July 25-August 8, 2001

Contact: Craig Bartlett, (360) 902-2259

For anglers who have grown weary of bringing home limits from Washington's red-hot coastal salmon fishery, there will soon be other options to consider.

Several new areas will open to salmon fishing Aug. 1, including the popular Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River, the eastern section of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and three areas of northern Puget Sound.

But regardless of where you plan to drop your hook or enjoy the other pleasures of summer, take care to avoid starting a forest fire. Burn bans have been in effect in nine Washington counties since July 12 and continuing warm weather only increases the chance of fire throughout the state. Information about current fire restrictions can be found on the Internet.

The Buoy 10 fishery, which extends upstream to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line above the Megler-Astoria Bridge, will open Aug. 1 with a daily limit of two salmon, only one of which may be a chinook. Then, on Aug. 16, the daily bag limit for the Buoy 10 fishery will increase to three salmon – still with a maximum of one chinook – to take advantage of the glut of hatchery coho returning to the Columbia system this year.

"Anglers are catching fish earlier than usual off the north jetty in Ilwaco, so there's a good chance the Buoy 10 fishery will start off strong," said Wendy Beeghley, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) who monitors the coastal fishery.

Columbia River anglers must release all sockeye and chum, as well as undersized coho and chinook. Only those coho with a clipped adipose fin, indicating hatchery origin, may be kept below John Day Dam.

Inside waters of Puget Sound opening to salmon fishing Aug. 1 include marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 8-1 (Deception Pass/Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan/Port Gardner) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet). Release of chinook salmon is required in all four areas, with the exception of the ongoing Tulalip Bay terminal fishery on hatchery chinook in Area 8-2. Anglers must also release chum salmon and unclipped coho in Area 6 and chum salmon in Area 9.

Beginning Aug. 1, anglers must also release any unclipped coho caught in Marine Area 7 (the San Juan Islands), where the salmon fishery has been under way since July 1.

Ocean-running coho may not arrive in large numbers in time for the Aug. 1 openers, but pink salmon are already showing up in the eastern Strait and northern Puget Sound, said Region 4 fisheries biologist Curt Kraemer. Pink salmon, which generally run only in odd-numbered years in Washington state, are expected to return in strong numbers this year, he said.

"This is an excellent fishery for casual anglers, since pink salmon generally tend to run in the nearshore areas where smaller boats can get to them," Kraemer said. He recommends trolling flashers and hoochies – small, red or pink colored imitation squid – at about 60 feet of depth. "The important thing is to troll slowly," he said. "If you think you're going too slow, then slow down some more."

Besides ushering in several new fishing seasons, Aug. 1 also marks the start of hunting season for bear and cougar in many areas of the state. For more information about these and other recreational opportunities, check out the regional summaries below and the fishing and hunting rule pamphlets available on the Internet or from license dealers.

North Puget Sound:

• Fishing: WDFW fisheries biologist Curt Kraemer has a tip for anglers who catch some of the 1.2 million pink salmon expected to pass through Puget Sound this summer. "It's important to bleed and ice pink salmon right away so that they retain their firmness," he said, noting that the flesh can get soft if the fish are simply tossed into a cooler without first taking those few simple steps. "If you take care of pink salmon right away, they'll taste great off the barbecue or out of the smoker." Pink salmon are expected to make up a substantial portion of the catch in Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9, which open for salmon fishing Aug. 1. Areas 8-1 and 8-2 have four-fish daily limits, with no more than a total of two coho or chum and a chinook-release requirement, leaving extra room in the bag for pink salmon. Well-known hot spots for pink salmon include the shore of Deception Pass in Area 8-1 and "Humpy Hollow," a mile south of Mukilteo in 8-2. And don't forget the ongoing salmon fishery in the San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7), where fishing is reportedly getting better with each passing day. Anglers there can have one chinook in their two-fish daily bag, but must release all wild coho with an intact adipose fin and all chum starting Aug. 1. Make sure to check the "Fishing in Washington" sport fishing rules pamphlet for details, or visit the WDFW website on selective fishing.

• Wildlife viewing: State and tribal biologists have determined that the Lake Washington sockeye salmon run this year won't be strong enough to allow any sport or tribal harvests, but there are still plenty of salmon streaming past viewing windows at Hiram Chittenden Locks in Ballard, providing one of the best up-close views anywhere of the brightly colored wild fish. Through the first three weeks in July, more than 255,000 sockeye had moved through the locks. The fish are headed for Lake Washington, and eventually the lake's tributaries, to spawn. WDFW Fish Program Manager Jim Ames said that the two main spawning streams for Lake Washington sockeye are the Cedar River, which contains the vast majority of suitable sockeye spawning habitat, and Bear Creek, near Redmond. Run timing into the two streams can vary considerably, with the Bear Creek run typically peaking in late September, and the Cedar River run peaking about one month later.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: Salmon fishing remains "very good" in all areas of the Washington coast, said Wendy Beeghley, a WDFW fish biologist who monitors the coastal fishery. Catch ratios in the Westport area have been running about two coho for every one chinook, with lots of anglers reaching their two-salmon limit before noon, she said. (Remember that only one of those fish can be a chinook.) Ethan Smith of Seattle recently made headlines when he reeled in a 54-pound king salmon after a 25-minute struggle about 15 miles offshore from Westport. There have also been a lot of chinook salmon caught this year in the 20- to 25-pound range, said Mark Cedergreen, director of the Westport Charterboat Association. Anglers have also been reeling in some nice fish off Sekiu, although the western portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Marine Area 5) closed to chinook retention after a one-day opener July 21. A preliminary report on that day's fishery found that 1,579 anglers in 639 boats caught 709 coho, 263 pink salmon and 154 chinook. Area 5 remains open for hatchery (clipped) coho and pink salmon and Area 6 in the eastern Strait opens for the same species Aug. 1. In both areas, all chinook, chum salmon and unclipped coho must be released under the state's selective fishing program. In Hood Canal (Marine Area 12), hatchery-bound pink salmon are showing up in good numbers around Hoodsport, and anglers also have a chance of catching early-returning hatchery chinook, said Tim Flint, regional WDFW fisheries manager. An even more promising spot for hatchery chinook is in Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon) at the mouth of the Puyallup River in Commencement Bay between the Cliff House Restaurant and the Sperry Ocean Dock, which opens for salmon fishing Aug. 1, Flint said. Anglers also continue to take some good-sized chinook off Point Defiance and the claybanks, also they are now required to release all pink salmon in Area 11 and all unclipped coho in Area 13. Meanwhile, the recreational crab fishery remains strong throughout most of western Washington, with areas such as Dungeness near Port Townsend, which opened in mid-July, providing excellent results. WDFW shellfish biologist Rich Childers said the fishery should remain open for the rest of the summer. Childers reminds recreational crabbers that all harvests should be recorded on catch record cards as soon as landings are made.

• Wildlife viewing: This is a great time of year to see animals with their young, reports Kelly McAllister, WDFW wildlife biologist. Spotted fawns can be seen with their mothers throughout the region (sometimes in the middle of the road, so be careful) while eaglets test their wings overhead. McAllister said eaglets from the nest on Pioneer Way in Tacoma have already made their first flight, while those near Capital Lake in Olympia are flapping their wings but still clinging to branches near the nest. "I would guess they're going to start flying any day now," McAllister said. Considerably less common than fawns or eaglets is the white-tailed kite McAllister spotted in the Skookumchuck Valley on a recent weekend. Common in California, the white-tailed kite has been moving north in recent years, but is still relatively rare to Washington state, McAllister said. Even more uncommon is to see a sea otter – let alone two sea otters – in South Sound. In June, WDFW was called in to trap a 53-pound sea otter, dubbed "McAllister," that had trekked five miles up McAllister Creek. Before he was released back into the Sound, WDFW attached red and white tags to his back flippers for future identification. While a sea otter may find its way into southern Puget Sound every few years, most live on the Washington coast between Cape Flattery to Destruction Island. Now comes a report from a pair of kayakers that a sea otter without any identifying tags climbed up on the prow of their craft in recent days while they were paddling around Dumas Bay south of Tacoma. "That's pretty unusual," said McAllister, the biologist (not the tagged sea otter) who is a descendant of the family for which McAllister Creek is named.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: An outstanding run of coho and a fall chinook return that surpasses last year's run, spell excellent fishing prospects when the salmon season opens Aug. 1 in the Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco. A forecast of 1.1 million coho, predominantly of hatchery origin, will mean increased bag limits in the Buoy 10 selective coho fishery, says WDFW Fish Biologist Joe Hymer. In that fishery, which extends from Buoy 10 upriver to the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line above the Megler-Astoria Bridge, the season begins with a daily bag limit of two salmon, and goes to three salmon on Aug. 16. In both cases, no more than one of the fish may be a chinook. For shore-bound anglers, good opportunity exists from the North Jetty, accessible through Fort Canby State Park. Try using a cut plug herring and about four or more ounces of weight suspended several feet below a large bobber on the incoming tide. Jetty fishers should be careful of sneaker waves and slippery conditions on large rocks. The North Jetty fishery is open seven days a week when Marine Area 1 or Buoy 10 fisheries are open. Meanwhile in the mainstem Columbia above the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line, a daily bag limit of six salmon (including no more than two adult fish) is in place. Below John Day Dam only coho with a clipped adipose fin, indicating hatchery origin, may be kept. In the mainstem Columbia and Buoy 10 fishery, both marked and unmarked chinook may be retained. Barbed hooks may be used at Buoy 10 (including the North Jetty) and the mainstem Columbia while fishing for salmon. Meanwhile, there's good news for steelhead fishers, with catches of hatchery steelhead continuing to improve on the mainstem Columbia. Recent checks showed a hatchery steelhead kept for every five bank anglers from Bonneville Dam downsteam. Recent counts at Bonneville Dam showed up to 10,000 steelhead passing per day and the season total through July 24 was 144,000 fish. Fishing along the Washington lower Columbia River sand bars can be relatively easy and enjoyable. Most anglers plunk spin-glows. Some of the best public access points are Frenchman's Bar near Vancouver and Willow Grove and County Line parks near Longview. As water temperatures continue to warm, steelhead pull out of the mainstem river into cooler tributaries, making for good fishing in spots such as the mouth of the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers below Bonneville Dam and Drano Lake, as well as the Wind and White Salmon rivers above the dam, Hymer noted. Other good bets for hatchery steelhead include the Cowlitz, Kalama, North Fork Lewis and Klickitat rivers. Trout fishing is expected to be good in Mayfield and Riffe lakes as well as Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir). The picture isn't as bright for sturgeon fishers, who face catch-and-release-only rules in the lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam beginning Aug. 1. The extended sturgeon release period, which runs through Sept. 30 is needed to keep the sport catch within agreed-upon harvest management guidelines.

• Wildlife viewing: Mature buck blacktail deer are appearing around the Cowlitz Wildlife Area. A sora rail, a marsh bird seldom seen in the area, was spotted last week at Pond 5 on the Mossyrock Unit, reports Beau Patterson, Cowlitz Wildlife Area manager. Listen to the rail's call and learn more about the species by accessing http://bio.lmu.edu/socal_nat_hist/birds/orders/grui/sora.htm on the Internet.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Night fishing for kokanee has recently been great on Loon Lake in Stevens County, although WDFW fish biologist Casey Baldwin makes no promises for anglers over the next couple of weeks. Baldwin says the kokanee are small, but if you have the trolling and light-touch technique down, catch rates are excellent and the 10-fish limit is attainable. Baldwin also reports that Lake Roosevelt continues to provide four-to-five pound trophy kokanee that measure 20-24 inches. He says the best fishing on the reservoir is from Lincoln to Grand Coulee and downriggers are necessary. Net pen rainbow trout can also be found throughout Roosevelt in typically more shallow water than kokanee, but leaded line will suffice. Evening is the time to fly-fish for trout on the upper Spokane River now. Some of the cutthroat trout lakes in the upper reaches of this region are also producing well where Forest Service campgrounds provide cool getaways. If you're fishing in the southeast counties of Asotin, Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla, be aware of the outdoor burning ban, which includes restricting campfires to approved, metal or concrete-lined fire pits with grates in designated campgrounds only. Wildfire danger remains extremely high so be careful with all smoking materials and any other potential fire starters.

• Wildlife viewing: Wildlife families are becoming more and more visible as youngsters quickly grow into "sub-adults," as biologists call them. Young birds of various species are flying strong now, and everything from hummingbirds to redtailed hawks are seen in groups at this time. Now is also the time to watch for and photograph bands of buck deer and their fast-growing, velvety antlers; while does continue tending to fawns, these boys are more visible in groups as they forage at all hours to beef up for the fall breeding season. Try "watching" for wildlife with your ears, too, especially at dawn and dusk during the heat of summer. If you take time to listen, even in your own backyard, you may be rewarded with the hoot of an owl, the rap of a woodpecker, or the sweet melody of a song sparrow. If you're wildlife watching in the southeast counties of Asotin, Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla, be aware of the outdoor burning ban, which includes restricting campfires to approved, metal or concrete-lined fire pits with grates in designated campgrounds only. Wildfire danger remains extremely high so be careful with all smoking materials and any other potential fire starters.

• Hunting: Cougar and limited black bear hunting opens Aug. 1, but both northeast and Blue Mountains bear hunting units don't open until Sept. 4; check the hunting regulations pamphlet for details.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: The popular Lake Wenatchee sockeye salmon fishing season that usually opens Aug. 1 may be postponed a week, with a decision due sometime during the week of July 29, reports WDFW regional fish program manager Joe Foster. That's because reduced flows in the Wenatchee River may be hindering fish passage to Lake Wenatchee. "We've got an excellent run in the Columbia River this year with the sockeye count at Rock Island Dam surpassing 100,000 fish and an expected turnoff into the Wenatchee River of over 35,000," Foster said. "The spawning escapement goal for the Wenatchee system is 23,000, nearly all of which spawn in the White River," he explained, "so at first glance it looks like there's a sufficient surplus to allow a harvest in Lake Wenatchee". But that's not the whole story, Foster warns. "Since we're in a severe drought situation this year and with river flows much lower than normal, we need to be sure that enough of those sockeye make it to Lake Wenatchee before opening a fishery." Flows in the Wenatchee River, and daily counts of sockeye at Tumwater Dam west of Leavenworth, have dropped markedly. Sockeye are milling around below the fish ladder and in other sections of the river, apparently unwilling to move upstream and over the dam. Foster expects continued reduction in flows as the season progresses, a fact that could further limit upstream movement of sockeye into Lake Wenatchee. If passage does not pick up before July 29, there could be too few fish in Lake Wenatchee to allow a full season. Meanwhile, the summer chinook salmon fishery on the upper Columbia River is under way, and WDFW fish biologist Heather Bartlett reports more anglers and higher success rates than last year. The river is open through Oct. 15 from Priest Rapids Dam to Wells Dam, and between Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster and Highway 17 Bridge at Bridgeport to Highway 97 Bridge at the mouth of Okanogan River. Daily limit is six salmon, no more than two adults. Wild coho must be released and the non-buoyant lure restriction is in effect. Bartlett also reports good alpine lake fishing, adding that Okanogan County's Gold Creek and Libby Creek drainages are open for trout fishing again. She also notes that the Methow River trout fishery continues and anglers are having pretty good success. "Even if you're not catching fish," Bartlett says, "nothing beats fishing in the Methow River as far as surroundings go." WDFW fish biologist Chris Donley has three words for Moses Lake fishing these days: "perch, perch, perch." Actually there's also some really nice rainbow trout being caught around the I-90 bridges on Moses Lake, too, he says. If you're fishing in Douglas County, be aware of the outdoor burning ban, which includes restricting campfires to approved, metal or concrete-lined fire pits with grates in designated campgrounds only. Wildfire danger remains extremely high so be careful with all smoking materials and any other potential fire starters.

• Wildlife viewing: Herons, cormorants, pelicans, mergansers, osprey, and other fish-eating birds may be sharing the Columbia Basin's fish wealth with you, but they and their fledgling young are fun to watch and photograph. The Basin is, of course, also full of lots of other wildlife for the watching and listening – from deer to songbirds – especially at dawn and dusk during the heat of summer. If you take time to listen, even in your own backyard, you may be rewarded with the hoot of an owl, the rap of a woodpecker, or the sweet melody of a song sparrow. If you're wildlife watching in Douglas County be aware of the outdoor burning ban, which includes restricting campfires to approved, metal or concrete-lined fire pits with grates in designated campgrounds only. Wildfire danger remains extremely high so be careful with all smoking materials and any other potential fire starters.

• Hunting: It's not too early for hunters to start scouting and securing landowner permission to hunt private property later this fall. Cougar and black bear hunting opens Aug. 1.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: The Naches, Little Naches, and Tieton rivers, and Rattlesnake Creek in Yakima County as well as the Taneum, upper Naneum, and upper Teanaway in Kittitas County remain good for fly-fishers after rainbow and cutthroat trout. Most high elevation tributaries to the Naches and Yakima watersheds also have good populations of small cutthroat trout. The Yakima remains good in the catch-and-release section. Most streams have special rules, often requiring selective gear, so fishers should check the regulation pamphlet. Kokanee fishing is good in the Yakima Basin reservoirs, including Rimrock, Bumping, Kachess, and Keechelus. Best bets for lake fishing for rainbow trout are Clear and Dog Lakes in Yakima County. If you're fishing in Kittitas, Klickitat or Yakima counties be aware of the outdoor burning ban, which includes restricting campfires to approved, metal or concrete-lined fire pits with grates in designated campgrounds only. Wildfire danger remains extremely high so be careful with all smoking materials and any other potential fire starters.

• Wildlife viewing: Try "watching" for wildlife with your ears, especially at dawn and dusk during the heat of summer. If you take time to listen, even in your own backyard, you may be rewarded with the hoot of an owl, the rap of a woodpecker, or the sweet melody of a song sparrow. Watch for spawning salmon in the American River now, but stay out of the water to avoid disturbing them. WDFW regional habitat program manager Ted Clausing notes that due to the drought, fish are finding more barriers to their upstream migrations and are even more vulnerable to predation than usual. Recreational rock dam building by swimmers, campers, picnickers and others can create additional barriers, he says, and encourages fish watchers to remove any such obstacles if found. If you're wildlife watching in Kittitas, Klickitat or Yakima counties be aware of the outdoor burning ban, which includes restricting campfires to approved, metal or concrete-lined fire pits with grates in designated campgrounds only. Wildfire danger remains extremely high so be careful with all smoking materials and any other potential fire starters.

• Hunting: It's not too early for hunters to start scouting and securing landowner permission to hunt private property later this fall. Cougar and black bear hunting opens August 1.