WDFW Sport Sampling Results: April 1, 2007 Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format] Salmon/Steelhead Cowlitz River - Boat anglers at Blue Creek and bank anglers at Olequa are catching some steelhead. Effective March 29th, the new outlet structure located downstream of the Blue Creek boat ramp at the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery has a 100' radius fishing closure around the structure. During last week Tacoma Power personnel recovered 191 winter-run steelhead and 21 spring chinook adults at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator during five days of operations. River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 10,200 cubic feet per second on Monday, April 2. Currently the water visibility is over three feet. Lewis River - Some spring chinook are being caught. The first hatchery summer run steelhead of the season was found at the Merwin Dam trap last week. Flows below Merwin Dam have dropped to 5,500 cfs today which is near the long-term mean for this date. Wind River and Drano Lake - Zero to one boat day are being found at each location. Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - Last week we sampled 1,870 salmonid anglers (including 756 boats) with 136 chinook and 8 steelhead. Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 12.5 rods. Best success was in Cathlamet where private boat anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 8.7 rods. Bank angling continues to be slow. 106 (77.9%) of the 136 chinook caught were kept. Just over half the fish kept were lower river stock based on Visual Stock Identification (VSI). During the same period in 2006, we sampled 1,600 salmonid anglers (including 700 boats) with 300 chinook and 12 steelhead. Boat anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 5.6 rods. Best catches were in the Cathlamet area with a chinook per every 3 rods when including fish released. Bank angling was slow. An estimated nearly 2,000 spring chinook were caught that week bringing the season total to about 3,100 fish handled. During the same period in 2005, boat anglers from the I-5 Bridge downstream averaged a chinook kept/released per every 17.1 rods. Catch rates in 2004, 2003, and 2002 were a chinook per every 6.4, 7.1, and 4.7 rods, respectively. Yesterday (Sunday April 1), a total of 757 salmonid boats and 411 OR and 143 WA bank anglers were counted during the ODFW flight. Boat effort was highest at Cathlamet and Woodland areas with 170 and 152 boats, respectively. On Saturday April 1, 2006, a total of 1,002 salmonid boats and 281 OR and 120 WA bank anglers were counted during the flight. Note: typically Saturday counts are higher than Sundays. The Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife will have an update on the mainstem sport fishery Wednesday April 4. Bonneville and The Dalles pools - Light effort and no catch observed. John Day Pool - Some steelhead are being caught. Sturgeon Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers are catching some legals in the Vancouver to Woodland area. Bonneville Pool - Bank anglers are catching some legals. The Dalles Pool - Catch and release through the end of the year. John Day Pool - Slow for legal size fish. Walleye and Bass Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged between ½ to 3/4 walleye per rod. John Day boat anglers are catching some bass. Trout Silver Lake (Cowlitz County) - Planted with 7,448 catch able size rainbows March 27-28. Swofford Pond - Planted with 3,600 catchable size rainbows March 28. Klineline Pond - Bank anglers are catching a mixture of rainbows and browns. Fishing is best in the NW corner by anglers using dough. Some of the fish may be hanging out by the steelhead smolt net pens in the middle of the pond. The 2007 Fishing Prospects are now available on the department's web site at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/prospects/index.htm