NCW Waters Seeing Record Returns Of Sockeye
Sockeye salmon are returning in record numbers to the waters of North Central Washington this year.
At the Tumwater Dam on the Wenatchee River, an incredible 165,071 sockeye have been counted through July 31 - a mark that shatters the previous record by over 54,000 fish and is also 68,000 over preseason forecasts.
Anglers on Lake Wenatchee are already enjoying the bountiful returns thanks to an early opening of the sockeye fishing season by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW).
The Wenatchee sockeye are part of the larger Columbia River run, which are also setting new records at Bonneville Dam this year, with over 755,000 fish counted through Aug. 4.
WDFW fish managers say sockeye counts between Rock Island and Rocky Reach Dams could also break records this year, at well over 175,000.
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Gallery Credit: jessejames