June 13-26, 2001

Contact: Virginia Painter, (360) 902-2256

OLYMPIA -- Summer of 2001 kicks off next week with a lot of anglers counting the days until the ocean salmon fishery opens July 1. Coastal communities are already in high gear taking reservations and otherwise making preparations for what promises to be the best salmon fishing in a decade.

In the meantime, however, there are plenty of other attractions, including the lowest tides of the year on Puget Sound and Hood Canal, a red-hot shad fishery on the Columbia River and new opportunities to catch hatchery summer-run steelhead.

Minus tides June 22 and 23 provide a great opportunity to dig a variety of clams, including the Northwest's biggest bivalve -- the geoduck. While regular low tides allow harvesting of littleneck clams and oysters, the extreme low tides in the days ahead will also make it possible to dig for geoducks, eastern softshells, horse clams and a variety of other species that usually remain submerged in the sub-tidal zone. The geoduck is typically found two to three feet down, so be prepared to dig deep. In addition, people will be able to collect crabs by wading.

The range of lowest Puget Sound tides runs from minus-3.4 in Edmonds at 12:10 p.m. June 22 and at 12:55 p.m. June 23, to lows of minus-3.7 in Olympia at 1:11 p.m. June 22 and at 1:56 p.m. June 23. On Hood Canal, lowest tides range from minus-3.2 at Port Ludlow at noon June 22 and at 12:45 p.m. June 23, to minus-3.6 tides in Union at 12:24 p.m. June 22 and 1:09 p.m. June 23.

Of course, you don't have to have chowder or seafood stew in mind to take advantage of these tides. You can take a day to explore tidepools and flats that are only rarely exposed. But whether you're digging clams or exploring, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reminds folks to use caution; beach rescues have been necessary, and drownings have occurred when people have become stuck in tidal mud during an incoming tide.

Here are some other tips for enjoying a safe and educational day on the beach:

• Watch for signs that indicate potential danger. Always check the mud for firmness before venturing out.
• Keep an eye on the tide to avoid becoming stranded from shore as the tide returns.
• Wear sturdy, non-skid shoes.
• Walk carefully and avoid running. Seaweeds growing on rocks can be dangerously slippery.
• Try not to walk on plants and animals that live on rocks and in tidepools.
• Encourage children to explore with all their senses. Listen to the sounds of the animals breathing and spitting water. Smell the rich smell of the tideflats full of living things. Take along field guides to help identify animals and plants.
• Do not remove animals that are attached to rocks.
• If turning over rocks to look at wildlife, be sure to put them back in place.
• If touching wildlife, do it gently and with wet hands. Most tidepool animals have a coating of slime to protect them, and dry hands can damage the animals.
• When digging for clams, fill any holes you have dug when you're done, and try to leave the beach as you found it.
• Except for seafood you plan to consume, don't take home samples. Changing the tidepool habitat of plants and animals or moving them to new surroundings can injure or kill them.

Those who collect limpets, sea stars and other species of shellfish not previously regulated by the state are reminded of a rule that took effect last year establishing a daily total limit of 10 shellfish in this category. Harvesters may take any combination of shore crabs, limpets, sea stars, white sea cucumbers, graceful crab, and other species not previously regulated, so long as the total number harvested does not exceed 10 per person, per day. (This rule does not apply to clams, oysters, Dungeness crab and red rock crab that have previously established limits.)

There are two exceptions for previously unregulated shellfish. There is a limit of five moon snails per day, which does not count toward the ten-per-day limit for other species. Two sea slugs (nudibranchs) per day may be taken in addition to the ten-per-day limit for other species.

A shellfish-seaweed license is not required for previously unregulated species, but a license is required for harvest of species such as Dungeness crab, clams and oysters.

For more information on clam-digging opportunities, see the South Sound/Olympic Peninsula section below or call the WDFW Shellfish Hotline, (360) 796-3215. Maps showing clam-digging beaches on Puget Sound are available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/beachreg/ on the Internet. Before you plan a harvesting trip, be sure to check the Marine Biotoxin Hotline at 1 (800) 562-5632 or check the Internet at http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm for the latest word on health alerts.

Down on the Columbia River, shad fishers have been enjoying catches of four or five fish per person in recent days, according to WDFW Fish Biologist Joe Hymer. So far this season, he reports that two million shad have made it over the Bonneville Dam, with lots of daily counts reaching 100,000 fish. There's no limit on shad, which is a larger relative of the herring. Fishers must have a freshwater license, but no catch-record cards are required.

Coming up Saturday (June 16) is the opening of the hatchery summer steelhead season on the mainstem Columbia River from Vancouver to Pasco. Anglers also will be able to keep jack chinook and sockeye just like the season that is currently open downstream from the I-5 Bridge. Check the Southwest regional report below for details.

Wildlife wonders may be enjoyed throughout the state this time of year. In eastern Washington, wildlife on view ranges from families of osprey in nests along rivers to hoary marmots finally out of hibernation and smelling the wildflowers in the high country. Eastside early summer fishing opportunities also are varied. See regional recreation reports below for specific ideas.

North Puget Sound:

• Fishing: With low tides in the offing, many Puget Sound beaches are open for clam digging. Penn Cove or WINAS-Maylor Point, both on Whidbey Island, or Birch Bay State Park may be especially good spots to try. Before setting out, shellfishers should check listings of beaches closed by the state Department of Health because of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), otherwise know as red tide. For the latest information the state Department of Health web site at http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm or the PSP hot line at (800) 562-5632. Besides red tide closures, clamming areas south of Marysville, including all of King County, are closed because clams on those beaches are unsafe for human consumption. Crab fishers should keep an eye out for new openings in portions of Marine Area 7, where shell-condition tests are going on this week (check the WDFW shellfish rule change hotline at (360) 796-3215 for the latest information). Meanwhile all of Marine Area 8-1 and 8-2 remain open for crabbing Fridays through Mondays. In area lakes, both smallmouth and largemouth bass are in shallow water as the spawning season concludes, and that means good fishing when the weather is calm, according to Curt Kraemer, WDFW district fish biologist. Traditional kokanee lakes such as Whatcom, Baker, Stevens and Roesiger are starting to heat up, while trout fishing has been good on Whidbey Island's Lone Lake and on Pass Lake near Anacortes, Kraemer added.

• Wildlife viewing: The arrival of warmer weather means butterfly viewing opportunities, especially on still days when temperatures top 55 degrees. Look for butterflies in open areas with blooming flowers– mountain roadsides, meadows, forest edges and backyards, advises Ann Potter, WDFW wildlife biologist. Generally, butterflies from several families– including blues, swallowtails and skippers– are visible at this time of year. The blues are small and– as their name suggests– blue in color; swallowtails are relatively large with yellow and black markings and tailed hind wings, and skippers are small and orange in color. A highlight anticipated this summer is the once-a-decade influx of painted lady butterflies from California, says Potter. The painted ladies, which cannot survive year-round in the cool temperatures of Washington, were last seen in the Northwest in 1991, says Potter. Fast-flying, orange-and-black butterflies with a wingspan of about two inches each, painted ladies may be a common sight this year. "This is a phenomenon we won't see again for another seven to 10 years," Potter noted.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: With the lowest tides of the year coinciding with the first week of summer, now is a great time to plan a clam-digging trip on Puget Sound. Geoducks, littlenecks (Manila and native), eastern softshells, cockles, and horse clams – as well as oysters – will all be accessible to diggers when the tide drops to minus 3 feet June 21 and even lower the next two days. Those on the hunt for the world's largest burrowing clam might want to try Point Whitney Beach or Seal Rock Forest Service Camp, both north of Brinnon. Geoducks, as well as other clams and oysters, can also be found at Hicks County Park just southwest of the Hood Canal bridge, Kitsap Memorial State Park southeast of the Hood Canal bridge, DNR 24 on the east side Hartstene Island and on many boat-access-only beaches. Information about and maps showing clam-digging beaches on Puget Sound are available on WDFW's website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/beachreg/). Before you go, make sure to check the Marine Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm for the latest word on health alerts. By many accounts, the Hood Canal crab season is off to a slow start, although it's not as though everyone is getting skunked. "There's a lot of gear out there, and boats are experiencing mixed results" said Brad Sele, a WDFW shellfish manager. "Catch rates at our own test sites have been very consistent." Sele recommends moving to shallower water if your pots come up empty. "Crab move around from month to month, and fishers seem to be having luck in shallower water right now," he said. The fishery is open four days per week, from one hour before sunrise on Fridays until one hour after official sunset on Mondays, until further notice. Meanwhile, WDFW has announced several changes in the coastal halibut season. Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will close at 11:59 p.m. on June 14, while the eastern portion of Area 2 will reopen for fishing seven days per week starting June 17. (The reopened area is south of the Queets River to 47 degrees, 0 minutes north latitude and east of 124 degrees, 40 minutes west longitude.) Marine Areas 3 and 4 (LaPush and Neah Bay) will open for one day of fishing on June 16, then close until July 1 when they will reopen until the annual quotas for those areas have been taken. Salmon fishing gets underway off the coast July 1, but you don't have to wait until then to hook a feisty chinook. Rich Watson, WDFW hatchery manager at the Sol Duc hatchery, said spring chinook returns to the Sol Duc have been strong, with some fish running to 30 pounds. The run is expected to continue through June. South Sound anglers are also doing well off Point Defiance, the south end of Anderson Island and the east side of Ketron Island.

• Wildlife viewing: Early summer is a great time to see wildlife in your own back yard, which comes alive with butterflies, songbirds and possibly an occasional deer. But a sea otter? An Olympia man recently called WDFW to report that a sea otter had waddled through his back yard that morning. "And I have a high-bank shore front," he exclaimed. The sighting might have been dismissed as a river otter, which are far more common, except that WDFW biologists had rescued a sea otter from a reservoir outfall five miles up nearby McAllister Creek the week before. Dubbed "McAllister" by his rescuers, the 53-pound sea otter dined on rock crabs and squid at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, got a quick medical exam and posed for news cameras before he was released into Nisqually Delta. So was McAllister the backyard visitor? Before releasing him, biologists tagged McAllister's back flippers with red and white tags. The man reporting the sea otter didn't remember seeing any red and white tags. If YOU see a sea otter – with or without flipper tags – anywhere in Puget Sound, call Steve Jeffries at WDFW (253-589-7235) or John Calambokidis at Cascadia Research (360-943-7325). Sea otters, wiped out in Washington by the fur trade in the 1800, were reintroduced to the state in 1969 and 1970 and now number about 600 animals – most of which live on the northeast coast of the Olympic Peninsula. Occasionally one or two are spotted in Puget Sound, but seldom in someone's back yard or five miles up a freshwater stream.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Shad fishing on the Columbia River is attracting lots of interest these days, with the fish plentiful. In recent days, the shad return reached two million -- a large number considering that the record is 3.7 million for the entire run ending in August. Catches have been averaging four fish per bank angler below Bonneville Dam. Additional opportunity can be found in the Camas/Washougal area and just below John Day Dam. The season begins Saturday (June 16) for hatchery steelhead, sockeye, and jack chinook from the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco downstream to the I-5 Bridge. Steelheading on the Columbia is expected to be good, with dam counts currently double the recent 10-year average. Steelhead catches in the lower Columbia are already improving below Longview. Other good areas to try are the North Fork Lewis River where over 1,000 fish have returned to the trap and the Washougal River where over 400 fish have returned. Good places to try for trout up to a pound each will be Tilton River, Skate Creek, Mayfield Lake and Lake Scanewa, otherwise known as Cowlitz Falls Reservoir, since plantings are scheduled for this week. Sturgeon success has been good in the Columbia estuary. Recent creel sampling showed about one legal kept per every 2 private boat anglers while charter boat fishers had close to their one fish daily limit.

• Wildlife viewing: Swofford Pond on the Cowlitz Wildlife Area continues to be a good place to observe foraging ospreys. Closure of roads previously used by four-wheel-drive vehicles and an impromptu off-road motorized recreation site closed February, and as a result, according to WDFW biologists, geese have been nesting there. Two pair of Canada geese were seen last week escorting 12 goslings from the islands where they hatched, down to Riffe Lake. Also observed at Swofford: a bobcat and a mink moving a kit. Wildlife watchers are reminded not to pick up any baby wildlife that seems to be unattended in the wild. It is natural for mother animals to leave babies unattended for extended periods and is best to leave the area and avoid disturbing the animals.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW fish biologist Casey Baldwin reports that walleye fishing is picking up on Lake Roosevelt and should be good from the Spokane Arm to the Canadian border for the next month. The Governor's Cup walleye tournament on Roosevelt at Kettle Falls is scheduled for June 23-24. Walleye are also being caught in Sprague Lake, along I-90 on the Lincoln-Adams county line. Rainbow trout fishing at Badger Lake in Spokane County has been good, with fishermen reporting success still fishing in water about 30 feet deep. WDFW fish biologist Bob Peck reports that nearby Williams and Amber lakes, plus Fishtrap Lake in Lincoln County, have also been productive with lots of trout limits taken. Fishing for smallmouth bass and channel catfish is good throughout the Snake River, mostly in the slack water and slough areas, all the way into Idaho. Anglers after trout on the Tucannon River are reminded of the selective gear rules in place from Marengo upstream. Rainbow Lake in Columbia County remains closed while WDFW crews assess how many chinook salmon smolts from the Tucannon River are still in the impoundment; stay tuned, however, because a re-opening for trout fishing is expected soon.

• Wildlife viewing: A pair of endangered peregrine falcons is again rearing young in a nest under the eaves of the Sunset Boulevard bridge over Hangman Creek in Highbridge Park, just west of downtown Spokane. WDFW urban wildlife biologist Howard Ferguson reports that there are definitely two chicks in the nest, and the parent birds are feverishly feeding them with their captures of local pigeons, swifts, and other birds. Take your binoculars and look for activity around the highest arch in the bridge directly over the creek. Ferguson, who may be attempting to band the youngsters any day now, says the young should fledge by the end of the month or, appropriately enough, Independence Day. Osprey families are also visible now on their nests atop bridge pilings, power poles, and snags along the Pend Oreille River and other major waterways throughout the region. Black bears are roaming throughout the region and causing trouble where garbage or food are not properly stored. One yearling bear near Walla Walla spent four days eating garbage and sleeping on a back porch before attacking a dog and entering an unlocked house where it tore things apart looking for food. WDFW Enforcement Captain Mike Whorton, whose officers have recently been responding to at least two bear complaints a day, says bears may be fun to watch from a distance, but remember that they have an incredible sense of smell and can become a nuisance or even a danger if drawn too close by food or garbage.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW fish biologist Chris Donley reports that yellow perch fishing in Moses Lake is outstanding. The perch can be found in five to 25 feet of water, and there are three very strong year classes and sizes of perch available. While there have been catches of fish up to 14 inches in length, the average is about 10 inches. Donley also reports that June is prime time for walleye fishing in Moses Lake, although to date the harvest has been spotty due to unsettled weather. If the weather stabilizes, he says, excellent catches of walleye should occur. Moses Lake's net pen-reared rainbow trout have been released and fishing has been good for them as well as for last year's carryovers. Donley says he's occasionally seeing some nice catches of crappie and bluegill in Moses Lake, too, and reminds anglers that there are harvest and length limits on both of these species. Potholes Reservoir walleye fishing has been good during recent unsettled weather conditions, but bass fishing has been tough. Potholes rainbow trout still fishing and trolling has been fair, and crappie and bluegill fishing continues to be slow for this time of year. Yellow perch throughout Potholes remain the strongest fishery. WDFW fish biologist Art Viola reports that Icicle River spring chinook salmon fishing has been very slow lately but should pick up if water levels and temperatures come up. Only about half the expected return of these salmon have been accounted for in sport and tribal catches and hatchery retrievals. According to Columbia River dam counts between Rocky Reach and Rock Island, there should be about 24,000 chinook in the area, most in the Wenatchee River and at least 8,000 of those should come up the Icicle, Viola explained. But low water levels and temperatures are probably keeping the fish holed up in the Wenatchee. Warm temperatures are needed to melt snowpack or big rainstorms to add water to the system, Viola said. These fish seem to be adapted to moving in great surges in high water conditions. So fishing has been hit or miss, with about eight or so really great days of catches total since the season opened in May. The Icicle remains open for spring chinook through July 22, so there's still plenty of time for conditions to change and anglers to try their luck. When the bite is on, Viola says boat anglers are doing a little better than shore anglers, simply because they can move around to different spots more easily. Many of those caught so far are 4- and 5-year-old fish from nine to 24 pounds. Herring or eggs have been the most successful baits. There is a daily limit of two salmon greater than 12 inches in length. Night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions are also in effect.

• Wildlife viewing: Birding is at its peak in Okanogan County, reports WDFW wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin, and WDFW's Methow Valley Wildlife Area hosts over 100 bird species, from blue grouse to mountain bluebirds. The multi-use trail on the Big Valley Ranch portion of the Methow is a good spot to see riparian species such as herons, kingfishers, wrens and warblers. Canyon areas of the Methow have a number of golden eagle nest sites, along with some very interesting geological formations. The Sinlahekin Wildlife Area further north is another hot birding spot, says Fitkin, particularly the riparian habitat between the area headquarters and Blue Lake. Fitkin also notes that access to the Hart's Pass area is early this year, due to low snowpack. Hart's Pass is well known for its wildflower displays and associated butterfly species. Hoary marmots have finally come out of winter hibernation and are also enjoying the wildflowers and other edibles in the mountain meadows. Other watchable wildlife species in the area are mountain goats, black bears, and mule deer, many with young in tow. These animals need to be given a wide berth and enjoyed from a distance.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Kokanee fishing at Rimrock Lake near White Pass on Highway 12, west of Yakima, has been very good, with lots of limits of 8.5- to 10-inch fish. Bank and boat fishers are using everything from whitefish flies and maggots to small spinners with corn to catch fish in the top 20 feet of the water along the south shore. WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins notes that due to low snowpack, Rimrock water levels will get extremely low this year, so a substantial number of fish may be lost unless you catch them now. Rimrock has a 16-fish catch limit, but Cummins reminds anglers that they cannot harvest bull trout; if a bull trout is caught, release it carefully. Bumping Lake kokanee fishing is picking up, but fish are small at 7 to 8 inches. Cle Elum, Kachess and Keechelus are other reservoirs where kokanee can be caught, and all have the 16-fish catch allowed. Columbia River smallmouth bass fishing is good through the summer from Hanford Reach all the way to Bonneville. Cummins notes that bass fishing is past the peak on the Yakima River, but bass tagged in the Yakima can still be caught in the lower reaches and in the Columbia River. For the past two years, WDFW and the Yakama Indian Nation have been tagging thousands of bass between the Tri-Cities and Prosser to learn more about them; if you catch a tagged bass, call the toll-free number on the tag (1-888-604-8568) to report it, and WDFW will get back to you with information on when and where the fish was tagged. Cummins also reports that fishing for channel catfish has been very good in the lower Yakima, but remember to limit your consumption of these fish. The Washington Department of Health advises that bottom-feeding fish like catfish caught out of the Yakima River should be consumed only in one meal per week, due to possible chemical contamination; see http://www.doh.wa.gov for more information. WDFW fish biologist Eric Anderson reports good fishing in the Naches and Little Naches rivers for wild rainbow and cutthroat trout. The trout have been running 8 to 14 inches, Anderson says. Fishers must follow selective gear rules, a two-trout catch limit, and a 12- inch minimum length in the Naches and an eight-inch minimum length in the Little Naches. All rainbows over 20 inches must be released, he reminds, as well as all salmon and bull trout. Many southcentral Washington rivers and streams have had selective gear rules for several years, but WDFW enforcement officers are finding a number of anglers using bait and otherwise violating the rules. They remind fishers that salmon fishing is closed in the Yakima Basin and salmon cannot be targeted by anglers, even in catch-and-release fishing. If salmon are accidentally caught in the Yakima, Naches, Little Naches, Bumping and American Rivers they must be released unharmed.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW regional wildlife program manager Lee Stream reports that osprey nests along the Yakima River (Selah to Granger) are now full of young birds being fed continuously by their parents. Great blue heron colonies along the same stretch are now in full production, too. Most of these birds are visible from the highways, Stream says, but he warns motorists to be cautious about pulling off the road to watch. This is a great time to watch wildlife family rearing, Stream says, but don't create traffic hazards to do so. The Yakima-Ellensburg Canyon offers bighorn sheep viewing along the upper stretches, Stream says. Rams can be viewed coming to water frequently and ewes with lambs can be seen on the hillsides, mostly on the west side of the river north of Umtanum Creek. WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area Manager John McGowan reports that there is an active Golden eagle nest with one fledgling that is easily observable with the use of binoculars by motorists travelling westbound from Yakima on Highway 12. McGowan advises parking at the west end of a large pulloff on a curve 1.5 miles west of the wildlife area headquarters on Highway 12. With binoculars, scan south across the Tieton River and locate a very large dead tree (snag) on the skyline. From the snag, drop down at seven o'clock to the cliff-face and locate the nest below an overhanging rock ledge. Call McGowan at Oak Creek, (509) 653-2390, for more information. WDFW habitat biologist Ken Bevis reports that high- country hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities are open early this year with the low snow pack. Divide Ridge west of Yakima or Bethel Ridge above Rimrock Lake are in bloom with wildflowers and butterflies that are normally associated with spring in lower elevations. Watch also for Clark's nutcrackers, a unique species of jay that caches conifer seeds, especially those of whitebark pine. These birds have distinctive whiny-mew calls, Bevis says, and white outer tail feathers. As hot weather descends, expect to find deer and elk in higher elevations where plants are succulent and water more available.