WDFW Sport Sampling Results: April 10, 2007 Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format] Salmon/Steelhead Cowlitz River - Some spring chinook and late winter run steelhead are being caught. Most of the steelhead are being caught near Blue Creek. Kalama River - Some wild winter run steelhead are being caught and released. Some spring chinook reported caught although none found in the limited creel sampling. The first summer run steelhead had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery by April 4. Lewis River - Some spring chinook and steelhead are being caught. A few more summer run steelhead and spring chinook have returned to the Merwin Dam trap. East Fork Lewis River from the mouth upstream to the top boat ramp at Lewisville Park and Washougal River from the mouth to the Mt. Norway Bridge at Vernon Road - Opens to fishing for hatchery steelhead beginning April 16. Selective gear rules will be in effect through May. Wind River - 2-3 boats per day. No reported catch so far. Drano Lake - 2-3 boats per day. The first fish of the season, an 18-pounder, was reported caught last Thursday (April 5). April 11 is the first Wednesday closure. The Wednesday closures run through May. Klickitat River - Light effort. A hatchery steelhead was sampled but no spring chinook. Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - Last week we sampled 2,352 salmonid anglers (including 924 boats) with 253 adult and 3 jack spring chinook and 4 steelhead. Including fish released, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 8.8 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 21 rods based on mainly complete and incomplete trips, respectively. In general, boat anglers from Woodland downstream had the best success. 207 (81.8%) of the 253 adult chinook caught were kept. 104 (52.3%) of the 199 fish kept/sampled were lower river stock based on Visual Stock Identification. In comparison, boat anglers from I-5 Bridge downstream averaged a chinook kept/released per rod during similar periods: 2006 7.0 2005 6.5 2004 3.4 2003 5.6 2002 4.3 The Washington and Oregon departments of fish and wildlife are holding a Joint State Hearing at 2 pm Wednesday April 11 via teleconference to review the ongoing recreational fishery. Bonneville Pool - No effort was observed. John Day Pool - Bank anglers are catching some steelhead. Sturgeon Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers between Vancouver and Longview are catching some legals. Bonneville Pool - Slow for legal size fish. Through March, an estimated 43 (6%) of the 700 fish guideline had been taken. John Day Pool - Boat anglers are catching some legals. An estimated 65 (39%) of the 165 fish guideline had been taken through March. Walleye and Bass Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged slightly more than 1/3 walleye and 2 bass per rod when including fish released. Some bass are being caught by bank anglers. John Day Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged slightly more than ½ walleye and 3 bass per rod. Bank angling effort and catch was light. Trout Silver Lake in Cowlitz County and Swofford Pond - Planted with 2,565 and 6,400 catchable size rainbows April 3, respectively. Klineline Pond - Bank anglers using lures, flies, and dough in NW corner of the pond are having success on browns. 2,000 browns weighing ½ pound each were planted April 3. Lacamas Lake - Planted with 7,000 rainbows averaging over 2/3 pound each April 3-4.