WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
April 3, 2005
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Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
On Saturday April 2, a total of 1,259 salmonid boats were counted from Rooster Rock downstream. An additional 105 boats were counted Rooster Rock upstream to the deadline on Sunday April 3 (open Sun, Mon, and Tues only). Adding the Saturday count with Sunday, a total of 1,364 salmonid boats were counted.
This years combined count is down slightly from last year when 1,505 boats were counted from Bonneville downstream on Saturday April 3, 2004. The Bonneville boat count is higher than last year (67 counted in 2004).
On Saturday April 2, 2005, two hundred boats were counted at each location: Cathlamet, Vancouver, just below I-5 to just upstream from I-205, and the Camas/Washougal areas.
Bank angling effort in both Washington and Oregon from Rooster Rock downstream was down from last year. Counts in the Bonneville area were nearly identical between the two years.
Through March 31, 2005, an estimated 40,338 salmonid angler trips produced 1,770 chinook kept and 548 released. 76% of the fish caught were kept. 58% of the fish kept were of lower river origin.
From April 1-3, 2005, an estimated 7,999 angler trips produced 524 chinook kept and 166 released. 76% of the fish caught were kept. 72% of the fish kept were of upriver origin.
Through March 31, 2004, an estimated 54,043 angler trips produced 2,662 chinook kept.
Cowlitz River- Steelhead are being caught from the Trout Hatchery to the Barrier Dam.
Through March 30, a total of 57 hatchery and 1 wild spring chinook had returned to the salmon hatchery. It's the highest total to date since at least 1986.
Kalama River- Chris Wageman, WDFW Fish Biologist reports:
March 30 - High flow with good color, lots of fish. 93 wild and 22 hatchery winter-run steelhead handled at Kalama Falls.
Lewis River- Some spring chinook are being caught near the salmon hatchery. Flows below Merwin Dam had dropped to 6,000 cfs the last couple days.
Wind and Klickitat rivers, Drano Lake- Light effort and no catch observed.
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam- We sampled nearly 2,100 salmonid anglers with 120 chinook kept and 38 released. Boat anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 13.0 rods; bank anglers one per every 14.3. Best catches were from boat anglers in the gorge; a fish per every 3.6 rods. Catches were very light from the Cowlitz downstream; mainstem Columbia continues to be turbid.
76% of the fish caught were hatchery fish. 76% of the fish kept were of upriver origin based on Visual Stock Identification.
Through April 3, a total of 48 adult spring chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam. It's the lowest total to date since 1949. During that year, 25 fish had been counted; the total count was 50,100 adults/jacks combined.
Bonneville Pool- No effort observed.
The Dalles and John Day pools- Bank anglers are catching some steelhead.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam- Boat anglers are catching a few legals in the gorge; slow elsewhere.
Bonneville and John Day pools- Bank and boat anglers are catching some legals.
The Dalles Pool- Boat anglers are catching some legals.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool- No effort observed for either species.
The Dalles Pool- Boat anglers averaged 1.4 walleye per rod when including fish released. No effort observed for bass.
John Day Pool- Including fish released, boat anglers averaged 0.4 walleye and 5 bass per rod.
Trout -
Klineline Pond- Bank anglers continue to catch rainbows and some browns.