Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for July 15-21, 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - Continues to be hot for hatchery summer-run steelhead. Last week, boat anglers averaged 1.2 steelhead kept per rod while bank anglers averaged one for about every 4 rods. Best catches have been from Mission Bar upstream.
• During the past week Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 166 spring chinook salmon, 16 spring chinook jacks, one sockeye salmon, one chum salmon and 773 steelhead during four days of separator operations. Between July 15 and July 19, Tacoma Power employees recycled 804 summer steelhead, 55 spring chinook adults and the adult chum and sockeye salmon downstream to the Olequa boat launch. Between July 15 and July 19, Tacoma Power employees released 116 spring chinook adults into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa .
  River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,800 cubic feet per second on Monday July 22. Water visibility is over twelve feet.
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Including fish released, bank anglers averaged a steelhead per every 5.5 rods based on incomplete trips while boat anglers averaged one per every 8.5 rods based on completed trips. Best steelhead catches continue to be from Kalama downstream to Cathlamet. A few hatchery summer chinook were scattered among the catch.
• Salmonid effort was lighter than the previous weekend. Slightly less than 300 boats plus 250 Washington bank and 126 Oregon bank rods were counted during last Saturday's July 20 flight.
• Buoy 10 opens to fishing for chinook (adipose fin clipped or not), hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead beginning August 1. Anglers on the mainstem Columbia from the Bonneville Dam downstream to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line will be able to retain any chinook (adipose fin clipped or not) and hatchery coho also on August 1. The lower Columbia is currently open to fishing for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead.
• Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Salmonid effort and catches have increased. Bank anglers are catching a mixture of summer chinook and steelhead in Bonneville and The Dalles Pool. Including fish released, anglers averaged a fish per every 4.8 rods in Bonneville Pool while anglers in The Dalles Pool averaged one per every 5.7 rods last week. No salmonid catch was observed in John Day Pool.
• Beginning August 1, salmon anglers upstream from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco will be able to retain any chinook and coho (adipose fin clipped or not). The area is currently open to fishing for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead.
• Bonneville Pool tributaries - No report on angling success. Beginning August 1, non-buoyant lure restrictions will be in effect on the open areas of Wind and White Salmon rivers plus Drano Lake. Anglers fishing with a non-buoyant lure (one that sinks in freshwater) may only use a lure that is equipped with one single hook measuring 3/4" or less from point to shank.
• Wind River (from the Buoy line/markers upstream to the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge) and Drano Lake open to fishing for chinook and coho (with or with adipose fins intact) beginning August 1.
• Mainstem Columbia from McNary Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco and the Hanford Reach area - Effort was light and no catch was observed in the hatchery summer chinook fishery. At Hanford Reach, 54 salmonid boat anglers had no catch. From the Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco to McNary Dam, 3 boat anglers also had no catch.
  

Sturgeon

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers sampled at Deep River averaged a legal kept or released per every 2.7 rods last week. Data from the ports of Chinook and Ilwaco are currently unavailable.
• Boat effort increased from the previous weekend. On the Saturday July 20 flight, nearly 500 private and 23 charter boats were counted from Bonneville Dam downstream. Nearly 400 of the private boats and all of the charter boats were counted in the estuary.
• All sturgeon must be released on the mainstem Columbia and its tributaries from July 25-September 30. Catch and release fishing is permitted.
• Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged a legal kept per every 3.3 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 10.4 rods last week.
• The Dalles Pool - Closed for sturgeon retention through the remainder of the year.
• John Day Pool - Boat anglers were catching a few legals.
  

Walleye, Bass and other warmwater fish

• Bonneville and The Dalles pools - Light effort and catches were observed for both species last week.
• John Day Pool - Counting fish released, boat anglers averaged nearly 3/4 walleye and a bass per rod last week.
  

Trout

• Mayfield Lake - Still producing rainbows for boat anglers. Shore effort was light.
• Riffe Lake - Anglers are catching primarily landlocked coho with a few landlocked steelhead and chinook mixed in. The reservoir was reported 2.3 feet below full pool today.