Southwest Washington Fishing Reports

2003 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for January 12, 2003
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead -

• Cowlitz River - Last weekend from the barrier dam downstream, 82 bank anglers sampled had caught 16 winter and 3 summer steelhead plus released 2 salmon. 55 boat anglers had caught 13 winter and 4 summer steelhead. On Saturday, most of the catch was in the Blue Creek and Mission Bar area.
• Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 3,779 coho salmon, 119 coho jacks, 114 winter-run steelhead and four summer-run steelhead during five days of separator operations between January 5 and January 11.
  The number of returning adult coho salmon reached 79,488, exceeding the return record set last year with almost two more months of the run still left. "We are in the midst of an amazing series of coho returns," reported Mark LaRiviere, senior fisheries biologist for Tacoma Power. "Since 1999 we have averaged over 62,000 adult coho returning to the Cowlitz River Salmon Hatchery each year." The majority of the salmon are transported around the dams on the Cowlitz River and released into the upper river basin for natural production.
  During the past week, Tacoma Power employees released 2,637 coho adults and 67 coho jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa .
  Tacoma Power employees also released a total of 255 adult coho salmon and eight coho jacks at the Skate Creek Bridge site on the upper Cowlitz River in Packwood , Washington during the week.
  Tacoma Power employees released 820 coho salmon, 39 coho jacks and ten winter-run steelhead into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton , Washington during the week.
  A total of 137 steelhead were recycled downstream to the Massey Bar boat launch during the week.
  River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 6,100 cubic feet per second on Monday, January 13. Water visibility is over 10 feet.
• The Dalles and John Day pools - Producing some steelhead.
• Bonneville Pool spring chinook forecasts for 2003:
  Wind River 14,300; Drano Lake 6,500; White Salmon River 500; Klickitat River 3,700.
• Preliminary adult spring chinook returns in 2002 were:
  Wind River 26,800; Drano Lake 20,600; Klickitat 2,300.
• The first confirmed Willamette spring chinook of the 2003 season was caught early Saturday afternoon at the Sellwood Bridge (Jan. 11). It weighed 19 1/4#. Amongst other photographs, one was taken at Fisherman's Marine and Outdoor. Also a photo is posted on a local website.
  

Sturgeon -

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - No report.
• Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged slightly less than one legal per every three rods last week. Bank angling was slow.
• The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged slightly less than one legal per every 5 rods last week. Slow for bank anglers.
• John Day Pool - Light effort and catches.

Trout -

• Klineline Pond - 23 bank anglers sampled last week kept 3 brood trout and released 10 others. It was planted with 54 rainbows averaging 10 pounds each and 111 rainbows averaging nearly 6 pounds each last Tuesday (Jan. 7).
• Other recent releases of brood stock rainbows since Jan. 1:
  • Sacajawea Lake in Longview - 47 ten pounders and 110 six pounders;
  • Rowland Lake near Lyle - 46 ten pounders and 114 six pounders;
  • Spearfish Lake in Dallesport - 37 ten pounders and 91 six pounders;
  • Carlisle Lake near Centralia - 9 ten pounders and 22 six pounders;
  • Icehouse Lake near Bridge of the Gods - 8 ten pounders and 20 six pounders;
  • Kidney Lake near North Bonneville - 12 ten pounders and 27 six pounders;
  • Little Ash Lake near Stevenson - 8 ten pounders and 20 six pounders;
  • Northwestern Lake (near White Salmon) - 5 ten pounders and 9 six pounders;
  • Other recent releases since Jan. 1:
  • Kress Lake near Kalama - 41 surplus adult hatchery steelhead averaging 10 pounds each;
  • Silver Lake near Castle Rock - 900 catchable size rainbows.

Smelt -

• Cowlitz River - Last Friday evening (Jan. 10), best dipping was near Riverside/Lexington where catches were up to a pound per dip. Ten pound limits were possible in less than ½ hour in the right spot. Downstream at the Carnival Market/Rocky Point area, dipping was much slower, a fish per every few to several dips. Catch is primarily comprised of large, bright, males.
• Last night, Cowlitz River commercial fishers landed 3,200 pounds by 10 PM. The fishery opened at 6 PM. Most of the catch occurred from Riverside/Lexington upstream.
• Sturgeon with smelt in their belly and mouths have been reported from Vancouver to Kalama. Large numbers of seal/sea lions are present in the Vancouver area.

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