WDFW Sport Sampling Results: March 25, 2007 Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format] Salmon/Steelhead Cowlitz River - Anglers are catching steelhead at Blue Creek especially near the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery new outlet structure. A fishing closure of a 100' radius around the outlet structure is scheduled for sometime this week. During last week Tacoma Power personnel recovered 103 winter-run steelhead and two spring chinook adults at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator during five days of operations. River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 13,500 cubic feet per second on Monday, March 26. Currently the water visibility is three feet. Kalama River - River was high and turbid when we sampled there early last week. Lewis River - Some chinook and steelhead are being caught by bank anglers near the salmon hatchery. Wind River and Drano Lake - Effort remains light with 0-2 boats per day. Wind River was colored Sunday (March 25). Bonneville Pool has been high. Klickitat River from the Fisher Hill Bridge downstream - Opens to fishing for hatchery spring chinook and hatchery steelhead beginning April 2. Open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays only. Daily limit 1 salmonid. White Salmon River - Effective April 1, only hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead may be retained. Daily limit 2 salmonids. Lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream - We sampled 812 salmonid anglers with 52 chinook and 1 steelhead. Boat anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 13 rods while only 1 chinook was reported released from the 147 bank anglers sampled. Catch was spread throughout the river although boat anglers in the Cathlamet and Davis Bar (Vancouver) area did best with a chinook per about every 7 rods when including fish released. 71% of the chinook caught were kept. 2/3 of the fish kept were lower river stock based on Visual Stock Identification (VSI). During last Saturday (March 24) flight and creel sampling, 421 salmonid boats and 296 OR and 61 WA bank anglers were counted. During the same period in 2006, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 8.2 rods. The boat catch rate was a chinook per every 9.3 rods during the same period in 2005 and one per every 8.5 rods in 2004. A total of 510 salmonid boats and 167 OR and 49 WA bank anglers were counted during the Sunday March 26, 2006 flight. (Please note: Sunday counts are typically less than Saturdays; however, poor weather on Saturday March 24, 2007 may have contributed to a lower boat count). Washington and Oregon departments of fish and wildlife will have an update on the mainstem sport fishery April 4. Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Light effort and catch. Sturgeon Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers in the Vancouver area are catching some legals. Bonneville Pool - Bank anglers are catching some legals. The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers in The Dalles Pool appear to have found a "honey hole". The fishery will close effective 12:01 AM Thursday March 29. Harvest guideline of 100 sturgeon is projected to be reached by March 28. John Day Pool - Boat anglers are catching some legals. Walleye and Bass Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools - Boat anglers are catching some walleye. Some bass are also being caught from each pool. Trout Klineline Pond - Including fish released, bank anglers averaged nearly 2 trout per rod. Fishing is still best in the NW corner of the pond by anglers using shrimp or green plastic worms. Planted with 1,500 rainbows averaging nearly 2/3 pound each on March 19.