Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results for September 23-29, 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - Last week, boat anglers from the I-5 Bridge downstream averaged one hatchery adult coho per every 2 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 4. Some hatchery coho jacks are also appearing in the catch. About 5 times as many hatchery coho have returned to the salmon hatchery compared to the same time last year.
• During the past week Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 1,941 fall chinook salmon, 42 fall chinook jacks, 3,719 coho salmon, 481 coho jacks, 77 summer-run steelhead, one chum salmon and 14 cutthroat trout during six days of separator operations.
  Tacoma Power employees released 877 fall chinook adults, 31 fall chinook jacks, 3,059 coho adults and 394 coho jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa during the week.
  
• In addition, Tacoma Power employees released ten cutthroat trout, 122 adult coho salmon, 11 coho jacks and 10 fall chinook adults into the Tilton River arm of Mayfield Lake at the Ike Kinswa State Park boat ramp.
  
• A total of 133 summer-run steelhead and 11 cutthroat trout were recycled downstream to the Olequa boat launch during the week.
  
• A total of 23 summer-run steelhead were transported to the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for broodstock.
  
• River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,250 cubic feet per second on Monday, September 30. Water visibility is 12 feet.
  
• Toutle River (including North Fork) - Bank anglers averaged about a hatchery adult coho per every 4 rods last week. Through
  Sept. 25, a total of 4,700 adult coho had returned to the hatchery.
• Kalama River - Bank anglers averaged an hatchery adult coho per every 5 rods last week.
• Lewis River - Bank anglers averaged an hatchery adult coho per every 10 rods last week while the few boat anglers sampled did well on adult fall chinook. Through Sept. 25, total of 2,400 adult coho had been counted at the facilities. Also, nearly 15,000 wild fall chinook are expected to return to the North Fork Lewis in 2002. The escapement goal for fall chinook is 5,700 fish.
• Washougal River - Produced an adult chinook per every 5 rods last week. However, the primary catch area (upstream from the Little Washougal), closes to chinook retention beginning tomorrow.
• Wind River - Boat anglers are catching some coho.
• Drano Lake - Some fall chinook, coho, and hatchery steelhead are present.
• White Salmon River - Bank anglers are catching some coho.
• Klickitat River - Fall chinook, coho, and steelhead are present.
• Yakima River - Effort for chinook slowed a bit last week. Bank anglers averaged one chinook per every 12 rods.
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Effort and catch is waning. Last week, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 8 rods. Hatchery coho (adults and jacks) are also being taken. From August 1 through September 26, an estimated 93,000 angler trips resulted in an estimated 20,200 chinook being landed from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam.
• Based on fishery catches and escapement, the early stock coho run was doubled to 226,000 adults entering the Columbia River. The pre-season run forecast was for 112,700 early stock and 58,900 late stock. Late stock coho returns begin to enter the lower Columbia River in late September and peaks in October.
• The upriver steelhead run size has also been updated. A return of 473,280 upriver summer steelhead to the Columbia River would represent the largest the second largest return on record since 1938 and exceeds the pre-season forecast of 447,800. Last year's return of 515,000 was the largest on record.
• Hanford Reach - Effort and catch continues to increase. Last Saturday (Sept. 28), 152 boat trailers were counted in the Vernita Bridge area. Last week, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 2.9 rods. Since last Friday (Sept. 27), up to 4 adult chinook may be retained in the salmon daily limit.
• The adult fall chinook count at McNary Dam through Sept. 23 is 109,132 (more than twice the 10 year average of 53,341) with five weeks of counting remaining. A conservative prediction of the final McNary Dam count is about 140,000 adults. The minimum management objective at McNary Dam is 43,500 adults, which includes interim spawning escapement goals for the upper Columbia River, Hanford Reach, Yakima River and Snake River, as well as Hanford Reach sport fishery harvest. The final McNary Dam count is on track to exceed the management objective by about 100,000 adult fall chinook. Total passage through September 26 of 9,200 chinook over lower Granite Dam represents the largest return on official record.
  

Sturgeon

• No report

Walleye, Bass and other warmwater fish

• No report
  

Trout

• No report