Southwest Washington Fishing Reports

2003 Report Archive
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February 17-23, 2003

WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead -

Cowlitz River - No report on angling success.

• During the past week, Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees recovered 204 winter-run steelhead, seven coho salmon, two summer-run steelhead, and two cutthroat trout.
• During the past week, Tacoma Power personnel released 132 adult steelhead and five coho adults at the U.S. Forest Service Road release site in the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellowjacket Creek.
• Tacoma Power employees released 15 adult steelhead, two coho adults and one cutthroat trout into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton during the week. A total of 92 steelhead were recycled downstream to the Massey Bar boat launch during the week.
• River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 9,000 cubic feet per second on Monday February 24. Water visibility is two feet.

Kalama River - For the week of Feb. 9-15: 95 bank anglers kept 7 hatchery steelhead and released 12 wild steelhead. 56 boat anglers kept 7 hatchery steelhead and released 5 hatchery and 14 wild steelhead.

• 17 hatchery winter steelhead were recycled downstream on Feb. 14. In addition, Kress Lake received 19 hatchery winter steelhead.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - A few spring chinook are being caught by bank anglers just downstream from Bonneville Dam. Salmonid effort is increasing with 102 boats counted during last Saturday's (Feb. 22) flight. In addition, 67 bank anglers were counted along the Washington shore plus 148 anglers on Oregon sand bars.

• Through Feb. 12, a total of 4 spring chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam.

Bonneville Pool - Few salmonid anglers sampled last week. No in-sample catch was observed.

The Dalles Pool - Counting fish released, boat anglers sampled averaged 2.6 summer steelhead per rod last week. Bank anglers were also catching a few fish.

John Day Pool - Including fish released, bank anglers averaged a summer run steelhead for about every 3 rods last week. No in-sample catch was observed for boat anglers.

Sturgeon -

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Bank anglers just below Bonneville Dam were catching some legals last week. Effort was fairly high last weekend with 343 boats counted from Bonneville Dam downstream Saturday Feb. 22. Nearly half the boats were found between Cape Horn and Beacon Rock.

Bonneville Pool - Bank and boat anglers were catching a few legals last week.

The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers were catching some legals last week. Slower for bank anglers.

John Day Pool - Generally slow for legal sized fish.

Walleye and Bass -

Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Boat anglers in John Day Pool averaged a walleye per every 4 rods when counting fish released last week. No effort was observed for bass in any of the three pools.

Trout -

Horseshoe Lake near Woodland - 42 more hatchery winter steelhead were released into the lake last week.

Smelt -

Cowlitz River - Some new smelt reported. On Thursday Feb. 20, dipping was fair (0-10 fish per dip) from the Kelso Bridge to Castle Rock.

Lewis River - Commercial fishers reported no problem filling their orders last night.

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