May 12-25, 2004

Contact: Doug Williams, (360) 902-2256

Improving weather and longer daylight hours give outdoor enthusiasts plenty of incentive to get out and enjoy all that Washington's wildlands have to offer.

May 15 is the opening day of the Hood Canal shrimp fishery. This increasingly popular fishery produces some of the nicest spot shrimp catches in the state. Shrimp fishers planning to participate this year should expect lines at boat launches and lots of competition for the prime spots to soak pots. Check the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on this fishery.

Halibut, lingcod and rockfish angling has heated up lately. Halibut pushing the 100-pound mark have been caught off the northern coast, while lingcod approaching 25 pounds are being taken along the coast, in the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound.

Although the mainstem Columbia River is closed to chinook fishing, several tributaries are providing anglers continuing opportunity catch nice spring chinook. The Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis and Yakima rivers have all produced fish recently.

Sturgeon fans can keep one fish 45 inches or longer beginning May 15 in the Columbia River from the mouth to Wauna powerline crossing at rivermile 40 near Cathlamet.

Trout fishing remains steady in lakes throughout the state, though anglers should expect trout to start heading to deeper water as the mercury keeps climbing. Fishing prospects for bass, perch, crappie and other species should also improve as lake temperatures rise.

May 15 is the last day of turkey hunting in the state, and it's also the first day that applications will be accepted for special hunting permits for deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat. Applications for a limited number of special hunting permits can be submitted through June 20. See the new WDFW Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet for more information.

The northern migration of millions of shorebirds continues to captivate birders along the coast and in Puget Sound, while the Kettle Valley Songbird Festival, May 21-23 in Republic, will focus the spotlight on northeastern Washington's tremendous birdwatching opportunities. Backyard birdwatchers also have plenty of species to look at, including colorful hummingbirds and goldfinches.

Here are details on regional recreation opportunities throughout the state:

North Puget Sound:

• Fishing: Opening weekend crowds have thinned, but trout fishing in lowland lakes continues to be the major focus for the region's anglers. Fair weather has provided good opportunities for full stringers, and lighter effort has alleviated some of the season-opening parking and boat-launching difficulties. Look for trout to move toward deeper waters as spring brings warmer temperatures. Anglers looking for an advantage might want to check out WDFW's weekly planting reports, available online on the Internet. Look for the bite to improve for perch, bass, catfish and crappie. There have been a number of reports from Lake Washington of anglers fooling football-sized smallmouth bass with imitation worms and other traditional bass gear. The anglers who know what they're doing have been methodically work lily pads, docks and other structures and finding aggressive bass. One of the most effective ways to hook up with bass in heavily fished waters is to use a drop-shot rig. The basic drop-shooting rig simply consists of a hook tied with a Palomar knot where the end of the line (also known as the tag) is looped back through the hook eye, and a weight is attached to the end of the line. This rig puts the weight on the bottom and the bait in the water column. Speaking of Lake Washington, the big lake can also produce monster cutthroat. Lures fished off a downrigger near the floating bridges have produced cutts up to five pounds. Be sure to check WDFW's 2004/05 Fishing in Washington sport fishing rules pamphlet for details on rules. Always check WDFW's rule change hotline, (360) 902-2500, or at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/index.jsp on the Internet, before hitting the water. Halibut fishing continues throughout the region on a Thursday-through-Monday weekly schedule. There is no minimum size requirement, and the daily limit is one fish. The hook-and-line fishery for lingcod runs through June 15 with a one-fish daily limit. Lings must be 26 to 40 inches in length to retain. WDFW sport fish samplers at the Cornet Bay boat launch on the northern end of Whidbey Island report plenty of sizable lingcod, plus a few halibut and rockfish. Spearfishers will get their shot at lingcod beginning May 21. The daily limit is one fish of any size. Shrimp fishing will open for one day - May 14 - in marine areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9 (outside the Port Townsend shrimp district). Fishing hours are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and all shrimp species are fair game. Check the sport fishing regulation pamphlet for gear restrictions, daily limits and other information.

• Wildlife viewing: Birders with Internet access can check in on the progress of bald eagle and falcon chicks in the region. WDFW's WildWatch Cams gives viewers a great look at two growing eagle chicks in Kent. The Falcon Research Group's website, at http://www.frg.org/frg/ on the Internet, provides close-ups of active peregrine falcon "scrapes" in downtown Seattle and Tacoma. Bird activity is in full swing in backyards throughout the region. Hummingbird feeders are supplying nectar to rufous and Anna's hummingbirds, the two most-common species in western Washington. Calliope and black-chinned hummingbirds are also found in the Evergreen State, typically east of the Cascade Mountains. Robins, noisy steller's jays, juncos and finches are some of the most commonly seen birds. Some of the more colorful birds spotted recently by correspondents reporting to the Tweeters birding website include a blue lazuli bunting near the University of Washington, a half-dozen western tanagers in Snohomish County, American goldfinches (our state bird), a yellowthroat, a yellow warbler and a yellow-rumped warbler. All of these "yellows" were identified by a birder making a single trip to WDFW's Spencer Island Wildlife Area on the Snohomish River near Everett. The same birder reported counting "hundreds" of swallows in the area, including cliff, barn, violet-green and tree varieties. Unseasonably dry weather is likely to make birdbaths and other provided water sources an important component for birds this year. A number of bird species will use a birdbath for both bathing and drinking, so be sure to keep an eye on the water level - particularly if dry weather continues into summertime. A handful of transient killer whales have been seen recently in Penn Cove and the surrounding waters of that bay on Whidbey Island, according to reports posted on the Orca Sightings Network website (http://www.orcanetwork.org/sightings/map.html). One observer witnessed the final moments of a sea lion's life as it was captured, killed and eaten by the marine mammal-munching transients. While resident killer whales are fish and squid eaters, transients prefer a diet of seals, sea lions and other marine mammals. Transients are also distinguished by their preference for smaller social groups. Members of the resident J, K and L pods sometimes come together and form a "superpod" of a few dozen animals, while transients typically stay in small pods of three to six individuals. Biologists believe this allows the transients to be stealthy in their hunting forays. It's assumed that these transients are part of the larger group of 11 transients that spent a month in Hood Canal last winter. Their unprecedented visit was thought to have reduced the fjord's harbor seal population by one third or more. The waters between Whidbey and Camano islands have also been home to several gray whales and even a minke whale in recent weeks as well. The grays are slowly moving from winter birthing grounds in the Gulf of California to winter feeding grounds in Alaska.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: One of the state's most popular - and productive - recreational shrimp fisheries gets under way May 15 in Hood Canal, where more than 4,000 shrimp lovers are expected to set pots the first day. "The quota is slightly higher than last year and the tides shouldn't be a problem," said Dave Sterritt, WDFW shellfish biologist. "If the weather's good, this could be a first-rate opening." There is, however, a question about how long it will last. As currently scheduled, the canal will be open for shrimping May 15, 19, 22 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on a Wednesday-and-Saturday schedule. Additional openings are possible May 29 and June 2, but the controlling factor is the 75,000-pound harvest allocation. "We've never had a fishery run less than four days, but I suppose we'll get there someday," said Sterritt, noting the 10 percent annual increase in pots fished in recent years. As in previous years, fishers are limited to one shrimp pot per person, with a daily limit of 80 spot shrimp. See WDFW's Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet for other regulations. Although Sterritt said shrimp stocks in Hood Canal appear strong this year, fishing remains closed for halibut, lingcod and a number of other species in the 60-mile-long fjord due to low-dissolved oxygen conditions that can take a heavy toll on bottom-dwelling species. "We had hoped that conditions would improve by the time fishing seasons for lingcod and halibut came around, but unfortunately that is not the case," said Greg Bargmann, WDFW marine fish manager. Both species are, however, bending fishing poles on the coast, where seasons for both halibut and lingcod are open from Ilwaco to Neah Bay. Although fishing for both species has been good out of Westport and Ilwaco since the first week of May, the recent halibut opening in marine areas 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay) offers anglers the chance to "supersize" their catch. "We see people catch halibut in excess of 100 pounds every year at the `Garbage Dump' and other prime spots off the north coast," said Scott Barbour, WDFW fish biologist. Anglers should consult the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet for fishing days and other regulations in each area. On the way back from the halibut grounds, a lot of boats stop to pick up lingcod and rockfish to round out the catch. "Fishing for lings and rockfish has been great in recent weeks," Barbour said. The coastwide bag limit for lingcod is two fish over 24 inches. Anglers can keep up to 10 rockfish, although all yelloweye and canary rockfish must be released. Anybody ready to catch some salmon? Anglers are starting to catch a few spring chinook in the Sol Duc and Quillayute rivers, which opened for fishing on fin-clipped hatchery salmon March 1, said Mike Gross, WDFW fish biologist. Gross noted, however, that fishing in both rivers has suffered from low-water conditions and would benefit from a good, hard rain. Until then, the glacier-fed Hoh River - which opens May 16 below Willoughby Creek - could be a better bet, he said. Although the run doesn't peak until July, Gross said anglers can do well fishing for springers this time of year on the Hoh. The spring chinook fishery on the Hoh runs five days per week, Wednesday through Sunday, through Aug. 31, with a daily limit of one adult salmon, either clipped or unclipped. Check the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet for additional information on north coast rivers. So, what do you do if the fish aren't biting? At Hicks Lake in Thurston County, WDFW's answer was to plant more of them. On May 4, after a slow start on the opening day of the lowland lakes season, a WDFW hatchery truck stocked the lake with 3,000 additional rainbow trout, most running three to the pound. "The whole point of our lowland lakes stocking program is to give people a chance to catch some fish," said Larry Phillips, WDFW fish biologist. Other lakes freshly planted this month include Wentworth Lake in Clallam County (1,400 one-pounders); Island Lake and Wildcat Lake in Kitsap County (cutthroat and rainbows); Phillips, Spencer and Wooten lakes in Mason County; Bradley Lake in Pierce County; and Black Lake and Longs Pond in Thurston County.

• Wildlife viewing: The Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival has come and gone for another year, but plenty of shorebirds remain to keep birders busy in the weeks ahead. Timed to coincide with the peak of shorebird activity in the harbor, the ninth annual shorebird festival drew thousands of people during the last weekend in April for three days of birding fun. While the festival is over, hundreds of thousands of dunlins, dowitchers, godwits, sandpipers and other migratory birds continue to pass through the area on their way to the Arctic. One contributor to the Tweeters website reported spotting thousands of common terns flying north over the Ocean Shores jetty along with hundreds of Pacific loons during the first week of May. He also reported seeing a small black and white shearwater, a black oystercatcher, two ruddy turnstones and five wandering tattlers. Farther inland, another correspondent reported seeing four western tanagers, three warbling vireo, three spotted towhee and 15 barn swallows during a short walk around The Evergreen State College in Olympia. Meanwhile, down at the Port of Olympia, the pair of peregrine falcons that has been nesting on a crane at the cargo terminal has hatched a chick. Kelly McAllister, a WDFW wildlife biologist, said the chick appeared to be about one week old when he first spotted it May 10. "This is the first successful hatch we've had at this site," said McAllister, who installed nest boxes on stationary sections of two cranes earlier this year to keep the birds out of harm's way. Last year, falcons laid three eggs on a steel beam that moved up and down with the crane's boom - with disastrous results. "I'm really pleased with this year's solution," said McAllister, noting that the nest box 175 feet above the port terminal is one of only two known peregrine falcon nests in Thurston County. Once on the brink of extinction, peregrine falcons have recovered significantly since DDT was banned in 1972. The species was removed from the federal endangered species list in 1999 and from the state's endangered species list in 2002. The swiftest of all birds, adults can reach diving speeds in excess of 200 mph.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Columbia River tributaries are offering anglers plenty of opportunity to catch spring chinook. Good spots below Bonneville Dam include the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis rivers. The best activity has been on the North Fork Lewis River near the salmon hatchery, where boat anglers last week were catching an average of half a fish per rod. Increasing numbers of hatchery summer-run steelhead should show on those rivers too. Above Bonneville, the Wind and Klickitat rivers and Drano Lake were all giving up decent catches of spring chinook, says Joe Hymer, regional fish biologist. The Wind River has been the best of the bunch, averaging one chinook for every three rods, although catches there have been spotty at times. Fishing for hatchery chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead will open May 16 in the mainstem Columbia from the Interstate 5 bridge downstream to the Rocky Point-Tongue Point line. Columbia River sturgeon anglers fishing downstream from the Wauna power lines will be able to keep fish at least 45 inches long on any day of the week beginning May 15. Meanwhile, the Camas/Washougal area upstream to Beacon Rock was offering respectable sturgeon catches the first week of May with an average of three-quarters of a legal-size fish per boat reported. From the Wauna power lines upstream to Beacon Rock, sturgeon may be retained on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only and the minimum size remains 42 inches. Boat fishers were finding good walleye catches in early May in John Day Pool (two fish per rod) and in The Dalles Pool (half a fish per rod), including fish released. Meanwhile, there were plenty of bass for fishers in both pools and in Bonneville Pool, with boat anglers averaging up to nine fish per rod-including released fish-during the first week of May.

• Wildlife viewing: Learn more about the Columbia River's largest native inhabitant during the free Sturgeon Festival May 22 and 23 at the Water Resources Education Center, 4600 SE. Columbia Way in Vancouver. Environmental activities for all ages will be offered from noon to 4 p.m. both days. For children, environmental games and relays, sturgeon piņatas and interactive learning stations will be available. Teens and adults can watch salmon and sturgeon dissections, discuss environmental issues and career opportunities with staff from natural resource agencies and environmental organizations, and find out what sort of aquatic life inhabits the backwaters of the Columbia River. A visit from Eartha the Ecological Clown, a Creature Features show of exotic reptiles May 22 and Birds of Prey displays of live raptors May 23 will round out the event. More information is available by calling WDFW's Brad James at (360) 906-6716 or Bev Walker with the City of Vancouver at (360) 696-8478. Meanwhile, out in the field, a Tweeters website contributor reports a slew of sightings on an early May outing to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge River 'S' unit. Species spotted included great egrets, turkey vultures, a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds, two osprey, American kestrel, black-necked stilt, two yellow-rumped warblers and yellow-headed blackbirds.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Although two stretches of the Snake River closed May 8 to spring chinook salmon fishing due to a lower-than-expected return run, the Idaho boundary water fishery remains open from the Lewiston/Clarkston Southway Bridge upstream to the concrete boat ramp at Heller Bar. Salmon fishing there, however, is slow, according to Glen Mendel ,WDFW district fish biologist. Anglers are averaging 40 hours of effort per fish caught and 67 hours per fish kept. "When fishing opened April 24 the river was low," Mendel said, "but now with spring run-off, flows are high and fishing is more difficult." The salmon daily limit is two marked hatchery chinook (those with a clipped adipose fin and healed scar), with a minimum size of 12 inches. All chinook with the adipose fin intact, and all steelhead, must be immediately released unharmed. Anglers must use barbless hooks no larger than 5/8 inch (from point to shank) when fishing for all species in this area of the Snake River during the salmon fishery. The boundary waters fishery is open through May 31. Lake trout fishing remains strong at many popular spots throughout the region, from the Tucannon River impoundments in the southeast to the Little Pend Oreille chain of lakes in the northeast. In the central district of the region, many of the waters that produced limits on season openers are continuing to provide steady fishing, including Amber, Badger, Clear, Coffeepot, Fish, Fishtrap, West Medical and Williams lakes.

• Hunting: Spring wild turkey hunters are in their final days of calling in the big toms with the season ending May 15. Stevens County, in particular, has provided good hunting opportunity, with one of the greatest densities of wild turkeys in the country. Hunters who don't bag a bird before the spring season closes can use their tag during the week-long, fall turkey hunt, which in northeast units has changed from a permit-only season to one for all hunters with valid tags. Up to two turkeys can be harvested per year in eastern Washington, but only one can be taken during the fall hunt so spring-season hunters who bag one bird now can try for another in the fall. Deer hunters who want a chance for a second deer this fall have two new opportunities in this region to consider when applying for special hunting permits May 15 through June 20. In concert with ongoing mule deer research by WDFW and Washington State University, 400 second-antlerless-whitetail-deer tags are available in portions of Game Management Unit (GMU) 105 (Kellyhill) in Stevens County. The goal is to reduce whitetail deer numbers in parts of the "Wedge," the area between State Route 395 on the west and State Route 25 on the east. Permit application is open to modern firearm, archery and muzzleloading hunters, although muzzleloaders will only be able to hunt during a special late season, Dec. 16-31, since there are no general muzzleloader seasons in that unit. The area has excellent escape cover so deer hunting will not be easy especially for hunters unfamiliar with the terrain, notes Steve Zender, WDFW district wildlife biologist. "We expect about a 50 percent success rate," Zender said. The open areas include both public land and private property for which access permission must be obtained. Another new, second- antlerless-whitetail-deer permit opportunity is in portions of GMU 162 (Dayton) and GMU 163 (Marengo) in the Blue Mountains. The "Columbia" hunt offers 150 permits in an area of mostly private land where deer damage is a problem. As with other second-deer-permit hunts in the region, both these new opportunities require applicants whose names are drawn to to purchase a second deer license and tag within 15 days of notification. See the WDFW Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet for application details.

• Wildlife Viewing: The second annual Kettle Valley Songbird Festival is May 21-23 in Republic. Coordinated by the Highlands Birding Group of Ferry County, this event offers an opportunity to enjoy meadowlarks, mountain bluebirds, western tanagers, yellow-headed blackbirds and many other colorful species. The three-day event includes morning and evening guided field tours, evening pontoon boat trips on Roberta Lake and lectures and slide shows on birdwatching and wildlife photography. The festival also provides an opportunity to explore the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Eocene Fossil Dig Site near Republic during extended hours. For more information and registration, see http://www.ferrycounty.com/KettleValleySongBirdFestival, e-mail birder@rcabletv.com, or call the Loose Blue Moose in Republic at (509) 775-0441.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: The Icicle River in Chelan County opens to spring chinook salmon fishing May 15. This season is not listed in the WDFW fishing rules pamphlet because it is dependent on runs of returning salmon. Fish biologists predict that 10,000 salmon are coming up the Icicle this year, allowing plenty of fish for harvest beyond hatchery broodstock needs. Although upper Columbia spring chinook salmon are listed as "endangered," the Icicle's returns are Carson River stock fish not included in that listing. The daily catch limit is two salmon of at least 12 inches. Night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions are in effect.

• Wildlife viewing: This is a good time to take a sidetrip through the Columbia Basin off Interstate 90 to look for breeding pairs of waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds. WDFW's Desert, Goose Lakes, Potholes, and Seep Lake Wildlife Areas just southwest of Moses Lake and adjacent to Potholes Reservoir, and the Winchester Wildlife Area northeast of George, altogether cover almost 78,000 acres of wetlands and uplands that are among the most important waterfowl breeding grounds in the state. For more information and a map, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/r2pothls.htm.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Although no creel check reports were available for early May, WDFW Fish Biologist Eric Anderson says that Yakima River spring chinook salmon fishing is very good. "I know lots of fish are being caught now," Anderson said. The open stretch of the Yakima River runs from the Highway 223 bridge at Granger upstream to 3,500 feet below Roza Dam at the "closed water" boundary markers. The daily catch limit is six hatchery chinook, no more than two adults, minimum size 12 inches. Hatchery salmon are identified by a missing adipose fin and a healed scar in the location of the missing fin. Wild salmon (adipose fin intact) and all steelhead must be immediately released unharmed and cannot be removed from the water prior to release. Only one, single-point, barbless hook measuring 3/4 inch or less from point to shank is permitted for all fishing in this stretch. Fishing is closed at night. The season, which just opened last month, runs through June 15.

• Wildlife viewing: Birdwatchers in the Yakima Canyon area report seeing American white pelicans, prairie falcons, Lazuli buntings, yellow-breasted chats, Bullock's orioles, blackheaded grosbeaks and lots of warblers - Wilson's, Audubon, Townsend's, and Nashville. The Nile River Road burn area is full of woodpeckers and sapsuckers using snags. Chestnut-backed chickadees were recently noted in the Little Rattlesnake area.