Southwest Washington
Fishing Reports
2004 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
March 14, 2004
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Latest
Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
Cowlitz River - Fishing is improving. Late winter-run steelhead and some spring chinook are being caught throughout the lower river from the barrier dam downstream.
During the past week, Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees recovered 101 winter-run steelhead and one spring Chinook adult during three days of separator operations at Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.
During the week 15 steelhead were recycled downstream to the Interstate-5 boat launch.
Tacoma Power employees transported one spring Chinook adult and 96 steelhead for release into the upper Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park in Lake Scanewa during the week.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 8,410 cubic feet per second on Monday, March 15. Water visibility is six feet.
Kalama River - Late winter steelhead are being caught.
Lewis River - Light effort and catch.
Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - Catch rates nearly doubled from the previous week. Catches were scattered throughout the river though we sampled most fish from Longview downstream last weekend. Last week, boat anglers averaged a fish kept/released per every 14.6 rods based on completed trips. Bank anglers averaged a fish per every 50 rods based on mainly incomplete trips. 89% of the chinook handled were hatchery fish. 75% of the hatchery fish were of lower river origin.
Last week's catch rates gained on 2003. At the same time last year, boat anglers from I-5 downstream averaged a chinook kept/released per every 11.7 rods.
In February 2004, an estimated 9,500 salmonid angler trips produced a catch of 48 adult spring chinook and 96 steelhead kept and 153 released.
Bonneville Pool - No effort was observed there last week.
The Dalles Pool - No catch observed there last week.
John Day Pool - Bank anglers averaged over ½ steelhead kept/released per rod last week.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Most of our efforts were centered on the salmonid fishery. The sturgeon anglers sampled had kept no legals. In February 2004, an estimated 5,900 sturgeon angler trips produced 183 fish kept. That catch was the lowest for February since records began in 1977. Through the end of February, an estimated 425 of the 12,000 fish guideline (4%) for the mainstem Columbia from the Wauna powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam had been taken.
Bonneville Pool - Some legals are being caught off the bank. No fish were observed from the boats. Through the end of February, an estimated 155 of the 700 fish guideline (22%) had been taken.
The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged a legal per every 7 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 14 rods last week. Through the end of February, an estimated 73 of the 400 fish guideline (18%) had been taken.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers are catching a few legals. Through the end of February, an estimated 15 of the 165 fish (9%) guideline had been taken.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool - No catch observed from the few boat anglers sampled and no effort found for bass last week.
The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged 1.5 walleye per rod last week when counting fish released. Some bass were also being caught.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged a walleye kept/released per every 3 rods last week when counting fish released. The few bass anglers averaged about 3 fish per rod.
Trout -
Klineline Pond - Producing browns and some rainbows. Planted with 1,000 one-half pound browns last week.
Lacamas lake - No report on angling success. Planted with 10,500 one-half pound browns last week.
Smelt -
Cowlitz River - Reports are dipping was pretty good through early last week but slowed significantly over the weekend.
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