March 30, 2008

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead

Kalama River - No report on angling success. From Chris Wagemann, WDFW Biologist - Steelhead returns to Kalama Falls Hatchery (KFH) continue to disappoint. Only 56 wild winter steelhead returned to KFH in March. This is one of the lowest returns in March over the last 30 years. This year's return in March is 27 percent of the 10 year average(208). Hatchery winter brood returns are also poor. Only 27 hatchery fish were handled in March, which is only 16 percent of the five year average(171). April is usually peak return month for wild winter steelhead.

Wind River - One lone boat observed Sunday morning.

Drano Lake - 5 boats were observed Sunday morning. One fish was found in the same sample.

Klickitat River from the Fisher Hill Bridge (located about 2 miles upstream the mouth) downstream - Opens to fishing for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays only beginning April 2. Daily limit is 1 salmonid.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 4,431 salmonid anglers (including 1,620 boats) with 726 adult and 1 jack chinook and 10 steelhead. Boat anglers averaged a adult chinook kept/released per every 5.4 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 28.7 rods based on mainly completed and incomplete trips, respectively.

In comparison, boat anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 12.5 rods in 2007, one per every 5.6 rods in 2006 and one per every 17.1 rods in 2005. Catch rates in 2004, 2003, and 2002 were a chinook per every 6.4, 7.1, and 4.7 rods, respectively.

634 (87%) of the adult chinook caught last week were kept. 531 (88.5%) of the 600 fish sampled were upriver stock based on Visual Stock Identification (VSI).

Effort - 1,542 salmonid boats and 254 WA and 501 OR were counted from Bonneville Dam downstream during the Saturday March 29 flight. In comparison, on Sunday April 1, 2007 a total of 757 salmonid boats and 411 OR and 143 WA bank anglers were counted. On Saturday April 1, 2006 a total of 1,002 salmonid boats and 281 OR and 120 WA bank anglers were counted. Note: typically Saturday counts are higher than Sundays. In addition, the 2006 and 2007 counts were from the I-5 Bridge downstream.

Anglers are reminded Friday April 4 is the last scheduled day to fish from the Hayden Island west powerline towers downstream.

Bonneville Pool - No salmonid anglers were found in the sample.

John Day Pool - Bank anglers are catching some steelhead. No spring chinook were found in the sample.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Catch and effort is light. Only 11 boats and 3 WA ad 6 OR bank anglers were counted during the Saturday March 29 flight.

Bonneville Pool - Anglers are catching some legals.

John Day Pool - Catch and release only through the end of the year.

Walleye and Bass

Bonneville Pool - Light effort for walleye and bass; some bass are being caught.

John Day Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a walleye per every 3.5 rods. No effort was observed for bass.

Trout

Klineline Pond - Bank anglers averaged nearly 3 browns per rod when including fish released. Planted with 1,500 half-pound brown March 24.

Silver Lake near Castle Rock - Planted with 6,761 catchable size rainbows March 25.

Lacamas Lake in Camas - Planted with 5,000 half-pound browns March 24