Southwest Washington Fishing Reports

2003 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
March 17-23, 2003

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead -

Wind River - Effort is still light but some spring chinook are being caught. River was turbid over the weekend but was coming back into shape today.

Skamania County will reportedly begin charging for using the Wind River and Drano Lake boat ramps. $3 day/$55 season.

Drano Lake - Effort still pretty light with 11 boats counted yesterday (Sunday March 23) morning. A few spring chinook are being taken. Water showed some color this weekend.

White Salmon River - Water color is marginal for angling. A few spring chinook being reported caught.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - We sampled nearly 1,650 salmonid anglers last week. Overall catches were a chinook kept or released per every 12.5 rods. This was down from one per every 8 rods last week but almost identical to two weeks ago. Catches dropped significantly last week for bank anglers with a chinook per every 18.9 rods. Boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 9.5 rods.

57% of the fish handled were hatchery fish. 79% of the fish kept were of upriver origin.

Through March 17, an estimated 32,000 angler trips had produced 1,956 chinook kept and 1,107 released. Approximately 17% of the upriver impact levels had been taken.

Numerous sea lions have been reported just below the dam.

Bonneville Pool - No spring chinook have been sampled to date.

The Dalles Pool - A spring chinook was sampled here last week.

John Day Pool - Bank anglers averaged about ½ summer-run steelhead (last year's return) per rod last week.

Through March 22, a total of 8,196 adult spring chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam. A little over 300 fish/day were counted last Thursday and Friday, March 21 and 22.

Sturgeon -

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - The mainstem and its tributaries from the Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam - Closed to sturgeon retention through June 30. Catch and release angling is permitted. Re-opens for retention beginning July 1. Still open for retention from the mouth upstream to the Wauna power lines through July 9.

Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers were catching a few legals. Slow from the bank. Through Feb. 28, an estimated 320 fish (19%) of the 1,700 guideline had been taken.

The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged a legal kept per every 10 rods last week. Slow from the bank. Through Feb. 28, an estimated 141 fish (35%) of the 400 guideline had been taken.

John Day Pool - Boat anglers were catching some legals. Slow for legal sized fish from the bank. Through Feb. 28, an estimated 11 fish (7%) of the 165 guideline had been taken.

Walleye and Bass -

Bonneville Pool - Low effort and catches for both species.

The Dalles Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged 3/4 walleye per rod. No bass were observed caught.

John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged 1.8 walleye and nearly 2 bass per rod last week when counting fish released. Bank anglers were also catching some bass.

Trout -

Klineline Pond - Including fish released, bank anglers averaged nearly 2.5 trout per rod last week. Mixture of rainbows and browns.

Lacamas Lake near Camas - Planted with 8,000 half pound rainbows last week.

Mayfield Lake - Was scheduled to be planted with rainbows last week.

Smelt -

Cowlitz River - Commercials landed 2,000-4,000 pounds/night between March 20 and 23.

Mainstem Columbia and its Washington tributaries close to fishing for smelt beginning April 1.

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