Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for September 16-22, 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Elochoman River - Bank anglers are catching hatchery coho and some fall chinook. Effective October 1, all chinook must be released upstream from the Highway 4 Bridge. Through September 17, a total of 1,400 adult fall chinook had been counted at the temporary trap.
• Cowlitz River - Boat anglers downstream from the I-5 Bridge averaged ½ hatchery coho per rod last week. Effective
  October 1, all chinook must be released between Blue Creek and Mill Creek.
• During the past week Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 1,262 fall chinook salmon, 20 fall chinook jacks, 764 coho salmon, 37 coho jacks, 69 summer-run steelhead, six adult spring chinook salmon and 11 cutthroat trout during five days of separator operations.
  Tacoma Power employees released 1,215 fall chinook adults, 23 fall chinook jacks, ten spring chinook adults, 749 coho adults and 35 coho jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa.
  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees transported one cutthroat trout to the upper Cowlitz River basin during the week.
  A total of 36 summer-run steelhead were transported to the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for broodstock during the week.
  River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 4,610 cubic feet per second on Monday, September 23. Water visibility is over thirteen feet.
• Mainstem Toutle, North Fork Toutle, and Green rivers - Bank anglers averaged 0.4 chinook/hatchery coho per rod last week. Hatchery coho are present from where the Toutle enters the Cowlitz upstream. Due to fire danger, Weyerhaeuser is still prohibiting access to the salmon hatchery and the 1900 Road. Beginning October 1, all chinook must be released in the North Fork Toutle River from the Kidd Valley Bridge near Highway 504 upstream and all of the Green River.
• Through September 18, a total of 2,529 adult chinook and 1,747 adult coho had returned to the salmon hatchery on the Green River.
• Kalama River - Bank anglers averaged an adult hatchery coho per every 3.7 rods last week. Also, some fall chinook are being caught. Effective October 1, all chinook must be released upstream from the natural gas pipeline crossing. Through September 18, a total of 2,845 adult chinook had been counted at the trap.
• Lewis River - Bank anglers are catching some hatchery coho. Beginning October 1, fishing for all species will be closed on the North Fork Lewis River from Colvin Creek upstream. Last week, 5,000 jack coho were counted at the facilities. The jack coho count for one week this year beat the entire count for all of 2001.
  Flows below Merwin Dam were expected to be 1,250 cfs today.
• Washougal River - Bank anglers are catching some fall chinook. Effective October 1, all chinook must be released from mouth of the Little Washougal upstream. Through September 18, an estimated 1,000 adult fall chinook had returned to the salmon hatchery.
• Wind River - Effort is light although some coho are present. Any coho, fin clipped or not, may be retained.
• Drano Lake - Steelhead angling improved for boat anglers last week. Some B-Run hatchery summer-run steelhead 18-22 pounds were caught there. Fall chinook and coho are also present. Any coho, fin clipped or not, may be retained.
• White Salmon River - Bank anglers are catching some fall chinook and some B-Run hatchery summer-run steelhead 18-22 pounds. Any coho, fin clipped or not, may be retained. Effective October 1, all chinook must be released from posted markers ½ upstream of the Highway 14 Bridge upstream.
• Klickitat River - Producing fall chinook and coho. Any coho, fin clipped or not, may be retained.
• Yakima River - Lots of effort on the lower river last week but the catch rate was only about 1 adult chinook per every 12 rods.
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 4.3 rods based on complete trips while bank anglers averaged one per every 11 rods based on incomplete trips last week. At the mouth of the Cowlitz River, boat anglers averaged an adult hatchery coho per every 3.6 rods. In addition, a 26 pound hatchery steelhead was caught there last week.
• Still pretty heavy effort on the lower Columbia last week. From Bonneville Dam downstream to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line, 500 boats were counted during last Thursday (Sept. 19) flight.
• Bonneville Pool - Producing some fall chinook and hatchery steelhead. Any coho, fin clipped or not, may not be retained.
• Hanford Reach - Effort and catch has increased. Last week, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 3.7 rods. At the Vernita Bridge, more than 100 boat trailers were counted there each day last weekend.
  

Sturgeon

• Bonneville Pool - Re-opens for sturgeon retention effective Saturday Sept. 28.

Walleye, Bass and other warmwater fish

• No report
  

Trout

• Recent plants of cutthroat:
  • Goose Lake received 3,127 cutthroats averaging nearly 1.25 pounds each last week.
  • Riffe Lake - No report on angling success. The reservoir was reported 22.7 feet below full pool today.
  • Taidnapum Park is closed.