A string of cold, dry days has opened up a variety of fishing opportunities throughout Washington state. Birders, meanwhile, have been bundling up to observe large numbers of bald eagles wintering from the Skagit Valley to the Kittitas Valley.

In eastern Washington, the recent deep freeze has made a number of popular lakes - including Sullivan Lake in Pend Oreille County and Fourth-of-July Lake in Lincoln County - safe for ice fishing. Four inches of solid, clear ice is the safety standard established by the U.S. Coast Guard.

On the westside, similar conditions have helped to bring rain-swollen rivers under control, improving steelhead fishing on rivers from the Skagit River to the lower Columbia tributaries.

"Fishing conditions on the Kalama River are the best we've seen all season," said Chris Wagemann, a fish-research biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Anglers fishing the Kalama averaged one to two hatchery steelhead per boat during the third week in January, he said.

Anglers should be aware, however, that a growing number of wild steelhead are beginning to move into westside rivers behind the earlier hatchery runs. Wild steelhead, identifiable by their intact adipose fin, must be released in all but 10 rivers in Washington. Rules for retaining wild steelhead are noted on page 29 of the Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

Rather troll Puget Sound for salmon? A number of waters, ranging from the San Juan Islands to Hood Canal, will reopen for blackmouth fishing in the days ahead. For details, see the Puget Sound regional reports below.

Clam diggers can also look forward to another razor clam opening in February, provided that upcoming marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat. Four beaches are tentatively scheduled to open for digging Feb. 16 and 17 between noon and midnight, with Twin Harbors remaining open for a third evening of digging Feb. 18. For more information, see the Sound Sound/Olympic Peninsula regional report below.

Other dates to note in the coming days are:

• Today through Jan. 26 - The Washington Sportsmen's Show, the westside's largest outdoor show of the year, runs daily at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup. WDFW will staff a booth, and Terry Rudnick, the department's youth fishing coordinator, will offer tips on halibut fishing and jigging. Show hours are noon to 8 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26.

• Jan. 28 - Hunting seasons for ducks and geese end in all areas of the state where seasons have not already closed.

• Jan. 31 - Hunters, whether successful or not, must submit their mandatory hunting harvest reports for deer, elk, bear and turkey by this date to avoid a $10 penalty when purchasing 2007 hunting licenses.

For more information about current and upcoming outdoor-recreation opportunities in Washington, see the regional summaries below:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: After several weeks of rough weather, conditions have improved and so has fishing. Anglers on the saltwater have had some success recently with blackmouth and catch numbers could continue to rise as two more marine areas open for salmon Feb. 1. Meanwhile, the region's rivers have come back into shape and steelheaders are finding hatchery fish in some streams.

  On Puget Sound, anglers in Marine Area 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) continue to do well for blackmouth. "Recent reports from our test boat in 8-1 indicate that there's pretty good fishing in the area," said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fisheries biologist. "Folks who know how to fish that area in the winter are doing very well."

  Anglers in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) can keep up to two hatchery chinook per day, so long as the fish measure at least 22 inches in length. Wild chinook salmon, which have an intact adipose fin, cannot be brought aboard the boat.

  Meanwhile, anglers have only a few more days to catch blackmouth in Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), which closes at the end of the month. However, angling opportunities in the region will increase Feb. 1, when marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet) open for salmon. Anglers in those two marine areas will have a daily limit of one salmon, and chinook must measure at least 22 inches in length.

  The traditional fishing spots in those two marine areas should be a good bet for anglers during the first two weeks of February, Thiesfeld said. "Over the past few years, marine areas 7 and 9 have been two of the top areas for blackmouth fishing in Puget Sound," he said. "We're expecting anglers to have similar success this year."

  In November, a large number of shakers were caught and released in marine areas 7 and 9, and some of those fish are probably still out there, Thiesfeld said. "Anglers should use larger spoons and plugs in order to minimize their catch of those juvenile chinook," he said. "Treat those fish with extreme care when releasing them because they are next year's crop of blackmouth."

  In the freshwater, hatchery steelhead fishing has been great in the upper Skagit River, said Brett Barkdull, WDFW fish biologist. "Anglers on the Skagit have been doing really well above the Sauk River," he said. "The river has come back into shape and the effort has definitely increased." Angler effort on the Cascade River, however, has slowed recently, and steelheading has been spotty, depending on river conditions.

  Barkdull reminds anglers that wild steelhead start entering the region's rivers in late January. As most anglers know, wild steelhead can be distinguished from hatchery fish by their intact adipose and ventral fins. Retention rules for wild steelhead, as well as rules and regulations for other freshwater and saltwater fisheries, can be found in WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

  Looking to fish a derby? Anglers will have an opportunity in March to participate in the inaugural Anacortes Salmon Derby. The derby is scheduled for March 10-11 out of the Cap Sante Marina, and tickets for the event are $50 per person. Proceeds from the derby will go toward scholarships to benefit young adults interested in pursuing an education in fisheries and a related natural science. Top prize for the derby, which is hosted by the Fidalgo Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers, is $5,000. For more information visit http://www.anacortessalmonderby.com.

• Hunting: There are a few days remaining in the brant goose hunt - Jan. 25, 27 and 28 - in Skagit County. So far hunting has been slow, but the harvest is expected to improve during the last three openings, said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for WDFW. "Conditions weren't favorable during the first four days of hunting, but upcoming tides should help move the birds and increase success rates," Kraege said.

  Brant hunters have a daily bag limit of two geese, and must have prior written authorization and a harvest information card from WDFW. Hunters need to record their harvest information immediately after taking a brant, and return the completed harvest report to WDFW by Feb. 15. Hunters who fail to return the report by Feb. 15 will be ineligible to hunt brant in the 2007-2008 season.

  Other goose hunts in the region continue through Jan. 28. However, snow, Ross and blue geese hunts in Goose Management Area 1 (Skagit, Snohomish and Island counties) ended Jan. 7. Hunters also have through Jan. 28 to hunt ducks.

  More information on waterfowl hunting is available in WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm.

  Hunters, whether successful or not, must submit their mandatory hunting harvest reports for deer, elk, bear and turkey by Jan. 31 to avoid a $10 penalty when purchasing 2007 hunting licenses.

• Wildlife viewing: Record numbers of bald eagles are wintering along the Skagit River, and time is running out to watch the white-headed raptors. Each winter, hundreds of bald eagles spend part of December and January along the Skagit River, where the carcasses of spawned salmon provide a feast for the birds. After a few weeks of dining, the eagles head north - usually around mid- to late January - to their summer homes in Alaska and British Columbia.

  The best place to begin eagle-viewing activities is at the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretative Center. The center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 18. For more information on the interpretive center and an upcoming Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival, which takes place Feb. 3-4, visit http://www.skagiteagle.org.

  Elsewhere in Skagit County, birders continue to visit the area in hopes of catching a glimpse of the whooper swan. The swan, an uncommon visitor to Puget Sound, was last spotted along the Pioneer Highway in the Conway area. Whooper swans are large white birds with black and yellow bills. They breed mainly across northern Europe and Asia, and regularly winter on the Aleutian Islands.

  Further north, a male king eider was recently spotted in the Blaine area. The eider, which is a rare visitor to Washington, was seen southwest of the Semiahmoo Marina, just inside the seawall, according to a report on the Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). Male eiders are stocky black-and-white ducks with brightly colored heads.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: After weeks of heavy rain and high water, rivers have finally dropped into shape on the Olympic Peninsula, where steelhead anglers have been out in force since mid-January. Scott Barbour, a WDFW fish biologist, said he counted nearly 70 boat trailers along the Wynoochee River on the third Saturday of the month.

  "A lot of anglers are hitting the river, and many are catching fish," Barbour said. "People have been catching steelhead from Shaeffer Creek on downstream." Good fishing conditions are also drawing anglers to the Satsop and Chehalis rivers, although the latter usually doesn't hit its peak until February, Barbour said. Then again, some anglers have been catching steelhead on area rivers since November.

  "I know one plunker who claims he's hooked at least one steelhead every day since Thanksgiving on the Wynoochee," Barbour said.

  Anglers may retain up to two hatchery steelhead per day on those rivers, provided the fish measure at least 20 inches. All wild steelhead, identifiable by an intact adipose fin, must be released.

  Meanwhile, catch rates have begun to slow on several north coast rivers, where the transition from hatchery steelhead to wild steelhead is now under way. On the Bogachiel/Quillayute river system, creel checkers interviewed 76 anglers but tallied only 21 fish - kept or released - during the three-day survey period ending Jan. 21. Catch rates were nearly twice that high just a week earlier.

  "We're in that 'in-between' phase, when the hatchery fish start to drop off and the wild fish haven't yet started to arrive in large numbers," said Randy Cooper, another WDFW fish biologist. "Once we get some more rain, we should start seeing more wild fish moving up the rivers."

  Cooper said the Hoh River has been discolored in recent weeks, discouraging boat angling. But the Sol Duc has been fishing well, producing 32 steelhead for the 39 anglers checked during the three-day period ending Jan. 18. Of that total, anglers released 15 of the 16 wild steelhead they caught and two of the 17 hatchery fish.

  Rules for retaining wild steelhead on the north coast rivers are outlined on page 29 of the Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

  Saltwater anglers eager to catch salmon will soon have more options. Blackmouth fishing opens Feb. 1 in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and on Feb. 16 in marine areas 5 (Sekiu), 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal). See the Fishing in Washington pamphlet for details.

  Clam diggers can also look forward to another razor clam opening in February, provided that upcoming marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat.

  Four beaches - Twin Harbors, North Coast Beach (Long Beach), Mocrocks and Kalaloch - are tentatively scheduled to open for digging Feb. 16 and 17 between noon and midnight. Twin Harbors will also remain open an additional day, Feb. 18, during the same hours if test results allow the dig to proceed as planned. Copalis Beach will remain closed in February because of the relatively low number of clams available for harvest there.

  Evening low tides during digs tentatively scheduled in February are:

  • Feb. 16, Friday, 5:47 p.m., -0.3 ft., Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch

  • Feb. 17, Saturday, 6:28 p.m., -0.5 ft., Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch

  • Feb. 18, Sunday, 7:08 p.m., -0.3 ft., Twin Harbors only

  Under WDFW rules, harvesters may take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 taken, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's limit must be kept in a separate container.

  A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2006 annual shellfish/seaweed, razor clam or combination license is still valid. Licenses can be purchased via the Internet at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, by telephone (1-866-246-9453) or in person at more than 600 license vendors throughout the state. A list of vendors can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lic/vendors/vendors.htm.

• Hunting: Seasons for ducks and geese will end Sunday, Jan. 28 in Management Area 3. Goose hunting is allowed seven days a week in that area. Waterfowl hunting in Area 2B ended Jan. 13.

  Hunters, whether successful or not, must submit their mandatory hunting harvest reports for deer, elk, bear and turkey by Jan. 31 to avoid a $10 penalty when purchasing 2007 hunting licenses.

• Wildlife viewing: Many birders and other enthusiasts who visited Point No Point the weekend of Jan. 20 were rewarded with sightings of a thick-billed murre. The black and white diving bird is quite a find for birders because it is definitely off-course from its usual Arctic habitat. The murre has been sighted several times off the northern Kitsap Peninsula this winter. The best viewing is near the lighthouse at Point No Point, just east of Hansville.

  Birders are reporting a variety of species on the North Beach Peninsula (Long Beach Peninsula) and Willapa Bay this winter. Trumpeter swans, redheads, scaup, long-billed dowitchers and western sandpipers have been seen throughout the area. Several thousand dunlin are also wintering in the bay and are easily identified by their bright-red backs and black bellies.

  Even though some birders were disappointed in their pursuit of the coveted slaty-backed gull, sighted recently near Port Angeles, they did get a look at a variety of other gulls in the Elwha River area. One birder reported seeing mew gulls, Thayer's and glaucous-winged gulls. A possible find of the day was an Iceland gull seen near the mouth of the river. If confirmed, this gull is a rare discovery and definitely off-track from spending its usual winter in the North Atlantic.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Although the peak has passed for early-run hatchery steelhead, anglers haven't been wasting time waiting for late-run fish to arrive at lower Columbia tributaries. Good fishing conditions bolstered catch rates on the Kalama River and Blue Creek during the third week of January, while dozens of anglers hooked up with excess hatchery steelhead recently planted in a number of area lakes and ponds.

  "We're in a transition period between early-run hatchery steelhead and late-run stocks, which will build through spring in the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers," said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. "Meanwhile, we're starting to get a few reports of spring chinook returning to the Willamette River, so we should start seeing some springers in the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis rivers before long."

  Anglers fishing the Kalama River during the third week in January averaged one-to-two steelhead hook-ups per boat, said Chris Wagemann, a WDFW fish research biologist at the Kalama Falls Hatchery. Fishing conditions, after a week of cold weather, were "the best of the year," he said. No creel counts were available for that week on the Cowlitz River, but 28 anglers were checked with 18 hatchery steelhead on Blue Creek.

  Hymer reminds anglers that Blue Creek closes to all fishing Feb. 1, when the catch limit also reverts to two hatchery steelhead per day on the Cowlitz River downstream from Mayfield Dam.

  Catching that many fish hasn't been a problem for most anglers fishing Kress Lake, one of several lakes and ponds planted with excess hatchery steelhead in recent weeks. Wagemann said he's heard of some anglers making as many as a dozen hook-ups in one day at the popular fishing lake near Kalama in Cowlitz County. "All the people I've heard from said they had a great time," Wagemann said.

  Since mid-December, WDFW and Tacoma Power have planted slightly over 1,400 excess adult hatchery steelhead in Kress Lake, 553 in South Lewis County Park in Toledo and 63 into Horseshoe Lake in Woodland. In addition, 115 coho adults and 11 winter-run steelhead were released into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa during the third week of January.

  While the recent cold snap has energized the steelhead fishery by improving river conditions, it has had the opposite effect on fisheries for smelt and sturgeon, Hymer said. Smelt dipping, already slow, came to a virtual halt on the Cowlitz River on the third Saturday in January, and few legal-size sturgeon were reported caught in the mainstem Columbia that week.

  "Smelt like a water temperature of 42 degrees or above," Hymer said. "In recent days, water temperatures have been ranging from 38 degrees to 40 degrees. That's pretty cold for sturgeon, too. Fishing for both species should improve once the weather warms up a bit."

  The Cowlitz is open to smelt fishing only on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a daily limit of 10 pounds. No other Washington Columbia River tributary is open to fishing for smelt. Weekly smelt updates can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/smelt/index.htm.

  Sturgeon anglers should be aware that fishery managers will sponsor a public meeting Jan. 25 in Vancouver to consider adopting season modifications for the sturgeon fishery from the Wauna powerlines to Bonneville Dam. At that meeting, fishery managers will consider options for providing additional retention opportunity to access up to 4,000 sturgeon left over from last year's harvest guideline. A report on the outcome of that meeting will be posted on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/.

  Walleye, on the other hand, don't seem to mind the cold, even though they're classified as a "warm-water" fish. During a recent creel survey in The Dalles Pool, boat anglers averaged nearly a walleye apiece. "Right now, they're fattening up before spawning," Hymer said. "That takes precedence over the cold."

  Gunning for razor clams? See the regional report for the South Sound/Olympic Peninsula for information about a dig tentatively scheduled in mid-February.

• Hunting: Most areas will be open daily to duck and goose hunting open through Jan. 28. Exceptions include the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, which closed Jan. 20, and the rest of Goose Management Area 2A, open Jan. 25 and Jan. 27 before closing for the season.

  Hunters, whether successful or not, must submit their mandatory hunting harvest reports for deer, elk, bear and turkey by Jan. 31 to avoid a $10 penalty when purchasing 2007 hunting licenses.

• Wildlife viewing: A couple of birders spent a foggy morning recently at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, listening to the calls of a number of cranes, geese and swans. A total of 36 species were documented, including snow and cackling geese, red-winged blackbirds, red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks and some immature bald eagles.

  Now is a good time to head out to the refuge, which provides quality winter habitat for waterfowl. The nearly 5,200-acre refuge is located along the Columbia River, 10 miles downstream from the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. For more information visit the refuge's website at http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/RNWRHome.htm.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: According to WDFW enforcement officer patrol reports and fish biologists' creel surveys, very few people have been fishing the Snake River for steelhead, due to recent extremely cold weather. The mainstem river has also been muddy, which usually slows the bite. Steelheading in the Snake River drainage was best on the Tucannon River where creel checks showed about 10 hours of effort per steelhead caught. See the full report on stretches of the Snake River mainstem at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm.

  WDFW enforcement officers recently patrolling the region's winter-only rainbow trout lakes reported sporadic catches through the ice. Officer Lenny Hahn of Spokane found some 20-inch-plus trout caught at Fourth of July Lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line. "Some folks were nearly catching limits while others were only catching one or two," he said. On Jan. 21 Hahn recorded about five to six inches of ice at Fourth of July and eight to nine inches at Hog Canyon Lake in southwest Spokane County. Some Hog Canyon anglers were catching limits of smaller trout. Officer Don Weatherman of Colville reported anglers catching small rainbows through the ice at Williams Lake in Stevens County. Weatherman also checked anglers going after burbot or ling cod in Sullivan Lake in Pend Oreille County, although he noted the lake wasn't completely iced over and anglers should be cautious.

• Hunting: The final days of waterfowl hunting could be difficult in terms of finding open water where ducks and geese are still congregating. The season ends Jan. 28.

  Elk, deer, bear and turkey hunters have until Jan. 31 to submit hunting activity reports to avoid paying a $10 penalty when they purchase 2007 hunting licenses. Whether successful or not, all hunters of those species must report, either on the phone at 1(877) 945-3492, or online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.

• Wildlife viewing: Wildlife enthusiasts looking for a weekend field trip to break up the winter doldrums might consider WDFW's Chief Joseph Wildlife Area in the southeast corner of the state. "It's a beautiful spot that isn't well known outside of the local area here," said WDFW Enforcement Officer Alan Myers of Clarkston. "On any given day you might view elk, deer, bighorn sheep, otters, waterfowl, turkeys, and more." WDFW Wildlife Biologist David Woodall of Clarkston agrees, noting both bald and golden eagles can be seen now along the Snake and Grande Ronde rivers on the Chief Joe. The wildlife area lies about 30 miles south of the town of Asotin in Asotin County. Travelers should be prepared for snow-packed roads.

  Those who like to see turkeys may not have to go to Chief Joe for a close-up view. WDFW enforcement officers and biologists, along with several local volunteers, have been trying to bait and catch "aggressive" turkeys in the town of Dayton in Columbia County.

  WDFW Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Manager Juli Anderson reported seeing about a dozen short-eared owls hunting over the snow for about 15 miles as she drove back to the area headquarters, south of Wilbur in Lincoln County. "I even saw one on a roadside fence post," she said.

  WDFW Habitat Biologist Sandy Dotts of Colville first saw tracks, then the bobcat making them, as she cross-country skied from the top of Boulder Pass down to the Lembcke Mill on Alec Creek in Ferry County. "I knew the tracks were fresh when I saw them, but I had no idea just how fresh!" Dotts also reported seeing snowshoe hare and ermine tracks, plus those of a moose and a cougar, and hearing a great horned owl. "It's mating season for the owls, so it's a good time to hear them hooting back and forth to each other," she noted.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW Fish Biologist Art Viola of Cashmere reports steelhead fishing is very slow on the upper Columbia River near Wenatchee. "But ice fishing on Chelan County's Fish Lake is very good for yellow perch and rainbow trout," he said. "Barring a warm spell, the ice should remain safe."

  Ice fishing in Okanogan County is also going strong, according to WDFW Fish Biologist Bob Jateff of Omak. Rat Lake near Brewster, Green Lake near Omak, Davis Lake near Winthrop, and Molson/Sidley lake near Oroville are all producing catches of rainbow trout in the 10 to 12-inch range. Jateff said ice fishing at Patterson Lake near Winthrop has been slow for yellow perch. "But I encourage anglers to fish as many areas of Patterson as possible," he said. "Once the perch are located, their schooling tendencies will increase catch rates. Small teardrop-shaped jigs tipped with maggots and/or a piece of worm are effective setups for perch."

  Jateff also reports steelhead fishing on the upper Columbia River near Pateros has slowed considerably in the last few weeks with average catch rates of only one fish for every 12 hours of effort.

  Fishing for big triploid rainbows on Rufus Woods Lake - the Columbia River reservoir east of Bridgeport - continues to be very good. Jateff reports anglers catching 2-to-5-pound triploids, with an occasional 10-pounder. He notes new regulations on Rufus Woods allow anglers to retain two trout and two kokanee as part of the daily bag limit. Rufus Woods has good boat launching facilities and bank access for fishermen.

• Hunting: Waterfowl hunting season ends Jan. 28 and the recent deep freeze presents a challenge for those wanting to bag some final ducks or geese. "Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake are completely frozen," reports WDFW Wildlife Biologist Rich Finger of Moses Lake. "Winchester Lake has about 25 percent open water, mostly in the north end. Although nearly all still water in the area is frozen, there are some ducks and geese sticking around. The lack of open water makes scouting very important to hunting success. Folks who find open water without excessive hunting pressure are likely to be successful."

  Based on forecasts, Finger doesn't anticipate any significant changes in waterfowl numbers or ice conditions before the end of the season. "We have a couple inches of snow in some areas but it is probably not hindering field feeding by waterfowl," he said.

  <>Elk, deer, bear and turkey hunters have until Jan. 31 to submit hunting activity reports to avoid paying a $10 penalty when they purchase 2007 hunting licenses. Whether successful or not, all hunters of those species must report, either on the phone at 1(877) 945-3492, or online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW Wildlife Biologist Rich Finger of Moses Lake recently observed Western Arctic and Pacific Northwest races of horned larks and a snow bunting in the dryland wheat areas northeast of Moses Lake. A golden eagle was seen in the Pinto Ridge area. Hairy and downy woodpeckers and a goshawk were spotted in Northrup Canyon near Grand Coulee. A brown creeper was observed at the Steamboat Rock boat launch on Banks Lake.

  "The Coulee Corridor and Banks Lake are frozen, except for some very small areas of flowing water," Finger said. "Some bald eagles have been observed hunting groups of waterfowl and coots in Coulee Corridor and at Potholes Reservoir."

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW Fish Biologist Paul Hoffarth of Pasco reports anglers harvested 81 Columbia River steelhead at Ringold as of Jan. 21. "So far in January we've interviewed 46 anglers with 133 pole hours with 11 steelhead," he said. "The average for the month is 12.1 hours per steelhead. Weather has been cold, effort has been light, and I'm pretty sure there is a connection." Hoffarth said 22 percent of the harvest in January is steelhead that were trapped at Ringold, transported, and released back in the river in the Tri-Cities to give anglers a second chance at the fish.

• Hunting: The final days of waterfowl hunting could be difficult, at least in terms of finding open water where ducks and geese are still congregating. The season ends Jan. 28.

  Elk, deer, bear and turkey hunters have until Jan. 31 to submit hunting activity reports to avoid paying a $10 penalty when they purchase 2007 hunting licenses. Whether successful or not, all hunters of those species must report, either on the phone at 1(877) 945-3492, or online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW habitat biologist Eric Pentico of Ellensburg says the west side of Washington may have the Skagit River for bald eagle viewing at this time of year, " but we've got the Kittitas Valley." For the next month and a half, numerous bald eagles can be sighted around Kittitas Valley pastures.

  Eagles can also be seen on WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area, just southwest of Yakima, where they're feeding on winter-killed elk carcasses. "It's a good reminder that, even when we feed them, winter is nature's way of culling herds," said John McGowan, area manager. Oak Creek's popular winter feeding and close-up viewing of elk continues, with over 1,000 head coming into the wildlife area headquarters feeding site, off Hwy. 12 southwest of Naches. At 1:30 p.m. daily, hay trucks make their way through the gathered elk, although many of the animals are visible throughout the day. Visitors can make reservations for hay truck tours by volunteers by calling (509) 698-5106. The tours and viewing are supported by donations and McGowan says this winter especially every dollar helps keep the animals fed. Another 500 or more elk are fed near the junction of Hwy. 12 and 410 to the east; viewers there should stay in vehicles in the minimal off-highway parking space, since walking near the fenceline will disturb the elk.

  About 180 bighorn sheep, including several rams, continue coming into a feeding site on the Cleman Mountain unit of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area, just northeast of the Highway 410 and 12 junction, about half-a-mile up the Old Naches Road, where they're fed mid-morning daily.

  WDFW's L.T. Murray Wildlife Area, just west of Ellensburg in Kittitas County, also continues feeding elk in several locations, including the Joe Watt Canyon unit where public viewing is welcome. WDFW Area Manager Cindi Confer says up to 1,000 elk can be seen at the Joe Watt feeding station. Visitors can take the Thorp exit off Interstate 90, drive south on the Old Thorp Highway to Thorp Cemetery Road and take Joe Watt Canyon Road to the winter closure gate on the wildlife area. Elk viewers are advised to remain in or near vehicles at the gate.