WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
December 19, 2005
Note: No report next week. Have a great holiday season.
Salmon/Steelhead -
Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir) - Sunday 12/11/05: One shore angler caught no fish. Last report for the season.
Cowlitz River from the barrier dam downstream to Olequa - 46 bank anglers with 21 winter and 4 summer run steelhead plus 2 cutthroats. 13 boat anglers with 4 winter run steelhead. Bank anglers were catching fish at the barrier dam, Blue Creek, Mission Bar, and Olequa. Boat anglers were sampled at Blue Creek.
During the past week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 407 coho salmon adults, 12 coho jacks, 103 winter-run steelhead and four summer steelhead during five days of separator operations at Tacoma Power’s Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.
Tacoma Power employees released 274 coho salmon adults, eight jacks and three winter-run steelhead into the upper Cowlitz River at the Lake Scanewa Day Use site above Cowlitz Falls Dam during the week.
During the week Tacoma Power employees recycled 73 winter-run steelhead and five summer steelhead adults downstream to the Olequa boat launch, and they recycled 61 winter-run steelhead and seven summer steelhead adults downstream to the Interstate-5 boat launch.
During the week a total of 45 coho adults and one winter-run steelhead were released into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton, Washington.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are 6,100 cubic feet per second on Monday, December 19. Water visibility at Mayfield Dam is six feet.
Elochoman Cowlitz Trout Cowlitz Salmon Kalama Falls Lewis (Ladder) Merwin Dam
Washougal Cowlitz, Lewis, and Kalama rivers - Chinook with adipose fins intact must be released beginning Jan. 1.
Comparison of 2004 and 2005 Columbia River hatchery winter steelhead returns through mid December. Overall still a mixed bag; larger systems with dams the returns are about the same or higher than last year while smaller, undammed rivers the returns are down. However, those smaller stream returns may have been affected by the low, clear, and cold flows.
Kalama River Winter Steelhead - Low and clear this past week with water temperatures running a chilly
36-37 degrees.This past week (Friday), only 3 hatchery winter steelhead were recycled to the lower river, while 1 wild winter steelhead was passed upstream of Kalama Falls Hatchery (KFH). Again, no fish handled on Monday due to low, clear and cold water conditions. Water conditions and fish movement should improve throughout the week.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - No report is currently available. Strong east winds last week.
Population Overview:
Joint state tagging and recovery programs were initiated in 1989 to provide data necessary to estimate the annual abundance of white sturgeon inhabiting the lower Columbia River. With the exception of 1994, annual abundance estimates have been produced since 1987. Abundance estimates for harvestable size (42-60 inches) fish steadily increased from 1991 through 1995, then declined by an average of 4% per year through 2002 before increasing in 2003. An estimated 135,300, 42-60 inch white sturgeon inhibited the lower Columbia River in 2003-04Policy Adopted:
In early December, the Washington and Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commissions adopted a three year policy that caps the annual catch of white sturgeon by Washington’s non-tribal fisheries at 40,000 fish, the same level in effect since 1997.Catch allocation formulas also will remain the same, earmarking 80 percent of the harvest for both states’ sport fisheries and 20 percent for commercial fisheries. Sixty percent of the sport harvest will be allocated to anglers fishing in river estuary, downstream from the Wauna power line near Cathlamet.
Recreational Regulations Adopted for 2006:
Area: Mainstem Columbia River from the Wauna powerlines downstream to the mouth at Buoy 10, including all adjacent Washington tributaries and Youngs Bay in Oregon.
Dates:
- January 1 through April 30, 2006 (retention allowed 7-days per week)
- May 1 through May 12 (closed to retention)
- May 13 through July 4, 2006, retention allowed 7-days per week
- July 5 through December 31, 2006 (closed to retention)
Permanent Regulations:
- Size limit of 42" - 60", January 1 through April 30, 2006
- Size limit of 45" - 60", May 13 through July 4, 2006
- Daily limit: One sturgeon per day
- Annual harvest limit: Five sturgeon per year
Area: Mainstem Columbia River from the Wauna powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam and all adjacent Washington Tributaries and the lower Willamette River upstream to Willamette Falls, including Multnomah Channel:
Dates:
- January 1 through July 31-retention allowed Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only
- August 1 through September 30-closed to retention 7-days per week
- October 1 through December 31-retention allowed Thursday, Friday and Saturday only
Permanent Regulations:
- Size limit of 42"- 60"
- Daily limit: One sturgeon per day
- Annual harvest limit: Five sturgeon per year
Area: Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam
Population Overview:
Abundance of white sturgeon populations in the three Zone 6 reservoirs is estimated every three to five years to monitor the effects of hydro-system mitigation activities and OSY harvest strategies. Mark-recapture population estimates are derived using directed sampling with gill nets and setlines. Significant harvest reductions were enacted beginning in 1988 and populations in all three reservoirs increased as a result of reduced catch and other mitigation efforts. The most recent assessments estimated the abundance of 3-6 foot sturgeon to be 34,220 in Bonneville Reservoir in 2003, 20,600 in The Dalles Reservoir in 2002, and 12,770 in John Day Reservoir in 2004.Policy:
As per permanent regulations, seasons are scheduled to begin January 1, 2006 and will continue until guidelines are met. The Task Force is expected to meet in January to review 2005 harvests and agree to management options and catch guidelines for 2006.
Trout -
Plants of catchable size rainbows last week -
- Klineline Pond - 1,500 fish on Dec. 12. The department plans to plant about 1,000 fish in Klineline every other week throughout the winter, said John Weinheimer, WDFW fish biologist.
- Horseshoe Lake in Woodland - 1,600 fish on Dec. 14
Smelt -
Overview:
Positive abundance indicators for 2006 include strong adult eulachon returns (landings and CPUE) during 2001-2003, high mainstem Columbia River larval densities during the winters of 2001-2003, high levels of smelt age 1+ and age 2+ bycatch in Canadian ocean shrimp fisheries during 2002-2003, a low but improving level of age 2+ bycatch in the Canadian ocean shrimp fisheries during 2005 (preliminary data), and strong abundances of pelagic fish in recent years. Negative abundance indices for 2006 include a significant decline in smelt bycatch in the Canadian ocean shrimp fisheries since 2002, low levels of smelt age 1+ bycatch in Canadian ocean shrimp fisheries during 2004-2005 (preliminary data), low level of age 2+ bycatch in the 2004 Canadian ocean shrimp fisheries (preliminary data), a major decline in the Fraser River eulachon test fishery catch in 2004-2005, the unexpected low return of spring chinook to the Columbia River in 2005, and potentially poor ocean survival rates due to unfavorable ocean conditions since late 2001.Washington Tributary Sport Smelt Fishery
Emergency Recreational Regulations Adopted for 2006:Area: Cowlitz River only. All other tributaries remain closed.
- Dates: 6:00 AM TO 10:00 PM Saturdays (16 hours)
- January 1, 2006 through March 31, 2006.
- Daily Limit: 10 pounds per person.
Mainstem Columbia River Sport Smelt Fishery
Area: Mouth to Bonneville Dam
- Dates: 7 Days/Week, 24 hours per day
- January 1, 2006 through March 31, 2006.
- Daily Limit: 25 pounds per person.
- Note: Concurrent with Oregon rules.