WDFW Sport Sampling Results: December 11, 2006 Salmon/Steelhead In general - Hatchery winter steelhead returns to the Kalama and Lewis facilities are off to a slower start than last year while returns to the Cowlitz are on a faster track. Large, bright fall chinook are being caught on the North Fork Lewis. Good numbers of coho are still being caught at Lake Scanewa. Grays River - No report on angling success. Mainstem Grays from Hwy. 4 Bridge to South Fork and West Fork from mouth to hatchery intake/foot bridge opens to fishing for hatchery steelhead Friday December 15. Elochoman River - Some winter steelhead are being caught. Through December 6, a total of 54 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to the salmon hatchery. Blue Creek (Cowlitz River tributary) - 10 bank anglers kept 6 steelhead and released one. Steelhead were a mixture of recycled, darker summer runs and good size, bright new winter runs. Cowlitz River - 72 bank anglers kept 1 adult chinook, 5 adult coho, and 16 steelhead plus released 1 adult coho. 24 boat anglers kept 4 steelhead and released one. Anglers near the barrier dam were mainly catching coho while those near Blue Creek were catching steelhead. Steelhead were a mixture of recycled, darker summer runs and good size, bright new winter runs. Through December 5-6, a total of 792 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to the salmon and trout hatcheries. During the same period last year, 53 fish had returned. Riffe Lake - No report on angling success. Planted with 202 adult sea run cutthroat averaging a pound each on December 5. Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir) - 8 bank anglers released 1 adult coho. 50 boat anglers kept 38 adult and 8 jack coho plus released 34 adults and 1 jack. Kalama River - Some hatchery winter steelhead are being caught. Through December 6, a total of 28 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery. 87 fish had returned through the same time last year. Lewis River - Boat anglers near the salmon hatchery are reported catching bright fall chinook up to 50 pounds. Through December 5, a total of 153 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to Merwin Dam/Lewis River salmon hatchery. In comparison, 460 fish had returned through the same time last year. Colvin Creek upstream to the power lines below Merwin Dam - Opens to fishing for hatchery steelhead beginning Saturday December 16. Salmon season in that area remains closed until January 1. Sturgeon - Lower Columbia mainstem from the Wauna power lines to Bonneville Dam - 35 bank anglers just below Bonneville Dam released 1 sublegal. 8 boats/21 anglers sampled from the gorge kept 2 legals and released 35 sublegals and 1 oversize. 2006-2007 Sturgeon Fisheries and Management Below Bonneville Dam: In 2006, the ODFW and WDFW re-adopted the Joint State Accord for a fourth consecutive three year period covering 2006-2008. The major tenets from the 2003-2005 Agreement remain intact, including the 40,000 fish annual harvestable number, the 80% recreational (32,000 fish) and 20% commercial (8,000 fish) allocation, and the 60% estuary and 40% non-estuary recreational sub-allocation. The recreational fisheries are to be managed for a 30,000 fish catch guideline to provide a 2% buffer for management flexibility and to reduce in-season emergency actions. 60% (18,000 white sturgeon but not to exceed 19,200 fish) are allocated for the recreational fisheries below the Wauna powerlines and 40% (12,000 white sturgeon but not to exceed 12,800 fish) for fisheries above the Wauna powerlines. The catch guideline below Wauna was reduced due to the 45" minimum size limit during the summer retention season resulting in a management target of 15,000 white sturgeon but not to exceed 16,000 fish. Below the Wauna powerlines, the 2006 catch reached 15,726 white sturgeon (or 98.3% of the management guideline) from 45,215 angler trips by the end of the scheduled season on July 4. The total catch for 2006 above Wauna is projected to be 8,600 white sturgeon or 67.3% of the management guideline from 62,000 angler trips. Approximately 4,300 white sturgeon are available for rollover into the 2007-2008 recreational fisheries. Recommendations for the 2007 recreational fishery will be consistent with the 2006-2008 Joint State Accord. The Columbia River Recreational Advisory Group is scheduled to meet on January 18, 2007 to review the 2006 fisheries and performance. WDFW and ODFW staff will consult with the group on the anticipated excess fish remaining on the above Wauna guideline. Any modification to the above Wauna recreational fishery designed to access the carryover will be considered for adoption at the Compact/Joint State Hearing scheduled for January 25, 2007. Fisheries below Wauna are expected to be similar to the 2006 season. An estimated 139,000 white sturgeon between 42 and 60 inhabited the lower Columbia River in 2005. 2006-2007 Sturgeon Fisheries and Management Above Bonneville Dam: The 2006 recreational retention seasons for Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools began January 1 and remained open until the catch guidelines were reached. Retention of fish was allowed through July 23 in Bonneville Pool, April 8 in The Dalles Pool, and through June 30 in John Day Pool with catches of 727, 93, and 183 sturgeon in each pool, respectively. As per permanent regulations, Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools recreational seasons are scheduled to begin January 1, 2007 and continue until the guidelines are met. The most recent stock assessments estimated the abundance of three- to six- foot sturgeon to be 34,220 in Bonneville Pool in 2003, 12,800 in John Day Pool in 2004, and 12,700 in The Dalles Pool in 2005. Trout - Carlisle Lake near Onalaska - Planted with 45 rainbows averaging 5.2 pounds each and 20 rainbows averaging 10 pounds each on December 5. Lake remains opens to fishing through February. Klineline Pond - 9 bank anglers had no catch. Cormorants are suspected of eating most of the 1,000 catchable size rainbows planted in late November. Smelt A commercial fisher near Cathlamet reportedly caught a few fish since the season opened December 1.