If you are a fan of fishing for fall salmon above Priest Rapids Dam you may want to wait awhile before planning a trip. According to Chris Donley, WDFW Fish Manager at the Spokane office, the warm temperatures in the Columbia have stalled the return in the lower river. “We had 45 days that we anticipated rainfall in the mountains that didn’t happen,” he said. “Less rainfall means less water which means warmer overall water temperatures in the basin. Higher water temperatures can be lethal to cold-water species. They can also cause migrating fish to stall and wait for temperatures to recede. Donley said while the fish wait, they are more vulnerable to harvest in tribal and nontribal fisheries in the Columbia River. “A whole lot of them will get caught and that changes how many show up here,” he said. “There are a lot of people down there fishing for them — of all varieties — it’s not to be blamed on any one group.” He also said when fish that are hung up downriver start to move, they are likely to pass through the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers quicker than usual, which will depress catch rates.