Ballard Locks Sockeye Salmon Counts
2004 Sockeye Management Review

Lake Washington sockeye salmon have been counted each year since 1972 as they enter freshwater at the Ballard Locks. These counts were conducted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife from 1972 through 1993, and from 1994 to present by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Although small numbers of sockeye enter the system in May and early June, the period from the second week of June through the end of July is the standard counting interval used to determine if there are sufficient sockeye to open fishing seasons. The sockeye are sample counted during set time periods as they pass through both the locks and the fishway, and the counts are converted into a daily total number of fish passing upstream. In early July, State and Tribal managers begin to make weekly projections of the expected total run size based on the current total counts. When the co-managers believe that the total run size will exceed the escapement goal of 350,000 sockeye, fishing seasons will be opened to harvest the surplus fish.

August 10, 2004

No additional fisheries directed at Lake Washington sockeye will occur this year. The co-managers projected a total runsize of 403,000 sockeye; which includes sockeye caught in Puget Sound, the number counted passing the Locks through July 31st, and the estimated number of sockeye that will enter Lake Washington in August and September. The cumulative total count through the Locks during the standard counting period (June 12 through July 31) was 376,659 sockeye. Adding the marine catches of Lake Washington sockeye brings the estimated run through July 31 to 385,000 and an additional 18,000 sockeye are expected to enter through the Locks in August and September. (Note: For the period August 1-9, an estimated 12,000 additional sockeye entered the Lake.)

Fisheries were scheduled based on the estimated 53,000 surplus sockeye (403,000 minus 350,000 escapement goal), resulting in 26,500 fish shares for sport and tribal fisheries. The management of this years’ Lake Washington sockeye fishery provided for a tremendous level of angler participation with a high success rate. In 2 ½ days of fishing, nearly 28,000 anglers caught an estimated 27,600 sockeye, averaging about 1 fish per angler. The preliminary catch estimates for the 2 ½ days of sport fishing is as follows:

The combined tribal fisheries (ceremonial, subsistence, and commercial) took an estimated 26,335 Lake Washington sockeye.

Sockeye Salmon Counts at the
Ballard Locks For 2004

Date Daily Count Total Count   Date Daily Count Total Count June 12 1,801 1,801 July 7 14,168 195,557 June 13 1,914 3,715 July 8 18,660 214,217 June 14 1,492 5,207 July 9 11,731 225,948 June 15 2,892 8,099 July 10 13,024 238,972 June 16 2,710 10,809 July 11 9,449 248,421 June 17 3,239 14,048 July 12 10,473 258,894 June 18 2,325 16,373 July 13 18,243 277,137 June 19 3,237 19,610 July 14 11,028 288,165 June 20 4,704 24,314 July 15 7,129 295,294 June 21 4,515 28,829 July 16 8,380 303,674 June 22 5,452 34,281 July 17 11,282 314,956 June 23 7,332 41,613 July 18 11,449 326,405 June 24 7,108 48,721 July 19 5,417 331,822 June 25 6,376 55,097 July 20 5,573 337,395 June 26 7,089 62,186 July 21 7,273 344,668 June 27 10,690 72,876 July 22 4,914 349,582 June 28 11,184 84,060 July 23 6,029 355,611 June 29 7,058 91,118 July 24 3,304 358,915 June 30 10,204 101,322 July 25 3,104 362,019 July 1 18,359 119,681 July 26 2,416 364,435 July 2 15,208 134,889 July 27 3,113 367,548 July 3 12,071 146,960 July 28 4,246 371,794 July 4 9,216 156,176 July 29 1,585 373,379 July 5 10,074 166,250 July 30 1,568 374,947 July 6 15,139 181,389 July 31 1,712 376,659