Grays River (including West Fork) and Elochoman rivers – New for 2009: Open to fishing for hatchery fall chinook and hatchery coho beginning August 1 (used to open September 1). Wild Chinook (adults and jacks) must be released on both rivers. On the Grays River, all Chinook must be adipose and/or ventral fin clipped to be retained.
Cowlitz River – Boat anglers are catching steelhead in the Mission Bar to Blue Creek area. Opens to fishing for Chinook and hatchery coho beginning August 1. Wild Chinook jacks must be released.
Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 298 summer-run steelhead adults, 287 spring Chinook adults, 58 jacks, 374 Chinook mini-jacks, two sockeye salmon, one chum salmon and two cutthroat trout during five days of operation at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
During the week Tacoma Power employees released 133 spring Chinook adults and 43 jacks into Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam on the upper Cowlitz River, 28 spring Chinook adults and eight jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Skate Creek Bridge near Packwood., and 338 spring Chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake at Mossyrock Park.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,340 cubic feet per second with a visibility of 15 feet on Monday, July 20.
Kalama River – No report on steelhead angling success. Opens to fishing for hatchery fall Chinook and hatchery coho beginning August 1. New for 2009: Beginning August 1, all wild Chinook (adults and jacks) must be released.
Lewis River (including North Fork) – No report on steelhead angling success. Opens for hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho beginning August 1.
New for 2009: Stray hatchery (adipose clipped) fall Chinook may be retained through September. In addition, anglers will be able to use a floating device on the North Fork Lewis from Johnson Creek (located below the salmon hatchery) to Colvin Creek (located upstream from the salmon hatchery) through September (restriction started in August last year).
Wind River from boundary line/markers to 400 feet below Shipherd Falls – No report on steelhead angling success. Opens to fishing for fall Chinook and hatchery coho August 1. Release wild chinook jacks and wild coho. Anti-snagging rule will be in effect through October.
Drano Lake – Steelhead action is beginning to heat up. Including fish released, boat anglers averaged about ½ steelhead per rod. A dozen boats were counted here yesterday (July 19) around noon. The fall salmon season opens August 1. Wild Chinook jacks and wild coho must be released. The anti-snagging rule will be in effect through December.
White Salmon River – A few steelhead anglers were sampled but they had no catch. The fall salmon season opens August 1. Wild Chinook jacks and wild coho must be released. From the powerhouse downstream, the anti-snagging rule will be in effect through December.
Klickitat River – Some steelhead are being caught. The fall salmon season opens August 1. Any Chinook or coho (adipose fin clipped or not) may be kept. Up to 2 adult Chinook may be retained. From the Fisher Hill Bridge downstream, the anti-snagging rule will be in effect through January.
New for fall 2009 – Beginning August 1, up to 6 hatchery adult coho may be retained on all lower Columbia tributaries with hatchery programs including Cowlitz, Deep, Elochoman, Grays (including West Fork), Kalama, Klickitat, Lewis (including North Fork), Toutle (including Green and North Fork) and Washougal rivers.
Buoy 10 – Opens to fishing for fall Chinook and hatchery coho August 1. Barbed hooks are allowed. Fishery catch expectations is 10,700 chinook and 119,100 coho.
Through August, the daily limit will be 2 salmon or hatchery steelhead or one of each. Only 1 chinook may be retained.
Beginning September 1, up to 3 hatchery adult coho or hatchery steelhead may be retained. Of these, only 2 may be hatchery steelhead. All Chinook must be released.
Anglers are reminded fishing from the north jetty is open 7 days/week when Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) or Buoy 10 areas are open for salmon. Barbed hooks are allowed. The daily limit and minimum size restrictions follow the most liberal regulations of either of these areas.
Lower Columbia mainstem from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam – Last week we sampled 725 bank anglers with 193 steelhead, 3 adult Chinook, and 1 cutthroat. In addition, we sampled 154 boat anglers (72 boats) with 89 steelhead and 2 jack Chinook. Including fish released, boat anglers averaged over ½ steelhead per rod while bank anglers averaged one per just under every 4 rods . Best catches were observed from Kalama downstream and in the gorge. Overall just over half the steelhead caught were kept.
Adult Chinook must be released through July. Beginning August 1, one adult Chinook may be retained as part of the 2 adult salmonid daily limit. All salmon other than Chinook and hatchery coho will have to be released. The total catch expectation for this fishery is 15,100 chinook and 1,900 coho.
New for 2009: Beginning Sept. 13, all Chinook must be released from the Lewis River downstream. In an attempt to help clarify the upper boundary, this year the line will be projected from the Warrior Rock lighthouse, through Red Buoy #4, to the orange marker atop the dolphin on the lower end of Bachelor Island.
Mainstem Columbia from Bonneville Dam upstream to McNary Dam – Some summer Chinook and steelhead are being caught in The Dalles Pool. No effort for salmonids was observed in John Day Pool.
Beginning August 1, all salmon other than Chinook and coho must be released. Wild coho must be released from Bonneville Dam to the Hood River Bridge. The total catch expectation for this fishery is 1,900 chinook.
New for 2009: Night closure and anti-snagging rule for salmon and steelhead will be in effect from Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam through October 15. Previously, the night closure and old non-buoyant lure restriction was only in effect up to The Dalles Dam.
However, salmon and steelhead anglers fishing either Washington or Oregon waters from McNary Dam to the Washington/Oregon border may now fish 24 hours/day. Historically, Oregon waters were closed to fishing at night.
