Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for November 18-24, 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - At Lake Scanewa, boat anglers averaged better than a hatchery coho kept per rod last week. An additional 1/3 coho per rod were released. Also, bank anglers kept an average of ½ hatchery adult coho per rod.
• During the past week Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 5,698 coho salmon, 256 coho jacks, 17 summer-run steelhead, six winter-run steelhead and three cutthroat trout during seven days of separator operations.
  
• Tacoma Power employees released 3,726 coho adults and 162 coho jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa during the week.
  
• Tacoma Power employees also released a total of 258 adult coho salmon and 27 coho jacks at the Skate Creek Bridge site on the upper Cowlitz River in Packwood , Washington during the week.
  
• Tacoma Power employees released 1,166 coho salmon, 48 coho jacks and two winter-run steelhead into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton , Washington during the week.
  
• A total of 22 summer-run steelhead, four winter-run steelhead and three cutthroat trout were recycled downstream to the Barrier Dam boat launch during the week.
  
• River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 2,930 cubic feet per second on Monday, November 25. Water visibility is 13 feet.
  
• Beginning December 1, two Cowlitz River tributaries open to fishing. The lower portion of Blue Creek opens to fishing for hatchery steelhead and hatchery sea-run cutthroat while the lower portion of Mill Creek opens to fishing for hatchery steelhead. The seasons last through December 31. All wild steelhead and wild cutthroat plus steelhead with missing right ventral fins must be released. Night closures and non-buoyant lure restrictions will be in effect.
• New for 2002 - An estimated 100 foot section on Blue Creek from the posted sign at the cable crossing upstream to the posted sign at the fence about 40 feet downstream from the rearing pond outlet will remain closed to all fishing. This permanent regulation provides a buffer zone between the wheel-chair bound only area near the rearing pond outlet and the general fishing area from the cable crossing downstream to the mouth.
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - No report on angling success. However, a total of 474,000 adult fall chinook have been counted at Bonneville Dam this year, the highest total since records began in 1938.
• Bonneville Pool - Some coho continue to be caught.
• Ringold - Steelhead harvest was one kept per every 5.8 bank anglers and one kept per every 3.7 rods for boat anglers last week.

Sturgeon

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Effort and catches were high last weekend. Just below Bonneville Dam on the Washington shore last Sunday (November 24), 73 bank anglers sampled had kept 20 legals and released 4 legals and 26 sublegals. Lots of fish kept were between 4 and 5 feet. 114 bank rods were counted there on Saturday November 23. On the same day, 369 boats were counted from Portland to Longview.
• Bonneville Pool - Anglers continue to catch some legals.
  

Walleye, Bass and other warmwater fish

• No Report
  

Trout

• South Lewis County Pond near Toledo - 2,000 surplus hatchery adult sea-run cutthroats have been released through November 12. The average size is 14 to 18 inches.
• Riffe Lake - Through November 19, a total of 9,700 hatchery adult sea-run cutthroat have been released. The fish are being released into the reservoir at the Mossyrock Park boat ramp. The fish average 14 to 18 inches.
• The reservoir was reported nearly 50 feet below full pool today. Taidnapum and Kosmos boat ramps were reported to be closed. The boat ramp at Mossyrock Park was reported to be useable.
• Kress Lake near Kalama - Received a hundred or more surplus adult hatchery steelhead last week. Average size was 10 pounds.