WDFW Sport Sampling Results: February 18, 2007 Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format] Salmon/Steelhead Cowlitz River - Fishing is slow. 11 bank and 3 boat anglers had no catch. Kalama River - 2 bank anglers released 1 wild steelhead just as the river was going out of shape the middle of last week. High and muddy/dirty water conditions. Should be good deadline water. Some large wild winter steelhead showing up at the hatchery, along with a few hatchery winter brood fish. The last two weeks, about 75 "first time" and 120 "recaps" hatchery winter steelhead were recycled to the lower river. Also, 130 wild winter fish were passed upstream of the Kalama Falls Hatchery (KFH) where it is catch and release, selective gear regulations that included a 22 pounder last week and 24 pounder today. To date, 300 wild winter fish have been passed above KFH. Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - Effort is slowly increasing but we sampled no fish. 71 boats and 129 Oregon and 29 Washington bank anglers were counted during last Saturday (Feb. 17) flight. Effort was generally spread throughout the river. The first spring chinook of the year was counted at Willamette Falls on Feb. 15. Commercial landings of Chinook are beginning to increase. Prices paid to the fishers in Oregon have been mostly averaging $10.50/lb. for chinook. The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged nearly a steelhead kept/released per rod. Sturgeon Cowlitz River - 8 anglers sampled from the lower river kept 1 legal and released 16 sublegals. Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Few anglers were sampled and no catch was observed: however, effort increased last weekend. 142 boats and 30 Oregon and 51 Washington bank anglers were counted during last Saturday's (Feb. 17) flight. Bonneville Pool - Bank anglers are catching some legals. The Dalles Pool - Slow for legal sized fish. Walleye and Bass Bonneville and The Dalles pools - Boat anglers are catching walleye. No effort was observed for bass in either pool. Trout South Lewis County Pond - 3 bank anglers had no catch. 13 winter steelhead were released on Feb. 14. Horseshoe Lake near Woodland - 1,500 nearly half-pound rainbows were planted Feb. 12. Klineline Pond - Planted with 1,100 catchable size rainbows on Valentine's Day. Smelt The lower Columbia has warmed and smelt have re-appeared. 120 pounds were landed in the commercial fishery near Cathlamet yesterday (Feb. 19). Many seals were counted at County Line Park near Longview and a few were spotted in the lower Cowlitz today.