Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2002 Report Archive
[ Current Report ]       [ 2002 Archive ]

WDFW Sport Sampling Results for April 1-7 , 2002
Sport Sampling Summaries - PDF Format

Salmon/Steelhead

• Cowlitz River - Boat anglers from Mission Bar upstream averaged nearly a steelhead per rod last week. Bank anglers at the barrier dam are catching some steelhead. A few spring chinook are being caught.
• During the past week the separator at Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery recovered 496 adult steelhead, four cutthroat trout and one spring chinook adult during five days of separator operations.
• On April 5, Tacoma Power employees transported 48 steelhead adults and one cutthroat trout to the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton, and they released 140 steelhead adults into the upper Cowlitz River at Lake Scanewa.
• During the past week Tacoma Power employees recycled a total of 120 steelhead adults and one spring chinook adult downstream to the Olequa boat launch. At total of 177 winter-run steelhead adults were transported to the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for broodstock.
• River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 6,790 cubic feet per second on Monday, April 8. Water visibility is seven feet.
• Lewis River - Effort and catches near the mouth have been light. Flows below Merwin Dam were 5,110 cfs this afternoon.
• Wind River - Boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 10.5 rods last week. Fishing is slow from the bank. About two dozen boats were there Saturday morning.
• Drano Lake - Anglers are catching a few spring chinook. Also about two dozen boats here Saturday morning.
• White Salmon River - Light effort and no reported catch.
• Klickitat River - Light effort and no reported catch. Flows were 2,360 cfs today. The mean for the date is 2,270 cfs.
• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Effort and catch continues to gradually rise.
• During last Saturday's (April 6) flight, 1,500 salmonid boats were counted from Bonneville Dam to Cathlamet. Over 300 boats were counted from Camas/Washougal downstream to the I-205 Bridge. Overall, boat anglers averaged a chinook kept or released per very 4.3 rods last week.
• Nearly 400 salmonid bank anglers were counted on the Washington shore and another 562 were counted on the Oregon side last Saturday. Overall, bank anglers averaged a chinook kept or released per every 16.5 rods last week. Best catches but also the highest effort was just below Bonneville Dam.
• The first daily count over 1,000 adult spring chinook was observed at Bonneville Dam yesterday. Through April 7, nearly 8,000 adult spring chinook had been counted at the dam. Last year, 62,800 fish had been counted through the same date.
• Water conditions at Bonneville Dam between this year and last year are almost identical; 120,000 cfs, water temperature near 50 degrees, and water visibility around 4 feet.
• The Dalles Pool - Slow for spring chinook and steelhead.
• John Day Pool - Including fish released, bank anglers averaged a fish per rod last week. No spring chinook were observed in the creel.
• Ringold - 4 spring chinook adults were reported on opening day but no chinook were found in the sample. Steelhead fishing remains good.
  

Sturgeon

• Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers are catching legals from Camas/Washougal downstream to Kalama. The Camas/Washougal area was the most productive area with over a legal per boat average including fish released.
• About 200 sturgeon boats were counted from Bonneville Dam downstream last Saturday.
• Bonneville Pool - Slow for legal size fish. Through March 31, an estimated 452 of the 1,520 sturgeon guideline had been taken.
• The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged a legal kept per every 5 rods last week. Bank anglers were also catching some legals. Through March 31, an estimated 181 of the 700 sturgeon guideline had been taken.
• John Day Pool - Slow for legal size fish. Through March 31, an estimated 10 of the 165 sturgeon guideline had been taken.

Walleye and Bass and other warmwater fish

• Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers are catching some walleye plus averaged 2 bass per rod last week.
• The Dalles Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged better than 3/4 walleye per rod last week. Some bass are being caught by bank anglers.
• John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged a walleye released per every 4 rods last week. Boat anglers averaged slight better than a bass per rod.
  

Trout

• Last week's releases:
  • Silver Lake near Castle Rock - 3,400 catchable size rainbows
  • Swofford Pond near Mossyrock - 4,000 catchable size brown trout
  • Kress lake near Kalama - 17 adult winter steelhead