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| July 1-13, 1999 |
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Independence Day and other summertime weekends are prime time for fishing and wildlife watching at the hundreds of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) water access and wildlife areas across the state.
Click here to learn more Campers, hikers, fishers, boaters, wildlife watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts traditionally use these areas in peak numbers in summer months, but new this season is a required WDFW "access stewardship decal."
The access stewardship decal is a sticker that must be on the back window of any motor vehicle when parked at a WDFW water access site or wildlife area. The sticker is free with purchase of a fishing or hunting license, but otherwise costs $10. It can be purchased at any fishing and hunting license dealer, including WDFW offices and sporting goods stores. The money collected from decal sales is used to maintain boat launches, toilets, and other facilities at these sites.
The decal requirement went into effect in April with the opening of fishing season, and so far WDFW enforcement officers have observed about a 60 percent compliance rate across the state. Officers will issue warnings to those without decals, giving them a chance to purchase one before paying a $66 misdemeanor fine.
Other long-standing rules at these sites include "no fireworks" and "no campfires" (except in designated areas). The main intent of these rules is to reduce the chance of starting wild fires. Fireworks also disturb wildlife.
Here are some of the recreational highlights that await those venturing out in the next few weeks:
Wildlife watching: If you're out on Washington waterways over the Fourth, keep your eyes and ears open for wildlife babies as they grow bolder and more visible. Streamside areas are especially good spots to see ducklings, goslings, beaver kits or even bear cubs. You're also likely to see baby birds of all kinds including grouse, quail, and pheasant chicks, plus elk calves, bighorn sheep lambs, and deer fawns. The key to spotting wild babies is to look for a lone adult animal, then remain still for a while to see nearby babies. Watch an osprey or eagle flying with food to a nest, then look for the chicks; many raptor youngsters are exercising their wings and getting ready for the big take-off from those nests now. Waterfowl are now molting (shedding old feathers for new) and are unable to fly for a short period, so don't mistake a duck trying to fly for an injured one. Weather, nest predation, subsequent re-nesting, and other factors can result in different sizes and ages of young wildlife from place to place at this time. Some young robins almost look fully grown now, others are still helpless nestlings. WDFW surveys of golden eagle nests across the state last month are showing quite a variety of chick development stages. Burrowing owls in the central regions, especially around the Tri-Cities and the Pasco airport in particular, are just coming out with chicks now. If you plan to hike in the high country to catch a glimpse of mountain goats or pikas, remember there's still lots of snow in many areas. Check local conditions with U.S. Forest Service or National Park Service offices before you head up.
Fishing
Looking for some fresh salmon for your 4th of July barbeque? There are a number of options in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, according to WDFW's Tony Floor. In Rich Passage (southeast of Bremerton), over 100,000 Atlantic salmon recently escaped from a private fish growing facility and beginning July 1 are available to salmon anglers. This area (Marine Area 10) has been closed to salmon fishing since April 10 to protect wild salmon stocks. The escaped pen-reared fish, ranging in size from two to 10 pounds, should be hungry and readily available to all forms of natural or artificial baits. There are no size or bag limit restrictions for Atlantic salmon. However, pay attention to this year's special regulations which prohibit anglers from fishing with more than two ounces of lead in Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) in July and August.
San Juan Island waters also open to salmon fishing July 1. Like central Puget Sound, this area has been closed since April 10. Find the baitfish and you'll find the salmon. Fishers should pay particular attention to the fishing area restriction zones in the eastern and southern portions of the San Juan Islands. The western shoreline of San Juan Island from Eagle Point to Snug Harbor also can be very good in July.
In southwest Washington, hatchery summer-run steelhead returns have been increasing over the past two weeks in the Kalama River. In the Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam, summer-run steelhead are being caught off the Washington sand bars. Riffe Lake fishing has greatly improved with lots of 16-inch coho being caught and at least one 21-inch chinook observed by WDFW biologists. The murky water from Lake Scanewa starts clearing up near the fishing bridge. The catch seems to improve if the clear water from Riffe Lake partially backs up to the bridge. Some smallmouth bass also are being caught by boat anglers. Shad anglers just below Bonneville Dam have been averaging about three fish per person.
Fishing for sturgeon from boats from Beacon Rock upstream to the Hamilton Island boat ramp to the Robins Island boundary line opens July 1. In the Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam sturgeon are being caught off the bank just below the dam and in the estuary. Private boat anglers in the estuary averaged a legal keeper for every two to four rods. Effort has been intensive in the estuary with record counts observed in recent weeks. Catches have improved at John Day Pool.
In southcentral Washington, Yakima River channel catfish continue to provide some good fishing, especially at night. Use chicken liver or fresh cut-bait sucker fished on the bottom in the deeper areas on the outside bends of the lower 20 miles of the Yakima, and you could reel in a six to 10-pounder.
In northcentral Washington, getting out on the big waters of Banks Lake or Moses Lake may be one way to minimize holiday weekend crowding. Both fisheries have walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, lots of lake whitefish, and net-pen reared rainbow trout – all of which continue to provide catches through the summer. Perch are abundant at Moses Lake, and there are some nice-sized ones, but fishing could be spotty.
In eastern Washington, Snake River channel catfish and smallmouth bass fishing are good in the sloughs and backwaters. Sprague Lake is good now for perch, walleye, largemouth bass, and bluegill.
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