Columbia River Recent Fish Counts (2024)

This page is devoted to counting fish to pinpoint the status of runs on the Columbia River system.

With an emphasis on very recent, 10-day counts to hone in on what’s going on right now on the great Columbia River.

The flow of this page goes from the lower Columbia River to the upper reaches and the Snake River. So we start with Bonneville Dam and the Willamette River.

Table of Contents

Bonneville Dam Fish Counts

Bonneville Dam Steelhead Counts

You will see Steelhead counts over Bonneville in the winter and early spring months, but the bulk of the run starts in June with a peak from July through September.

Bonneville Dam Chinook Counts

Spring Chinook salmon fill the lower river in March but start to head over the dam in big numbers in April, tailing off in May, but transitioning right into summer chinook which peak in June, and tail off in July before the big wave of fall chinook heads over the dam in August through October.

Bonneville Dam Shad Counts

Shad start being counted over Bonneville Dam in May, but really peak in June before tailing off in July.

Bonneville Dam Sockeye Counts

Sockeye still start being counted on May, but peak in June and remain strong through July if the run is good.

Bonneville Dam Coho Counts

Finally, Coho still began being counted in August, but show up in two distinct runs, an A and a B run. The A run starts in August before tailing off in September, before the B run of Coho kicks in, in October, tailing off in November.

Willamette Falls Fish Counts

The Willamette River runs right through the heart of Portland, OR and dumps into the Columbia River just NW of the metro area.

It’s so cool to have a river like the Willamette so close to a major metropolitan area. Counting fish over Willamette Falls is not just about fishing the Willamette, but a key data point for all lower Columbia River fisherman.

Willamette Falls Steelhead Counts

Willamette Falls Coho Counts

The Dalles Dam Fish Counts

The Dalles Dam is a short stretch upstream of Bonneville with the river in-between largely making up “the gorge”. Fish are counted from Apr 1 – Feb 28, leaving the month of March as the only counting “hole”.

The Dalles Dam Steelhead Counts

The Dalles Dam Chinook Counts

The Dalles Dam Coho Counts

The Dalles Dam Sockeye Counts

John Day Dam Fish Counts

The John Day Dam is the next obstacle for fish migrating to the upper reaches of the Columbia and Snake river systems. Fish are counted from Mar 1 – Oct 31.

John Day Dam Steelhead Counts

John Day Dam Chinook Counts

John Day Dam Coho Counts

John Day Dam Sockeye Counts

McNary Dam Fish Counts

McNary Dam is the last dam before returning fish can enter the Snake River or the Hanford Reach section of the upper Columbia River.

Fish are counted from Apr 1 – Feb 28, with the month of March as the only “hole” in the counting schedule.

McNary Dam Steelhead Counts

McNary Dam Chinook Counts

McNary Dam Coho Counts

McNary Dam Sockeye Counts

Priest Rapids Dam Fish Counts

Fish counted over Priest Rapids Dam are truly headed for the upper reaches of the Columbia River. Places like the Wenatchee River, Brewster Pool and Okanogan River.

Fish are counted over Priest Rapids from April 15 – Nov 15.

Priest Rapids Dam Steelhead Counts

Priest Rapids Dam Chinook Counts

Priest Rapids Dam Coho Counts

Priest Rapids Dam Sockeye Counts

Ice Harbor Dam Fish Counts

Ice Harbor is the lowest dam on the Snake River and fish counts here reflect all the fish bound for the upper reaches of the Snake River system.

Fish are counted over Ice Harbor Dam from Mar 1 – Oct 31.

Ice Harbor Dam Steelhead Counts

Ice Harbor Dam Chinook Counts

Ice Harbor Dam Coho Counts

Ice Harbor Dam Sockeye Counts

Lower Granite Dam Fish Counts

The Lower Granite Lake Dam is the final barrier for much of the fish returning to Idaho destinations on the Snake River and popular areas to target fish around Lewiston and Clarkston.

Fish are counted over Lower Granite Dam between Mar 1 and Dec 30.

Lower Granite Dam Steelhead Counts