Southwest Washington Fishing Reports
2004 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
February 1, 2004

Salmon/Steelhead -

Lots of water last week and very light effort. 49 bank anglers kept 1 steelhead. 2 boat anglers had no catch.

Through Jan 24, a total of 1,702 hatchery and 277 wild winter steelhead had returned to the salmon hatchery. This is twice the 887 hatchery and 104 wild fish that had returned through the same time last year.

Returns to the trout hatchery are nearly identical between this year and last (1,428 fish in 2004 and 1,416 fish in 2003).

During the past week, Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees recovered 20 coho salmon adults, 29 coho jacks and 68 winter-run steelhead during three days of separator operations at Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.

During the week a total of 83 steelhead were recycled downstream to the Olequa boat launch.
Tacoma Power employees transported 20 coho adults, 27 coho jacks and 25 steelhead upstream and released them into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton, Washington.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 13,400 cubic feet per second on Monday, February 2. Water visibility is less than two feet.

Kalama River - No report on angling success. Through Jan. 29, a total of 1,239 hatchery, 8 hatchery/wild, and 143 wild fish had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery. This year's hatchery run is nearly 2/3 larger than the same time last year (746 fish). Wild fish returns are nearly the same between this year and last (131 fish in 2003).

Lewis River - No report on angling success. Through Jan. 28, a total of 1,773 hatchery and 28 wild fish had returned to the Merwin Dam trap. That's nearly twice the 956 hatchery and 9 wild fish that had returned through the same time last year.

Returns to the salmon hatchery are nearly identical between the two years (408 hatchery and 4 wild fish in 2004 and 356 hatchery and 1 wild fish in 2003).

Flows below Merwin Dam were approximately 10,000 cfs today.

Washougal River - No report on angling success. Through Jan. 21, a total of 505 winter steelhead had returned to Skamania Hatchery. This is 250% greater than the 200 fish that had returned through the same time in 2003.

Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - No report.

Bonneville Pool - No effort was found there last week.

The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers are catching some steelhead.

John Day Pool - Anglers are catching some steelhead.

Sturgeon -

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - No report.

Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Boat anglers are catching some legals in The Dalles Pool while bank anglers are catching some in John Day Pool last week. No legals were sampled in Bonneville Pool.

Walleye and Bass -

Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Including fish released, anglers averaged a walleye per boat last week. No effort for walleye was found in Bonneville or The Dalles pools. No effort for bass were found in any of the three pools.

Trout -

Klineline Pond - 27 bank anglers kept 10 rainbows and released 5.

Waters planted with catchable and brood stock rainbows plus surplus winter steelhead since Jan. 23 includes:

• Kress Lake near Kalama - 91 hatchery steelhead averaging 10 pounds each;
• Kidney Lake near North Bonneville - 60 brood stock averaging nearly 6 pounds and 35 fish averaging 10 pounds each;
• Icehouse Lake near Bridge of the Gods, Little Ash Lake near Stevenson, Northwestern Reservoir near White Salmon, and Tunnel Lake near Bingen- All were planted with 45 brood stock averaging nearly 6 pounds and 20 averaging 10 pounds each;
• Rowland Lake near Lyle - 3,300 catchable size rainbows;
• Spearfish Lake near Dallesport - 1,100 catchables, 110 brood stock averaging 6 pounds, and 25 brood stock averaging 10 pounds each.

Smelt -

Cowlitz River - Commercial fisherman reported finding a trickle of smelt in the lower Cowlitz River up to Lakeside, which is approx. 1 mile upstream from Gearhart Park.

Flows at Castle Rock were nearly 19,000 cfs today. The river is expected to drop over the next several days.

Mainstem Columbia - Report of one commercial fisherman on the mainstem near Cathlamet got 50 pounds over the weekend.

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