Southwest Washington
Fishing Reports
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
May 19, 2003
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Salmon/Steelhead -
Cowlitz River - Still some hatchery spring chinook being caught below the I-5 Bridge and some chinook jacks and a few summer-run steelhead above the bridge. Through May 14, a total of 1,810 hatchery and 103 wild adult spring chinook plus 20 hatchery summer-run steelhead had returned to the salmon hatchery.
Flows below Mayfield Dam were 5,030 cfs today, about 2/3 of the long-term mean for this date.
Lake Scanewa - Opened to fishing for hatchery spring chinook May 16. The few anglers there Saturday caught a couple fish and lost several others.
Kalama River - Anglers are catching hatchery spring chinook and some hatchery summer-run steelhead. Through May 14, a total of 306 hatchery and 28 wild spring chinook had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery. In addition, 26 hatchery, 13 hatchery/wild and 21 wild summer-run steelhead had returned.
Lewis River - Some hatchery spring chinook are being caught near the hatchery. Through May 14, a total of 1,045 hatchery and 55 wild spring chinook had returned to the trap at Merwin Dam. A few hundred more fish were reported there today. In addition, 194 hatchery and 2 wild summer-run steelhead had been counted at the trap.
Flows below Merwin Dam were 2,470 cfs today, ½ the long-term mean for this date.
Washougal River - No report on angling success. Through May 14, a total of 48 hatchery summer-run steelhead had returned to Skamania Hatchery.
Wind River - Anglers did well at the mouth on Wednesday and in the gorge on Thursday and Friday. Effort increased in the gorge over the weekend but catches dropped. Some darker fish being caught in the upper river around Milepost 7. Though May 14, a total of 306 adult spring chinook had returned to Carson National Fish Hatchery.
Drano Lake - Effort and catches are waning. Only 10 boats were counted there this morning. Last week boat anglers averaged a fish per every 5 rods. Through May 14, a total of 772 spring chinook had been counted at Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery.
White Salmon River - Some effort and catch reported upstream from the mouth. Flows at Underwood were 1,130 cfs today, slightly less than the long-term mean for this date.
Klickitat River - Bank anglers on the lower river averaged a spring chinook per every 2.5 rods last week. Effort and catches were lighter today but still some bright fish are being caught. Through May 14, a total of 112 spring chinook had returned to the hatchery. Flows at Pitt were 1,650 cfs today, less than the long-term mean for this date.
Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - During May 14 and May 15, the last two days adult spring chinook could be kept, we sampled 353 salmonid anglers with 44 adult chinook caught. Including fish released, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 7.2 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 10.0 rods. Best catches were in the Vancouver area where boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 2.7 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 3.1 rods.
61% of the fish caught were hatchery fish. 68% of the fish kept were of upriver origin based on Visual Stock Identification.
During those two days, bank anglers in the Cathlamet and Kalama areas did well on hatchery summer-run steelhead. Bank anglers in Cathlamet averaged a steelhead per every 7 rods while those in Kalama averaged one per every 4 rods.
Final in-season catch estimates for the lower Columbia mainstem spring chinook fishery - 158,280 angler trips with 16,657 chinook kept and 8,983 released.
Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Now closed to fishing for salmon and steelhead. During the two open days last week, bank anglers in The Dalles Pool averaged a chinook per every 11 bank rods while boat anglers in John Day Pool averaged one per every 8.5 rods, counting fish released.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia from Bonneville Dam downstream - Catches are improving in the estuary. Boat anglers sampled at Deep River averaged a legal kept/released per every 3.8 rods last week. Fishing was slow from the Washington shore. During last Saturday's (May 17) flight, 168 private, 11 charters, and 46 bank anglers were counted in the estuary. Most of the private boat effort was found in the Tongue Point/Lois Island area.
Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged ½ legal per boat last week. Through April, an estimated 795 of the 1,700 fish guideline (47%) had been taken.
The Dalles Pool - No in-sample legal fish were found there last week. Through April, an estimated 216 of the 400 fish guideline (54%) had been taken.
John Day Pool - Slow for legal size fish. Through April 30, an estimated 27 of the 165 fish guideline (16%) had been taken.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool - The few boat anglers sampled last week averaged 7.5 bass per rod. No in-sample effort for walleye was found.
The Dalles Pool - Bank and boat anglers are catching some bass. No walleye anglers were sampled last week.
John Day Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged ½ walleye per boat last week. Bank and boat anglers are catching some bass.
Trout -
Riffe Lake - Bank anglers are catching some landlocked coho. The reservoir was reported 16.7 feet below full pool today.
Mayfield Lake - No effort was observed during checks last week. 6,000 one-half pound rainbows were released from Friends of the Cowlitz and Tacoma Power net pens last week.
Kress Lake - Producing rainbows and browns for bank anglers. Fish ranged from 10-15 inches.
Horseshoe Lake near Woodland - Producing rainbows 10-15 inches.
Merwin Reservoir - Producing 10-13 inch kokanee. The reservoir was reported 1.5 feet below full last Friday (May 16).
Klineline Pond - Continues to produce a mixture of rainbows (including triploids) and browns.
Last week's trout releases -
Battleground Lake - 4,500 catchable size rainbows;
Fort Borst Pond in Chehalis - 4,500 catchable size rainbows;
Goose Lake - 5,000 browns averaging nearly 3/4 pound each.
Shad -
Some shad being taken by boat anglers in the Vancouver/Woodland area. During last Saturday's flight, 16 bank anglers were counted near Bonneville Dam and 6 at Steamboat Landing in Washougal. A few boats were counted in the Camas/Washougal area.
Over 2,600 shad have been counted at The Dalles Dam through yesterday (May 18). Only 100 shad had been counted at Bonneville. (Shad can go uncounted through the locks at Bonneville Dam).