

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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