With two weeks to go before the Labor Day weekend, the coastal salmon season finally hit its stride. By the end of the third week of August, anglers fishing off Westport were averaging nearly 1.4 salmon per rod - mostly chinook - with other areas not far behind.

"This is the best salmon fishing we've seen all season," said Wendy Beeghley, a fish biologist who monitors the ocean fishery for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "We've had better years, but anything over a fish per person isn't bad."

At the same time, thousands of pink salmon have been pushing through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, keeping anglers busy throughout most of Puget Sound. At such popular fishing spots as "Humpy Hollow" and "Shipwreck," catch rates have bested a fish per rod. Schools of coho are following close behind.

"These fish have got to move through now," said Doug Milward, WDFW coastal fisheries manager. "Chinook and coho are moving along the coast headed for the Strait, coastal rivers and the Columbia River to spawn. The action is far from over, it just moves to inside waters."

Those with shellfish or combination license should make sure to take a crab pot on any salmon-fishing expeditions in nearshore waters, Milward said. As noted below, all crabbing areas are currently open - either four or seven days per week - plus the entire Labor Day weekend.

Meanwhile, statewide hunting seasons for mourning dove, forest grouse and early archery deer open Sept. 1. Hunters going afield for these game species, or scouting for later-opening seasons, are reminded to be careful with all potential fire starters.

Although most wildfires in Washington are contained at this time, fire danger remains high. Open fires are prohibited in most areas and caution should be used with campstoves, chainsaws and smoking materials. Parking a vehicle with a hot engine in dry vegetation can also spark a fire.

The regional summaries below provide more details on the opportunities for outdoor recreation available in the weeks ahead.

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Big numbers of pink salmon have inundated the region's marine areas, along with a horde of anglers trying to catch them. The southern portion of Marine Area 8-2, including the popular "Humpy Hollow" and "Shipwreck" fishing hotspots, produced catches averaging better than one fish per rod, according to recent WDFW creel checks. Productive terminal tackle included the time-tested favorites of a small hot pink imitation squid tied to a 24-inch leader behind a white flasher and trolled at various depths, or casting small pink lures to fish that are swimming near the surface. WDFW District Fish Biologist Brett Barkdull, who recently fished off both the eastern and western shores of Whidbey Island, said his latest fishing trip produced plenty of action - once he found the fish. "We had to hunt around a bit for the schools, but once we found them, the fishing was pretty good," Barkdull said. Beach anglers on Whidbey Island can find plenty of action for pinks - and the occasional coho salmon - at Bush Point, Fort Casey and Lagoon Point. Anglers can take two salmon, plus two additional pink salmon, in marine areas 7 through 10. Fishing has been slow in Marine Area 7, where the daily bag limit can include one chinook salmon (22 inches or longer). While primarily a pink show, a few kings and early hatchery coho salmon have bolstered fish counts at boat launches throughout the San Juans. Fishing has picked up significantly in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2, with pink salmon providing the bulk of the bite. A few nice chinook are still being taken in the Tulalip Bay "bubble" fishery, which is open Friday through noon Monday of each week through Sept. 27. The Port Susan portion of Marine Area 8-2 is closed to fishing through Aug. 31 to protect Stillaguamish River salmon stocks. The closure includes all waters north of a line from Camano Head to the northern boundary of the Tulalip Bay bubble fishery. To check the boundaries of the Port Susan closure area and the Tulalip Bay bubble fishery, check page 112 of the Fishing in Washington sport fishing rules pamphlet on the Internet. Central Puget Sound has been producing steady catches of pink salmon and an increasing number of coho. WDFW Fisheries Biologist Steve Foley hooked several coho off Jefferson Head, which is south of Kingston on the west side of the Sound. "The fish are definitely getting bigger," Foley said, noting that one silver topped the 5-pound mark. Pink salmon can also be found in central Puget Sound, and many of those fish are likely headed to the Duwamish-Green River, which empties into Elliott Bay. The bay, including all waters east of a line from West Point to Alki Point, opens to fishing for pink and coho salmon today (Aug. 24) after a brief closure to protect a weaker-than-expected chinook return. Marine Area 10, including Elliott Bay, has a two-fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Release all chinook and chum salmon. Don't forget to take the crab pots on any salmon-fishing expeditions in Puget Sound and the San Juans. Crabbing is open Wednesdays through Saturdays - plus the entire Labor Day weekend. Call the shellfish emergency rule change hotline, at 1-866-880-5431, or online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crabreg/ on the Internet for more information. Freshwater salmon-fishing opportunities are picking up, particularly on rivers with healthy pink salmon runs. At the top of that list is the Snohomish River system, which is expected to see the largest return of "humpies" in the state this year. "There are enough pinks in the lower Snohomish to get people interested, but it's still a bit early for really good fishing," said Chad Jackson, WDFW District Fish Biologist for the Snohomish and Stillaguamish systems. "Mid September is expected to be the peak time for fishing in the Snohomish," said Jackson, noting that the devastating flood in October 2003 may have knocked out some of the river's earlier-spawning fish. The daily limit on the Snohomish River is four salmon, no more than two of which can be coho or chum. All salmon must be at least 12 inches in length to retain, and all chinook must be released. The Snoqualmie River, a major tributary to the Snohomish, opens to salmon Sept. 1. Anglers on the Snoqualmie can keep two salmon of at least 12 inches in length, and all chinook and pink salmon must be released. The lower portion of the Skykomish River is also open to fishing for salmon. Anglers can fish from the mouth to the Lewis Street Bridge in Monroe and retain four fish, no more than a total of two coho and chum. Chinook must be released. The stretch of the Sky from Monroe to the forks opens to salmon fishing Sept. 1 under the same daily bag limits and species restrictions as the lower river. The Skagit River is also expected to see a nice return of pinks this year, and fishing is now open from the mouth to Gilligan Creek. However, fisheries biologists say low, dirty water is sinking catch rates. Blame a lack of rainfall for the low flows, while the slate gray coloration is the result of glaciers that are feeding the Suiattle and Whitechuck rivers a steady diet of rock flour. More river fishing opportunities come on-line Sept. 1, including the Nooksack River (from the reservation boundary marker upstream to Deming) with a two-fish daily limit. All pinks, wild chinook and wild coho salmon must be released. The Stillaguamish River also opens Sept. 1 to salmon fishing from the bridge at Marine Drive to the forks. Anglers can keep two fish per day, but all chinook and pink salmon must be released. The lower Duwamish-Green River - the destination for many of those pinks that anglers have been catching off Seattle - opens to salmon fishing Sept. 1 in waters downstream of the First Avenue South Bridge. Because of lower-than-expected chinook numbers, anglers must release all chinook. Additionally, the stretch of river from the Tukwila International Boulevard/Pacific Highway South bridge to the I-5 bridge remains closed to fishing through Sept. 15. Lake Sammamish opened to salmon fishing Aug. 16 with a two-fish daily limit. All sockeye must be released. Sammamish's larger neighbor, Lake Washington, opens to coho salmon fishing on Sept. 16. The daily limit will be two coho (minimum size 12 inches), and fishing is open north of the State Route 520 floating bridge and east of the Montlake Bridge. In the meantime, Lake Washington continues to produce excellent catches of smallmouth bass, crappie, perch and a few nice cutthroat trout. Washington, like virtually every other lowland lake, is quite warm, so trout anglers should be prepared to fish deep at dawn and dusk.

• Hunting: Early archery season for deer starts Sept. 1 in select western Washington Game Management Units, while high buck season in selected GMUs starts Sept. 15. The statewide season for forest grouse also gets under way Sept. 1. More information on upcoming hunting opportunities is available on the Internet.

• Wildlife viewing: Late summer's warm days and ample sunlight can make for excellent wildlife-viewing conditions, and there is still a tremendous diversity of bird life throughout the region. One correspondent to the Tweeters birding network reported seeing a colorful Bullock's oriole near the town of Snohomish. The male Bullock's oriole has a bright orange body with striking black and white wing markings. The birds feed on fruit, insects and nectar. Samish Bay, one of the great birding spots in the northwestern corner of the region, is playing host to a number of juvenile birds, include secretive Virginia rails and soras, plus snipe. Other Tweeters correspondents who took a quick birding trip to Whidbey Island recently were rewarded with a number of sightings, including a rare marbled murrelet in breeding plumage, greater and lesser yellowlegs (standing side-by-side for easy comparison), noisy Caspian terns knifing overhead, a great horned owl, a peregrine falcon and 72 other species - all in one day. Purple martins have fledged their young and are assembling for their yearly migration to the Amazonian rain forest. Small numbers of martins have been spotted with their cousins, barn and violet-green swallows. The Montlake Fill - a popular Seattle birding spot - recently produced a few good sightings, including two green herons and a pair of raucous belted kingfishers. Birders visiting the Kent Ponds tallied five short-billed dowitchers and a ruby-crowned kinglet. Finally, a river otter and her pup captivated another Tweeters correspondent as the animals munched on small fish just off Blake Island in central Puget Sound. After their meal, the otters headed to the beach for a quick rub in the sand and a nap. To learn more about river otters, check out WDFW's "Living With Wildlife" series on the Internet.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: With two weeks to go before the Labor Day weekend, the coastal salmon season has finally hit its stride. By the end of the third week of August, anglers fishing off Westport were averaging one chinook apiece and 1.4 salmon overall. Overall catch rates off Ilwaco and LaPush were close behind, with chinook making up about one-third of the harvest. "This is the best salmon fishing we've seen all season," said Wendy Beeghley, a WDFW fish biologist who monitors the ocean fishery. "We've had better years, but anything over a fish per person isn't bad." At Neah Bay (Marine Area 4), the only ocean area not open seven days per week, anglers have been averaging about a half a coho per rod - and one pink salmon for every three rods. Beeghley said anglers should check for possible rule changes concerning the Neah Bay fishery on the WDFW website or the Fishing Hotline (360-902-2500). With catch totals still considerably short of season quotas in all areas, salmon fisheries are currently scheduled to run through Sept. 18 in Westport, LaPush and Neah Bay, and through Sept. 30 in Ilwaco. Willapa Bay, meanwhile, is providing anglers a shot at catching a king salmon without venturing into the ocean. Creel checks Aug. 19 and Aug. 22 showed a total of 172 anglers with 55 chinook and four coho, said Scott Barbour, WDFW fish biologist. "That's not bad fishing - and the water is better," Barbour said. "You don't have to go over a bar. There are several places you can access it from. You just go around the corner and you're fishing." In the Strait of Juan de Fuca, coho salmon are beginning to show up in increasing numbers where pink salmon have dominated the catch in recent weeks. Creel checks for Aug. 15-21 showed pinks outnumbering coho 919 to 578, the numbers were beginning to flip by the end of the week, said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW recreational salmon manager. "Typically by Labor Day the pinks should be tailing off," Thiesfeld said, noting that September is generally the big month for silvers around Sekiu and Port Angeles. "I would expect the coho to start taking off at any time." In the strait, as on the coast, anglers must release any unmarked coho they catch. Hood Canal, where the salmon fishery is reaching its peak, is also a good bet for kings. In the Hoodsport area, 24 anglers checked Aug. 21 at Mike's Beach Resort caught 25 kings. Two other creel checks in the Hoodsport area that day found 113 anglers with 75 chinook. "It's probably the best fishing we've had in Puget Sound all summer," Thiesfeld said. "Hood Canal has been a real sleeper the last couple years." Already peaking is Sinclair Inlet between Port Orchard and Bremerton, where a salmon derby attracted 170 anglers Aug. 20-21 to the bay. Of the 92 checked Aug. 20 at the Port Orchard ramp, 32 boated kings. The derby-winning fish weighed in at 24 pounds, 6 ounces. Meanwhile, fishing conditions on many area rivers have been less than ideal. Those on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula are running low and clear while others - such as the Puyallup River - are too murky. Glacial flour has reduced visibility on the Puyallup at times to zero, said Hal Michael, WDFW fish biologist. Still, creel checks Aug. 19-23 showed every fourth angler - and there were a lot of them - landing a salmon, mostly pinks. "They're moving upstream fine," Michael said. "If you're fishing something that the fish can smell, they might find it. Otherwise it's just random chance that the bait or lure ends up in the fish's mouth." On the north Olympic Peninsula, the water is clear and low, putting a damper on fishing, said David Low, WDFW fish biologist. An exception is the Quillayute River, where good numbers of summer coho are showing up. Fishing off the inlets in the deep South Sound, such as the mouth of the Nisqually River, Chambers Creek and Gig Harbor, has proved successful for many anglers, Michael said. A 6-year-old landed a 44-pound, 10-ounce king Aug. 19 near Gig Harbor. Crabbers are reminded that all crab fishing areas will be open all three days - Saturday, Sunday and Monday - of the Labor Day weekend. Between now and then, three marine areas - 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound) - will be open seven days per week. Eight areas are open for crabbing on a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule, including Marine Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet) 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal).

• Hunting: The statewide hunting season for forest grouse gets under way Sept. 1, with a daily bag limit of three birds (whether blue, ruffed or spruce grouse). The western Washington black bear and cougar seasons began Aug. 1. Check the 2005 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) for details.

• Wildlife viewing: Two correspondents to the Tweeters birding network recently visited the Sinclair Inlet estuary at Gorst and reported 58 Western sandpipers, five least sandpipers, a semipalmated plover and a greater yellowlegs during the incoming tide. They stopped at Square Lake on their way home from Kitsap County and saw three purple martins fly over along with a spotted sandpiper, an osprey and five wood ducks. A Hammond's flycatcher was the highlight of another birder's Aug. 22 bird-watching outing. He spotted the flycatcher northeast of town while tracking a mixed flock of some 20 species, he reported on the Tweeters Web site. The slightly crested birds were once common in the Puget Sound lowlands and the lowland forests on the eastern side of the Cascades, but extensive cutting of these forests has shrunk their habitat and they're now listed on the Audubon-Washington watch list. Hicks reported that the bird treated him to a song, which the male uses to defend its territory or attract a mate. The small flycatchers are olive gray above and buffy yellow below, two white wing bars, a white eye ring and a dark bill. They start arriving in Washington by mid-April and begin heading south again by mid-August to winter in the pine-oak woods of Mexico and Central America. They eat insects, especially beetles, caterpillars, moths and flies, catching them in mid-air and returning to their perch to eat. The correspondent reported another nice surprise in Ocean Shores, where he was surrounded by swarms of Western sandpipers on the inner and outer shores, airborne, "seemingly everywhere."

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Salmon fishing remained slow at Buoy 10 through the third weekend in August, but started to come alive the next day. "We're getting reports of a significant bump in catch rates," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "This could be the surge everybody's waiting for." Those who didn't wait averaged just one salmon - mostly chinook - for every 10 rods during the week of Aug. 15-21. By comparison, last year's catch rate during the same period was better than half a fish per rod. "There's no doubt that the run is late," said Wolf Dammers, another WDFW fish biologist from the department's Vancouver office. "But with ocean catches improving significantly over the past couple of weeks, it stands to reason that we should start seeing more fish in the river." One good sign: More than 2,500 adult chinook salmon were tallied Aug. 21 at Bonneville Dam, the highest count of the summer season. Anglers planning to fish or camp near the mouth of the Columbia River should be aware that the jetty access road, as well as the parking lot at Benson Beach, will be closed through October while the Army Corps of Engineers works to repair the north jetty. For safety reasons, climbing on the jetty is strongly discouraged. For more information, see http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pa/news/home.asp. As fish counts have increased, so too has the number of anglers. During a weekly flyover Aug. 20, a WDFW monitoring crew counted 300 boats targeting salmon or hatchery-reared steelhead - up from 115 boats the week before. About one-third of those 300 boats were congregated near the mouth of the Cowlitz River, where fall chinook and summer steelhead have been competing for anglers' attention. Overall, boat anglers fishing the mainstem Columbia below Bonneville Dam have been averaging one chinook or steelhead for every six rods. For bank anglers, the average has been one fish for every 11 rods. Interest in summer steelhead is still running strong at Drano Lake, although catch rates have dropped to about three-quarters of a fish per rod compared to 1.7 fish per rod in early August. The Lewis, Wind and White Salmon rivers are also still producing some summer steelhead, although a growing number of anglers have begun to target fall chinook where streams flow into the Bonneville Pool. There should still be some steelhead there, too. Hymer notes that nearly 120,000 steelhead counted to date at Bonneville Dam have not yet crossed The Dalles Dam. "A lot of those fish are probably seeking relief in the cooler water of the tributaries until the mainsteam cools down," he said. Six boats were spotted fishing for walleye upriver from the I-5 bridge during the aerial survey, while those targeting sturgeon has dropped off considerably since the fishery below Bonneville Dam switched to catch-and-release. Coming up: Two tributaries to the lower Columbia will open for salmon fishing Sept. 1: Grays River opens for hatchery coho and the Elochoman River opens to both fall chinook and coho that day. For trout anglers, Mineral Lake has been producing good catches of rainbows and should get even better in early September when WDFW plants the lake with more than 2,000 half-pounders. Mayfield Lake is also worth a try, as are the areas' high mountain lakes where fishing is expected to heat up as the weather cools down. Looking for some really big fish? James L. Hutchison of Vancouver landed a 33 pound, 8 oz. catfish on chicken livers while bank fishing at Round Lake (just below Lacamas Lake) Aug. 11. Hutchison reported it took a half an hour to land the fish on a light, 6 foot long trout rod. The fish has been tentatively identified as a channel catfish, which were released into Lacamas Lake at least twice - once in the late 1980's and again around 1993. The state record for channel catfish is 36.2 pounds.

• Hunting: The statewide hunting season for forest grouse gets under way Sept. 1, as does the archery season for blacktail deer in designated game management units in western Washington. Hunting seasons continue for black bear and cougar throughout the region. Check the 2005 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) for details.

• Wildlife viewing: Until recently, stilt sandpipers were a fairly uncommon sight in Washington, particularly on the west side of the Cascades. Heavily barred with brown and white stripes, the long-legged waders have typically migrated through the Great Plains between South America and their breeding grounds in the Arctic. But that may be changing, according to Ken Knittle, editor of Washington Birder newsletter. Sightings have now been reported in all but 10 Washington counties, including one Aug. 22 at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Clark County. They rarely appear in large groups, but sometimes appear among flocks of dowitchers or lesser yellowlegs. Knittle wants to hear about any sightings in those other 10 counties - which include Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Skamania and Wahkiakum - and asks that anyone who spots one to contact him at washingtonbirder@hotmail.com. Stilt sandpipers were not among the species reported to the Tweeters birdwatching website by an avid birder after a recent trip to southwest Washington. She did, however, spot eight long-billed dowitchers along with three greater yellowlegs and a great egret at the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Reserve in Clark County. She also sighted a peregrine falcon, three olive-sided flycatchers, a white-breasted nuthatch, two warbling vireos and 18 turkey vultures - all at various sites in Skamania County. Not content with birds, she also added five dragonfly species to her list: the metallic emerald spreadwing, the multi-colored American emerald, the Pacific spiketail with its black and yellow markings and the brush-tipped and mountain emerald, both with bulbous green eyes and black markings on their translucent wings.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Nighttime fishing at Sprague Lake is yielding channel catfish, reports WDFW District Fish Biologist Chris Donley of Spokane. "The successful anglers there aren't revealing what they're using, but I suspect they're catching them on shrimp and other baits," he said. Kokanee fishing remains good at Loon Lake in southern Stevens County. Lake Roosevelt is also producing kokanee and nice-sized rainbow trout. "The action at many of our trout lakes throughout the region should start picking up as summer winds down with lower air and water temperatures," Donley said. "Some lakes have remained pretty good throughout the summer for anglers who are out really early and late." WDFW Enforcement Officer Lenny Hahn of Spokane said anglers continue catching trout at Williams Lake in southwest Spokane County and Fishtrap Lake in Lincoln County. Fishing appears to be slow at eastern Spokane County's Newman and Liberty lakes, Hahn reports, despite the mix of trout and warmwater species in those waters. Cutthroat trout are especially good up at Marshall Lake in Pend Oreille County now. Curt Vail, WDFW district fish biologist stationed in Colville, says fishing for rainbows at Curlew Lake has improved now that local volunteers, particularly Gordon McIntyre, have corrected net pen-rearing problems. "The quantity of rainbows is still rebuilding, but the quality is outstanding," Vail said. The steelhead harvest season on the Snake River system opens Sept. 1 with a daily catch limit of three steelhead (rainbow trout over 20 inches). WDFW Regional Fish Program Manager John Whalen notes that with lower flows in the Snake's tributaries this year, the big fish may be holed up in the mainstem. But wherever fresh cold water is coming in, like at the mouth of the Clearwater River in the Lewiston-Clarkston area, steelhead are being caught.

• Hunting: Early archery whitetail and mule deer hunting season opens Sept. 1, and early archery elk hunting opens Sept. 8 in many game management units (GMU) throughout the region. Archers should check antler-point restrictions and all the details in the 2005-2006 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet. Those planning to hunt the Blue Mountains should avoid the north half of the Tucannon unit (GMU 166) where the "School Fire" burned, and access to those areas could still be restricted. WDFW's Wooten Wildlife Area is now accessible via the Tucannon River Road, but campgrounds remain closed to overnight use. Also opening Sept. 1 is hunting for mourning dove and forest grouse. Although no specific counts for these birds are conducted, anecdotal information indicates they are abundant and can be found near water sources. The two-week dove season could be a bust if cold fronts move in to the area and push doves from the region, noted WDFW regional wildlife program manager Kevin Robinette. Meanwhile, the four-month-long forest grouse season should provide hunters with lots of opportunity. The north end of the region has both ruffed and blue grouse near riparian areas and springs. Down south, ruffed grouse populations should be good along waterways like the upper Tucannon, Touchet, Coppei and Pataha, but hunters need to plan around access restrictions from the wildfire damage. Black bear hunting opens Sept. 6 in the northeast (GMUs 101-117) where the bear population is one of the healthiest in the state. Bear hunting also starts Sept. 6 in the Blue Mountains, although animals in and around the Wooten Wildlife Area may be more scattered than usual due to the wildfire. Young hunters who have yet to complete the required Hunter Education training can register through Aug. 28 for a special "Jamboree" course, Sept. 9-11 at Camp Cowles Boy Scout Camp on Diamond Lake in Pend Oreille County. Register with Hunter Education instructor Greg Koehn in Newport at (509) 447-2604, WDFW Eastside Hunter Education Coordinator Chuck Ray in Ephrata at (509) 754-4624, or in person at the General Store or Sharp Shooting Range in Spokane.

• Wildlife viewing: Shorter days are moving birds through the region. Backyard birders in the north half of the region note that hummingbirds are fewer and farther between at nectar feeders and the last of the summer flowers. Some songbirds that summered in Canada are now making migratory stopovers in northeast Washington, although they may be the same species birders have seen all summer, including nuthatches, chickadees, juncos, sparrows and grosbeaks. Swallows and blackbirds are gathering in large numbers, preparing to start southbound migrations. Debbie Milks, a WDFW fish biologist in Dayton, notes that a good bird-watching site near Richland on the Columbia River is about half a mile above the Port of Benton sign. Great blue herons and egrets have nested there on an island, and the big birds are still in the area and highly visible. Look for herons perched on shoreline shrubs, standing at the river's edge and wading for fish. WDFW Fish Biologist Curt Vail suggests a different kind of wildlife-watching experience: Curlew Lake, just north of Republic, has a rainbow trout rearing program that affords a boat-side view of these beautiful fish in net pens. Vail says local volunteers, including Gordon McIntyre, maintain the project.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Summer chinook salmon fishing in the Brewster/Bridgeport area continues to be good, with fish averaging 12 to 15 pounds, says WDFW Fish Biologist Bob Jateff. "Trolling with herring is the most popular method, but fish have also been caught by jigging," he said. Fishing for sockeye salmon remains closed in the region. Jateff also notes that trout fishing in the Methow River slowed when hot weather reduced stream flow and increased water temperatures. Cutthroat trout in the 12- to 14-inch range and rainbow trout 8 to 10 inches can still be caught with surface fly patterns. Jateff reminds anglers that the sections on the Methow River above the Weeman Bridge and below Gold Creek are closed to fishing. Big Twin Lake has been producing 11- to 15 -inch trout for anglers fishing slowly and deep. WDFW Fish Biologist Jeff Korth reports that 15- to 17-inch kokanee can still be caught at Banks Lake, while good smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing can be found at Potholes Reservoir in the Columbia Basin. "Fall is just around the corner and fishing in general really picks up in the Basin during the fall," Korth said. "For trout, our selective fishery waters have some of their best days in the fall, and those waters with year-round seasons should have some nice big fish left. Walleye fishing in particular improves as temperatures cool."

• Hunting: The Columbia Basin's warmer conditions usually hold mourning doves longer than other eastside areas. Combined with large waterways and grainfields, the Basin might be the place for hunters to head for the Sept. 1 season opener. The four-month-long season for forest grouse also opens Sept. 1, and the region's Okanogan district should be a good bet for blue, ruffed and spruce grouse. Several game management units open Sept. 1 for early archery mule and whitetail deer hunting. Chelan County units open Sept. 8 for early archery elk hunting. Archers should check antler-point restrictions and all the details in the 2005-2006 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet. Hunters should be especially careful with campfires and stoves, chainsaws, smoking materials, and even parking warm vehicles on dry vegetation to avoid starting new wildfires.

• Wildlife viewing: Late summer is a good time to watch birds on the southwest end of Sprague Lake in northeast Adams County from WDFW's water access site and viewing area off Danekas Road. Access the site from Interstate 90 eastbound by taking the Tokio exit and follow Danekas Road for about six miles. White pelicans and tundra swans are often highly visible on the lake now, and the big birds could be around the general vicinity until the first major cold front moves them south. Some of the west end of the lake has long been a "game reserve" that provides an integral part of a waterfowl sanctuary network on the eastside of Washington. Throughout the year the lake is used by Canada geese, dabbling ducks, like mallard, gadwall and cinnamon teal, and diving ducks like redhead, ruddy duck and lesser scaup. At times, Sprague Lake has the largest concentration of canvasback in Eastern Washington. Harper Island, just across from the WDFW boat launch, is a nesting area for gulls, ducks and geese, and can become a gathering spot for birds during spring and fall migrations. The extensive marsh and shrub patches on the west shoreline supports a diversity of birds, from marsh wrens to northern harriers.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: The Columbia River Hanford Reach fall chinook salmon fishery that so many anglers look forward to at this time of year may be slow-going, says WDFW Fish Biologist Jim Cummins. "Lower Columbia River dam counts are low, probably because water temperatures are running about 72 degrees and the upriver movement of fall chinook appears to be delayed or slightly below expectations," he said. "The Hanford Reach fall chinook fishery, which has been open since Aug. 16, usually becomes productive in early September and generally peaks the last half of September and early October when fish numbers are generally high." Cummins said high water temperatures could delay upriver migration. "We need a cooling trend to reverse this situation," he said. Cummins also noted that salmon and bull trout fishing is closed in the Naches River and tributaries and in the upper Yakima River where these fish have begun to spawn. "American River salmon have almost completed spawning and mainstem Naches, Little Naches and Bumping River spring chinook will be spawning soon," he said. Bull trout start spawning at the end of August in some areas and peak spawning is in September. Cummins reminds people to avoid harassing these spawning fish and refrain from building "recreational" dams that can prevent or impede upstream salmon and bull trout migration. "Upstream migration to spawning areas is particularly precarious this year because of unseasonably low water flows," Cummins said. High mountain lake fishing for rainbow, cutthroat and eastern brook trout is still a good bet in the last days of summer. WDFW Habitat Biologist Perry Harvester reminds anglers that Rimrock Lake will be drawn down for irrigation purposes over the next month, and launching of large boats on the concrete ramps won't be available much longer. Gravel ramps will remain suitable for small boat use for the next few weeks. Harvester said drought conditions could likely result in a significant drawdown in the reservoir later this year, and fish could be flushed from the lake.

• Hunting: The mourning dove hunting season opener Sept. 1 could be a good one if warm weather remains and no cold fronts push birds south, says Ted Clausing, WDFW regional wildlife program manager. Any areas near grain fields and water are usually a good bet, Clausing added. The forest grouse hunting season also opens Sept. 1, and the region's many riparian areas should hold birds. Several game management units throughout the region open for early archery deer hunting on Sept. 1 and early archery elk hunting Sept. 8. Archers should check antler-point restrictions and all the details in the 2005-2006 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet. Hunters should be especially careful with campfires and stoves, chainsaws, smoking materials, and even parking warm vehicles on dry vegetation to avoid

• Wildlife Viewing: Bruce Berry, WDFW Oak Creek Wildlife Area assistant manager, reports consistent sightings of bighorn sheep in the bottom two miles of Oak Creek, and in the hills above the wildlife area headquarters. "There are no big rams in this group, but lots of ewes with this year's lambs, plus a couple juvenile rams," he said. "I've noticed them on hot afternoons in the creek bottom feeding on the lush vegetation coming in where we had the Oak Creek wildfire three years ago." Berry also noted that Lewis' woodpeckers are frequent visitors to the same area, attracted to snags left by the fire. Ted Clausing, WDFW regional wildlife program manager, said the Yakima Canyon Road is another great spot to see bighorns. "About half way up the canyon from Yakima, above Roza Dam, there's a group that just jump out at you against the lush green riparian vegetation," he said. "They're staying lower and near water in these dry conditions."