Creel Survey
June 21, 2009
Contributed by Joe Hymer

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River – Bank anglers at the barrier dam are mainly catching spring Chinook while boat anglers near Blue Creek are catching some steelhead.

Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 47 spring Chinook adults, 23 jacks and 92 summer-run steelhead during five days of adult fish collection efforts at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. During the week Tacoma Power employees released 21 spring Chinook jacks into Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam and eleven spring Chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake at Mossyrock Park.

Cowlitz River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 6,640 cubic feet per second on Monday, June 22. Water visibility is eight feet.

Lewis River – Anglers near the mouth are catching some steelhead.

Klickitat River – Only a few anglers were present during the couple days sampled last week.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam – Last week we sampled 1,200 salmonid anglers with 40 adult Chinook (released), 27 jack Chinook, 41 sockeye, and 85 steelhead. Effort remains fairly high with 292 WA and 147 OR bank anglers plus 157 boats counted during yesterday’s (Sunday June 21) flight.

Effective today through July 5, any adult summer Chinook (adipose fin clipped or not) may be retained below Bonneville Dam.

The Dalles Pool – Effort and catch was low. Effort should increase when adult Chinook retention from Bonneville Dam upstream begins July 1.

John Day Pool – Anglers were catching some adult Chinook (which have to be released until July 1), chinook jacks, and sockeye. Just over a quarter of the effort was found to be targeting salmonids.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia from the mouth to Wauna powerlines –
Catches improved with charter boat anglers averaging a legal kept per slightly better than every other rod while private boaters averaged one per every 3.5 rods. Bank anglers were also catching some legals.

• Based on the 2006-2009 Joint State agreement and catch during 2006 through 2008, a total of 15,529 fish are available for 2009 fisheries below Wauna.
• Seven-day/week retention fisheries were adopted for January 1-April 30 and May 9-June 28, and daily for July 2-5, 2009 based on this available harvest.
• Harvest estimates include 1,125 white sturgeon kept during January through May which is about 67% of the cumulative catches through May in both 2007 and 2008.
• Catch rates in June started out slow, but improved as the season progressed, averaging 288 fish per day through mid-June, compared to 210 fish per day in early-June 2008 and over 340 fish per day in early June 2007.
• A majority of the catch has been landed on the Oregon side where effort and catch rates have been higher. Sampled catch in the non-charter fishery during June averaged 0.9 fish per boat on the Oregon side and 0.5 fish per boat on the Washington side.
• Catch during June 1-14 is about 4,000 fish, bringing the year-to-date total to about 5,125 fish, leaving a balance of about 10,400 fish for the remainder of 2009.
• Catch rates can improve quickly in June, making it difficult to make accurate catch projections for the remainder of the scheduled season. Catch in this fishery during late June and early July averaged 644 fish per day in 2007 and 504 fish per day in 2008.
• The projected balance provides for an average catch of about 575 fish per day for the 18 days remaining in the scheduled season.
• Staff will continue to monitor the fishery and will provide another update this week

Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines to Marker 85 – A few legals are being caught by boat anglers. Fishing from the bank is slow.

Walleye and Bass

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam – Anglers on the Steamboat Landing Dock are catching a few walleye.

The Dalles Pool – The boat anglers sampled did not catch any walleye.

John Day Pool – Including fish released, boat anglers averaged slightly better than a walleye per rod.

Trout

Mayfield Lake – Slow for rainbows though Tacoma Power continues to release catchable rainbow trout in the Cowlitz River area. Last week trout from the Nisqually Trout Farms were stocked into Mayfield Lake at the Ike Kinswa State Park Day Use area.

Riffe Lake – Anglers are catching a mixture of landlocked coho and landlocked steelhead.

Swofford Pond – Slow for trout; a few warm water fish are being caught.

Goose Lake – Since June 12 had been planted with 4,500 browns averaging 2/3 pound each and 869 cutthroats averaging over 1.5 pounds each.

Shad

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam – Bank and bank anglers from Camas/Washougal upstream averaged between just under ½ to just over 2 shad per rod when including fish released. Yesterday’s count at Bonneville Dam (just over 11,000 fish) was the lowest in nearly a month.

John Day Pool – Including fish released, boat anglers averaged nearly 8 shad per rod. Bank anglers were also catching some fish.