WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
July 25, 2005
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Latest
Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
Grays and Elochoman rivers - Next Sunday (July 31) is the last day to fish for hatchery spring chinook. The mainstem Grays River opens for hatchery coho and the Elochoman River for chinook and hatchery coho beginning September 1.
Cowlitz River - Boat anglers from Blue Creek and Mission Bar averaged slightly better than ½ steelhead per rod. Effective August 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults. Chinook with adipose fins intact may be retained. Release all chum and wild coho.
During the past week, Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees recovered 414 spring chinook adults, 50 spring chinook jacks, 44 mini-jacks and 194 steelhead during five days of separator operations at Tacoma Power’s Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.
Tacoma Power employees released 150 spring chinook adults and 15 jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Lake Scanewa day use area above Cowlitz Falls Dam, and they released 134 spring chinook adults and 16 jacks into the Cowlitz River during the week.
During the week Tacoma Power employees recycled 106 steelhead adults downstream to the Massey Bar boat launch, and they released 29 spring chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake at Mossyrock Park.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are currently at 2,580 cubic feet per second on Monday, July 18. Water visibility at Mayfield Dam is over 15 feet.
Mainstem Toutle, North Fork Toutle, and Green River - No report on angling success. Effective August 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults. Chinook with adipose fins intact may be retained. Release all chum and wild coho.
Kalama River - Effective August 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults. Chinook with adipose fins intact may be retained. Release all chum and wild coho.
Lewis River (including North Fork) - Bank anglers are catching some steelhead. Effective August 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults. Chinook with adipose fins intact may be retained. Release all chum and wild coho.
Washougal River - Opens to fishing for salmon August 1. The daily limit will be 6 salmon, no more than 2 adults. Release all chum and wild coho.
Wind River - No report on angling success. Opens to fishing for salmon August 1. The daily limit will be 6 salmon, no more than 2 adults. Coho with adipose fins intact may be kept. Chinook must be released upstream from the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge. Non-buoyant lure restrictions will be in effect.
Drano Lake - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a steelhead per rod. Bank anglers were also catching some steelhead. Effort continues to increase with 48 boats counted on Saturday (July 23) morning.
Effective August 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults. Coho with adipose fins intact may be kept. Non-buoyant lure restrictions will be in effect.
White Salmon River - Anglers are catching steelhead and some chinook. Effort is also increasing here with 30 boats counted last Saturday morning.
Non-buoyant lure restrictions will be in effect beginning August 1.
Klickitat River - No report on angling success. From the mouth to the Fisher Hill Bridge, night closure will be in effect beginning August 1.
Buoy 10 upstream to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line - Opens to fishing for chinook, hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead beginning August 1. Through September 30, the daily limit will be 2 salmon, no more than 1 chinook. All sockeye, chum, and wild coho must be released. Minimum size will be 24" for chinook and 16" for coho. Barbed hooks will be allowed and boat limits will be in effect.
Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers averaged a steelhead kept/released per every 4 rods based on complete trips while bank anglers averaged one per every 6 rods based on mainly incomplete trips. A few chinook are also being caught.
An estimated 1,393 adult chinook were kept in June 2005. It was the largest catch for that month since 1972.
There were an estimated 23,316 salmonid angler trips in June 2005. It's the largest total for that month since at least 1977.
Nearly 5,000 steelhead were counted at Bonneville Dam on Saturday July 23. It's the highest daily count so far this year.
Effective August 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults of which no more than 1 may be an adult chinook. All sockeye, chum, and wild coho must be released.
Bonneville Dam upstream to the Hwy. 395 Bridge - No report on angling success. Effective August 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults. Coho with adipose fins intact may be kept. All sockeye and chum must be released. In Bonneville Pool, night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions will be in effect through mid-October.
Sturgeon -
Mouth to Wauna power lines -
Ports of Chinook and Ilwaco - Charter boat anglers averaged 0.74 legal white sturgeon kept per rod while private boaters averaged 0.25 per rod.
Deep River and Knappton ramps - Boat anglers averaged ½ legal per rod when including fish released.
There were an estimated 28,400 angler trips for sturgeon in the estuary during June 2005. It was the second largest effort for that month since at least 1977. The record is 31,800 angler trips in 2003.
Anglers kept an estimated 8,341 legal white sturgeon from the estuary in June 2005. An estimated 27,000 angler trips produced a catch of 10,400 legals in June 2004.
Wauna power lines to Beacon Rock - Slow for legal sized fish in the gorge. From the Wauna power lines to Bonneville Dam, scheduled to go to catch and release in August and September.
Warmwater species
Swofford Pond - Bank anglers are catching bluegills and some bass.
Trout -
Mayfield and Riffe lakes - No fish were observed during a couple days of sampling last week.
Skamania County Lakes planted with catchable sized rainbows last week:
- Council Lake - 4,000
- Ollalie Lake - 2,738
- Takhlakh Lake - 4,000
Shad -
There were a record 21,200 angler trips and 164,300 shad kept on the mainstem lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam in 2005. The previous record was 21,000 angler trips in 1992 and 148,100 fish kept in 2002.
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