Southwest Washington
Fishing Reports
2003 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
April 28, 2003
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Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
Cowlitz River - Bank anglers are catching hatchery spring chinook that are spread throughout the river. Through last week, over 900 adult spring chinook had returned to the salmon hatchery, a very good count for this time of year. Flows below Mayfield Dam were 7,410 cfs today.
Green River (Cowlitz County) - Anglers are able to keep two hatchery steelhead during the hatchery spring chinook fishery from the mouth upstream to 400 feet below the water intake at the upper end of salmon hatchery.
Kalama River - Continues to produce hatchery spring chinook. Through April 24, two dozen hatchery spring chinook had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery.
Lewis River - Producing some hatchery spring chinook. 126 adult spring chinook were collected at the Merwin Dam trap today, a very high count for this time of year. Flows below Merwin Dam were 3,190 cfs today.
Be alert for possible easing of angling restrictions for hatchery spring chinook on the lower Cowlitz and Lewis (including North Fork). A Fishing Rule Change Notice should be released shortly.
Wind River - Boat anglers averaged about ½ spring chinook per rod last week. Bank anglers at the mouth had a couple very good days which are reflected in the checks. Some spring chinook are being caught in the gorge area.
- Wind River from 100 feet above Shipherd Falls to 400 feet below the coffer dam and 100 feet above the coffer dam upstream to 800 yards downstream from Carson Hatchery opens to fishing for spring chinook and hatchery steelhead May 1. Ten to twenty fish/day are reported at the Shipherd Falls trap.
- Effort continues to increase at the mouth of the Wind. Around 170 boats were counted there Sunday morning (April 27).
Drano Lake - Boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 4.3 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 5.9 rods last week.
- A lot less effort here than on the Wind. On Saturday April 26, a total of 77 boats were counted. Remains closed on Wednesdays through May.
White Salmon River - Producing some spring chinook at times. Flows at Underwood were 1,300 cfs today.
Klickitat River - Bank anglers averaged slightly less than ½ chinook per rod last week. Flows at Pitt were 1,970 cfs today.
Lower Columbia from Buoy 10 upstream to the I-5 Bridge -
- The Technical Advisory Committee met earlier today. The projected upriver spring chinook runsize to the mouth of the Columbia remained 193,000 fish.
- The Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife had a telephone conference today. Using the updated run size and fishery catches, no changes were made to the lower Columbia mainstem sport fishery from Buoy 10 upstream to the I-5 Bridge (open Wed-Sat for hatchery chinook, hatchery steelhead, and shad). However, Bonneville Pool from the Tower Island power lines (located 6 miles downstream from The Dalles Dam) upstream to McNary Dam will be closed to fishing for salmon, steelhead, and shad Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays beginning May 3.
- The Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife will hold a telephone conference Monday May 5 @ 3 PM to update the stock status, review fishery catches, and consider modifications.
- On the lower Columbia from Bonneville Dam downstream, an estimated 141,178 angler trips produced 14,632 chinook kept and 8,198 released through April 26.
Bonneville Pool - Light effort and catches.
The Dalles Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 4.2 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 7.9 rods. 70% of the catch was hatchery fish.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 7 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 12.5 rods last week when including fish released. About 30% of the catch were hatchery fish.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Effort beginning to increase in the estuary with 32 boats counted from Cathlamet downstream last Saturday (April 26). No report on angling success.
Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged better than ½ legal per rod last week. Some legals are also being caught from the bank.
The Dalles and John Day pools - Boat anglers are catching some legals. Slow from the bank.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged over 5 bass per rod last week. No in-sample effort observed for walleye.
The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged over 2 walleye and 5 bass kept/released per rod last week. Bank anglers were catching some bass.
John Day Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged 1.6 walleye and over 3 bass per rod last week. Bank anglers were catching some bass.
Trout -
Klineline Pond near Hazel Dell - Large effort and good catches observed there last week. Catches consisted of rainbows (including triploids) and browns.