel bars that a prop boat can navigate IF you are very careful. The lower one has a deep slot only about 25' wide.

Then downriver around the bend & past Locke Island there is White Bluffs hole with a concrete launch from the east side at the site of the old ferry landing. There is a big hole right off this launch that can well be productive.

Fishing can be productive in a goodly section of this lower area since it is the most downstream section & you won't have a lot of company as the prop boats won't usually be there.

Originated 09-23-00, Last Updated 09-04-2010
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