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Reports > 2010 > July > Monday 19th
Monday, July 19, 2010
 
By Dave Graybill
 
One of the biggest surprises anglers have seen in many years is the strength of the returns of sockeye salmon to the Columbia River. Locally, we were excited to get a sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee for the first time in four years. We were astonished when we got another one the following year. This is unprecedented to my recollection. This year we are seeing an all-time record return of sockeye up the Columbia River. The biggest since 1947. That year, 335,000 were recorded over Bonneville Dam. When I last checked the counts, there were already 380,000 over Bonneville Dam, and they were still coming at over 1,000 per day. The largest number to ever cross Bonneville was recorded this year, with 30, 690 fish counted in one day! This return is a surprise to everyone, including fish managers, who are pointing to excellent ocean conditions, increased spill at McNary and John Day dams, excellent juvenile survival and other factors to account for the record numbers. Bottom line, it looks like we will have another sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee. The third year in a row. Wow.