WDFW Sport Sampling Results: October 23, 2006 Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format] Salmon/Steelhead - Columbia River coho run update (October 17) - The 2006 preseason Columbia River forecast for coho totaled 256,600 adults, including 189,900 early stock and 66,700 late stock. Coho abundance in the Columbia River appears to be greater than the preseason projection, with nearly 236,300 coho accounted for compared to the 256,600 predicted return. On October 17, the TAC updated the Columbia River coho run, estimating a return of 368,000 coho, including 236,000 early stock and 132,000 late stock. Lower portions of Abernathy, Coal, Germany, and Mill creeks near Longview - Re-open to fishing for hatchery steelhead and other gamefish beginning November 1. All streams remain closed to fishing for salmon year round. Cowlitz River - Hatchery coho are being caught throughout the river although Blue Creek and Camelot have been among the best catch locations. Lots of chinook are being released by bank anglers at the barrier dam and anglers near Blue Creek continue to catch good numbers of summer run steelhead. Overall both bank and boat anglers averaged about a fish kept/released per rod. From the mouth to Mayfield Dam (with closed waters around the barrier and Mayfield dams), anglers may keep up to 4 adult hatchery coho through the end of the year. Bank anglers may fish up to 100 feet below the barrier dam until further notice. During the past week Tacoma Power and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recovered 4,272 adult coho salmon, 319 coho jacks, 252 fall chinook adults, seven fall chinook jacks, 33 summer-run steelhead and 14 cutthroat trout at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator during seven days of operations. Tacoma Power employees released 965 coho adults, 67 coho jacks, one cutthroat trout and eight summer-run steelhead into Riffe Lake at Mossyrock Park during the week. A total of 1,895 coho adults, 184 coho jacks, 12 cutthroat trout and 39 summer-run steelhead were released at the Barrier Dam boat launch. A total of 41 coho adults, two coho jacks, 51 fall chinook adults and four jacks were released into Mayfield Lake at Ike Kinswa Park boat launch during the week. River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,510 cubic feet per second on Monday, October 23. Water visibility is 12 feet. Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir) - Boat anglers averaged slightly better than ½ coho kept/released per rod. Successful anglers located a pod of fish at the mouth of the Cispus River. Most of the fish captured this week were fairly dark. Tacoma Power employees transported 113 coho adults and four coho jacks to the Cowlitz River at the Lake Scanewa Day Use Site during the week. In addition, they released 89 coho adults into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellowjacket Creek, and they released 289 coho adults and 12 jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at Franklin Bridge in Packwood during the week. WDFW transported one sea-run cutthroat trout to the upper Cowlitz River basin during the week. Kalama River - Bank anglers are catching coho and steelhead. Lewis River - Anglers are catching mainly coho along with some fall chinook and summer run steelhead around the salmon hatchery. About half the coho caught are being kept. Klickitat River - Boat anglers averaged a coho kept per rod. Release all chinook from 400 feet upstream from #5 fishway to the boundary markers below the salmon hatchery beginning November 1. Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers in the Camas/Washougal area (including Camas Slough) averaged a coho kept per about every 3 rods. Some coho are also being caught at the mouth of the Cowlitz and in the gorge. Beacon Rock upstream to Bonneville Dam will close to fishing for salmon beginning November 1. Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers, primarily at the mouth of the Klickitat, averaged a coho kept per rod. Sturgeon - Lower Columbia from the Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam - Bank and boat anglers in the gorge averaged a legal kept per every 8 and 5.5 rods based on mainly incomplete and completed trips, respectively. Catches improved in the Camas/Washougal area with a legal kept per every 3 boat anglers.