August 23-September 6, 2000

Contact: Craig Bartlett, (360) 902-2259

Summer days may be numbered, but there are plenty of outdoor recreation choices as fall approaches, with crabbing, coho and alpine lake fishing, bird hunting and early archery hunts at the top of the list.

The first game bird seasons open September 1, along with early archery deer and elk hunts. Meanwhile fishing is heating up in inland waters and in alpine lakes. Shorebirds also are on the move, offering some of the best viewing opportunities of the year.

The season's first bird hunts are for forest grouse and mourning dove. The season for cottontail and snowshoe hare begins the same day (September 1), with statewide openings for geese (except brant and Aleutian Canada geese) following on September 9.

Blue, ruffed and spruce grouse appear to be in fair to good numbers in most of Washington's forests, especially in stream-side or spring areas. If cooler weather doesn't move mourning doves south too soon, that two-week season should be productive too. Information about all hunting season prospects is available in WDFW's free publication "Washington Hunting News: Game Trails," available at recreational license dealers and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) offices across the state.

Hunters should be aware of new non-toxic shot requirements for all small-game hunting on some state wildlife areas and pheasant release sites. The non-toxic shot rules, put in place to protect other wildlife species including waterfowl and raptors, affect the Chehalis River, Hunter Farms and Raymond Airport pheasant release sites; the Lake Terrell and Snoqualmie wildlife areas, and the Dungeness Recreation Area in western Washington. They also remain in effect on the Skagit Wildlife Area. In addition, non-toxic shot is now required in the following eastern Washington locations: the Driscoll Island, Hegdahl and Kline Parcel segments of Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, the Sunnyside Wildlife Area, the Bridgeport Bar segment of Wells Wildlife Area and Two Rivers and Wallula units of the McNary Wildlife Refuge.

Hunters can get ready for their day in the field by getting in some target practice at a local practice range; check your phone book for one near you. There is still time for young hunters to enroll in a hunter education safety class in many areas - for dates and locations check pages 73 to 77 of the WDFW "Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules" pamphlet. The pamphlet or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website at www.wdfw\.wa\.gov also have specific information about season dates and bag limits. In addition, the 2000-01 Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet will be available soon at all WDFW offices and licensing outlets.

Hunters and other recreationists heading for Washington's woods and fields in this exceptionally dry year should keep fire safety in mind at all times and check for possible fire closures on public or private timberlands before setting out. For information on lands managed by the state Department of Natural Resources call (360) 902-1300; check with appropriate landowners or agencies for information on private and federal lands. Besides common-sense precautions with potential fire-starting material such as discarded cigarettes, be aware that driving on grassy roads poses a potential fire risk if grass is caught in a vehicle's undercarriage and remains in contact with a heated exhaust system. Also, outdoor burning is banned across the state– except for campfires in approved, metal-or-concrete-lined fire pits located in designated state campgrounds.

Late summer is a great time to cast a line in an alpine lake for a cutthroat, rainbow or golden trout. Fishers may encounter WDFW fish-stocking crews on the trail as they head for high country; this is the time of year many hatchery trout fry are hauled in backpack tanks to boost alpine lake populations. Check with U.S. Forest Service ranger districts for maps to the state's hundreds of small, high-elevation lakes.

Recreational salmon fishing is now closed for the year on the coast, but there are plenty of opportunities to catch some fine coho and chinook salmon in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound and the Columbia River.

Marine Area 9 in Admiralty Inlet opens to coho fishing Sept. 1 for two weeks, with a two-fish limit, and should offer some great action. Willapa Bay opened Aug. 16 for those looking to catch hatchery coho without a lot of competition and Hood Canal should produce some fine hatchery chinook in the next few weeks, according to WDFW's Tony Floor.

See the regional summaries below for more information on these and other fisheries, including those at Neah Bay, Buoy 10 and the lower Columbia.

Whether or not you're fishing or hunting, keep your eyes peeled for birds on the wing. Declining daylight hours are starting to trigger bird groupings and southward migrations throughout Washington. About two-thirds of our birds are migratory to some extent, moving with the advancing season to where food remains most abundant. Even though backyard bird watchers may still be providing sugar-water in feeders, hummingbirds are among the first to move on. They seem to depend on the change in photo-period or light to signal their need to head south, not on current food sources here. Watch for groupings of blackbirds, sparrows, warblers, and other birds that winter in the tropics. Throughout August and September, shorebirds begin gathering on coastal beaches for the fall migration. Further inland, eagles, hawks and falcons can be seen moving in groups along mountain ridges as they, too, prepare for the trip south.

Regional Highlights:

Northern Puget Sound:

• Coho salmon fishing opens September 16 in Marine Area 8-2 (waters between northern Whidbey Island and the mainland, south of Fidalgo Island). Fishers in that area must take care to release any chinook salmon unharmed. There is a terminal chinook fishery in Tulalip Bay weekends through the end of September. For crabbers, the big news is that the northern end of Marine Area 7 (Point Roberts, Blaine, Birch Bay and Sandy Point areas) opened to recreational pot gear August 19. In general, recreational crabbing throughout northern Puget Sound remains extremely good. Recreational reports continue to indicate excellent harvest opportunities in the Everett, Oak Harbor, Anacortes, and San Juan Island areas. Crabbers should remember that a crab catch record card is required, in addition to a shellfish license. Spot shrimp fishing remains open throughout Marine Area 7, although the season is closed in Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2, it. Good recreational catches of large spot shrimp have been reported throughout the San Juan Islands. The best fishing is generally encountered in areas where the bottom is very precipitous and at depths greater than 300 feet, according to Norm Lemberg, regional shellfish manager. Because of the strong tidal currents throughout this region, fishers are encouraged to add additional weights (20-plus pounds) to their pots to minimize loss. Shorebirds are migrating back through Washington. Juvenile shorebirds can be recognized by their new plumage which is bright compared to adults with worn feathers. Good shorebird viewing times are on out-going or incoming tides when about 50 to 70 yards of tideflats are exposed. Shorebirds and other migrating birds may be viewed from Bayview State Park. Birdwatchers also can try the Jensen access on the Skagit Wildlife Area (Take the Conway exit from I-5, go west and when road bends to a sharp right, continue straight. Watch for small a "public hunting" sign on the left which marks the area).

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Schools of coho salmon lingering around Tatoosh Island have made Neah Bay the hotspot for salmon fishing on the Olympic Peninsula during the past two weeks. Operating on a new quota of 6,000 coho, Marine Area 4B is producing limits of 8-10 pound hatchery silvers in record time. WDFW's Tony Floor strongly recommends doing the Neah Bay fishery on the fly. "The area around Tatoosh Island is probably the best place on the planet to catch a coho using a wet fly," Floor says. Spurred by several days of rain, those fish have begun to move down the Strait in increasing numbers. Anglers are limiting on marked coho near Sekiu and fishing should pick up around Port Angeles any day. Those who can't wait might want to try Willapa Bay, which opened August 16, or Hood Canal, which Floor calls "one of the most overlooked fisheries in the state." Bottom fishing has been good off Ilwaco and Westport, and several Westport charters have had some successful albacore trips over the past week. Steelheaders are still catching some fine fish in the Quillayute river system, one of several coastal systems to open for fall coho and chinook salmon September 1. Fishing continues to be excellent at American Lake in Pierce County, where anglers have been taking limits of kokanee chumming with maggots and an egg on a small hook. Hunters gearing up for September 1 season openers should be prepared for the possibility that some of their favorite hunting areas could be closed due to the danger of fire. Although no closures have yet been announced, archers and grouse hunters planning to hunt at Vail Tree Farms and other popular areas should stand by for updated information as opening day nears. Bird watchers know that late August through September is a prime time to watch shorebirds gathering for the flight south. Willapa National Wildlife Refuge and Leadbetter Point State Park are great spots to observe the aerial display, as are the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge further north.

Southwest Washington:

• In the Columbia River at Buoy 10, this weekend is the last chance of the season to fish for chinook, and there are good numbers of coho. Coho fishing has been hot since the August 1 opener and chinook fishing has improved in recent days. The chinook action will end Monday (August 28), because the quota of 9,000 fish will be reached by then; at that point any chinook caught will have to be released. The remaining days of chinook fishing should be the best of the season, however. As coho fishing continues, anglers will likely see crowds turning out for fish that are weighing into the teens. Meanwhile, chinook fishing is expected to heat up at the mouth of the Cowlitz River and near Kalama, as well as in the Camas and Washougal areas and in Bonneville Pool. Fish and Wildlife Biologist Joe Hymer recommends fishing where the cooler tributaries enter the Columbia. Also, anglers will find chinook in deeper water; fishers who anchor or use lures in water 30- to 40-feet deep are having good success. About this time of year, Hymer says, fishers can expect to see good steelhead catches from Bonneville Dam down to Cathlamet and at the mouth of the Cowlitz. Most fish will be in the 4- to 8-pound range; however some fish will be hitting in the 12- to 15-pound range. Above Bonneville, we'll see continued good catches of steelhead in the Wind and White Salmon rivers and Drano Lake, with the catch at about one-fish-per-person until the Columbia cools off sometime after Labor Day. That spark of cold gets the fish migrating upstream. There will be increasing numbers of fall chinook at Drano Lake and in the mainstem Columbia near the mouths of Drano Lake and the White Salmon River. Anglers are reminded that beginning Sept. 1, on the Washington side of Bonneville Pool in the mainstem Columbia, there are two new restrictions, including night closures and non-buoyant lure restrictions. With the lure restriction, any non-buoyant lure used must be a single-pointed hook, no more than 3/4-inch from point to shank. In addition, fishing for all species will be open from one hour before official sunrise to one hour after official sunset. Catfish fanciers should note that 1,056 channel catfish ranging from 12 to17 inches were released August 17 into Kress Lake in Cowlitz County, and approximately 450 were released into Swofford Pond.

Eastern Washington:

• This is the last chance to see pelicans at Sprague, Coffeepot, and Swanson lakes in Lincoln County before they move south, says WDFW wildlife biologist Jerry Hickman. Shorebirds are moving through from more northerly breeding grounds to southern wintering areas; as usual, the Reardan ponds in eastern Lincoln County are the place to see all kinds of them, from "peeps" or sandpipers and plovers, to avocets and phalaropes. Waterfowl are also plentiful to see these days, but hunters are advised to scout out spots for later fall duck and goose hunting since the hot, windy summer has reduced the number of potholes. Northeastern and Blue Mountains black bear hunting opens September 5; huckleberries and other wild fruit has been sporadic this year due to dry conditions, so bears might be more concentrated near springs or other food sources. Cooler nights are helping lower water temperatures in area fishing waters so catching might be improved at many popular casting spots, including Long Lake on the Spokane River, Liberty and Newman lakes east of Spokane, and Waitts Lake in Stevens County. Dry fly fishing should be picking up with later summer hatches at Amber, Badger, and Williams lakes in southwest Spokane County; remember the selective fishery rules in effect at Amber.

North Central Washington:

• Summer/fall chinook salmon fishing opened early on the Columbia River from Priest Rapids Dam upstream to Wells Dam so that anglers can take advantage of one of the strongest returns in 40 years. The season is also closing earlier to avoid catching ESA-listed steelhead later in the year. Rather than running September 16 - December 31 as listed in the regulations pamphlet, this season is open August 10 - October 31 this year. Chinook fishing below Wells Dam is best in early evenings, according to Heather Bartlett, WDFW district fish biologist. The daily catch limit is six chinook, with no more than two adults 24 inches or more in length; a non-buoyant lure restriction, catch record card recording requirement, and wild coho salmon release are in effect. This stretch of river is closed to steelhead and sockeye salmon fishing. September 1 marks the opening of rainbow trout fishing at three Okanogan County lakes: 11-acre Campbell Lake and 3-acre Cougar Lake on WDFW's Methow Wildlife Area, and 39-acre Davis Lake, all southeast of Winthrop. The fishing-for-keeps season at these waters runs through March 31; Campbell and Davis have been open since April for catch-and-release fishing. Also opening to rainbow trout fishing just for the month of September are the Pillar - Widgeon chain of small (1-10 acres) lakes on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, south of Potholes Reservoir in Grant Country. This area offers uncrowded fishing and relaxing in some of the most beautiful scenery of eastern Washington. Pillar, Cattail, Gadwall, Hourglass, Lemma, Poacher, Sago, Shoveler, Snipe and Widgeon lakes all have walk-in access only from a parking area just below Soda Lake. The best fishing is early in the morning or toward evening. Maps sometimes are available at the parking area or from WDFW's Ephrata office or the Refuge office in Othello (P.O. Drawer F, 99344). Wildlife watchers should keep an eye out for moose and for birds of prey such as hawks, falcons and eagles which might be seen moving in concentrations along mountain ridges where they save energy by soaring in thermals and updrafts; known raptor migration routes in the region include Slate Peak and Hart's Pass in Okanogan County and Red Top Mountain between Wenatchee and Ellensburg. The Methow Valley is a good spot at this time of year for wildlife watching or hunting, including black bear, forest grouse and doves. Dove hunters should also find good numbers of birds throughout the Columbia Basin, given that the weather remains relatively warm for the next few weeks.

South Central Washington:

• Fall chinook salmon fishing in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River opened August 16, but the action really gets going sometime in September. Check U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam fish counts in local newspapers or on the Internet at http://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/ps/ to get an idea when fish are showing. Fishing is mostly by boat (launched at White Bluff or Ringold), trolling plugs in the early morning from Ringold to Priest Rapids Dam, with the Vernita area usually the most popular. The season runs through the year, but September is traditionally the best month to land these big, beautiful "upriver brights" when they are in their best condition. Boats can be launched from under the Vernita highway bridge but the terrain is rough enough that a four-by-four vehicle is recommended, says Jim Cummins, WDFW District Fish Biologist. He also advises anglers to park their vehicles well above the high water mark, as the Columbia in the Hanford Reach area can fluctuate five to six feet a day. For the same reason, anglers should avoid leaving their boats tied up to the river bank for long periods– those who do so may return to find their craft high and dry, Cummins said. For wildlife viewers, Cummins advises that the best place to watch and hear elk bugle in the Yakima area is around Raven's Roost in the Little Natches drainage. For the best viewing opportunities, arrive just before daylight and walk the Cougar Valley trail. Elk are normally visible on the open hillsides until about 7 a.m., when they move down into timber. Meanwhile, birds of prey such as hawks, falcons and eagles might be seen moving in concentrations along mountain ridges where they save energy by soaring in thermals and updrafts; known raptor migration routes in this region include the Saddle Mountains, Yakima Ridge, and Rattlesnake Hills area, near the Columbia River. This is a good time of year to see mountain goats along the road to Timberwolf Mountain near Naches; mule deer, elk and a myriad of birds are also for the watching in this area. Forest grouse hunters should find birds in the woods of the South Cascades and dove hunters will be productive in the agricultural areas of the Yakima Valley.