September 15 - 28, 2004

Contact: Doug Williams, 360-902-2256

Summer officially ends Sept. 22, but that doesn't mean the end of hot salmon-fishing opportunities throughout Washington.

Hard-fighting coho have taken over as the number-one target for salmon anglers throughout much of western Washington. Coastal waters, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound and many rivers that empty into those waters all offer good opportunities for catching coho.

There is also great fall chinook fishing in the lower Columbia River, and strong fish counts at the Bonneville Dam fish ladder indicate anglers on the big river should be catching kings well into late September.

Upriver bright chinook are striking in the Columbia's Hanford Reach, and increasing numbers of Snake River steelhead coming up the dam fish ladders could start to show up in catches later this month. Trout flyfishers are enjoying great conditions in the catch-and-release stretch of the Yakima River.

The second half of September features the beginning of several hunting seasons. The statewide youth hunt for pheasant, goose, duck and coot is set for Sept. 18-19 and is open to hunters under 16 years of age. Hunters age 65 and older have an early pheasant season of their own in western Washington, Sept. 20-24, while the general western Washington pheasant season gets under way Sept. 25. Be sure to check the 2004-05 Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet for details.

A week-long fall permit wild turkey hunting season opens Sept. 25 in portions of the eastern, southcentral and southwest regions of the state. For the first time, northeast units (105-124), where turkeys are prolific, are open to all hunters with valid turkey tags and no special permits are required.

Big-game hunters have elk and deer archery hunting opportunities, while the high buck season is also under way in select areas.

Fall bird migrations are under way across the state, with numerous species moving south to wintering grounds. Migrating whales can be spotted off the Washington coast, while salmon continue their upstream migration to the spawning grounds.

Here are details on the recreational opportunities throughout the state:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Recent catch reports from central Puget Sound indicate anglers have been hooking up with plenty of hard-fighting coho, including several super-sized silvers. In fact, WDFW fish checkers working the Everett boat ramp recently recorded a 20-pound coho - an exceptional fish by any standard. "The folks fishing in the marine areas have been averaging about one fish per boat, which is a little behind last year's average, but similar to what we've seen in past years," said Curt Kraemer, WDFW regional fish program manager. Some of the hottest spots include the southern end of Whidbey Island, the Shipwreck, which is on the Snohomish County shoreline between Edmonds and Mukilteo, Kitsap County's Jefferson Head, and West Point, which is just north of downtown Seattle. Throw Elliott Bay into the mix - nice coho have been caught practically in the shadow of the Seattle skyline. Anglers have been finding success using a variety of gear, including plug-cut herring, imitation squid and large flies. The best bite seems to be centered on the peak of the incoming tide at depths between 35 and 65 feet. Coho anglers on area rivers have had some luck lately, but heavy rainfall can quickly ruin good fishing conditions. "The in-river coho fisheries are well ahead of where they were at this time last year," Kraemer said. The Snohomish River was producing fair coho catches before heavy rainfall knocked the stream out of shape. The Skykomish mainstem is open to salmon fishing from the mouth to the forks. Both the Snohomish and mainstem Skykomish have a two-fish daily limit, and all chinook and pink salmon must be released. The bite has been somewhat slow on the Skagit River, which is open from the mouth upstream to the confluence with Gilligan Creek. Waters from the mouth of Gilligan Creek upstream to the confluence with the Cascade River open to coho fishing Thursday (Sept. 16) with a daily limit of three salmon, and all chinook and chum must be released. Anglers are still getting a few chinook on the Samish River, which is open to salmon fishing from the mouth upstream to the Thomas Road bridge with a two-fish daily limit. There have been few reports of angler success on the lower Nooksack River, which is open to salmon fishing through the end of the year from the Lummi Nation boundary upstream to the FFA high school barn in Deming. There is a two-fish daily limit and wild chinook and wild coho must be released. The Stillaguamish River is open to salmon fishing from the mouth to the forks with a two-fish daily limit, and all chinook and pink salmon must be released. Coho can also be found in the Duwamish / Green River, which is open to salmon fishing from the mouth to the Pacific Highway South bridge. Beginning Thursday (Sept. 16) the portion of the Green River from the Pacific Highway South bridge upstream to the Southwest 43rd Street bridge opens to salmon fishing. Both areas have a daily limit of six fish, no more than three of which may be adults. Upriver portions of the Green open in October. Still interested in landing a chinook in saltwater? The San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7) remain open to chinook fishing, but recent fish checks have shown few chinook have been taken. The Tulalip Bay "bubble" fishery for chinook is in its final days. The fishery runs on a 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 a.m. Monday weekly schedule through Sept. 27. The daily limit is two salmon and chinook must be 22 inches long to keep. There is no minimum size limit for other species. Another saltwater fishing opportunity can be experienced without leaving dry land: Squid jiggers have already seen good nighttime catches off downtown Seattle piers in a fishery that typically hits its peak during the dark winter months. The daily limit is five quarts or 10 pounds of squid. Legal gear is a forage fish jig, a maximum of four squid lures, forage fish dip net or a hand dip net. Each squid fisher must have a separate container for his or her catch. There are a few salmon-fishing opportunities worth noting on area lakes, including the coho fishery on Lake Washington, beginning Thursday (Sept. 16). Coho fishing is allowed north of the State Route 520 floating bridge and east of the Montlake Bridge. The daily limit is two coho, and the minimum length is 12 inches. Lake Sammamish is also open to salmon fishing through Nov. 30 with a two-fish daily limit and a minimum length of 12 inches on kept fish. Release all sockeye salmon. Wet, windy weather should help cool area lakes, and that could lead to hotter fishing for trout. Anglers should plan on hitting the water during early daylight hours, or during the last few hours before nightfall. Perch fishing is also expected to pick up as lakes cool.

• Hunting: Pheasant hunting in western Washington kicks off this month with the special youth hunting season, Sept. 18-19, open to hunters under 16 years of age. Young hunters must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years of age and is not hunting. A special pheasant season for hunters 65 years of age and older is set for Sept. 20-24, while the general season runs from Sept. 25-Nov. 30. Pheasant release sites on the Skagit and Snoqualmie wildlife areas have been selected for the youth and senior hunts. Skagit Wildlife Area Manager John Garrett said the Headquarters, Leque Island-Smith Farm and Samish units will all have pheasants released prior to the youth and senior hunts, while the Stillwater and Cherry Valley units of the Snoqualmie Wildlife Area will get birds prior to the youth season. Garrett said the Skagit Wildlife Area offers tremendous duck-hunting opportunities for young hunters, particularly during morning high tides on Skagit Bay. Be sure to check the tide tables before hunting in saltwater areas. Possibly the best news of all for hunters who like to roam the Skagit Wildlife Area is that the Headquarters Unit boat launch is open after a three-year construction closure. The statewide band-tailed pigeon season runs Sept. 15-23 with a two-bird daily limit, while the statewide mourning dove season ends today (Sept. 15). Forest grouse season continues through the end of the year. Seasons for big game species are also under way, including elk archery hunts through Sept. 21, deer archery hunts through Sept. 30 and bear and cougar hunts. The high buck seasons for both modern firearm and muzzleloader hunters start today (Sept. 15) and run through Sept. 25.

• Wildlife viewing: Fall bird migrations are under way. Look for shorebirds, geese and ducks to begin moving south. Those big black birds flying in a slow corkscrew pattern overhead could be turkey vultures kettling south to their winter haunts. Turkey vultures, which feed on road kill and other carrion, winter from southern California through Central America. Birders sharing their experiences with others via the Tweeters birding website report spotting three different types of gulls near downtown Seattle, including ring-billed and mews gulls on the lower Duwamish River, and Heerman's gulls at Golden Gate Park. Beautiful rosy finches have been seen recently just below the Sahale Glacier in North Cascades National Park, while a blue grouse was seen along the national park's Cascade Pass Trail. Upstream salmon migrations are also occurring throughout the region. Spawning activity is well under way on Renton's Cedar River, where bright red sockeye salmon are burying fertilized eggs in the river bottom's gravel. Be sure to keep children and pets away from streams where spawning is occurring so adult salmon are undisturbed while they complete the final phase of their life cycle.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound

• Fishing: Summer is waning but ocean salmon fishing season continues strong in several areas, including the recently re-opened Neah Bay fishery. Anglers there were averaging coho catches of between three-quarters and one-and-a-half fish per person recently, said Wendy Beeghley, WDFW regional fish biologist. "Coastwide, we're seeing some big coho, some as large as 17 pounds," she noted. Marine Area 2 (Leadbetter Point north to the Queets River) closed to salmon fishing Sept. 7. Grays Harbor is set to re-open Sept. 16 for fishing east of the Buoy 13 line. In the Tokeland area on Willapa Bay "very spotty" catches averaging between two-tenths and six-tenths of a fish per person produced mostly chinook, although a few coho have started to show up. Poor weather and rough seas kept most anglers off the water at La Push and Ilwaco. "Most folks just didn't venture out because it was too rough," Beeghley said. On days that boats could get out, catches in Ilwaco averaged one fish per angler, and about 90 percent of the catch was coho. On the coastal rivers as well, fishing has been good when the weather cooperates, said Mike Gross, WDFW regional fish biologist. Although rivers were dropping back into shape early in the week of Sept. 13, more rain was predicted. "Given fishable conditions, the Quillayute should offer both coho and chinook; chinook should be heading up the Hoh, and coho are expected to be pushing up the Queets," Gross said. This year's salmon run is ahead of schedule, due to the early arrival of fall rains that boosted water flows and helped send the fish upriver, Gross said. More than 1,000 summer coho have returned to the Sol Duc Hatchery. Boaters on the Hoh River are reminded to use caution when navigating the by-pass channel that skirts the stream stabilization project along Highway 101. The project is scheduled for completion by October. Meanwhile in south Puget Sound, fishing has been slow, although observations indicate good numbers of hatchery coho in the water.

• Hunting: Young bird hunters have an opportunity to polish their skills while they take to the field for pheasants, ducks and geese during the special youth hunt Sept. 18-19. The youth-only weekend hunt runs statewide, except that goose hunting is closed in goose management areas 2B (Pacific and Grays Harbor counties) and 2A (Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties) to protect dusky geese. The youth hunt is open to hunters under 16, who must be accompanied by an adult who is not hunting. A special pheasant season for hunters 65 years of age and older is set for Sept. 20-24, while the general season runs from Sept. 25-Nov. 30. For hunters of all ages, early archery deer and elk seasons continue across the state, with the elk hunt closing on Sept. 21 and archery deer hunts wrapping up on Sept. 30.

• Wildlife viewing: This is the time of year to watch for turkey vultures kettling across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, near the Salt Creek recreation area west of Port Angeles-the narrowest point between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula. As the salmon return to area rivers, the Quilcene National Fish Hatchery in Jefferson County and WDFW Hoodsport Hatchery on Hood Canal offer good vantage points to watch the show. A pair of humpback whales-rarely seen in the Strait of Juan de Fuca-cruised past Port Townsend and the Dungeness area earlier this month. A Tweeters website correspondent reports spotting 26 species of shorebirds during a Sept. 11 birding trip from Ocean Shores to Tokeland; sightings included a juvenile ruff, eight juvenile Pacific golden plovers and an American golden plover at the Oyhut Wildlife Area. Large numbers of brown pelicans and double-crested cormorants have been visible at several locations around Ocean Shores, primarily from North Bay and the Ocean Shores Jetty. In the Olympia area, a lone brown pelican has been spotted at Luhr Beach in Thurston County and near Anderson Island in Pierce County.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Rain and cooling temperatures are keeping the salmon fishing hot on the lower Columbia River. Checks of catches the week of Sept. 6 showed boat fishers landing chinook at the rate of one fish for every 2.5 anglers, while bank fishers scored one chinook for every six rods. The river upstream from the Interstate 205 Bridge and the mouth of the Cowlitz River near Longview were the hottest spots for salmon action. The fall chinook catches were running so high in the first half of September that fish managers had been considering ending chinook retention from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam. But anglers can continue keeping their catch a while longer, thanks to the sheer size of the run-as of Sept. 14, a total of 405,848 adult fall chinook had passed Bonneville Dam. At mid-month, chinook returns were peaking in the lower Columbia River, as evidenced by the season-high count of 34,164 adult fall chinook that passed Bonneville Dam on Sept. 14. Although anglers on the lower Columbia River are expected to be able to keep their catch well into the second half of September, fishers should stay tuned for updates on chinook retention rules. At Buoy 10, where chinook retention has already closed, just a few coho are showing up in fish boxes. As September progresses, the salmon scene will keep moving up the Columbia, notes Pat Frazier, deputy regional Fish Program manager for WDFW. Meanwhile on the tributaries, Cowlitz River fishing is slowing, although Tacoma Power sweetened the action with several recent transplants: Lake Scanewa got 45 adult spring chinook and 150 adult coho; the Interstate 5 boat launch area received 219 summer steelhead and 172 adult chinook; the Massey Bar boat launch was planted with 118 summer-run steelhead and 72 fall chinook; and 135 summer steelhead and 139 adult fall chinook were released near the Olequa boat launch, Frazier reports. On the Toutle River, fishing is expected to pick up, with 800 coho reported returning to the North Fork Toutle hatchery. And on the Lewis River, summer-run hatchery steelhead angling should be strong, with 10,000 steelhead counted at Merwin Dam as of Sept. 8.

• Hunting: Young bird hunters have an opportunity to polish their skills while they take to the field for pheasants, ducks and geese during the special youth hunt Sept. 18-19. The youth-only weekend hunt runs statewide, except that goose hunting is closed in goose management areas 2A (Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties) and 2B (Pacific and Grays Harbor counties) to protect dusky geese. The youth hunt is open to hunters under 16 years old, who must be accompanied by an adult who is not hunting. A special pheasant season for hunters 65 years of age and older is set for Sept. 20-24, while the general season runs from Sept. 25-Nov. 30. For hunters of all ages, early archery deer and elk seasons continue across the state, with the elk hunt closing on Sept. 21 and archery deer hunts wrapping up on Sept. 30.

• Wildlife viewing: A Tweeters website correspondent reports spotting two juvenile red-shouldered hawks at Conboy National Wildlife Refuge south of Glenwood. Other sightings on or south of the refuge included wild turkeys, molting sandhill cranes, American kestrels feeding on the grasshoppers and American bitterns feeding on tadpoles. Another birder reports on a recent trip to River "S" Unit of the Ridgefield Refuge in Clark County, where he spotted two juvenile snowy egrets in Rest Lake, and 14 sandhill cranes in the field south of Rest Lake.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Snake River steelheading should start to pick up later this month. "Big numbers of salmon and steelhead are moving in the Snake right now," said WDFW fish biologist Mark Schuck of Dayton. "As usual, catch rates have been a little patchy early in the season, but our recent cool rainy weather should really spur the catch on." Coffeepot Lake in Lincoln County, which has been open since the first of March and produced lots of great catches of rainbow trout, crappie and bass, closes to all fishing Sept. 15. Trout anglers have a last chance to fish Spokane County's Liberty, West Medical, Badger, and Williams lakes, Lincoln County's Fishtrap Lake, and Pend Oreille County's Fan Lake - all which close Sept. 30. Spokane County's Amber and North Silver lakes switch to catch-and-release fishing Sept. 30. Size and catch limits and selective gear rules have been waived at Ferry County's Ellen Lake and Stevens County's Rocky Lakes through Oct. 4, when they close early (normally open through October) for rehabilitation treatment on Oct. 5. Anglers are urged to remove as many fish as possible before the lakes are treated with rotenone to remove infestations of undesirable fish and prepare them for trout re-stocking. The Two Rivers Walleye Championship Tournament at Lake Roosevelt is scheduled Sept. 18-19; for more information, contact the Two Rivers Casino and Resort in Davenport, Alan Roberts at (509) 535-2422 or Spokane Walleye Club at http://www.spokanewalleyeclub.com.

• Hunting: The youth bird hunting weekend, Sept. 18-19, will be enhanced with releases of farm-raised rooster pheasants at some of the region's nine release sites. Quail numbers are looking good throughout the region. Waterfowl at this early date are all local birds, so traditional areas along the region's waterways will be best for young hunters. New this year is a week-long (Sept. 25 - Oct. 1) either-sex general wild turkey hunt (any tag holder, no special permit required) for much of northeast Washington (Game Management Units 105-124). "Turkeys are widely distributed on both private and public land in these units," said WDFW wildlife biologist Steve Zender of Chewelah, "and while the spring rains may have reduced the current year's brood crop, small flocks are numerous and have become very visible in the last few weeks." Zender recommends hunters make early morning or evening drives around the farms and foothills of the area to observe where turkeys routinely forage. "And of course if you haven't already, you need to contact private landowners to gain permission to hunt," he said. Fall turkey permit holders will be afield at the same time in the Sherman unit of Ferry County, the Roosevelt unit of Lincoln County, and the Blue Mountains units in the southeast. See page 47 the hunting regulations pamphlet for all details.

• Wildlife viewing: Fish-watching opportunities are never better in southeast Washington than they are right now at the ladder windows on the Snake River dams, where an increasing number of salmon and steelhead are moving upstream. The nearby Blue Mountains are also full of bugling elk at this time of year, well worth a side trip up to a mountain meadow to watch and listen. The Blues can also provide glimpses of bighorn sheep, whitetailed and mule deer, black bear and wild turkeys.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Many trout lakes throughout the region close Sept. 30 and cooler, wetter weather has fish biting well for these last couple weeks of the season. Size and catch limits and special rules have been waived at several lakes that are due for "rehabilitation" treatment this fall to rid them of undesirable fish and restock trout. Among them are Grant County's North Potholes Reserve Ponds, which will close Oct. 1 instead of the 15th, and Upper and Lower Hamptons, Hen, Pillar, Snipe, Cattail, Shoveler, Gadwall, Lemna, Poacher, Hourglass, Sago and Widgeon lakes on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. Also, in Okanogan County, Fish Lake will close Oct. 4 instead of the 31st, and Silvernail will close Oct. 18 through Dec. 31 (usually open year-round for juveniles only.) Anglers are encouraged to remove as many fish as possible at these waters before they are treated with rotenone. The first annual Mardon Resort dock fishing event at Potholes Reservoir is scheduled Sept. 24-26 for multi-species competition (perch, crappie, bluegill, smallmouth and largemouth bass, trout, catfish, channel catfish, bullhead, walleye and carp). See http://www.mardonresort.com for all rules, registration and entry fees.

• Hunting: The youth bird hunting weekend, Sept. 18-19, could be decent for some locally-produced ducks and geese throughout the Columbia Basin. The weekend hunt will be enhanced with releases of farm-raised rooster pheasants at some of the region's 11 release sites.

• Wildlife viewing Local birder Teri Pieper says "In case you missed the news, a scissor-tailed flycatcher was found near Moses Lake on Sept. 10 and birders from across the state as well as Oregon and Montana have 'flocked' to this area to get a glimpse and perhaps a photo of this lovely, somewhat out of place bird." Teri says the species normally belongs in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, "so she is a bit lost and probably chilly with recent weather." If the flycatcher is still around, it's generally seen just north of the intersection of Randolph Road and Tyndall Road; from Moses Lake, go north on Stratford Road to Tyndall, turn left (west), then turn right (north) on Randolph and scan the area around the substation and the PUD's diesel generator yard. It has also been spotted north of Moses Lake Industries and on the fences and powerlines near there. Teri reports that it appears to be eating grasshoppers. Seattle Audubon's Bird Web, http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/rare_species.asp?id=297 shows two other Washington sightings of this species in past years, both in Grant County.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW habitat biologist Perry Harvester says now is the time to go after an "upriver bright" in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. The salmon are beginning to hit there now and are in best condition in September. WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins says catch rates in the Hanford Reach often peak in October. Salmon fishing is slow on the Yakima River, Cummins reported, but expected to pick up as soon as fish move upriver past McNary Dam. Best fishing in the Yakima will likely be late September and early October, he says. "Fly anglers always look forward to fall trout fishing in the catch-and-release section of the Yakima River," Cummins said. "Reservoir water releases in the upper Yakima have been reduced significantly, providing excellent opportunities for anglers who prefer to wade. October caddis and blue winged olive mayflies are important fall hatches and imitations often bring fast action." Cummins predicts heavy fishing effort. Anglers who want to avoid crowds might try Rattlesnake Creek and the Naches River, where rainbow and cutthroat that generally range from 8-12 inches with a few larger fish. Rattlesnake Creek is catch-and-release, as is the Naches River from the confluence with the Tieton River upstream to Rattlesnake Creek. Both waters have selective gear rules.

• Hunting: The youth bird hunting weekend, Sept. 18-19, will give young hunters the opportunity to hone their skills on locally produced duck and geese, plus releases of farm-raised rooster pheasants at some of the region's six release sites.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins reports that Yakima River spring chinook salmon will be spawning the last two weeks of September in the Easton Reach, and Lake Easton State Park is a good area to view them. The river is closed to salmon fishing. Cummins also notes that August and September rains have resulted in "the highest numbers of mushrooms in the Yakima County Cascade Mountain foothills that I have ever seen." Cummins recommends that only experienced mushroom collectors should pick and eat mushrooms, because just as many are poisonous as are edible. "But for those who just want to see the different colors, shapes and sizes of the many varieties of mushrooms that are out there," he said, "this is a great year and time to do that."