May 7, 2026 8:03 am
Clark County, Sports 
Fishing guide Bill Monroe, foreground, and a boat full of happy anglers with their catch of spring Chinook from the Wind River. The wind offers a quieter experience than can be found at Drano Lake. (Photo courtesy Bill Monroe Outdoors)
Dawn breaks over the Wind River area as anglers prepare for a day of chasing spring Chinook with guide Bill Monroe. (Photo courtesy Bill Monroe Outdoors)
Fishing guide Bill Monroe, right, and a client display a fine Wind River spring chinook. These upriver salmon are one of the most sought-after strains of Columbia River springers. (Photo courtesy Bill Monroe Outdoors)
Legendary Northwest angler Buzz Ramsey, left, with a spring Chinook he caught while fishing with guide Bill Monroe. The Wind River offers less crowding and is a more relaxed fishery than Drano Lake. (Photo courtesy Bill Monroe Outdoors)
The lower Columbia River is now closed to the retention of spring chinook, at least until the mid-May run update, so anglers intent on continuing to fish for the highly prized salmon are turning to the fisheries above Bonneville Dam.
The two most popular fisheries are Drano Lake and the Wind River.
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