WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
June 17, 2007

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River - Boat anglers are primarily catching summer run steelhead while bank anglers are catching spring chinook. Spring chinook are being caught at the barrier dam while steelhead are being caught at Blue Creek.

Summer run steelhead updates:

In general, hatchery fish returns to Washington lower Columbia facilities are about ½ of the same time last year except for Skamania Hatchery on the Washougal which is up slightly.

In addition, counts at Bonneville Dam through June 17 are also tracking behind last year (7,076 in 2007 vs 8,239 in 2006).

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - It appears the drop in Columbia flows over the weekend adversely affected the chinook catch but improved the steelhead bite. At Bonneville Dam, the Columbia dropped from 237 kcfs on Friday June 15 to 197 kcfs yesterday.

We sampled 302 salmonid anglers (including 27 boats) with 18 adult and 3 jack summer chinook and 22 steelhead this past weekend. Bank anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 15.7 rods while boat anglers averaged one per every 22 rods based on mainly incomplete and completed trips, respectively. Chinook were caught from Cathlamet upstream. Bank anglers from Longview downstream averaged a hatchery summer run steelhead per about every 3 rods.

17 of the adult summer chinook were sampled. 11 (65%) of the fish sampled were adipose fin clipped (marked).

During the Saturday June 16 flight, 400 salmonid boats and 243 WA and 224 OR bank anglers were counted. Though effort was spread throughout the river, just over 1/4 of the boats were found in the gorge.

Bonneville Pool - Bank anglers sampled did not catch any salmonids.

The Dalles Pool - Bank anglers just below John Day Dam are catching some summer chinook.

John Day Pool - Light effort. Some steelhead and jack chinook are being caught.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia from Buoy 10 upstream to Marker #85 - Data is currently unavailable.

Ports of Chinook and Ilwaco - Data is currently unavailable.

Deep River/Knappton ramps - This past weekend boat anglers averaged a legal kept per about every 4 rods. Effort was heavy in part because of the SW Washington Angler derby. Approximately 100 boat trailers were counted at Deep River on Saturday June 16. The flight on the same day showed over 600 private boats and 25 charters in the estuary.

Sturgeon fishing was slow outside the estuary.

Below Wauna power lines - An estimated 1,740 (10.9%) of the 16,000 fish guideline had been taken through May.

Above Wauna powerlines - Through May, an estimated 2,011 (13.5%) of the 14,900 fish guideline had been taken.

Bonneville Pool - Boat and bank anglers are catching some legals.

Walleye and Bass

Bonneville Pool - Boat and bank anglers are catching some bass. Light effort and no catch observed for walleye.

Trout

Mayfield Dam - No catch observed from the bank.

Riffe Lake - Bank anglers are catching some steelhead.

Lacamas Lake - Planted with 300 rainbows and 1,800 brown trout weighing approximately 3/4 pound each June 7.

Shad

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Bank anglers just below Bonneville Dam averaged 2 shad kept/released per rod based on mainly incomplete trips. Almost 300 WA bank anglers were counted there on the Saturday June 16 flight.

The Dalles Pool - 1 boat angler kept 6 shad. 24 bank anglers kept 30 fish and released 31.