April 13, 2008

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River - Steelhead continue to be caught throughout the river and spring chinook around the trout hatchery.

Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 106 winter-run steelhead and three spring Chinook adults at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator during five days of operations.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately at 5,150 cubic feet per second on Monday, April 14. Water visibility is 13 feet.

Kalama River- Light effort and catches. Some steelhead were observed in the catch.

Lewis River - Some spring chinook are being caught from the lower river.

Wind River - The first spring chinook of the season was sampled there last week. 4 boats observed Saturday (April 12) morning.

Drano Lake - Boat anglers are catching some spring chinook. Effort is increasing with 30 boats observed last Saturday morning.

Klickitat River - Light effort and no catch observed on the lower river.

Lower Columbia from the west Hayden Island powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 3,071 anglers (including 1,049 boats) with 1,095 adult and 8 jack chinook. Including fish released, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 2.5 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 16.5 rods based on mainly completed and incomplete trips, respectively.

965 (88%) of the adult chinook caught were kept. 798 (99%) of the 803 fish sampled were upriver stock based on Visual Stock Identification.

In comparison to previous years during this period, this year's catch rate is the highest since at least 2000. Boat anglers averaged an adult chinook kept/released per every 4.1 rods in 2007, 7.2 rods in 2006, 6.4 rods in 2005, 3.0 rods in 2004, 5.6 rods in 2003, 4.9 rods in 2002, and 4.6 rods in 2001.

Effort continues to be higher than recent years. 1,513 boats and 191 WA and 99 OR bank anglers were counted during yesterday's (Sunday April 13) flight. On Saturday April 14, 2007, a total of 1,300 boats were counted. On Sundays April 12, 2006 and April 10, 2005, a total of 800 and 1,300 boats were counted, respectively.

Bonneville Pool - Light effort. No catch observed from the few bank anglers fishing outside the mouth of Drano.

The Dalles Pool - No catch found in the sample but a few spring chinook have been reported caught.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Anglers just below the dam are catching some legals.

Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers are catching some legals. Through March, an estimated 117 (17%) of the 700 fish guideline had been taken.

Walleye and Bass

Bonneville Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged nearly 4 bass per rod. Bank anglers are also catching some fish. Light effort and no walleye catch was observed.

Trout

The seasonal releases of catchable hatchery rainbow trout in the Cowlitz River basin continued last week with the release of about 3,500 trout into Swofford Pond.

Trout plants into other SW Washington year-round waters last week:

• Mayfield Lake - 6,070 catchable size rainbows from the net pens
• South Lewis County Pond - 618 triploids weighing 1.3 pounds each and 4,025 catchable size browns
• Sacajawea Lake in Longview - 10,325 catchable size browns
• Kress Lake in Kalama - 2,040 catchable size rainbows and 6,510 browns
• Horseshoe Lake in Woodland - 4,080 catchable size rainbows and 6,510 browns
• Battleground Lake - 3,000 half-pound plus rainbows
• Klineline Pond - 4,032 catchable size rainbows and 2,000 half-pound browns