Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for July 29-August 4, 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - Still remains hot for hatchery summer run steelhead. Last week, boat anglers averaged nearly a steelhead per rod while bank anglers averaged one fish per every 4.6 rods.
• During the week of July 22-29, a weekly record of summer-run steelhead returned to the salmon hatchery. During five days of operation, 1,282 steelhead were counted.
  During the past week (July 29-Aug. 4), Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 736 summer-run steelhead, 224 spring adult chinook salmon, 29 spring chinook jacks and two sockeye salmon. Tacoma Power employees recycled 725 summer-run steelhead, 68 spring chinook adults and the sockeye salmon downstream to the Olequa boat launch between July 29 and August 2. Also during the week, Tacoma Power employees released 49 spring chinook adults into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa , and they released 76 spring chinook adults and two jacks into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellowjacket Creek.
  A total of 90 summer-run steelhead were transported to the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for broodstock during the week.
  
• River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 2,870 cubic feet per second on Monday August 5. Water visibility is over sixteen feet.
• Lewis River - Some steelhead are being caught though effort is relatively light. Flows below Merwin Dam were 1,610 cfs today.
• Washougal River - Anglers are catching some steelhead.
• Drano Lake - Last week, boat anglers averaged about ½ steelhead per rod counting fish kept and/or released. About 30 boats a morning there recently.
• White Salmon River - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged about a steelhead per rod last week. Also, a few chinook are being caught off the mouth. About a dozen boats here Sunday morning (August 4).
• Buoy 10 - No creel sampling data is currently available (possibly tomorrow). However, general reports suggest fishing was very slow on the opener (August 1).
• Lower Columbia Below Bonneville Dam - Boat and bank anglers averaged a steelhead kept or released for about every 4 rods last week. Catches are spread out from Vancouver downstream. No fall chinook appearing in the catches yet.
• Yesterday (Sunday August 4), 8,164 steelhead were counted at Bonneville Dam, the highest single day count so far this year.
• Bonneville Pool - Bank angling effort continues to increase. Last week, bank anglers averaged a steelhead/chinook per every 4.5 rods.
• The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers are catching some steelhead.
• John Day Pool - Slow for steelhead/salmon.
• Hanford Reach - Cooler weather on the weekend brought out a few more salmon anglers but still no catch was found.

Sturgeon

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Light effort since the fishery went to catch and release.
• Bonneville Pool - Goes to catch and release only through the end of the year beginning today (August 5).
• The Dalles Pool - Already catch and release through the end of the year.
• John Day Pool - Remains open to retention. However, effort and catches are light.
  

Walleye, Bass and other warmwater fish

• Bonneville and The Dalles pools - Not many walleye or bass anglers were sampled there last week.
• John Day Pool - Counting fish released, boat anglers sampled averaged 1.7 walleye per rod last week. No effort was observed for bass.

Trout

• Mayfield Lake - Anglers continue to catch rainbows.
• Riffe Lake - Anglers are catching a variety of trout. The reservoir was reported 3.4 feet below full pool today.
• At the end of July, Council and Takhlakh lakes were planted with 4,100 rainbows each.