Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for October 7-13, 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - Fishing has slowed some for bank anglers from the I-5 Bridge downstream. Three dozen boats were counted at the mouth of the Cowlitz last Saturday (Oct. 12).
• During the past week Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 5,591 coho salmon, 989 coho jacks, 995 fall chinook salmon, 10 fall chinook jacks, 56 summer-run steelhead, one summer-run steelhead jack, and nine cutthroat trout during seven days of separator operations.
  
• Tacoma Power employees released 3,677 coho adults, 705 coho jacks, 290 fall chinook adults and five fall chinook jacks, into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa during the week.
  
• In addition, between October 6 and October 12, Tacoma Power employees released 1,445 coho salmon, 265 coho jacks, 125 fall chinook adults, two chinook jacks and seven cutthroat trout into the Tilton River arm of Mayfield Lake at the Ike Kinswa State Park boat ramp.
  
• A total of 106 summer-run steelhead and six cutthroat trout were recycled downstream to the Olequa boat launch during the week.
  
• Based on average run timing, over 50,000 coho adults may return to the Cowlitz this year.
  
• River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,920 cubic feet per second on Monday, October 14. Water visibility is eleven feet.
• Kalama River - Anglers are catching some hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead.
• Lewis River - Bank anglers around the salmon hatchery are catching some hatchery coho while boat anglers are catching primarily fall chinook.
• Washougal River - Some coho are beginning to appear in the lower river. In the mainstem Columbia near Lady Island, 32 boats were counted there last Saturday (Oct. 12).
• Klickitat River - Hatchery are being caught by boat anglers at the mouth of the Klickitat and in the lower river. The river has been low and clear.
• Yakima River - Bank anglers caught an adult chinook per every 4.7 rods last week, just slightly less than the previous week.
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Chinook are being caught by boat anglers in the gorge. Some hatchery coho are being caught on the lower river. A total of 131 boats plus 19 bank anglers on the Washington shore were counted from Bonneville Dam downstream during last Saturday's flight (Oct. 12).
• Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers are doing well for hatchery coho at the mouth of the Klickitat River.
• Hanford Reach - Effort was down about 25% from the previous week but catches improved slightly. Last week, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 2.5 rods. Some hatchery (adipose and ventral fish clipped) steelhead are being caught/kept by bank anglers at Ringold.
• Under permanent regulations, next Tuesday (Oct. 22) is last day to fish for salmon from the Old Hanford townsite wooden powerline towers upstream to Priest Rapids Dam.
• Late Coho Run Size Upgraded - Last week, the Technical Advisory Committee upgraded the Columbia River late coho run size to at least double the preseason forecast of 58,900 and may be closer to 200,000 fish.

Sturgeon

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Still light effort in this catch-and-release fishery with about 15 boats counted last Saturday (Oct. 12).
• Bonneville Pool - Effort and catches are generally light. Bank anglers are catching some legals.
  

Walleye, Bass and other warmwater fish

• No report
  

Trout

• No report