Creel Survey
January 13, 2009
Contributed by Joe Hymer

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River - No angling report currently available. Beginning Monday, January 5, the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator was closed temporarily because of rebuild work on the hatchery.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 11,300 cubic feet per second on Monday, January 12. Water visibility is one foot.

Salmon Creek (Clark County) - Some steelhead have been caught around Salmon Creek Park in the last week and a half. Water conditions should be prime for fishing in the next few days.

Ringold - From Paul Hoffarth, WDFW Biologist Yakima - An estimated 275 steelhead were caught in the Ringold fishery (Hwy 395 to old Hanford town site). Of these, 183 were retained. Catch consisted of 117 Adipose + right ventral fin clipped, 109 Adipose only fin clipped and 49 unclipped steelhead. Overall this season, 2,883 steelhead have been caught and 1,646 retained. Catch, harvest, and angler effort have been higher in 2008 than in the previous four fisheries.

WDFW staff sampled 21% of the total angler effort in December ( 493 angler hours sampled). Overall effort was estimated at 2,351 angler hours. Bank anglers averaged one steelhead for each 15 hours of fishing in December. Boat anglers faired a bit better at 8 hours per steelhead.

Angler effort and catch has slowed considerably in January. Poor weather has kept many fishermen at home. Bank anglers have averaged one steelhead for every 17 hours of fishing in January and boat anglers averaged one steelhead for every 10 hours of fishing.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - 4 bank anglers just below Bonneville Dam had no catch.

Bonneville Pool - Slow for legal size fish.

The Dalles Pool - Boat and bank anglers are catching some legals.

Walleye and Bass

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

The Dalles Pool - No walleye catch or effort for bass was observed.

Trout

Klineline Pond - 68 bank anglers kept 109 rainbows and released 123. Best area was the shallow end of the swimming area. Best success was by anglers using lures though Power Bait was also producing some catch. Planted with 4,000 half-pound rainbows Jan. 5.

Silver Lake near Castle Rock - Planted with 4,051 catchable size rainbows Jan. 6.

Battleground Lake - Planted with 1,500 half pound rainbows Jan. 5.

Kidney Lake near North Bonneville - 1,800 half pound rainbows were planted Jan. 6.

Rowland Lake near Lyle - Planted with 93 rainbows averaging 5 pounds each and 90 averaging 8 pounds each Jan. 7.

Smelt

No new reports other than quite a few seals observed in the County Line Park/Oak Point area in Longview yesterday. Water temperatures were 41 degrees in the Cathlamet area and 42.2 degrees Fahrenheit at Mayfield Dam on the Cowlitz today.