July 26-August 9, 2000

Contact: Madonna Luers, 509-456-4073

From salmon on the coast to walleye on the eastside, Washington's diverse fishing opportunities at the height of summer are the featured attractions of many family vacations. For those who don't cast lines, catching a glimpse of a migrating whale or velvety buck may be the highlight of a weekend excursion to camp, hike or otherwise explore the state's great outdoors.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, be extra cautious with campfires, camp stoves, smoking materials, catalytic converters on motor vehicles or anything else that could start a wildfire. Thousands of acres have already burned in several parts of the state, particularly east of the Cascades where rain has been scarce and temperatures are high. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials urge campers to use stoves rather than campfires for cooking.

Remember, too, that an access decal is required on vehicles parked in WDFW water access sites and wildlife areas; the decal is $10 or free with a fishing or hunting license and available at hundreds of dealers across the state.

Here's what's happening now, region by region:

Northern Puget Sound:

• The Tulalip Bubble in Marine Area 8-2 is starting to produce a few chinook salmon, and things should improve over the next couple of weeks. Morning is better than evening fishing for this area. In Marine Area 10, there's been some pretty good fishing success for resident coho -- some of the best in several years, according to Curt Kraemer, WDFW biologist, who says morning during tidal changes is the best time. Kraemer says there's summer-run steelhead in the Skykomish and Stillaguamish Rivers, and he reminds lake trout fishers it's time to start exploring the backcountry; high mountain lakes are beginning to thaw, and lowland lake fishing has been fairly strong this summer. Anglers, stay tuned to find out whether testing will yield a brief August season in Elliott Bay for hatchery Green River chinook. Wildlife watchers heading to the San Juan Islands may want to keep an eye out for orcas and minke whales, frequently sighted into September. These often are visible from the San Juan Ferry. Over Rosario Strait, ferry riders may see scoters, rhinoceros auklets and other marine birds. Bald eagles and turkey vultures are often spotted on the islands during the summer. August 1 marks the opening of black bear and cougar hunting; check the regulations pamphlet for available game management units and all other rules.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing in Ilwaco and Westport is very good with lots of nice-sized coho being caught. Westport is not likely to be open through Sept. 30; the non-tribal fishery there had reached 41 percent of its chinook guideline and 48 percent of its coho quota, as of July 23, according to WDFW biologist Wendy Beeghley. She says fishers are mostly limiting on salmon and are still catching a few chinook in Westport; the ratio is one chinook to five coho, with the average coho weighing six pounds. Effort in Ilwaco is still pretty low, with lots of space for private fishers. There's a high mark-rate in Area 1 for coho, meaning people haven't been having to release many fish. Up north in LaPush, fishing is pretty slow, but a few large chinook have been caught, including a 48-pounder this week. The catch-per-person rate is still low. As of July 23, La Push non-tribal fishers had reached 25 percent of the chinook guideline and 33 percent of the coho quota. Neah Bay state fishers had reached 61 percent of the chinook guideline and 41 percent of the coho quota. Catches are averaging one to two salmon per person, but the effort is low. The coho are on the small size with an average of four pounds. Summer steelhead fishing has picked up slightly in the Wynoochee River. A few fish moved in last week, and fishing effort is on the increase. There is also summer steelhead in the Quillayute system, especially near WDFW's Bogachiel and Calawah rearing ponds. River flow is very low, so fish can be seen but also are very easily "spooked" by anglers. "These fish are tough to catch, but the person who gets up early may find a biter," said WDFW biologist Bill Freymond. Hatchery summer steelhead also should be showing up in the Lyre and Elwha Rivers. Aug. 1 marks the opening of black bear and cougar hunting; check the regulations pamphlet for available game management units and all other rules.

Southwest Washington:

• Salmon fishers are gearing up for a season opening Aug. 1 for chinook and hatchery coho salmon. Because of harvest rate limits, the chinook sport fishing between Buoy 10 and the Tongue Point-Rocky Point line is not expected to last through Labor Day. However, the season for hatchery (adipose fin-clipped) coho will remain open through December. Sport fishing for chinook and hatchery coho from the Tongue Point-Rocky Point line, upstream, is expected to remain open throughout the scheduled season. Sturgeon fishing is still going strong in the estuary from Ilwaco to the Deep River area. Anglers are averaging one to two legal-size fish per boat. The volume of fishers has been very high, with an estimated 150 boats on weekdays and 350 on weekends. Trout anglers, here's a good bet: several thousand rainbow trout weighing up to two pounds each have been released into Mayfield Lake. Steelhead fishing has been successful on the Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis and Washougal Rivers. Fish are being recycled downstream in all these river systems, giving fishers a second chance. According to WDFW biologist Joe Hymer, it's prime time for hatchery returns and it's been one of the better steelhead returns in recent years. Hymer also urges anglers to check out the Bonneville pool tributaries of Drano Lake and Wind and White Salmon rivers, where WDFW staff are starting to see some catches. Several thousand fish a day are crossing the Bonneville Dam. That, along with warm water temperatures, should mean more fish action in those tributaries. Anglers also may want to try the Columbia River sandbars on the Washington side from Vancouver, downstream, for summer-run steelhead.

  August 1 marks the opening of black bear and cougar hunting; check the regulations pamphlet for available game management units and all other rules.

Eastern Washington:

• Evening is the time to fish now, from fly-fishing for trout on the upper Spokane River to trolling for kokanee on Loon or Deer lakes in Stevens County. WDFW biologist Marc Divens notes that Deer Lake also has a nice population of smallmouth bass for the catching. Net-pen reared rainbows continue to provide catches in Lake Roosevelt, along with walleye and kokanee. Some of the cutthroat trout lakes are also producing well in the upper reaches of the region where Forest Service campgrounds provide cool getaways. Although attending a meeting may not sound like summertime fun, those who want to see fishing improve at a couple of popular waterways will want to hear WDFW plans for lake rehabilitation; West Medical Lake fishery will be discussed Aug. 3, 7 p.m., at Medical Lake City Hall, and Black Lake fishery Aug. 8, 7 p.m., Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Hall in Colville. Now is the time to watch for and photograph bands of buck deer and their fast-growing, velvety antlers; while does tend to fawns, these boys are more visible in groups as they forage at all hours to beef up for fall breeding season. Quail and pheasant families are spotted in all sizes and ages now; gangly "teenagers" are following parent birds around, and some second-nesters have tiny, downy chicks under their wings. Hunters might use these seasonal cues to start scouting and securing landowner permission for later hunting. Cougar and limited black bear hunting opens Aug. 1, but both northeast and Blue Mountains bear hunting units don't open until Sept. 5; check the hunting regulations pamphlet for details.

North Central Washington:

• It's time to take advantage of Washington's high country climate where alpine lake fishing for trout should be good now, and most if not all lakes should be free of snow and ice. Check with local Forest Service ranger stations about trail conditions before heading out, be careful with fire, and watch for ripe huckleberries at lower elevations. WDFW biologist Heather Bartlett notes that Methow River catch-and-release trout fishing is picking up. She reminds anglers to follow the selective gear rules in effect there. Potholes Reservoir in the Columbia Basin has been hotter than air temperatures for net-pen-reared rainbows up to three pounds apiece, many caught on nightcrawlers by shoreline anglers. Trolling the Sand Dunes area of the reservoir has landed trout in boats. Bluegill, crappie, and perch fishing also have been pretty good at Potholes, caught on mini-jigs tipped with maggots or night crawlers. The mouth of Frenchman's Wasteway has produced good catches of trout, perch and a few walleye and bass. The Goose Island area has been good for big walleye (5 to 7 lbs.) on spinner lures and baits. The mouth of Crab Creek recently produced a 9 lb. 4 oz. walleye on a worm harness and crawler. Canal, Heart, and Warden lakes all have been producing rainbow trout. 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. Those who want to see fishing improve at many Basin waterways will want to hear WDFW plans for lake rehabilitation at a meeting at 7 p.m. July 31, at Moses Lake Fire Station. It's not too early for hunters to start scouting and secure landowner permission to hunt; cougar and black bear hunting opens Aug. 1 and other seasons will open in September.

South Central Washington:

• Rivers and streams have been producing good trout fishing, reports WDFW biologist Jim Cummins. The Yakima is one of the state's top trout producers for those who enjoy catch-and-release fishing. Rainbow trout are running 8 to 20 inches, and a few cutthroat trout are being caught, too. Another great catch-and-release water is Rattlesnake Creek, a tributary of the Naches River. Fishing this creek requires hiking several miles in some areas, but the fishing for rainbow and cutthroat to 14 inches can be excellent. The Naches River itself is another good choice for rainbow to 16 inches, with a few cutthroat in the upper reaches. Now is also the time to fish the Tieton River where catchable rainbow trout have been stocked. River and stream anglers should check regulations because many rivers have special rules, including selective gear rules. A few areas are closed to fishing to protect bull trout rearing and spawning. Both Bumping and Rimrock Reservoir are producing good kokanee fishing. Recent reports at Rimrock include limits of kokanee caught at depths between 20 and 40 feet using lead sinkers baited with maggots. Kachess and Keechelus are also good bets for kokanee, along with a few nice cutthroat. It's not too early for hunters to start scouting and secure landowner permission to hunt; cougar and black bear hunting opens Aug. 1 and other seasons will open in September.