Last week's mini heat wave in the Willamette Valley has local rivers on the rise as tail-race releases correspond to increased snow melt. The Mckenzie, South Santiam, and Middle Fork Willamette are all above comfortable drifting levels, but south valley fishermen are happy to note the increase in monitored numbers of salmon and steelhead moving through Willamette Falls. Salmon numbers which had dropped to almost 200 per day are approaching 1000 per day and expected continue to rise. Fishing in these high waters has been spotty at best as fish are neither concentrated nor holding. As water levels recede, fish should begin to hold better in the holes which should then produce better biters.