WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
May 7, 2006
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Latest
Southwest Washington |
Salmon/Steelhead -
Cowlitz River - Spring chinook and steelhead catches are light.
During the past week Tacoma Power’s Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator recovered 98 adult spring chinook salmon, four jacks, 181 winter-run steelhead adults and 19 summer-run steelhead adults during two days of separator operations. Tacoma Power employees released 42 spring chinook adults, three jacks and 129 adult steelhead into the Cowlitz River at the Day Use Park on Lake Scanewa. During the week a total of 22 adult steelhead were released into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton, Washington. Tacoma Power employees recycled 20 summer-run steelhead downstream to the Massey Bar boat launch on the lower Cowlitz River during the week.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 5,110 cubic feet per second on Monday, May 8. Water visibility is over eleven feet.
Kalama River - Spring chinook are moving and catches are improving upstream. Overall, boat anglers from the mouth upstream fared best with an average of ½ fish kept per rod. Some summer run steelhead are also being caught.
9 adult spring chinook had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery through May 3. In comparison, 260 fish had returned through the same time last year.
Lewis River - Spring chinook are moving and catches are improving in the North Fork. Overall, boat anglers from the mouth upstream averaged about ½ chinook kept per rod while bank anglers averaged one per every 3 rods. Some summer run steelhead are also being caught.
240 fish of the 750 hatchery brood stock goal had been collected through May 3.
Wind River - Effort and catch is increasing. Boat anglers averaged slightly less than ½ chinook kept per rod. Bank anglers at the mouth and in the gorge are also catching some fish with good catches reported at times. Some fish have been passed upstream from the trap at Shipherd Falls.
Approximately 65 boats were counted yesterday (Sun. May 7) morning.
Drano Lake - Effort and catch is increasing here too. Boat anglers averaged slightly less than ½ chinook kept per rod and bank anglers one per every 4 rods. Quite a few fish have been reported with poor adipose fin clips. 65 boat trailers were counted Saturday (May 6) morning. Bonneville Pool has dropped allowing for some bank access.
Klickitat River - River is clearing; effort and catch is very low.
Today, the Technical Advisory Committee updated the upriver spring chinook run size to 65,000 to 88,400 fish returning to the mouth of the Columbia. The pre-season forecast was 88,400 fish.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers from Marker #85 downstream to just east of Washougal averaged a legal kept per boat.
In April 2006, an estimated 6,622 angler trips on the lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam produced a catch of 1,143 legals kept. The majority of the fish were caught in the gorge.
Anglers are also reminded that sturgeon fishing is catch-and-release only through May 12 on the mainstem Columbia from the mouth to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line. That section of the river re-opens May 13 seven days per week with a minimum size of 45 inches.
Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers are catching some legals. Through April, an estimated 185 (26%) of the 700 fish guideline had been taken.
John Day Pool - Anglers are catching some legals. An estimated 70 (42%) of the 165 fish guideline had been taken through April.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool - Boat and bank anglers averaged 4.5 and 3.5 bass kept/released per rod, respectively. No effort was observed for walleye.
John Day Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged nearly 5 bass per rod and a walleye per every 3 rods. Bank anglers were also catching some bass.
Trout -
Plants of catchable size and triploid rainbows from April 27-May 2:
Mayfield Lake - 5,975 half pounders from the net pens;
Mineral Lake - 4,016 catchables;
Kress Lake near Kalama - 4,372 catchables;
Sacajawea Lake in Longview - 3,056 catchables;
Kidney Lake near North Bonneville - 973 catchables;
Tunnel Lake just east of Drano Lake - 4,100 catchables;
Northwestern Lake on the White Salmon River - 10,007 catchables;
Rowland Lake near Lyle - 608 triploids;
Spearfish Lake near Dallesport - 5,469 catchables
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