Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for April 22-28 , 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - Fishing is slow with the Cowlitz river going up and down so much. Mostly steelhead being caught. Through April 24, a total of 22 adult and 4 jack spring chinook had returned to Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Flows below Mayfield Dam were 9,100 cfs this afternoon.
• Kalama River - No report on angling success is currently available. Beginning May 1, all hatchery steelhead must be released upstream from Kalama Falls Hatchery.
• Lewis River - Anglers are catching a mixture of salmon and steelhead. Beginning May 1, the daily limit is reduced to 6 fish no more than 1 adult, closed to fishing from boats from Johnson Creek (located downstream from the salmon hatchery) to Colvin Creek (located upstream from the salmon hatchery) and closed to all fishing from Colvin Creek upstream to Merwin Dam. Flows below Merwin Dam were 5,110 cfs this afternoon.
• East Fork Lewis River - No report on angling success. Under recently adopted permanent rules, effective May 1 only hatchery steelhead may be retained. In addition, selective gear (artificial flies or lures with single barbless hooks) must be used. No bait will be allowed.
• Wind River - Effort and catch is increasing. About 130 boats counted last Saturday (April 27) morning. About half as many boats on week days.
• Last week, boat anglers averaged nearly ½ spring chinook per rod. Bank anglers at the mouth were also catching some fish.
• Wind River from 100 feet above Shipherd Falls to 800 yards downstream of the Carson National Fish Hatchery will open to fishing for spring chinook and hatchery steelhead beginning May 1. The area from 400 feet below to 100 feet above the coffer dam will remain closed to fishing.
• Drano Lake - Effort and catch is also increasing. About 80 boats were counted Saturday (April 27) morning. Overall, boat anglers averaged about 1/3 spring chinook per rod. Bank anglers averaged a fish for about every 6 rods. Drano Lake continues to be closed to all fishing on Wednesdays through May.
• White Salmon River - Effort is increasing and some spring chinook are being caught. Flows are about average for this time of year (1,400 cfs this afternoon).
• Klickitat River - Some spring chinook are being caught. Flows are about average for this time of year (2,130 cfs this afternoon).
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Currently closed to fishing for salmon, steelhead, and shad. Last Saturday (April 27), there were 1,250 boats from Bonneville Dam downstream and 668 bank anglers on the Washington side plus 1,221 on the Oregon shore.
• At Bonneville Dam, 18,200 adult spring chinook were counted Saturday on April 27. Through April 28, a total of 117,000 adult chinook had been counted. This compares to 301,768 adult spring chinook counted last year and the recent ten year average of 68,900. TAC will meet tomorrow to update the run size.
• Upper Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged slightly better than ½ hatchery spring chinook per rod last week.
• The Dalles Pool - Bank anglers averaged a spring chinook kept or released per every 6 rods last week. Boat anglers were also catching some spring chinook.
• John Day Pool - Counting fish released, bank anglers averaged a fish per every 3 rods while boat anglers averaged one per every 10 rods last week.
• Ringold - There were no spring chinook in the sample this week but two adults were reported caught. Flows varied widely. Flows ranged from 98.7 kcfs to 236 kcfs. The river at lower flows was 50 feet below the willows; at higher flows the river filled the parking lots.
  

Sturgeon

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers in the gorge area are catching some legals. Boat angling for sturgeon is prohibited from Beacon Rock upstream May 1 through July 15.
• Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Some legals are being caught by bank and boat anglers but fishing is generally slow overall.
  

Walleye and Bass and other warmwater fish

• Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged about 2 bass per rod last week. No in sample catch of walleye was observed.
• The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged 3/4 walleye kept per rod last week. The small number of boat anglers sampled averaged nearly 20 bass per rod.
• John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged 4.5 bass per rod last week. Few walleye anglers were sampled and they had no catch.
  

Trout

• Klineline Pond near Hazel Dell - Last week, 119 bank anglers kept 163 rainbows and 66 browns plus released 49 rainbows and 17 brown trout.
• Recent releases:
  • Fargher Pond - 2,000 browns averaging nearly 3/4 pound each;
  • Klineline Pond near Hazel Dall - 6,000 rainbows and 3,000 brown trout averaging 3/4 pound each and 4,000 rainbows averaging about 1/3 pound each;
  • Horseshoe Lake near Woodland - 8,100 catchable size brown
    trout;
  • Kress Lake near Kalama - 8,000 catchable size browns and 100 adult winter steelhead;
  • Lake Sacajawea in Longview - 9,000 catchable size brown trout;
  • Fort Borst Park Pond near Centralia - 300 triploid rainbows averaged nearly 1.5 pounds each. Juveniles and licensed adults accompanied by a juvenile only waters.
  • Carlisle Lake near Onalaska - 4,000 catchable size rainbows and 4,100 browns;
  • Davis Lake - 1,300 catchable size rainbows;
  • Mayfield Lake - 12,400 catchable size rainbows;
  • Siler Pond - 800 catchable size rainbows;
  • Swofford Pond near Mossyrock - 6,600 catchable size rainbows;
  • Campbell Pond in Wahkiakum County- 1,000 catchable size rainbows