WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
May 15, 2005
 |
Latest
Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
Grays River (including West Fork) and Elochoman rivers - Opened to fishing for hatchery spring chinook on Saturday May 14. No report on angling success.
Cowlitz River - Anglers are catching some spring chinook and winter/summer run steelhead although overall success continues to be low.
Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir) - From John Serl, WDFW Biologist -
Opened for hatchery spring chinook fishing on Sat. 5/14. 67 boat anglers in 25 boats caught 8 chinook (0.12 fish/angler). There were a few shore anglers but they caught no fish.
This is a lower catch rate than observed in the past. There were few chinook transported last week and the water clarity was a little less than previous years.
Kalama River - Fishing for spring chinook was very good before the rains early last week but slowed as the river cleared. Overall, boat anglers averaged slightly less than a fish per every 5 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 8.5 rods.
Lewis River - Spring chinook continue to be caught primarily from the mouth and salmon hatchery areas. Including fish released, boat anglers averaged slightly less than ½ chinook per rod while bank anglers averaged one per every 8 rods. Some summer run steelhead weighing up to the mid-teens are also being caught.
Wind River - Catch rates for spring chinook remained nearly identical from the previous week, a fish per every 5.9 boat anglers. Bank anglers at the mouth were catching fish at times. Generally light effort in the gorge. A few anglers appearing in the upper river. Through May 15, a total of 62 spring chinook had returned to Carson National Fish Hatchery. Hatchery returns can be found at http://gorgefish.fws.gov/carson/.
Drano Lake - Angling success dropped substantially from the previous week. Last week boat anglers averaged a spring chinook per every 13 rods; bank angling effort and catch was light. Through May 15, a total of 1,160 fish had returned to Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery; 721 of those fish returned in a single day, Saturday May 7. The hatchery has basically achieved its escapement goal.
White Salmon River - Some spring chinook and steelhead are being caught by bank anglers at the mouth.
Klickitat River - Bank anglers below the Fisher Hill Bridge did well for spring chinook the middle of last week; effort and catch was lower this past weekend. The first 5 spring chinook of the season had returned to Klickitat Hatchery as of May 11.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers in the estuary averaged about ½ legal per boat last Saturday, May 14. Some legals are also being caught by boat anglers in the Longview area.
Over 500 private boats and 12 charter boats were counted on the mainstem Columbia from Beacon Rock downstream to the mouth during the Saturday May 14 flight. Nearly 2/3 of the private boats were counted in the estuary and in the gorge; all the charters were found in the estuary.
Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Bank anglers are catching some legals in Bonneville and The Dalles pools. Boat anglers are catching some in John Day Pool.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville and The Dalles pools - Bonneville Pool boat anglers averaged 13.5 bass kept/released per rod; in The Dalles Pool, they averaged over 9 bass per rod. Bank anglers in both pools were catching some bass. No effort for walleye was observed in either pool.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged over 5 bass and a walleye per rod when including fish released. No catch was observed from the bank.
Trout -
Mayfield Lake - 5,656 half-pound rainbows were released from the net pens on May 6. No report on angling success.
Mineral Lake - Planted with nearly 3,800 catchable size rainbows on May 9. No report on angling success.