Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
May 4, 2003

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead -

• Cowlitz River - Salmon catches remain spread throughout the river. Last week, bank anglers averaged about a chinook per every 10 rods. Flows below Mayfield Dam were 5,030 cfs today.
  
  Kalama River - Anglers are catching hatchery spring chinook and some hatchery summer-run steelhead.
  
  Lewis River - Hatchery spring chinook and some hatchery summer run steelhead are being caught. Flows below Merwin Dam were 4,810 cfs today.
  
  Wind River - Boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 3 rods while bank anglers at the mouth averaged one per every 4.2 rods last week. Effort still fairly heavy with about 100 boats there on Sunday May 4. Bonneville Pool was very, very low last weekend. Bank anglers in the gorge downstream from Shipherd Falls averaged a chinook per every 2.6 rods. Effort was still light in the gorge with early morning catches appearing to be the norm. No report on angling success upstream from Shipherd Falls.
  
  Drano Lake - Boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 3.5 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 8.4 rods last week. Sixty-six boats counted noon Saturday May 3.
  
  White Salmon River - Bank anglers are catching some spring chinook. Flows at Underwood were 1,350 cfs today.
  
  Klickitat River - Bank anglers averaged ½ chinook per rod last week. Effort was heavy last Saturday May 3 with around 40 vehicles counted in the area. Flows at Pitt were 2,110 cfs today.
  
  Lower Columbia from Buoy 10 upstream to the I-5 Bridge - The Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife decided today to continue the Wednesday-Saturday fishery through May 15. Therefore, the river in this area will be open to fishing for hatchery salmon, hatchery steelhead, and shad May 7-10 and May 14-15. This section of river will remain open daily to fishing for hatchery chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead but all adult chinook must be released beginning May 16. In addition, fishing for shad will be open daily beginning May 16 from Bonneville Dam downstream to Buoy 10.

  For the week of April 30-May 3, we sampled nearly 900 anglers with 138 adult chinook caught. Including fish released, bank anglers averaged a chinook per every 9.6 rods while boat anglers averaged one per every 5.6 rods. Best catches were from boat anglers in the Cathlamet area with a fish kept/released per every 2.9 rods. Overall, bank anglers sampled caught nearly as many hatchery steelhead as hatchery adult chinook last week. Increasing numbers of chinook jacks are appearing in the catch.
  
  60% of the adult chinook caught were hatchery fish. Based on Visual Stock Identification, 75% of the fish kept were of lower river origin.
  
  Through May 3, an estimated 151,588 angler trips have produced 16,015 adult chinook kept and 8,745 released from Bonneville Dam downstream.
  
  Upriver spring chinook passage over Bonneville Dam has exceeded pre-season expectations with 149,329 adults passing through May 4. The Technical Advisory Committee met today and the upriver run size expectation remained at 193,000 adults of which 180,000 are expected to escape fisheries and pass Bonneville Dam.
  
  Bonneville Pool - Light effort and catches last week.
  
  The Dalles Pool - Bank anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 3.9 rods last week.
  
  John Day Pool - Including fish released, bank anglers averaged a chinook per every 3.1 rods while boat anglers averaged one per every 8.4 rods last week.

  The mainstem Columbia from the Tower Island power lines upstream to McNary Dam will be open to fishing for hatchery salmon, hatchery steelhead, and shad Wednesday-Saturday through May 15. The river will be open May 7-10 and May 14-15. Beginning May 16, Bonneville Dam upstream to McNary Dam will be open daily to fishing for shad. It will be open daily to fishing for hatchery chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead beginning June 16.
  

Sturgeon -

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Slow for boat anglers sampled at Deep River last weekend.

Through March 31, an estimated 4,338 fish of the 12,000 fish target from Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam had been taken. An estimated 10 of the 18,000 fish target from Wauna downstream to the mouth had been taken through March.

Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged a legal per every 3 rods last week. Bank anglers were also catching a few legals.

The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers were catching a few legals. Slow for bank anglers.

John Day Pool - Slow for legal size fish.

Walleye and Bass -

Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged 8.6 bass per rod last week. No in-sample effort for walleye was observed.

The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged about ½ walleye and over 4 bass per rod last week. Bank anglers averaged nearly 3 bass per rod.

John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged 2.7 bass per rod last week. Slower for walleye.

Trout -

Riffe Lake - Anglers are catching a mix of landlocked coho and chinook plus rainbows and cutthroats. The lake was reported 17.4 feet below full pool today. The boat ramps at Mossyrock Park and Kosmos are reported to be useable.

Klineline Pond - Producing a mixture of rainbows (including triploids) and browns.

Lakes planted with trout last week:

Sacajawea lake in Longview - 2,860 catchable size browns;
Mineral Lake - 4,253 catchable size rainbows;

Note: Mayfield Lake was stocked with 6,269 one-half pound rainbows from the Friends of the Cowlitz/Hatchery COOP net pens on April 24.