WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
June 25, 2006
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Latest
Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
Cowlitz River - Fishing for summer run steelhead is good in the Blue Creek and Mission Bar areas. Some sea-run cutthroat are also being caught.
During the past week Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees operated the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator and recovered 108 adult spring chinook salmon, seven jacks and 175 summer-run steelhead adults during four days of separator operations. Tacoma Power employees released 32 spring chinook adults and three jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa, recycled 122 steelhead adults downstream to the I-5 bridge boat launch and 97 steelhead adults downstream to the Olequa boat launch during the week.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 5,170 cubic feet per second on Monday, June 26. Water visibility is over 13 feet.
Through the third week in June, hatchery summer run steelhead returns to Washington lower Columbia hatcheries/traps are up from last year except for the Kalama. In specific:
Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery Kalama Falls Hatchery (hatchery) (hatchery/wild) Merwin Dam (N F Lewis River) Skamania Hatchery (Washougal River) Wind River and Drano Lake - Friday June 30 is the last day to fish for spring chinook. Wind River from Shepherd Falls upstream will be closed to all fishing until the catch-and-release steelhead fishery in mid September. Wind River from 400 feet below Shipherd Falls and Drano Lake remains open to fishing for hatchery steelhead.
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 862 salmonid anglers (including 111 boats) with 105 adult and 1 jack chinook and 43 steelhead. Boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 6 rods based on mainly completed trips while bank anglers averaged one per every 9.6 rods based on mainly incomplete trips. Chinook were caught by boat anglers throughout the river but bank angling was best just below Bonneville. Steelhead catches were best from Longview downstream.
400 salmonid boats, nearly 500 Washington and over 200 Oregon bank anglers were counted during the Sunday June 25 flight. Effort was spread throughout the river.
Flows below Bonneville are decreasing while temperature is increasing. Daily flows have decreased to <250,000 cfs for the first time since early April. Water temperature yesterday was 64 degrees, up six degrees from the beginning of June.
The 2006 preseason forecast for Upper Columbia summer Chinook is for a return of 49,000 fish to the Columbia River mouth. Bonneville Dam counts from June 16-22 total 15,825 Chinook. Passage is typically 23% complete by June 22 based on 2001-2005. Passage is typically 50% complete around July 1. Based on average timing (2001-2005), the 2006 return would be 68,800, not including harvest. Although it is early in the season, the run appears to be tracking above preseason expectations.
Based on the 49,000 run size forecast, sport fisheries below Priest Rapids Dam are allocated 1,500 fish. The estimated catch through June 21 is 1,293 Chinook kept and 16 released from 7,626 angler trips. Based on the cumulative dam counts to date and catch in the recreational fishery, the Joint Staff believes the run size will be greater than 49,000, allowing additional harvest for fisheries below Priest Rapids Dam.
Staff recommends a hearing be scheduled for 2:00 PM Tuesday June 27 via teleconference to review ongoing fisheries and consider additional management actions. The Joint Staff will determine if additional management actions are needed based on updated run size and fishery performance. Based on this updated information, recreational fisheries below Priest Rapids Dam may require modification.
Bonneville and The Dalles pools - Bank anglers are catching some summer chinook.
John Day Pool - Low effort and catches.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia from the mouth to the Wauna powerlines - At the Knappton/Deep River ramps, boat anglers averaged 0.4 legals kept per rod.
Over 400 private and 25 charter boats were counted in the estuary during the Sunday June 25 flight.
The projected catch through June 30 for this area is 11,400 fish, which represents 76% of the 15,000 fish management guideline. Based on current catch rates, some fish may remain available after the scheduled July 4 closure.
Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines to Marker #85 - Boat anglers are catching some legals in the Kalama and Longview areas.
Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged nearly a legal kept per boat. Bank anglers were catching some legals. Through May 31, an estimated 221 (32%) of the 700 fish guideline had been taken.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers were catching some legals; slow from the bank. An estimated 116 (70%) of the 165 fish guideline had been taken through May 31.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool - The few bass anglers sampled did well with bank anglers averaging over 8 fish kept/released per rod while boat anglers averaged over 6 fish. No effort was observed for walleye.
The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers are catching walleye and bass.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged a walleye and nearly 4 bass kept/released per rod. Bank anglers are catching some bass.
Shad -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Including fish released bank anglers just below Bonneville averaged nearly 7 shad per rod based on mainly incomplete trips. Bank anglers at Steamboat Landing continue to land some fish though boat angling has slowed in the Camas/Washougal area.
Trout -
Mayfield Lake - Producing rainbows for bank and boat anglers.
Riffe Lake - Producing a mixture of landlocked coho, chinook, and steelhead plus rainbows for bank anglers on the main lake and at the fishing bridge.
Goose Lake - No report on angling success. Planted with 3,600 cutthroats and 3,000 brown trout up to a pound each on June 19 and 20.
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