June 26-July 9, 2002

Contact: Margaret Ainscough, (360) 902-2408

For salmon fishers, the fireworks will start early this year when a rare lower Columbia River summer hatchery chinook season gets under way Friday (June 28) and ocean salmon fishing opens off Westport June 30.

The remaining three ocean ports– Ilwaco, LaPush and Neah Bay– get in on the action July 7, amid predictions of the second strongest chinook return in 50 years.

And for those who don't see salmon in their holiday plans, there's plenty of other fishing and wildlife watching available across the state.

Whatever the activity, outdoor enthusiasts are reminded to be careful with camp fires, cookstoves, smoking materials, chainsaws, motor vehicles and other potential fire starters because wild fire danger is high in many places, particularly in eastern Washington. Fireworks are not allowed on public lands, including WDFW wildlife areas. Open fires are not allowed at any WDFW wildlife areas or water access sites and could be restricted on other public lands; check local conditions and rules before departing.

Here is a sampling of current recreation opportunities across the state:

North Puget Sound:

• Fishing: While salmon fishing opens July 1 in Marine Areas 7, 9 and 10, the hottest early season chinook fishing might be in the Tulalip Bay terminal area, in Marine Area 8-2. Opening June 30 on a 12:01 a.m. Friday to 11:59 a.m. Monday schedule every week through the end of September, the Tulalip fishery has a two-fish daily limit. All chinook must be 22 inches or longer. In Area 7, there is a two-fish daily limit, only one of which can be a chinook, and chinook must be 22 inches or longer. Area 9 also has a two-fish daily limit, but all chinook and chum salmon must be released. For Area 10, there is a daily two-fish limit, and all chinook must be released. Urban salmon anglers should circle July 12 as their first shot at chinook salmon in Elliott Bay when the recreational fishery begins in the innermost portion of the bay. The fishery is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning July 12 through Aug. 18, with a two-fish limit. Chinook must be 22 inches or longer to retain, and all chum salmon must be released. The fishing area is east of a line from Duwamish Head north across Elliott Bay to Pier 91. Check Page 37 of the 2002-03 "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for a map of the area for more information. Summer-run steelhead fishing has been spotty because of high water conditions brought about by snowmelt in the Cascade Mountains, said WDFW Fisheries Biologist Curt Kraemer. "The rivers should start to drop back into shape within the next few weeks, and fishing could pick up after that," Kraemer said. Fans of alpine lakes trout fishing are also concerned about snowmelt, more specifically, when the snow and ice that lock up their favorite fishing spots for six months or longer each year will go away. "There's always a good burst of feeding activity by trout once ice-out happens," Kraemer said. However, this year's heavy snowpack is lingering in many Cascade Mountain watersheds, possibly delaying alpine lakes fishing opportunities. Check the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center's website for the latest information on snow depth conditions. Most lowland lakes are starting to warm up nicely, making things more comfortable for swimmers and a little more difficult for anglers. Trout are likely heading to deeper water, Kraemer noted, so anglers should concentrate their fishing efforts to early morning or evening hours, avoiding the warmer portions of the day when the fish head deep. Crab fishers have plenty of opportunities throughout much of northern Puget Sound, including Marine Areas 9 and 10, which are open seven days a week, plus Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2, which are open on a Friday through Monday schedule each week. There is a six-crab daily limit, and crabbers are reminded to immediately record their kept Dungeness crab on a catch record card.

• Wildlife viewing: While the Tennant Lake Interpretive Center and Fragrance Garden near Ferndale is open year around, summer is definitely the best – and most fragrant – time of year to visit. The center, cooperatively managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Whatcom County Parks and Recreation, is at 5236 Nielsen Rd., in Ferndale. Among the many features are a meandering boardwalk through swamp and wetland to a 50-foot viewing tower that offers panoramic views of the lake and surrounding wetlands, and glimpses of the more than 150 bird species frequent the park. The center also features mounted wildlife, displays and maps to help visitors interpret the area's native plant and animal life. Adjacent the interpretive center is a fragrance garden where visitors are encouraged to touch and smell more than 200 native plants placed in raised beds that are wheelchair accessible and featuring a Braille text. The center's summer hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. More information is available at (360) 384-3064, or on the Internet. Backyard bird enthusiasts may have noticed that their favorite hummingbirds are becoming less-frequent visitors to flowers and feeders. That's because some of the diminutive birds might already be on the move south toward overwintering grounds in central Mexico. According to the Washington state chapter of the Audubon Society, male rufous hummingbirds – the most common hummingbird in western Washington – typically leave the area by mid-July. Females and their young usually buzz out of town by September. For those lucky enough to still have hummingbirds in their areas, remember to keep fresh nectar in the feeders. Warm weather, and especially direct sunlight, will spoil nectar in just a few days. The fourth-annual Skagit Waterfowl Festival is set for July 13 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon to promote the heritage of waterfowl hunting and conservation. This event, sponsored by the Washington Waterfowl Association, combines the 30th annual Northwest Decoy Collectors Rally, the Washington state world-sanctioned duck-calling contest, a decoy carving contest, a Ducks Unlimited barbecue, plus presentations from waterfowl guides, waterfowling vendors and artists. Admission is $3 per person, while children under 12 are admitted at no charge, but must be accompanied by an adult.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: Fresh off a rare spring chinook season, coastal anglers are gearing up for a summer salmon season marked by predictions of the second-best return of fall chinook salmon to the Columbia River in 50 years. The action begins June 30, when Marine Area 2 (Westport) opens with a two-salmon limit on a Sunday-through-Thursday schedule. Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) opens on the same five-days-per-week schedule on July 7, along with Marine Area 3 (LaPush) and Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) will be open seven days per week. As with Westport, the limit is two salmon per day but only coho marked with a missing adipose fin – clipped at hatcheries for purposes of identification – may be retained in ocean fishing areas. "Chinook salmon bound for the Columbia River will dominate the coastal salmon fishery this summer," said Mark Cedergreen, executive director of the Westport Charterboat Association. "We're expecting one of the best years of salmon fishing here since the 1980s." Catch rates during the spring chinook-only season support that optimism. After three weeks of fishing, anglers caught 19,437 salmon of a 20,000-fish harvest guideline established for the early fishery. Most anglers fishing out of Westport and Ilwaco caught their limit of two chinook salmon, according to WDFW catch reports. While WDFW expects only an average return of coho salmon after a near record run last year, chinook salmon have clearly benefitted from favorable freshwater and ocean conditions, said Doug Milward, WDFW ocean salmon manager. "Chinook are a little tougher to catch than coho, but we still expect to see a lot of salmon limits out there this year," Milward said. Coastwide, the harvest guidelines during the summer season are 47,400 chinook salmon and 109,530 hatchery coho, with individual guidelines established for each of the four coastal fishing areas. For those who want to catch a really big chinook salmon, the waters off Sekiu in the Strait of Juan de Fuca is a good time and place to do it, said Dick Geist, WDFW fisheries manager for Puget Sound. "We've seen a fair number of chinook weighing in the 40-pound range caught out of Sekiu at that time of year," he said. The entire Strait, from Sekiu to Admiralty Inlet, opens for salmon fishing July 1, but anglers cannot retain chinook salmon until July 8 – and then only in Area 5 off Sekiu. Throughout the season, angler are required to release all chum salmon and, as on the coast, any coho salmon with an intact adipose fin. All in all, Geist foresees a "fairly decent" salmon fishery in the Strait this year, although chinook fishing in the Sekiu area (Marine Area 5) will be limited by a 2,000-fish quota. Fishing is already good, and getting better on the Hoh River these days. With the summer run nearing its peak, WDFW found that 14 boat anglers had caught five adult chinook and two jacks. More anglers are expected to shift to the Hoh after July 1, when the Quillayute River system (which includes the Sol Duc and Bogachiel rivers) goes to catch-and-release for any wild (unmarked) chinook or coho salmon caught.

• Wildlife viewing: Birding enthusiasts reporting to the Tweeters Website note a chestnut-sided warbler has been hanging out in the Sequim area of eastern Clallam County. This could be the first sighting ever of a chestnut-sided warbler for Clallam County; in fact, only a dozen or so sightings have been recorded in all of Washington state. Clallam County has plenty of excellent birding areas, including the national wildlife refuge at Dungeness Spit, Sequim Bay, and the public areas along the Dungeness River, where wildlife watchers might also find chinook salmon and other anadromous fish beginning the final leg of their spawning journey. Check out the public access area at the Dungeness River Audubon Center at Railroad Bridge Park, two miles west of the Sequim, for great views of the fast-flowing Dungeness and its many fish and wildlife species. Beachcombers have plenty of opportunities to check out the nearshore marine wildlife during the second week of July, as every day from the 7th through the 12th have great low tides, including a -2.7 tide at 10:44 a.m. on July 11. Check tidepools for anemones, small crabs, fish and other critters that are normally out of reach.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: For the first time in decades, anglers will be able to take home an adult hatchery summer chinook beginning Friday on the lower Columbia River. Up to two adult fish (24 inches and up) are allowed in the six-salmon daily limit (chinook with intact adipose fins and all sockeye and chum salmon must be released unharmed). The fishery runs through July 31 from the Rocky Point/ Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam. The summer chinook are dubbed "June Hogs," and can hit the 40-pound range, says Joe Hymer, regional fish biologist. "You may have to work for it, but it's possible to bring in a really nice size fish," Hymer added. Meanwhile, hatchery steelhead fishers are still enjoying good catches under recently-increased daily bag limits on the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers. Cowlitz boat anglers were recently averaging nearly one hatchery steelhead apiece from Mission Bar upstream to Barrier Dam, while bank anglers were catching an average of one fish for every three rods in the lower river from Barrier Dam downstream. On the Lewis River, over 1,800 hatchery steelhead have been "recycled" downstream to provide increased fishing opportunity. On the mainstem Columbia, fishers were averaging one fish for every seven rods from Vancouver downstream, with the best fishing from Longview to Cathlamet. Shad fishers are enjoying the benefits of a run reaching possible record proportions. Through June 25, nearly 2.9 million shad had been counted at Bonneville Dam. The record is slightly less than 3 million fish counted in 1990. Bank anglers at Hamilton Island below Bonneville Dam yesterday were averaging 4.5 fish per rod, based on reports from incomplete trips. Meanwhile sturgeon fishers are out in force, with 600 private and 21 charter sturgeon boats counted last Saturday in the Columbia estuary. The majority of charter boats fishers were going home with their one-fish limit, while private boat anglers were averaging one-third to one-half a fish per rod. There's lots going on in area lakes as well– Skamania County's popular Goose Lake was recently planted with 5,700 brown trout weighing a pound apiece and 2,000 cutthroat trout, each two-thirds of a pound. On Mayfield Lake anglers are doing well on 36,500 half-pound rainbows released from the Friends of the Cowlitz net pens earlier this month. Skate Creek and the Tilton river are receiving catchable-size rainbow trout throughout the summer as is Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir). Both bank and boat anglers are finding landlocked coho in Riffe Lake. Warmwater fishers are finding good angling in John Day Pool, where catches last week were averaging better than one walleye and six bass per rod.

• Wildlife viewing: A Tweeters website contributor reports from a recent drive around the River S Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and east toward Silver Star Mountain on the edge of the Clark-Skamania County line with sightings at Ridgefield included great egrets, American bitterns, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler, American wigeon, ring-necked ducks, greater scaup, lesser scaup, male bufflehead, ruddy ducks, northern harriers, black terns, common snipe, great horned owls, pileated woodpecker, Pacific-slope flycatchers, northern rough-winged swallows, white-breasted nuthatch and yellow-headed blackbirds. At Moulton Falls County Park immature American dipper, Hammond's flycatcher, black-throated gray warblers, and an evening grosbeak were spotted.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: When the weather heats up, it's "warmwater fish" time. Warmwater species are those non-native fish that are more actively feeding and spawning in warmer water than native, coldwater trout. WDFW's eastern region warmwater fish team of biologists, headed by Marc Divens, recently surveyed southwest Spokane County's Chapman Lake and reported that fishing opportunities are good for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Divens said that Chapman's kokanee also look good with two average size groups, 9-10 inches and 12-13 inches. Divens' team also just surveyed Stevens County's Pierre Lake and saw many largemouth bass. "They're mostly small fish," Divens said, "but some bass up to four pounds are available." Crappie are also available in Pierre in the 8-11-inch size range, as are rainbow trout up to two pounds, cutthroat trout averaging 12 inches, and kokanee averaging 10 inches. Divens reported that Spokane County's Silver Lake is good now for bass, crappie, and bluegill, Badger Lake is producing limits of trout, and Sprague Lake walleye fishing has been good. More tiger muskies (a cross between northern pike and muskellunge) were just added to Silver, Newman, and Curlew lakes, but at an average of 12 inches apiece, they won't be catchable size (36-inch minimum size limit) for a couple of years (although a few earlier-stocked, legal-size tigers might be caught in these lakes.)

• Wildlife viewing: Stevens County's Pierre Lake is a good place to watch for loons, osprey and fish, reports WDFW fish biologist Marc Divens. "The water is so clear that you can see bass, sunfish, and crappie while cruising the shoreline," he said. A Forest Service campground on Pierre Lake makes it a good family outing destination. Other good camping spots where glimpses of deer, ducks, geese, and hawks are part of the adventure include the many National Recreation Area sites along Lake Roosevelt. WDFW's Wooten Wildlife Area in in the southeast part of the region's Blue Mountains is a good place to see elk, black bear, bighorn sheep, turkeys and many other kinds of birds. Wherever you picnic, camp, or hike to watch wildlife, be careful about food and fire; keep food and garbage secured to avoid attracting wild animals, carefully use camp stoves rather than open fires, and leave the fireworks at home.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Fishing for kokanee has been hot at Palmer Lake, north of Loomis in Okanogan County. According to WDFW's district fish biologist Heather Bartlett, the kokanee at Palmer have been running 14 inches on the average. Bartlett also notes that the rainbow trout fishing at Douglas County's popular Jameson Lake will be over at midnight on the Fourth of July when that water closes for the summer until it re-opens for the month of October. She suggests that after the last day of fishing at Jameson, anglers might want to head for Grand Coulee Dam to take in the holiday light show at dark. WDFW's Columbia Basin district fish biologist Jeff Korth says "it's still walleye city on Banks, Potholes, Moses, and Sprague." Korth also reports that the sand dunes in Potholes Reservoir are still accessible so largemouth bass angling ought to be good there. A few more trout and perch are also being caught at Potholes, but the much anticipated perch fishery has still not materialized on Moses Lake. Smallmouth bass along the dam at Potholes and Banks are traditionally good this time of year, too. Korth advises that because water temperatures on the smaller lakes are in the low 70's now, the best trout fishing in places like the Seep Lakes will be early morning and the last hour or so before dark.

• Wildlife viewing: Escape the heat of the lowlands and head for the Okanogan high country to find wildlife more active and visible. WDFW's Sinlahekin Wildlife Area near Tonasket includes elevations over 5,000 feet, bunchgrass and shrub vegetation, and lots of densely wooded riparian habitat areas that host mule deer, whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, hawksnesting golden eagles, blue grouse, mountain bluebirds and other wildlife. Both areas offer hiking and mountain biking trails and camping sites. Wherever you picnic, camp, or hike to watch wildlife, be careful about food and fire: keep food and garbage secured to avoid attracting wild animals into your camp, carefully use camp stoves rather than open fires, and leave the fireworks at home.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Clear Lake near White Pass is the scene of hot rainbow trout fishing right now, reports WDFW district fish biologist Eric Anderson. Limits are common, particularly by boat anglers, Anderson says, but shore anglers are doing well too. Bait, spinners and flies are all effective on the recently-planted 9- to 12- inch trout and some carryover fish up to 14 inches. Leech Lake at White Pass is also a good bet with 1,600 triploids recently planted in the lake. These sterile rainbows are about 1 3/4 pounds each and about 15-17 inches. Eastern brook trout are also present in Leech Lake. Anglers need to keep in mind that Leech Lake is fly fishing only, with no bait or spinning equipment and no boat motors allowed, and no more than two of the daily limit of five trout can be over 12 inches. Clear, Leech, and other high-elevation lakes will continue to provide good fishing as the weather warms, snow and ice melt, and access opens up. Other popular lakes recently planted with catchable-size rainbow trout are Yakima County's Bear Lake, Dog Lake, I-82 Pond #4, Lost Lake, Rotary Lake, Sarge Hubbard Park Pond (juvenile only), Tieton Ranger Pond, Tim's Pond, and Wenas Lake; and Kittitas County's Easton Ponds, Fio Rito Lakes, Hanson Ponds, Kiwanis Pond, Lavendar Lake, Mattoon Lake, and Naneum Pond (juvenile only). Kokanee fishing at Rimrock Lake may be a bust this year, Anderson said, due to the Bureau of Reclamation draining the reservoir to very low levels last summer. The draining flushed tens of thousands of kokanee out of the lake into the river where they ultimately perished, " Anderson explained, and it will take a long while for the kokanee population to rebuild. Kokanee fishing opportunities do exist at other reservoirs including Bumping, Kachess, Keechelus, and Cle Elum Lakes. Kokanee will be small at Bumping (6-7 inches) but larger at the other reservoirs (8-11 inches). In recent years WDFW has been beefing up the cutthroat trout fry plants in Kachess and Keechelus Lakes and anglers are starting to hook up on some 12-14-inchers now. WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins says this is the time when trout anglers head for the rivers and streams, although this year, with last winter's above-average snowpack, flows remain higher than desirable for best fishing. "There has been some improvement in conditions recently," Cummins said, "but anglers may have to wait until mid-July for best fishing flows." Best bets now might be the Naches and Yakima Rivers. The Yakima is well known among fly anglers for producing good catch-and-release fishing for rainbows 10 to16 inches, with an occasional larger fish, and it's best fished with drift boats at current flows. Anglers pursuing rainbows in the Naches River will want to fish above the confluence with the Tieton. Both the Naches River and Yakima (above Roza Dam) have selective gear rules, which restrict fishing to lures and flies with single, barbless hooks. No bait may be used in these rivers. WDFW is conducting a creel census on the Naches this year, so anglers can expect to be interviewed by a technician who will ask them about their fishing experience and collect biological data. The upper Yakima is catch-and-release, except for a new opportunity starting this year to harvest an unlimited number of eastern brook from the head of Lake Easton to Keechelus Dam. The Naches has a 12- inch minimum size and two-trout catch limit. As water temperatures rise and flows recede, other good trout fishing waters include the upper Teanaway drainage, Naneum Creek, Taneum Creek, and upper Cle Elum River. New selective gear rules are in effect on the upper Cle Elum and lower Cooper Rivers this year. Yakima Basin lakes, rivers and streams are closed to salmon, steelhead and bull trout fishing. Bass anglers may want to try the Columbia River for smallmouth bass in the Plymouth, Patterson and Crow Butte areas, as well as above Richland in the Hanford Reach. Channel catfish opportunity is good in the lower Yakima, and in some of the lakes, such as Wenas, Rotary, and the I-82 Ponds. The I-82 ponds might be a good place to take the family and kids, and fish for perch and sunfish.

• Wildlife viewing: For families looking for quick and easy access to a picnicking and wildlife viewing spot for the Independence Day holiday, WDFW's I-82 Wildlife Area may be just the ticket. The area is actually 17 parcels of property along the Yakima River and Interstate Highway 82 from Union Gap to the Zillah interchange, known most for its seven man-made fishing ponds and three boat launches. The riparian habitat along the river, sloughs, and ponds offers excellent nesting and brooding cover for ducks, geese, herons, shorebirds, pheasant, quail, red-winged blackbirds and many other songbirds. It's also possible to spot deer, coyotes, and other critters. Wherever you go to watch wildlife, be careful about food and fire: keep food and garbage secured to avoid attracting wild animals into your picnic site, carefully use camp stoves rather than open fires, and leave the fireworks at home.