WDFW Sport Sampling Results: July 9, 2006 Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format] Salmon/Steelhead - Cowlitz River - Boat anglers are catching summer run steelhead from Mission Bar to Mill Creek while bank anglers are catching some fish at Blue Creek. Overall boat anglers averaged nearly 2/3 steelhead per rod. During the past week Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees operated the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator and recovered 324 summer-run steelhead adults, 167 adult spring chinook salmon and eight jacks and during three days of separator operations. Tacoma Power employees released 98 spring chinook adults and six jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa during the week. Tacoma Power employees recycled 363 summer-run steelhead adults downstream to the Olequa boat launch during the week, and they released 21 spring chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake. River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,480 cubic feet per second on Monday, July 10. Water visibility is over 11 feet. Klickitat River - Anglers are catching some spring chinook and summer run steelhead. Lower Columbia from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam - We sampled 620 salmonid anglers (including 114 boats) with 40 adult and 1 jack chinook and 59 steelhead. Chinook were caught throughout the river but best catches were from Woodland upstream. Overall, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 9.4 rods based on mainly completed trips while bank anglers averaged one per every 26.9 rods based on mainly incomplete trips. Of the 39 adult chinook sampled, 28 (72%) were unmarked. Steelhead catches were best from Woodland downstream. Overall bank anglers averaged a steelhead kept per every 12.1 rods while boat anglers averaged one per every 20.3 rods based on mainly incomplete and completed trips, respectively. 73% of the steelhead caught were kept. A total of 316 salmonid boats and 77 Oregon and 296 Washington bank anglers were counted during yesterday's (Sunday July 9) flight. 63 of the boats were found at the mouth of the Cowlitz. Slightly over 1/3 of the Washington bank anglers were observed in the Longview area. Last week the Technical Advisory Committee upgraded the summer Chinook run size to 87,000 fish at the river mouth. The non-treaty allocation for sport fisheries below Priest Rapids Dam is about 4,800 fish, based on the draft upper Columbia management plan and the updated run size. Catch rates during June 16-30 remained high in areas below Bonneville Dam. The estimated catch through June 30 is 3,384 Chinook from 19,629 angler trips. Catch rates declined from 0.17 Chinook/angler during June 16-30 to 0.08 Chinook/angler during July 1-5 likely due to decreased flows, increased river temperatures, and declining fish abundance. The estimated catch from July 1-5 is 586 Chinook from 7,279 angler trips. Expected catch for the remainder of July is less than 800 Chinook with the majority of the catch occurring in the Gorge area. Given actual and predicted catches, less than 4,800 summer Chinook will be harvested in the recreational fishery below Bonneville Dam during June 16-July 31. A Joint State hearing took place July 6. No action was taken on this fishery. The fishery is expected to continue through July as per permanent regulations. Bonneville Pool - No catch observed from the bank. The Dalles Pool - Bank anglers are catching some summer chinook. John Day Pool - No effort was observed. Sturgeon - Lower Columbia from the mouth to the Wauna powerlines - Currently catch and release only. A Joint State hearing has been scheduled for 3:00 PM Wednesday July 12 via teleconference to discuss additional opportunity for sturgeon retention in the area below Wauna powerlines. Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines to Marker #85 - Some legals are being caught by boat anglers in the Longview to Kalama area. Open for catch and keep Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through the end of July. Bonneville Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a legal per every 4 rods. Bank anglers were also catching some legals. Through June, an estimated 514 (73%) of the 700 fish guideline had been taken. Walleye and Bass - Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged nearly 5 bass per rod while bank anglers averaged a fish each when including fish released. Boat anglers were also catching some walleye. The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers were catching some bass, No effort for walleye was observed. John Day Pool - Boat anglers are catching some walleye and bass. Effort and catch is light from the bank. Trout - Riffe Lake - Bank anglers on the main lake are catching a mixture of landlocked coho, chinook, and steelhead. Shad - Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Anglers in the gorge are still catching some fish although Bonneville Dam daily counts have been < 10,000 in recent days.