Southwest Washington Fishing Reports

2003 Report Archive
[ Current Report ]       [ 2003 Archive ]

WDFW Sport Sampling Results for January 20-26, 2003
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead -

• Cowlitz River - Last weekend, 66 bank anglers kept 3 winter steelhead. 58 boat anglers kept 13 winter and 2 summer steelhead plus released 1 winter and 1 summer steelhead.
• Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 1,729 coho salmon, 58 coho jacks, 152 winter-run steelhead, six summer-run steelhead and one sea-run cutthroat trout during five days of separator operations.
  - During the past week, Tacoma Power employees released 667 coho adults, 19 coho jacks and four steelhead into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa.
  - Tacoma Power employees also released a total of 263 adult coho salmon and ten coho jacks at the Skate Creek Bridge site on the upper Cowlitz River in Packwood , Washington during the week.
  - Tacoma Power employees released 524 coho salmon, 18 coho jacks and 19 winter-run steelhead into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton, Washington during the week.
  - A total of 99 steelhead and one cutthroat trout were recycled downstream to the Massey Bar boat launch during the week.
  - River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 11,900 cubic feet per second on Monday January 27. Water visibility is over 10 feet.
• Kalama River - For the week of 1/12-18, a total of 111 bank anglers kept 4 hatchery steelhead and released 1 hatchery steelhead. 80 boat anglers kept 8 hatchery steelhead and released 3 hatchery and 6 wild steelhead.
  - 60 hatchery winter steelhead were recycled to the lower river on Jan. 21. Kress Lake received 12 adult hatchery steelhead.
• The Dalles Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged better than a steelhead per rod last week.
• John Day Pool - Last week, bank anglers averaged better than a steelhead per rod.

Sturgeon -

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - No report.
• Bonneville Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a legal per boat last week.
• The Dalles Pool - Some legals are being caught from the bank.
• John Day Pool - Effort and catches are light.

Trout -

• Klineline Pond - 80 bank anglers kept 35 catchable rainbows and 4 brood trout plus released 4 catchable rainbows and 4 brood trout. Planted with 5,000 catchable size rainbows on Friday Jan. 24.
• Other Southwest Washington waters planted with catchable rainbows up to ½ pound each since Jan. 16:

  Battleground Lake - 4,000
  Horseshoe Lake in Woodland - 2,000
  Kress Lake in Kalama - 2,000
  Icehouse Lake near Bridge of the Gods - 1,000
  Kidney Lake near North Bonneville - 2,000
  Little Ash Lake near Stevenson - 2,000

Smelt -

• Grays River - Some fish are still present based on bird activity but dipping was slow last Saturday (Jan. 25).
• Cowlitz River - Based on commercial fishers reports, some new smelt have moved in but not in harvestable numbers yet. Fish present up to Lexington. Flows at Castle Rock have increased to 19,100 cfs.
• Mainstem Columbia - Lots of birds, seals/sea lions present from Camas downstream to Cathlamet. Some new smelt reported appearing in the commercial catch near Cathlamet.

[ Current Report ]       [ 2003 Archive ]