Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for April 29-May 5, 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - Salmon and winter/summer run steelhead are being caught throughout the river.
• During the past week the separator at Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery recovered 466 adult steelhead, 41 spring chinook adults and seven chinook jacks during four days of separator operations.
• Between April 29 and May 3, Tacoma Power employees transported a total of 399 steelhead adults and one spring chinook to Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam, and seven spring chinook jacks were released in Riffe Lake at Mossyrock Park.
• On April 29, four steelhead adults were transported to the Tilton River and released at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.
• On April 30, a total of 115 steelhead were hauled to the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for broodstock. During the past week Tacoma Power employees recycled 132 steelhead adults downstream to the Olequa boat launch between April 29 and May 3.
• River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 9,200 cubic feet per second on Monday, May 6. Water visibility is seven feet.
• Lewis River - Producing spring chinook throughout the river. Flows below Merwin Dam were 5,840 cfs this morning.
• Wind River - Last week, boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 2.6 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 7.4 rods. Some chinook are beginning to appear in the catches from the gorge just downstream from Shipherd Falls. About 180 boats were counted at the mouth of the Wind last Saturday morning (May 4). Effort is about ½ that on weekdays.
• Drano Lake - Effort and catch is similar to Wind River. Boat anglers averaged about ½ chinook per rod while bank anglers averaged one per every 4.9 rods last week. About 160 boats were counted here on Saturday morning (May 4).
• Note: Beginning Thursday May 9, the daily limit will be 4 salmon/steelhead, no more than 2 hatchery steelhead at Wind River and Drano Lake. This regulation will remain in effect through June 30.
• White Salmon River - At the mouth, bank anglers averaged a chinook per every 4 rods last week. Flows are about normal for this time of year (1,460 cfs this morning).
• Klickitat River - Bank anglers averaged about a chinook per every 3 rods last week. Flows are about normal for this time of year (2,310 cfs this morning).
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Spring chinook are being caught throughout the lower Columbia. Counting fish released, boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 3.8 rods while bank anglers near Bonneville Dam averaged one per every 1.5 rods yesterday (May 5).
• The upriver run size was updated to 309,000 spring chinook to the mouth of the Columbia. The lower Columbia spring chinook sport fishery has been extended through May 15.
• Upper Bonneville Pool - Including chinook released, boat anglers averaged a fish per every 3.6 rods last week. No effort was observed from the bank.
• The Dalles Pool - Last week, bank anglers averaged a fish per every 1.6 rods when including fish released. No in sample catch was observed from the few boats sampled.
• John Day Pool - Bank and boat anglers averaged a chinook kept or released per about every 5 rods last week.
• Ringold - Spring chinook were harvested steadily last week but not in large numbers.
  

Sturgeon

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - No report.
• Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Bank anglers caught a few legals in Bonneville Pool. No other in sample catch of legal sized fish was observed.
  

Walleye, Bass and other warmwater fish

• Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - No in sample catch of walleye was observed in any of the pools. Boat anglers were catching bass in Bonneville and John Day pools.
  

Trout

• Klineline Pond - Last week, 247 bank anglers kept 252 rainbows, 47 browns and 20 triploids plus released 18 rainbows and 4 brown trout.
• Year round lakes planted with trout just before the "traditional" opening day:
  • Battleground Lake - 5,000 rainbows averaging over a ½ pound each;
  • Lacamas Lake near Camas - 4,000 rainbows averaging over ½ pound each;
  • Horseshoe Lake near Woodland - 1,000 rainbows averaging nearly 2 pounds each;
  • Kress Lake near Kalama - 810 rainbows averaging nearly 2 pounds each;
  • Tunnel Lake (just east of Drano Lake) - 4,100 catchable size rainbow