Elochoman
River - No report on angling success. Upstream from the Hwy.
4 Bridge - release all chinook beginning October 1.
Toutle
River - Effort was heavy this past weekend and anglers are
catching some fall chinook. No coho were found in the sample but 21
fish had returned to the hatchery through September 13.
North Fork
Toutle from the Kidd Valley Road Bridge near Hwy. 504 upstream and the
Green River - release all chinook beginning October 1.
Cowlitz
River - Anglers below I-5 continue to catch fall chinook and
coho while anglers are catching summer run steelhead and sea run cutthroats
from the bridge upstream. From Blue Creek to Mill Creek - release all
chinook beginning October 1.
During the past
week Tacoma Power and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
recovered 328 fall chinook adults, 22 fall chinook jacks, 196 summer-run
steelhead, 164 adult coho salmon, 11 coho jacks, 38 adult spring chinook
salmon, one jack, eight cutthroat trout and two chum salmon at the Cowlitz
Salmon Hatchery separator during five days of operations.
Tacoma Power employees
released 46 coho adults, four coho jacks, three spring chinook adults
and one jack into the Cowlitz River at the Franklin Bridge site in Packwood,
Washington. In addition, they released 63 coho adults, five coho jacks
and 20 spring chinook adults into the Cipsus River above the mouth of
Yellowjacket Creek during the week.
A total of 49 coho
adults, four coho jacks, four cutthroat trout, 111 fall chinook adults
and 17 jacks were released into Mayfield Lake at Ike Kinswa Park boat
launch during the week.
During the week
the two chum salmon were recycled downstream to the Barrier Dam boat
launch, a total of 135 steelhead adults and one cutthroat were recycled
downstream to the Massey Bar boat launch, and 289 steelhead adults and
one cutthroat were recycled downstream to the Interstate-5 boat launch.
Three cutthroat were released into the upper Cowlitz River basin.
River flows at Mayfield
Dam are approximately 3,380 cubic feet per second on Monday, September
18. Water visibility is over 13 feet.
Kalama River
- Anglers are catching a mix of fall chinook, coho, and summer
run steelhead. From the natural gas pipeline crossing upstream - release
all chinook beginning October 1.
Lewis River
- Anglers are catching coho and some fall chinook, primarily
around the salmon hatchery. Colvin Creek (located just upstream from
the salmon hatchery) upstream to Merwin Dam closes to all fishing beginning
October 1.
Washougal
River - Anglers are catching some fall chinook. From the Little
Washougal River upstream - release all chinook beginning October 1.
Wind River
from 100 feet upstream of Shipherd Falls to boundary markers approximately
800 yards downstream of Carson National Fish Hatchery (except closed
from 400 feet below to 100 feet above the coffer dam and all tributaries)
- Open to catch-and-release for all game fish,
including steelhead, September 16 through November 30. Selective gear
rules are in effect.
Drano Lake
- No report on angling success. Effective
October 1-31, night closures are in effect. In addition,
closed to all fishing each Wednesday of the month.
White Salmon
River - No report on angling success. From posted markers ½
mile upstream of the Hwy. 14 Bridge upstream - release all chinook beginning
October 1.
Klickitat
River - Good at times for fall chinook in the lower river.
Yakima River
- From Paul Hoffarth, WDFW Fish and Wildlife biologist in Yakima
- Similar to last week, there were a lot of anglers fishing at the Chandler
powerhouse. Effort is just beginning to pick up below Horn Rapids Dam.
An estimated 84 chinook were caught during the fishery last week. Angler
effort and catch this week and last week are well above last years'.
Buoy 10
- No report. Effective October 1, the salmon daily limit is
6 fish, no more than 2 adults of which no more than 1 may be an adult
chinook. Release chum, sockeye, and wild coho. Minimum size will be
12".
Lower Columbia
from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam -
Closed to chinook retention for the remainder of the year. Remains open
to fishing for hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead. The estimated adult
chinook catch through September 14 was 14,100 fish from 72,600 angler
trips.
Bonneville
Pool - Little to report on angling success. Closed to fishing
for chinook through the end of the year. Remains open to fishing for
coho and hatchery steelhead. Wild coho must be released from Bonneville
Dam to the Hood River Bridge.
Hanford
Reach - Fishing is still relatively slow with 1 fish caught
for every 2.6 boats (37 hours per chinook). Water flows were low through
the weekend creating some tough fishing. An estimated 251 chinook (219
adults and 32 jacks) were harvested this past week. A few steelhead
are being caught and released in the Ringold area (season opens October
1). Water temperature is in the mid 60s.
Nearly 40,000 adult
fall chinook were counted at McNary Dam through September 17. Within
the next couple days, the escapement goal of 43,500 adults will be reached.
It has been consecutively achieved for over two decades.
