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Spring fish runs in Washington

Washington Spring Fish Runs: American Shad and Eulachon

American shad run the Columbia below Bonneville Dam from May until mid July; eulachon, the Columbia smelt, return to the Cowlitz River in February and March.

Washington at a glance

Read October 13, 2026
2
Runs
on 2 waters
2
Species
American shad and eulachon
February
First to start
Eulachon on the Cowlitz River
60 to 65°F
Spawning water
for American shad
1
USGS gauge
on the Columbia River

Months, temperatures and places are the agency’s own, quoted on each run below. The verdict on each card is worked out in your browser against today and the latest reading at the gauge on that river.

Is the run on?

Every Washington run, and where it stands today

Eulachon

Eulachon on the Cowlitz River

When
Usually early February and March.
The run
Longview upstream to Castle Rock
Cowlitz River smelt dips are tentatively proposed for Wednesdays and Saturdays from Feb. 4 to March 21.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
The rules on this water (2) and notes
RuleFebruary 4 to March 21, 2026
Cowlitz River smelt dips are tentatively proposed for Wednesdays and Saturdays from Feb. 4 to March 21. Pending or tentative dates remain closed unless approved through an emergency fishing rule .
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
Gear rule2026 regulations
Run size confirmed. Dip-netting permitted from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
Note
Smelt were listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2010. To protect this sensitive population, fisheries are carefully managed and do not occur every year.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
Note
Smelt were observed in the Cowlitz River, from the lower fishery boundary in Longview to the upper fishery boundary in Castle Rock, during afternoon sampling efforts on Friday.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, season update of February 20, 2026. Read it at the source
Note
After accounting for 114,675 pounds of smelt harvested during two February dip-net fisheries, available data does not support additional openings. As a result, the 2026 Cowlitz River smelt season has concluded.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
American shad

American shad on the Columbia River

When
Usually May through July.
Spawns at
60 to 65°F Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, for the species
The run
below Bonneville Dam
Where to go
Hamilton Island boat ramp, Camas Slough, Maryhill Park
The best time to fish for shad is when they return to spawn from May until mid-July.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
The rules on this water (1), where to fish and notes
ClosureApril 1 to May 15 each year (2026 regulations)
No min. size. No daily limit. No possession limit. Open only during open game fish or salmon seasons except Apr. 1-May 15: closed in the mainstem Columbia River downstream of Bonneville Dam.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
Where to fish
The popular fishery at Camas Slough is mostly a boat show outside the entrance to the slough ... Boat ramp area: Downstream from the Hamilton Island boat ramp to the end of the access road, try any little point or eddy. ... Below John Day Dam: Some shore access is available between Maryhill Park and John Day Dam.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
Note
If you want to catch shad in Washington, the place to fish is the Columbia River. And if you're fishing from shore, the only sure-fire location is below Bonneville Dam.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
Note
Like salmon and steelhead, shad are anadromous. They enter freshwater rivers in the spring to spawn.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source
Advertisement
A volunteer in a grey sweatshirt leans over a wooden measuring trough and lays a silver American shad along it on a sunny concrete deck
A volunteer measures an American shad at the Holyoke Dam fish ladder on the Connecticut River, around 1970. Counts at the dams are how the agencies know a run has started, and where it stands against other years. “American shad being measured for survey at Holyoke Dam”, Holyoke Water Power Company, Canal Park Committee, CC BY 3.0
Sources

Where the Washington runs come from

Every month, temperature, place and rule on this page is quoted from these pages, read October 13, 2026. Rules change every year, so check the current regulations before you fish.

Washington fish run questions

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Spring fish runs in other states

Every spring fish run, state by state

Runs, months, spawning temperatures, places and rules read October 13, 2026 from the pages listed under sources. Where a state gives no temperature for a species, the figure is the species figure its publisher gives, and the card says so. Water temperatures are the latest reading at a USGS gauge on the run’s own river, fetched when the page opens; a run without one goes by the months.