August 4 - 17, 2004

Contact: Margaret Ainscough, (360) 902-2408; or Doug Williams, (360) 902-2256

Early August is the perfect time to head to the saltwater for chinook and coho salmon fishing, to the mountains for trout fishing and wildlife viewing, or to any of the hundreds of lakes throughout Washington state to fish for bass, crappie and other species.

The popular Buoy 10 salmon fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River opened Aug. 1 and is expected to improve as August unfolds. Chinook salmon pushing the 40-pound mark have been caught along the coast, and in a few portions of Puget Sound, while solid numbers of coho salmon have been hitting bait and lures in those regions.

Anglers interested in going after hatchery chinook in the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Sekiu to Port Angeles have until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8, when fisheries managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) estimate the 3,500-fish quota of hatchery-marked chinook will have been met. Fishing for hatchery-marked coho, which has been good in the western Strait, will continue through the summer.

In eastern Washington, the Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery is scheduled to remain open through Aug. 15, and many anglers have been catching their limit of these tasty fish.

Wildlife enthusiasts are reminded that wildfire danger is high throughout the state, and open fires are not allowed in most areas outside of controlled campgrounds with fire pits. Open fires, including campfires, are banned on all WDFW- owned or managed lands, including wildlife areas and water access sites, except in officially approved iron or concrete fire pits.

Only a few WDFW wildlife areas maintain established campgrounds, and everyone using them is reminded to keep fire-pit fires small, constantly attended, and completely extinguished upon retiring for the night or leaving the area. Where fire pits are not available, bottled gas cookstoves are an option.

Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) evaluates fire risk and sets fire restrictions for much of the state's public lands. WDFW follows DNR fire restrictions and relies on DNR to protect WDFW lands in many areas. Check conditions before heading out by calling DNR's toll-free fire information line, 1-800-323-BURN, or checking county-by-county on DNR's fire information webpage.

With fall salmon seasons here or at hand, anglers are reminded to pay special attention to new gear rules in areas with non-buoyant lure restrictions. Permanent rules adopted this year for such areas require fishers using buoyant lures (ones that float in freshwater) to attach hooks to, or below, but within three inches of the floating lures. No hook may be tied above the lure.

In addition, new regulations in southwest Washington specify that only fish hooked inside the mouth may be retained when non-buoyant lure restrictions are in effect on the Green, Kalama and Washougal rivers. For details on gear restrictions check the Fishing in Washington sport rules pamphlet or visit the WDFW website.

New fish-handling rules are also in effect in freshwater areas and Puget Sound. For freshwater areas, it is unlawful to totally remove salmon or steelhead from the water if it is unlawful to retain those salmon or steelhead. In Puget Sound, it is unlawful to bring wild salmon or a species of salmon aboard a vessel if it is unlawful to retain that salmon.

Here are more details on fishing, hunting and wildlife-viewing opportunities throughout the state:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: A summer of excellent salmon-fishing opportunities continues unfolding across the region. Surprisingly hefty chinook - and a few resident coho - have been caught in the Elliott Bay "bubble" fishery, in downtown Seattle's front yard. Anglers have had success trolling lures or fresh herring near the shipyard and container terminals. The Elliott Bay bubble runs through Aug. 22 on a Friday-through-Sunday schedule. Outside Elliott Bay, the remaining portion of Marine Area 10 has produced a few resident coho (2-3 pounds). Remember that new handling rules are in effect in Puget Sound for salmon species that can't legally be retained. It is unlawful to totally remove salmon or steelhead from the water if it is unlawful to retain the fish. The Tualip Bay bubble fishery, just north of Everett, has been slow. Fishing is open from 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 a.m. Monday each week through September. Farther north, the San Juan Islands continue to produce just a few chinook and coho every week. Most anglers in the San Juans have been having better luck finding kelp greenling, cabezon and other species. The month-long pink salmon fishery runs through August on the Snohomish River. Pink salmon, which are the smallest variety of Pacific salmon, generally return to their birth stream in odd-numbered years (1999, 2001, 2003, etc.), but the Snohomish River supports both odd- and even-year "humpies." While the odd-year run has been significantly stronger than the even-year run, there are still more than enough fish returning to the Snohomish River this year to sustain a recreational fishery through Aug. 31. The daily limit is two pink salmon, and selective fishing rules are in effect. Only unscented lures with single barbless hooks can be used, although fishing from a motorized boat is allowed. See page 22 of the sport fishing pamphlet for complete details on selective fishing rules. Curt Kraemer, WDFW regional fish program manager, said fishers were catching pinks at a rate of one fish for every two anglers during the opening weekend. Be sure to immediately bleed, gut and chill any fish that are headed to the dinner table or the smoker. Fishing reports from other rivers are not as promising, Kraemer said, with many streams near or at historic low levels for this time of the year. "Stream temperatures are so high this summer that they are creating health issues for fish," Kraemer said. "Fish-handling activities that would normally not be a problem can be lethal when combined with such high water temperatures." Kraemer suggests anglers limit their fishing to the early morning hours and keep handling of fish to a minimum. Fishing for steelhead and other game fish remains closed on the Reiter Ponds section of the Skykomish River, as summer-run steelhead broodstock needs have not yet been met. The closed area runs 1,500 feet upstream to 1,000 feet downstream of the Reiter Ponds hatchery outlet. Steelheading has been fair in the upper reaches of the Green River. Warm water in the region's lakes has put a crimp in trout fishing as well. Lake anglers can find plenty of action for non-trout species, such as bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill and perch. For hardcore trout anglers, head to the mountains and fish the alpine lakes early in the morning or late in the evening. Try casting a fly near logs or along rocky shorelines, or trolling a fly from a float tube.

• Wildlife viewing: Killer whales have been wowing whale-watchers in the San Juan Islands, particularly off the west side of San Juan Island itself. Look for members of the resident J, K and L pods off Lime Kiln State Park as they feed, play and socialize with their relatives. The big run of sockeye salmon into the Lake Washington system should start moving into the Cedar River in the coming weeks, providing up-close glimpses of the fish, which begin to take on a bright-red body color as they prepare to spawn. The lion's share of the run is headed to the Cedar, where great views of the migrating salmon can be gained from the bridges that span the river in downtown Renton, and at Cedar River Park, just upstream of the I-405 bridge. Please don't harass the salmon, and be sure to keep children and pets in hand. Two of the noisier critters in the Pacific Northwest - a Douglas squirrel and a pileated woodpecker - appeared to have an argument in the backyard of an astonished Snohomish County birder, who related the incident to the Tweeters birdwatching website on the Internet. The man reported seeing the squirrel and the bird sitting about 10 feet apart in different trees and chattering back and forth. First the squirrel gave a loud "chrrr" call, then climbed up into the tree where the pileated was perched, chattering as it ascended the tree. The woodpecker flew 75 yards to another tree, gave a high-volume call and shook its head. "The squirrel went ballistic with a flurry of loud and forceful chirring," the observer wrote. "Then the squirrel ran at top speed toward the woodpecker again. Before the squirrel got about halfway to its target, the woodpecker flew right over the squirrel, making the 'wicka wicka' call. The squirrel, who was on a fallen log, jumped up and down (with) all four feet in the air at once, while yelling his head off." The woodpecker flew out of the birder's sight, and the squirrel continued the chase. In a more "normal" report, another birder saw three eastern kingbirds on WDFW's Spencer Island Wildlife Area near Everett. The birds are fairly common east of the Mississippi River, but are also frequent visitors to eastern Washington. Their annual winter migration route takes them over the Rocky Mountains, then down through Central America to Argentina. A small flock of gray-crowned rosy finches was spotted recently in the high lake country of eastern King County. These birds nest at higher elevations than just about any other U.S. species, preferring rocky outcroppings among the snowfields above the treeline. The birds move downslope in the fall and overwinter in lower elevation canyons and fields. Adults are almost entirely gray with a black crown and a rose-colored hue on their wings. In the summer they feed on insects that have been blown onto snowbanks. Winter food sources include a variety of lowland seeds.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound

• Fishing: Plentiful coho and hefty chinook salmon have been keeping coastal anglers busy. The recent hotspots have been at opposite ends of the coast - Ilwaco and Neah Bay, where most charterboat customers were limiting out, said WDFW fisheries biologist Wendy Beeghley. Anglers out of Neah Bay aboard private boats were averaging slightly more than one fish per person - mostly coho. LaPush has been producing better than one fish per person, too, while the fishing out of Westport has been a little slow, with anglers averaging half a fish per person. On the bright side, Beeghley noted that Westport has been producing some good-sized fish. "Coho are averaging seven to eight pounds, and we've seen some that were pushing the 10-pound mark," she said. "Chinook have been averaging up to 15 pounds, and we've checked some fish going up to 40 pounds. They're not common, but we are seeing a few of them." Ilwaco has been holding steady at about 1.7 fish per person, and virtually all the catch has been coho, although a few nice chinook did show up at the docks near the end of the week. Warm offshore water conditions have brought more tuna within striking distance of anglers fishing out of south coast ports from both charters and private boats. Beeghley said charterboats running 30 to 40 miles out of Westport and Ilwaco were catching an average of 10 albacore per person, and the fish were a consistent 15 pounds. The most unusual catch of the week goes to anglers fishing on a private boat out of Ilwaco who took two bluefin tuna - a species that's rarely caught in Washington waters. The mark-selective hatchery chinook fishery in Marine Area 5 and the western portion of Marine Area 6 is scheduled to close at 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 8, as the 3,500-fish quota is expected to be taken by that time. An additional 6,000-plus hatchery coho had been caught since July 1 in marine areas 5 and 6, and fisheries managers expect the silver fishing to remain strong after the chinook fishery ends. Anglers seeking chinook salmon in the Tacoma area have been finding fish in the usual locations, such as the clay banks and the slag pile, while another lucky angler recently boated a 34-pounder while mooching near Gig Harbor. Hot weather has continued to make for slow fishing on the north coast rivers. Summer coho are beginning to show in the Quillayute and Sol Duc rivers, joining the sockeye and summer steelhead remaining in those systems. However, the low, clear water conditions continue to pose a major challenge for anglers. The glacier-fed Hoh River, on the other hand, has remained out of shape due to high flows and poor visibility. Early morning and late evening are the best time to fish any of these rivers. Anglers are reminded that only fin-clipped coho, steelhead and chinook may be retained in the Quillayute system. Meanwhile, crab fisheries are also going strong in most areas, including marine areas 4, 5, 6, 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and part of area 7. As for freshwater fishing, American Lake is giving up some good-sized perch and bluegill, but trout fishing has been slow. Alder Lake has been fishing well for kokanee and Harts Lake is a good bet for catfish and bass. Fishing has been slow at Lawrence Lake, and catch rates have dropped off at McIntosh Lake during the hot weather.

• Wildlife viewing: Anyone driving across the Warren Avenue Bridge in Bremerton might want to keep an eye out for pelagic cormorants drafting on breezes the full length of the span. Last year, more than 500 of the black seabirds were found nesting on ledges under the bridge - and most of them are doing so again, even after being interrupted by a three-month painting project by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). As of mid-July, wildlife biologists had counted 19 chicks and 204 eggs in nests under the newly painted bridge, said Lloyd Brown, a WSDOT spokesperson. A pair of peregrine falcons, also found nesting there, never left, Brown said. "Working with wildlife biologists from WDFW and our own agency, we were able to keep the disruption to a minimum," Brown said. Once the young cormorants have fledged, they too may be seen testing their wings over the Port Washington Narrows. There and elsewhere, a variety of birds can be seen as the first wave of fall migrants arrives in the region. Whimbrels, dowitchers, turnstones and rock sandpipers are already touching down along the coast on their return trip from the north. Hawks and other raptors have also been reported moving down the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Neah Bay to Port Angeles. One way to see the action in coastal waters is to take an evening cruise to Protection Island aboard the Glacier Spirit, a 65-foot yacht operated by the Marine Science Center in Port Townsend. Although the island may appear inhospitable, it provides an ideal nesting area for thousands of birds, including tufted puffins, rhinocerous auklets, glaucous-winged gulls, black oystercatchers and other species. Three-hour cruises are scheduled for Aug. 7 and 14. Anyone interested should call the Marine Science Center at 1-800-566-3932 or check out the Center's website.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Close to 100 boats were on the water and some chinook were being caught at the Aug. 1 opening of the Buoy 10 fall salmon fishery. The fishing should just keep getting better as the month progresses, says regional fish biologist Joe Hymer, who predicts that this year's Buoy 10 fall fishery will be primarily a chinook show. "This hasn't been a huge coho year-the focus will likely be on chinook," he said. Fall salmon anglers below Bonneville Dam face a tighter chinook bag limit intended to keep the season running through December without interruption. This year only one adult chinook may be kept as part of each angler's two-adult-salmon daily limit from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam. The two-chinook limit of past years has been halved in an effort to meet federal Endangered Species Act guidelines without enacting an early closure of the fishery. The Buoy 10 area also has a two salmon, one-chinook limit, which was put in place last year. Warm Columbia River water temperatures-currently 73 degrees in the estuary and nearing 72 degrees at Bonneville Dam-are sending steelhead toward cooler tributaries such as the Cowlitz and White Salmon rivers and Drano Lake. There's more good news for Drano Lake anglers-the boat launch there has reopened after a reconstruction project. Increasing tides at the beginning of August perked up the steelhead fishing scene on the lower Columbia, Hymer said. The mainstem's best hatchery steelhead angling is to be found from the mouth of the Cowlitz downstream. Good catches were reported in both the Cowlitz and the North Fork Lewis rivers; a bonus daily bag limit of three hatchery steelhead is in place in areas at both locations. Anglers are reminded that all trout, including steelhead, must be released in Gobar Creek, a tributary of the Kalama River. Trout fishers should continue to find good results in regularly stocked waters such as the Tilton River, Skate Creek and Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir).

• Wildlife viewing: A Tweeters website correspondent reports the following mid-July sightings in the Ridgefield area of Clark County: A couple of courting Clark's grebes and about 34 western grebes on Vancouver Lake; two female redheads with broods on Post Office Lake; and about eight bank swallows at the River S Unit and several yellow-headed blackbirds. Wildlife watchers will have to walk into Post Office Lake, as the road in is closed. Another Tweeters fan reports from a July 31 outing to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, where he spotted a long-eared owl very high in a tree near the Kiwa Trail, a bank swallow at the photo blind and an immature black-crowned night-heron (along with three American bitterns) along the canal at the southwest part of Rest Lake.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Heat throughout the region has confined decent fishing to very early morning or late evening and nighttime. WDFW northeast district fish biologist Curt Vail says that at those times, rainbow trout up to 14 inches are being caught at Big Meadow Lake in Pend Oreille County. Trout fishing early and late is also still good at Ferry County's Curlew Lake. Vail says Curlew's tiger muskies continue to draw interest, especially since several over the 36-inch minimum length have been hooked this summer. Smallmouth bass fishing is also good on the Pend Oreille River between Ione and Metaline. WDFW central district fish biologist Chris Donley says don't give up on Spokane County trout waters, but DO fish in the cooler hours of the day. Nighttime is virtually the only time to try the Snake River and its tributaries in the south end of the region for channel catfish.

• Wildlife Viewing: Dry, hot conditions have lots of wildlife looking for succulent forage in watered lawns and gardens. WDFW eastern regional office manager Lois Blanchette reports a neighbor's rose bushes wiped out by a big buck whitetail deer, "in the dark of night but right under the street light." She also reports an influx of aphids in neighborhood gardens that has apparently drawn more lady bugs, "which in turn delight the bats." Backyard wildlife enthusiasts are encouraged to confine cats and dogs that can harass young quail and other ground-dwelling birds, and to provide water for birds and other animals. Many report newly-reared families of crossbills, grosbeaks, chickadees, and nuthatches descending on filled bird baths and hummingbirds showering in sprinklers.

• Hunting: The only parts of the region open to black bear hunting this month are the central district game management units 121 through 142. The Blue Mountains in the southeast, and the most productive bear hunting in the state in the northeast, don't open until Sept. 2. That's just as well, say WDFW officials, because in the current hot and dry conditions, bear meat would be a challenge to care for and wildfire danger is high. Cougar hunting has been open statewide since Aug. 1.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: The Lake Wenatchee sockeye salmon fishery opened to crowds on July 24 and will remain open at least through Aug. 15. Boat anglers have been averaging 1.5 sockeye a day in this special season which has a two-fish daily catch limit. The total harvest through Aug. 3 was about 3,000 sockeye, based on daily creel checks. The season might run longer than Aug. 15, depending on fishing effort, says WDFW district fish biologist Art Viola of Wenatchee. Some weekdays have had low effort and harvest, especially when the wind chop on the lake is high. This fishery is closely monitored to ensure an adult sockeye escapement of 23,000 fish and to minimize impacts to non-target listed fish populations, Viola said. Lake Wenatchee has a fairly healthy bull trout population, and creel checkers have counted more than 225 bull trout caught and released with the selective gear restrictions. WDFW district fish biologist Bob Jateff of Omak says there's still good opportunity to catch both summer chinook and sockeye salmon above Wells Dam on the Columbia River. The season for chinook runs through Oct. 15, while the sockeye season opened July 24 and will run until further notice. The daily limit is six fish, and no more than two adult salmon may be retained. Check regulations for the open areas above the dam. Kokanee fishing on Banks Lake is back, reports WDFW fish biologist Matt Polacek of Ellensburg. Banks Lake has historically been stocked with up to one million kokanee annually, he says, and according to historical creel surveys and angler testimony, the kokanee fishery was once very successful. But since the early 1980's, Banks kokanee catches have been almost non-existent. Polacek and other fish management and hatchery staff have been planting kokanee in net pens since 2002 and evaluating the success of different stocking strategies. "Although the data has not yet been analyzed, Polacek said, "the net pen kokanee seem to be returning to the creel in a higher proportion relative to the direct released fry and fingerlings. Anglers are currently catching kokanee ranging between 12 to 16 inches."

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW wildlife biologist Beau Patterson of Wenatchee says that although full foliage conditions can present sight identification challenges for birders, this is a great time for bird watching. "Most birds have fledged young and populations are at their annual high," Patterson said. "These younger birds, without full adult plumage, can also present a bit of a challenge for identification. But you might catch more than a glimpse of them because of their naive behavior. Recently fledged birds can often be approached closer and observed for longer periods than the more wary adults." Patterson suggests birding in wetland habitats where a variety of ducks, geese, coots, grebes, herons and passerine species are abundant. The lower Wenatchee, Entiat and Columbia river drainages through Chelan and Douglas counties offer good opportunities for viewing bald and golden eagles and ospreys. Access points along Highway 97 between East Wenatchee and Chelan Falls are a good bet for eagles, ospreys, waterfowl, grebes and common loons. Arctic breeding shorebirds have already begun fall migrations and birders should carefully scan all shoreline areas and mudflats for these earliest of migrants.

• Hunting: Fall black bear season opened throughout the region Aug. 1. Early season hunters are urged to be extremely cautious with fire during these high to extreme wildfire risk times. WDFW wildlife biologist Beau Patterson of Wenatchee also suggests that bear hunters be considerate of other forest users by avoiding high-use hiking and recreation sites and conflicts with other users. Patterson also notes that early season hunters need to be familiar with proper meat handling to deal with the additional challenges of warmer weather. "It is imperative to quickly skin, quarter or bone out, and cool carcasses to maintain high meat quality," he said. "Remove all fat from meat of harvested bears as soon as possible after harvest, as bear fat can quickly turn rancid. Bear meat must be cooked well to prevent trichinosis, which occasionally occurs in bears. Muscleworm larvae may also be present in bear meat and freezing alone may not destroy it." Patterson says there are excellent public land bear hunting opportunities in Chelan County. "Bear hunting now can be a high quality, uncrowded experience," he said. "It's also a great way to pre-scout areas and get yourself and your equipment in shape for later deer and elk seasons." Patterson recommends that hunters spend August sighting in and practicing with their weapons of choice. "Archers in particular, who have early seasons starting in just a few weeks, need to be practicing with duplicates of their broadheads, which will typically fly differently than practice field points," he said. "Don't practice with your hunting broadheads, which should be maintained in unused and sharp condition for hunting use. " Patterson noted that this is also the time for those planning to hunt in private land areas to begin contacting landowners and securing hunting permission, rather than waiting until immediately before the seasons. Landowners are more likely to grant permission to hunt if arrangements are made well in advance.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Small streams or high mountain lakes with rainbow and cutthroat trout are the fishing sites of choice during these hot, dog days of August. WDFW fish biologists say that with lower water levels in the streams, water clarity is good the fish are biting. Some of the most popular streams in Yakima County are Rattlesnake Creek and the Little Naches River, including some of the forks and tributaries. In Kittitas County, try Naneum, Taneum, Swauk, Manastash and the Teanaway. A good hike-in fishing experience can be found on upper Indian Creek, a tributary of Rimrock Lake, for eastern brook trout. There is no catch limit for eastern brookies on the creek because they move down river and can hybridize with ESA-protected bull trout. Approximately four miles of lower Indian Creek is closed to all fishing. Another opportunity is the upper reaches of the Yakima River, where there are no catch limits on eastern brook trout. There dry fly fishing is best. Anglers need to know where they are on a stream because some sections have catch-and-release restrictions or other catch limit and gear regulations. Anglers also need to to release any bull trout, steelhead or salmon that they may catch while fishing for the other trout species. Most high mountain lakes in Kittitas and Yakima counties are now accessible. Most named lakes have populations of cutthroat, rainbow or eastern brook trout. Those that are most difficult to reach often have the best fishing, but there are plenty of lakes with good fishing for those who want to go for day trips of 10 miles (round trip) or less. Catch-and-release fishing is encouraged, but if fish are harvested and carried out of the high country when the weather is warm, anglers will need to carry ice to keep fish edible. Bug repellent is also a necessity in most areas now to discourage mosquitoes. Hike-in anglers should also check on fire restrictions on public lands, be prepared for weather changes in the mountains, and be aware of backcountry travel safety in general. See http://wdfw.wa.gov/outreach/fishing/highlake.htm for more information.

• Wildlife viewing: Local birders report that water levels are dropping fast at Wenas Lake, leaving more and more exposed mudflats that shorebirds love to forage in. Recently seen were least, solitary, semipalmated, spotted, and western sandpipers, lesser yellowlegs, long-billed dowitcher, Wilson's snipe, red-necked phalarope, and killdeer. Many of those species, plus semiplamated plover, black-necked stilt, Wilson's phalarope and greater yellowlegs, were also recently seen in greater numbers at Yakima County's Grandview Wastewater Treatment Plant; in fact, local birders are calling this one-stop spot for shorebirds or "peeps" one of the biggest shows in Yakima County's birding lore. Wenas Lake is also currently hosting Bonaparte's gull, double-crested cormorant, mallard, wood duck, Canada goose, and great blue heron. Other birding reports show recently fledged pine and black-headed grosbeaks, warbling vireos, western tanagers, and Cassin's finches along hiking trails near Bear and Pickhandle gaps - minor passes along the Pacific Crest Trail at the head of Morse Creek, just north of Chinook Pass.

• Hunting: August 1 marked the opening of black bear hunting in game management units 328 through 382, although WDFW regional wildlife program manager Lee Stream notes that bear numbers and harvest have never been high in the southcentral region. Cougar hunting has also been open statewide since Aug. 1.