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| August 10-24, 2000 |
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Editor's note: The version of the August 10-24 edition of Weekender posted last week omitted reference to Marine Area 1 in the discussion of ocean salmon closures and misstated the opening and closing times for the Tulalip terminal area fishery in the North Sound Region. Those errors have been corrected in this version.
The bass are biting, crabbing is hot, alpine lake fishing is hitting its prime and salmon anglers are awash in fishing opportunities from the mouth of Columbia River to Elliott Bay.
But like the wildflowers now in bloom on Mount Rainier, many of these summer fishing opportunities are fleeting and there's already a change in the air. Starting this week, several coastal salmon seasons are coming to a close while other fisheries pick up speed.
"We're just about to turn the corner on the summer fishery," said Tony Floor, sport fishing coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "Chinook are moving to inside waters in increasing numbers and coho are right behind them. With good numbers of hatchery chinook and coho salmon, it's not surprising that we're bumping up against the quotas in several ocean areas."
To prevent overharvesting, WDFW in conjunction with the National Marine Fisheries Service has announced that sport fisheries for salmon in three coastal areas will come to a close this weekend.
The season in Marine Area 3 near the port of LaPush will end at midnight Saturday, Aug. 12, when the catch is expected to reach the area quota. Further south, areas 1 and 2 will be closed to recreational salmon fishing Friday and Saturday but will open for one last day Sunday, Aug. 13 before closing for the season at midnight. In Area 2, salmon fishing will be restricted Sunday to an area previously closed to fishing at the entrance of Grays Harbor, extending from the lighthouse one mile south of the south jetty, west to Buoy 2, north to Buoy 3 and east to the north jetty. The open area in Area 2 will also include the portion of Area 2.2 (Grays harbor) west of a north-south line through Buoy 13.
Current information about these closures is available on WDFW's Sportfishing Hotline at 360-902-2500.
The closures do not affect Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) or the Strait of Juan de Fuca, both of which remain open to recreational fishing seven days a week. Also unaffected by the announcement is the "Buoy 10 fishery" at the mouth of the Columbia River, which opened to salmon fishing Aug. 1 and has recently been yielding about one salmon per angler.
Anglers who want to catch a chinook salmon in the Seattle area will likely also get another chance this week in Elliott Bay, which is expected to open to the retention of chinook from noon Friday (Aug. 11) until noon Monday (Aug. 14). "There are still plenty of opportunities this summer to catch fish," Floor said. "We're just going into the next phase of the season."
For more details about fishing seasons and other outdoor opportunities, see the regional summaries that follow.
Outdoor Notes:
- If you're headed for the water for relief from the heat, remember 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.
- Dry conditions continue and so does the burning ban across the state. No campfires are allowed, except in approved, metal- or concrete-lined fire pits located in designated campgrounds. Recreationists traveling and cooking outside organized campgrounds may use self-contained camp stoves. All other fires are illegal.
- Fall turkey hunting permit applications are now available at WDFW offices and license dealers; they must be submitted for the drawing by August 25.
- Hunters will want to pick up a free copy of "Washington Hunting News: Game Trails" for the latest prospects from WDFW biologists on various upcoming seasons. The eight-page tabloid is now available at all hunting license dealers and WDFW offices.
- Hunters who applied for any special hunting permits should have received mailed notices by now about whether or not they were drawn; if not, check out WDFW's online permit drawing results page on the WDFW website. Permit holders should be lining up hunting area access now, especially doe deer or cow elk hunters who are welcome on some private land where deer or elk damage crops; contact your local WDFW enforcement officer or regional office for referrals to cooperating landowners.
Regional Highlights:
- Anglers who want to catch a chinook salmon in the Seattle area may get another chance this weekend. Elliott Bay is expected to open for the retention of chinook from noon Friday (Aug. 11) until Monday (Aug. 14). The same is true for the Tulalip "bubble" terminal area fishery in Marine Area 8-2, which is open to the retention of one chinook salmon from 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 a.m. Monday. Elsewhere, Regional Fish Manager Chuck Phillips says steelhead fishers are still doing well in the Snohomish river system (Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers), and catching some steelhead in the Green River. Crab fishing is going strong, with nearly every area of Puget Sound open to pot fishing. The one remaining closed area is the northern Marine Area 7 (waters north of the San Juan Islands to the Canadian border). Those waters are expected to open in mid-August, when crab shells should be hard enough to allow pot fishing. This is also prime time for Alpine lake fishing, which offers two outdoor experiences rolled into one a hike combined with good prospects for a fishing catch. "There are a lot of alpine lakes in the region, and most of them have fish," Phillips noted. Fishers should consider their hiking abilities in picking a destination, and be prepared for abrupt weather changes, which are always a possibility at high elevations.
Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:
- While salmon may still be king on the coast, Dungeness crab is coming on strong particularly in Hood Canal, where crabbers are potting their limit in record time. WDFW's Tony Floor took three friends out last weekend and caught more crab than he could handle in three hours. "It's just incredible out there right now," said Floor, who said he had to throw back plump 6½-inch crab to stay within the six-crab-per-customer limit. His secret: Drop your pots in the eel grass that grows where rivers enter the canal. The crab will be lining up to enter your pot. For those who want bigger fish to fry, WDFW is releasing 200 large steelhead weighing up to 12 pounds a piece in four Grays Harbor lakes this weekend. Releases include 100 into Lake Aberdeen, 100 into Lake Sylvia and 50 into each of the two Vance Creek Ponds (Elma Ponds). The bag limit for trout is five fish, but remember that only two of those can be over 20 inches. And don't forget that the wildflowers are in bloom on Mount Rainier and that the time to see them is short. Purple lupine, glacier lilies, magenta paintbrushes and countless other species create a visual spectacle that has become a symbol of the Northwest. They don't call it Paradise for nothing.
- Fishing at Buoy 10 opened with a pretty decent catch and a one-fish-per-person average with hatchery coho in the five-to-eight-pound range and a few chinook. Catches of both species are expected to increase during the month; however, there is a 9,000 fish quota for chinook. "Go for the cold" may be the motto for anglers on the Columbia River. Joe Hymer, fish and wildlife biologist, says the water is warm 72 degrees last week. He advises fishers to head for the cold-water areas for better success with hatchery summer-run steelhead and chinook. The Cowlitz is producing good numbers of hatchery summer-run steelhead, especially for boat anglers who focus on the trout and salmon-hatchery area. In addition, the mouth of the Cowlitz is also producing some fall chinook and hatchery steelhead. Following the cold-water theme, Drano Lake has been a good place for hatchery summer-run steelhead, as have Wind River and White Salmon River. How good is it? There have been 100,000 summer-run steelhead counted so far at Bonneville Dam, and there may be 400,000 to 500,000 fish by the end of the season. Those fishing for fall chinook in the mainstem Columbia below Bonneville Dam will have better success focusing on the deeper parts of the river.
- Kids ages 5-14 who want to learn how to fish should catch the "Kids' Klassic" on the Spokane River in Spokane's Riverfront Park, Saturday, Aug. 19. Those registered with a $5 fee by Aug. 12 will receive a Zebco rod and reel and event t-shirt; call Spokane County 4-H at 509-477-2166 to register. Kids can also bring their own equipment and join the fun for free. Fishing that continues to be good through these dog days of summer includes bass, walleye, perch, and other warmwater fishing at Sprague Lake, catfish and bass fishing in the sloughs and backwaters of the Snake River, and rainbow, kokanee, and walleye fishing on Lake Roosevelt. WDFW field staff report seeing good numbers of whitetail deer and wild turkey, pheasant, and quail broods throughout the region. Lincoln County habitat development specialist John Nelson reports seeing "pheasants in places where I haven't seen pheasants in several years." Nelson also notes that mourning doves are abundant throughout the channeled scablands, and should remain so for the September 1 hunting opener if the warm weather holds. Since so much eastern region hunting is on private land, Nelson advises hunters to contact landowners now to obtain permission before the cooperators in WDFW's regulated access programs fill up. Some Whitman County landowners with deer damage problems are looking for doe permit holders; contact your local WDFW enforcement officer or regional office for referrals to cooperating landowners.
- Alpine lake trout fishing continues to be the outing of choice among anglers willing to trek in to several small waters on the east side of the North Cascades in Okanogan and Chelan counties. Lots of trout continue to be caught by dock anglers at Potholes Reservoir, mostly on night crawlers. Bass fishing in the Sand Dunes area of the reservoir has been good, with water levels more like June than August. The rocky part of Potholes between Goose Island and the face of O'Sullivan Dam is providing good smallmouth bass action as well as some walleye. Warden Lake bank fishing is producing rainbows to 18 inches. Enjoy watching mountain and western bluebird broods in the high meadows of the Okanogan now. If you're a hunter, you'll also want to be scouting the region for mourning doves; the season opens Sept. 1. Photographers and hunters alike are checking out mule deer bucks which are highly visible as they forage in the green fields of the Methow Valley.
- River trout fishing is this region's strong suit, and it's just going to get better as summer winds down and fall approaches. From the blue ribbon Yakima to the Little Naches, most of these rivers have special rules to protect salmonids, so check the regs carefully. Higher country trout fishing can be had at Kittitas County's Hyas Lake, a short trail hike in the headwaters area of the Cle Elum River, where brook trout angling is peaking now. If you're not a fish catcher but a fish watcher, WDFW habitat biologist. Perry Harvester recommends viewing Spring chinook salmon now spawning in the American River. No salmon fishing is permitted on the American River, Harvester notes, and watchers should be very careful not to spook the fish off their spawning beds. Wild huckleberries are ripe in a few areas at lower elevations, but still green higher up. "With the dry year we're having, the berries are small," says Harvester," so check the north slopes in cooler areas." Harvester also reminds hunters that mourning dove season opens soon (Sept. 1) and there seem to be good numbers working grain fields in the Yakima Valley.
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