WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
March 15, 2005
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Latest
Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
Cowlitz River - Winter steelhead are being caught near Blue Creek.
During the past week, Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees recovered 92 steelhead and eight spring chinook adults during four days of separator operations at Tacoma Power’s Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.
Tacoma Power employees released 30 steelhead and two spring chinook adults into the upper Cowlitz River at the Lake Scanewa Day Use area above Cowlitz Falls Dam during the week. In addition, they transported three steelhead adults to the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton during the week.
During the week Tacoma Power employees recycled 74 steelhead adults and six spring chinook adults downstream to the Massey Bar boat launch.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are currently at 4,020 cubic feet per second on Monday, March 14. Flows will be decreased to approximately 3,400 cubic feet per second beginning on Wednesday, March 16. Water visibility is over seven feet.
Kalama River - From Chris Wagemann, Fish Biologist:
March 10 - River is back to low and clear; however, last week's slight change in weather definitely got a few fish moving. 55 wild and 12 hatchery winter-run steelhead were handled at Kalama Falls Hatchery on 3/7/05 (no salmon handled to date).
Some good catches of wild winter steelhead reported and witnessed late
last week, dropping off over the weekend. Also, a few more spring salmon
reported caught in the lower river earlier this week.ANGLERS ARE REMINDED:
NOT TO HANDLE WILD FISH OUT OF THE WATER
AS IT'S ILLEGAL!Lewis River - No catch observed from the few bank anglers sampled. Flows at Merwin Dam today were 2,200 cfs. The 80-year mean is 6,300 cfs for this date.
Mainstem Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - Effort and catches are building. Over 400 boats were counted during the Saturday March 12 flight. Slightly over 1/4 of the boats were found in the Cathlamet area.
For the week we sampled 900 salmonid anglers with 18 chinook kept and 2 released. Boat anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 37 rods. We observed no catch from the bank. Fish sampled were nearly evenly split between lower and upriver stock.
During the same period last year, boat anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 14.6 rods.
Through March 7, a total 3 spring chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam. The recent 10-year average is 220 fish. Water temperature was 44 degrees at the dam yesterday.
Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Light effort and catches for steelhead. Except from boats in Bonneville Pool from the Tower Island powerlines downstream, hatchery spring chinook may be kept beginning March 16.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Remains slow for legal size fish.
Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged a legal kept per every 5 rods. Bank anglers were also catching some legals.
The Dalles Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a legal per about every 6 rods. Slow fishing from the bank.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers are catching some legals. Slow fishing from the bank.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers are catching some bass. Little effort and no catch observed for walleye.
The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged a walleye per rod when including fish released. Bank anglers are also catching some fish. Little effort and no catch observed for bass.
John Day Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged ½ walleye per rod. The few boat anglers sampled also did well for bass.
Trout -
Catchable trout plants since March 3 -
- Mayfield Lake - 16,915 rainbows;
- Sacajawea Lake in Longview - 4,538 rainbows;
- Klineline Pond in Hazel Dell - 1,000 rainbows;
- Lacamas Lake in Camas - 2,000 rainbows and 6,000 browns
Smelt -
Cowlitz River - Smelt dipping from boats near Kelso produced some limits last Saturday. In general, dipping from the bank was slow because of the low, clear water.