WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
September 20, 2005
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Latest
Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
In general - Under permanent regulations, all chinook must be released from several Washington Columbia River tributaries beginning October 1 to protect naturally spawning fish.
Elochoman River - Light effort and no catch observed last Saturday (Sept. 17). Release all chinook upstream of the Hwy. 4 Bridge beginning October 1.
Cowlitz River - No report on angling success. Release all chinook from Blue Creek to Mill Creek beginning October 1.
North Fork Toutle - No report on angling success. From Kidd Valley Bridge near Hwy. 504 upstream, release all chinook beginning October 1.
Green River - No report on angling success. Release all chinook beginning October 1.
Kalama River - Fall chinook and coho are being caught from the lower river. Release all chinook from the natural gas pipeline crossing upstream beginning October 1.
Lewis River - Near the salmon hatchery, boat anglers are catching fall chinook while bank anglers are catching primarily coho. North Fork Lewis from Colvin Creek 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.
Drano Lake - Light effort and no catch observed.
White Salmon River - No report on angling success. From posted markers ½ mile upstream from of the Hwy. 14 Bridge upstream, release all chinook beginning October 1.
Klickitat River - Dusky colored fall chinook are being caught from the Fisher Hill Bridge downstream.
Yakima River - Starting to observe fall chinook in the river. Angler effort has begun to pick up. An estimated 18 adult chinook were harvested last week.
Buoy 10 - Through September 12, an estimated 52,400 angler trips resulted in 9,100 chinook and 6,700 coho kept. Effective October 1, the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults of which no more than 1 may be an adult chinook. Minimum size 12". Release chum, sockeye, and wild coho.
Lower Columbia from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam - From September 14-18, we sampled nearly 1,900 anglers (including almost 700 completed boat trips) with 482 adult chinook kept and 39 released. Boat anglers averaged an adult chinook kept per every 3.4 rods based on mainly completed trips while bank anglers averaged one per every 9.7 rods based on mainly incomplete trips. Closed to chinook retention effective 12:01 Sunday September 18. Remains open to fishing for hatchery coho, hatchery steelhead, and hatchery cutthroats.
The estimated adult chinook catch for September 1-13 is 11,400 fish (13,200 projected through September 17) from 39,400 angler trips. There were also an estimated 24,000 angler trips and 3,200 adult fall chinook caught in August for a season total of 63,300 angler trips and 16,400 fish.
The 2005 preseason forecast for upriver bright (URB) fall chinook (fish headed to the mainstem Columbia and its tributaries (including the Snake River) upstream from McNary Dam and the Deschutes River in Oregon), was 354,600 adults returning to the mouth of the Columbia. Based on dam counts to date, the Technical Advisory Committee updated the return to 280,000 fish, a reduction of over 20%.
For Mid-Columbia Brights (MCBs) (upriver bright stock released below Bonneville Dam and between Bonneville Dam and McNary Dam) the preseason forecast was 89,700 adults returning to the mouth of the Columbia. The return has been updated to 76,700 fish.
Bonneville Pool Hatchery (BPH) stock (quickly maturing fish from Spring Creek Hatchery and Bonneville Pool tributaries) preseason forecast was for 115,800 adults returning to the mouth of the Columbia. The return has been updated to 95,000 fish, a reduction of slightly less than 20%.
A total of 11,641 Chinook, including 6,000 males, 5,200 females, and 441 jacks have returned to Spring Creek Hatchery through September 13, exceeding the escapement goals of 7,000 adults and 4,000 females.
Dam counts of jack fall chinook to date have been less than the recent 10-year average with 10,300 brights and 644 tules (including adult-size jacks) counted at Bonneville Dam through September 15. Typically 52% of the bright jacks and 91% of the tule jacks pass Bonneville Dam by September 15.
The McNary Dam escapement goal of 43,500 adults has been achieved for the 22nd consecutive year with a total count of 52,355 adult fall chinook through September 13.
Bonneville Pool - A lot of boat activity at the mouths of the Washington tributaries. Bright fall chinook and some coho are being caught off the mouth of the White Salmon by anglers trolling/jigging single pointed lures or using bait. Off the Klickitat River, anglers are either jigging or trolling.
Hanford Reach - Catches have improved. The average was an adult chinook kept per every 3.4 boat anglers.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam - Scheduled to be open for sturgeon retention Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only beginning October 1.
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