Creel Survey
February 22, 2009
Contributed by Joe Hymer

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River - Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 35 coho salmon adults during four days of adult fish collection efforts at the mouth the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery ladder. Tacoma Power employees released 30 coho salmon adults into the upper Cowlitz River at the Lake Scanewa Day Use Site and five coho salmon adults into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton during the week.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 5,110 cubic feet per second on Monday, February 23.

Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - Some salmon anglers out trying but no catch was found in the sample although a few have been reported caught. No fish have been counted at Bonneville Dam through Feb. 21.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Some legals were caught by boat anglers near the mouth of the Willamette; slow elsewhere.

Bonneville Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a legal per every 3 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 4 rods.

The Dalles Pool - Slow for legal size fish.

Walleye and Bass

Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers are catching some walleye. No effort observed for bass.

The Dalles Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged nearly a walleye per rod. No effort observed for bass.

Trout

Klineline Pond - Bank anglers averaged over a trout kept per rod. Planted with 2,352 catchable size rainbows Feb. 13.

Other releases of catchable size rainbows:

• Sacajawea Lake in Longview - 5,887 Feb. 17;
• Horseshoe Lake in Woodland - 1,551 Feb. 18 (also 13 adult winter run steelhead);
• Icehouse Lake at the Bridge of the Gods - 800 Feb. 17;
• Little Ash Lake - 828 Feb. 17

Smelt

Cowlitz River - Some, though certainly not all, got their 10-pound limits last Saturday (Feb. 21). Best action was from Castle Rock to Camelot. Effort was fairly high. Majority of the fish were males some of which were very large (9"). A high percentage of the catch were recently spawned-out. Anglers are reminded 10 pounds is about 1/3 to 1/4 of a five-gallon bucket.

Birds were actively working in the Willow Grove area (downstream of the mouth of the Cowlitz) today.