WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
August 16-22, 2004

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead

Grays River - Opens to fishing for hatchery coho beginning September 1.

Elochoman River - Opens to fishing for fall chinook and hatchery coho beginning September 1.

Mill, Abernathy, Germany, and Coal creeks - Lower portions will be closed to all fishing in September and October to protect spawning fall chinook.

Cowlitz River - No report on angling success. During the past week, Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees recovered 813 summer-run steelhead, 390 spring chinook adults, 96 spring chinook jacks, six fall chinook adults and 15 cutthroat trout during five days of separator operations at Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.

Tacoma Power employees transported 329 spring chinook adults and nine jacks to the upper Cowlitz River at the day-use park in Lake Scanewa during the week.

During the past week, Tacoma Power employees recycled fish to three locations: 263 summer-run steelhead, two cutthroat trout and four fall chinook downstream to the I-5 boat launch; 389 summer-run steelhead, two cutthroat trout and one fall chinook to the Massey Bar boat launch; and 256 summer-run steelhead, one fall chinook and five cutthroat trout to the Blue Creek boat launch. In addition, employees transported 64 summer-run steelhead to the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for brood stock.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,600 cubic feet per second on Monday, August 23. Water visibility is 7 feet.

Lewis River - No report on angling success. The first coho of the season returned to Merwin Dam trap last week.

Wind River - Good steelhead catches reported at times.

Drano Lake - Slower fishing last Saturday (Aug. 21). About 100 boats here that morning.

White Salmon River - Bank anglers are catching bright chinook; boat anglers are catching mainly summer run steelhead.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Including fish released, bank anglers averaged a steelhead per every 10 rods while boat anglers averaged one per every 15 rods last week. Best catches were from Kalama downstream. Some bright fall chinook also appearing the catch.

Bonneville Pool - A few boats observed off the mouths of Drano Lake and the White Salmon River.

Buoy 10 report
Contributed by Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife -

On Tuesday Aug. 17, Buoy 10 anglers averaged a chinook per every 3 rods. Coho catches are increasing. Through August 18, an estimated 15,191 angler trips have produced 3,145 chinook and 1,210 coho.

2004 Oregon and Washington Buoy 10 Sampling Data
Date	Angler trips	Chinook	Coho	Chinook/ Angler	Coho/ Angler
Aug 1	150	8	6	0.05	0.04
Aug 2-8	1,175	57	29	0.05	0.02
Aug 9-15	2,838	654	212	0.23	0.07
Aug 16-22	4,238	1,483	848	0.35	0.20
Aug 23-29	1,810	375	424	0.21	0.23
23-Aug	881	212	199	0.24	0.23
24-Aug	702	121	142	0.17	0.20
25-Aug	227	42	83	0.19	0.37
26-Aug	573	95	157	0.17	0.27
27-Aug	854	182	262	0.21	0.31
28-Aug	1,251	212	321	0.17	0.26
29-Aug	956	96	159	0.10	0.17

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Light effort in the catch and release only fishery.

Bass and other warm water fish

Riffe Lake - Producing some smallmouth.

Mayfield Lake - Fishing effort is light. Jack Tipping reports catching a tiger muskie per couple hours of evening fishing. He landed a 28 pounder, his largest to-date, last week. Anglers are reminded beginning September 1 the salmon daily limit will be 6 fish, no more than 2 adults based on permanent regulations. Wild coho must be released.

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