With the fish ladders closed for maintenance at McNary, has anyone been above Ice Harbor Dam? Any steelhead expected to be there at this time of year?

YES. The fish are everywhere this time of year.

Scott

Definitely yes.

My frustration with Ice Harbor this year (and every year) is how unpredictable the water flow is, since they will shut the water all the way off sometimes at night and then jack it way up for electrical load following during the day. Other days they'll hold it perfect at 20-30Kcfs. It's totally upredictable (at least I haven't guessed their pattern). I just hate being at the mercy of the conditions. It seems obscene that they can take a beautiful river and shut it literally off to zero flow for hours at a time. It probably doesn't matter above the dam so much but I prefer fishing below the dam and the flow rate is critical.

But despite that... it fished very well this year. I haven't been there lately since it blew out muddy a month ago. I'm sure it's cleared up and fishing should be great but the fishing has been so good elsewhere that I haven't been back.