Cowlitz River – Producing spring and some summer run steelhead. Most of the fish were sampled near the barrier dam.
Kalama and Lewis rivers – All chinook must be released beginning today, Monday May 11. Summer run steelhead are appearing in the catch on both rivers.
Wind River – Including jacks and fish released, boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 5.4 rods. About a quarter of the catch were jacks. Starting today (Monday May 11), up to 6 jacks may be kept as part of the daily limit.
Through May 7 there have been 76 PIT tagged Wind River chinook detected at Bonneville Dam (see http://www.cbr.washington.edu/dart/pit_obs_adult_obs_de.html). This total includes 71 age four and five jacks. Applying the tag rates to the detections of all ages produces a run size (to Bonneville) of 5,940 Wind River chinook. For comparison, the 2008 run estimate was 4,815 chinook on this date, and finished at an estimated 6,724.
The final run size projections past Bonneville for 2009 are 6,282, 6,819, and 10,382 using the earliest, average and latest timing curves since 2000, respectively. Pre-season, 6,900 adults were forecasted to return to the Wind this year.
There have been some spring chinook caught in the gorge. Based on a couple PIT tag detections at Shipherd Falls, a couple hundred fish are moving upstream. However, no fish had returned to the hatchery through May 7.
Drano Lake – Boat and bank anglers averaged a chinook per about every 3 and 4 rods, respectively, when including jacks and fish released. Nearly 20% of the catch were jacks. Starting today (Monday May 11), up to 6 jacks may be kept as part of the daily limit.
The hatchery opened the trap last Monday; by the time the trapped closed Friday, 1,354 fish had returned. The escapement goal of 1,000 fish has been met.
White Salmon River – No spring chinook were found in the sample there.
Klickitat River – Bank anglers below Fisher Hill Bridge are catching some spring chinook and summer run steelhead. Most of the chinook catch were jacks.
Upriver Spring Chinook Run Size Update – TAC met today and updated the run size to 120,000-150,000 adults returning to the mouth of the Columbia. The pre-season forecast was 298,900. TAC will continue to monitor the return.
Lower Columbia from the mouth to the Wauna power lines - Retention of white sturgeon is open seven days per week through June 28 and from July 2 to 5 or until the harvest guideline (15,529) is reached. The fork length of retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 41 inches and a maximum of 54 inches. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed on days when retention is prohibited.
Last Saturday (May 9) at the Deep River ramp, we sampled 6 boats/20 anglers with 1 legal kept and 3 sublegals released.
58 private and 6 charter boats were counted during the Saturday May 9 flight.
Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines to Marker #85 - Retention of white sturgeon is open three days per week (Thursday through Saturday) through July and October through December. The fork length of retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 38 inches and a maximum of 54 inches. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed on days when retention is prohibited. Note: The spawning sanctuary from Marker #85 upstream to Bonneville Dam is closed to all sturgeon fishing through July.
Last week we sampled 4 boats/10 anglers in the gorge with 2 legals kept and 12 sublegals released. Near Vancouver, 2 boats/4 anglers released 2 sublegals.
About 150 boats were counted during the Saturday May 9 flight.
Bonneville Pool – Boat and bank anglers are catching some legals. Through April, an estimated 369 (53%) of the 700 fish guideline had been taken.
Swofford Pond (near the south shore of Riffe lake east of Mossyrock) and Kress Lake in Kalama – Both will receive weekly plants of 30 surplus summer run steelhead each until the waters warm, probably by early June. These are newly returning adults from this year’s Cowlitz River return.
Anglers should note Kress Lake has already been planted with 114 surplus winter run steelhead since May 1. The lake will be closed to fishing by the public 12:01 a.m. May 15 through 5:59 p.m. May 16 for a safety event scheduled during that time frame.
Klineline Pond – Closed to fishing by the public 12:01 a.m. May 15 through 4:59 p.m. May 16. A youth fishing event will be held during that time.
Mineral Lake – Received 3,450 catchable size rainbows on May 6.
