Columbia River shad run tops 1.5 million with more streaming toward Bonneville Dam for excellent fishing along the lower mainstem

Record shad returns over the past decade have turned this into one of the most consistent and easily accessible sport fisheries along the Columbia River

The Columbia River shad migration each spring and early summer has become a fishery that anglers can bank on.

Anglers are reeling in plenty of shad along the Lower Columbia River and this is just the beginning as more fish will be streaming upriver in the weeks ahead.

A single-day count of 233,899 shad climbed the fish ladder on Tuesday, June 13; 217,682 on Monday, June 12; and 164,756 were tallied on Sunday, June 11, at Bonneville Dam on the Lower Columbia River, bringing the season total so far to more than 1.5 million.

The shad return of 6.4 million in 2022 was the second largest on record since 1980 after a record high return of 7.7 million in 2019. The 2022 shad run size includes escapement of 6.2 million fish upstream of Bonneville Dam but doesn’t account for unknown numbers of shad spawning downstream of Bonneville Dam and Willamette Falls on the Oregon side of the Lower Columbia mainstem.

The 2022 non-treaty — Lower Columbia and Lower Willamette — recreational combined catch was 184,500 fish with an additional 1,600 fish harvested in the mainstem commercial fishery. The combined harvest of 186,100 was below the recent five-year average of 223,900 fish and represented 2.9% of the total return.

Recreational fishing for Columbia River shad peaked in the early 1990s with more than 20,000 angler trips per year recorded by the Washington and Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife.

Shad run timing extends from mid-May through early August at Bonneville Dam, with peak daily counts in June. Since run timing overlaps with upriver Chinook, sockeye, and steelhead, shad harvest opportunities are regulated to minimize impacts to Endangered Species Act-listed salmon.

Where to catch shad

The Lower Columbia River shoreline just below Bonneville Dam is the top location to catch shad, but shad are spread out farther downstream in the Camas Slough, and from Washougal downstream to Kalama as well as the Willamette River in Oregon.

Anglers can reach the most popular fishing area below Bonneville Dam by going east on Highway 14 about 2 miles past the town of North Bonneville and taking the right-hand turn by transmission towers. The access road allows anglers about 3 miles of prime shoreline in either direction.

Shad tend to like a fast-running current, and anglers harvest most fish no farther than 30 feet from shore in 6 to 20 feet of water depending on the flow. Shad darts are the most effective lure, but red and white colored flies with a small hook, colored beads like red or metallic silver or gold, small crappie-like jigs along with small wobbler spoons will catch their fair share of shad.

While abundant, shad are fished mainly for the pleasure of the sport and not necessarily to eat. Shad are bony; they can be filleted, but most anglers prefer to pickle, smoke, or cook them in pressure cookers. Shad roe, however, is considered a delicacy.

There is no daily catch limit for shad. Anglers can check the WDFW website for more information.

Columbia River shad history

American shad are an introduced species brought to the West Coast from Pennsylvania in the late 19th century and 10,000 were planted in the Sacramento River in 1871.

Five years later, anglers reported harvesting shad in the Columbia River and in 1880 confirmed a shad invasion. A specimen was sent to the Smithsonian Institution where it is preserved to this day.

Shad is an anadromous fish, spending three to four years at sea before returning to spawn. Since the extensive development of mainstem hydroelectric projects, shad runs have increased markedly in abundance and have extended their range into the Upper Columbia River and Hells Canyon of the Snake River.

Though they are a non-native species, American shad are not currently classified as an aquatic invasive species by Washington or other West Coast states. However, more research on their potential impacts on the ecosystems of the Columbia River Basin is needed. Invasive species are defined as “non-native species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health”.