Southwest Washington
Fishing Reports
2004 Report Archive
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WDFW Sport Sampling Results:
May 17-23, 2004
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Salmon/Steelhead -
Grays and Elochoman rivers - Effort and catch was light.
Cowlitz River - Boat anglers averaged over ½ steelhead/chinook per rod while bank anglers averaged less than one per every 7 rods when including fish released last week. Best catches of hatchery summer-run steelhead occurred from I-5 Bridge upstream and spring chinook from the I-5 Bridge downstream.
Through May 21, a total of 5,501 spring chinook and 81 summer run steelhead had returned to the salmon hatchery. Both are double from the same time last year.
Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir) - Boat anglers averaged a spring chinook per every 5 rods last week. Opens to fishing for trout (other than cutthroat) beginning June 1.
Kalama River - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged a spring chinook/steelhead per every 3 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 4.7 rods last week. Most of the catch remains spring chinook.
Through May 21, a total of 654 spring chinook and 27 summer run steelhead had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery. Spring chinook returns are up but summer run steelhead returns are less than half of last year.
Lewis River - Boat anglers averaged less than ½ spring chinook/steelhead per rod while bank anglers averaged one per every 5 rods when including fish released last week.
Through May 21, a total of 1,072 spring chinook and 96 summer run steelhead had returned to the facilities. Spring chinook returns are down slightly while summer run steelhead returns are less than half from the same time last year.
East Fork Lewis River - No report on angling success. Bait may be used beginning June 1. In addition, the area open to fishing for hatchery steelhead increases upstream to Horseshoe Falls (except for closed waters near the various falls).
Washougal River - No report on angling success. Bait may be used beginning June 1. In addition, the area open to fishing for hatchery steelhead increases upstream to Salmon Falls Bridge.
Through May 19, a total of 33 summer run steelhead had returned to Skamania Hatchery. The return is down about 1/3 from the same time last year.
Wind River - Bank anglers in the gorge averaged ½ rod. Boat anglers at the mouth and bank anglers in the upper river averaged slightly better than a spring chinook per every 4 rods last week.
Fishing has been hit or miss. Surges of fish appear to moving quickly as evidenced by good bite at the mouth Tuesday, good fishing in the gorge the next day and then quicky slowing. At the mouth, late evenings have been best. Early mornings have been best in the river itself.
Through May 21, a total of 659 spring chinook had returned to Carson National Fish Hatchery. This year's return is slightly ahead of last year at the same time.
Drano Lake - Effort and catches have declined here. Through May 21, a total of 1,045 spring chinook had returned to Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery.
Effective June 1, salmon fishing is open 7 days/week. However, Skamania County has planned to close the boat ramp for construction.
Klickitat River - Bank anglers averaged about ½ spring chinook per rod last week. Fishing was good last Wednesday but slower on Saturday. Quite a few jacks appearing in the catches.
Through May 21, a total of 277 spring chinook had returned to the hatchery. Counts are up over 50% from last year at the same time. Hatchery escapement goal is 500 fish.
Effective June 1, salmon fishing is open 7 days/week from Fisher Hill Bridge downstream. The daily limit will be six salmon, no more than 2 adults. Chinook jacks may be kept in addition to hatchery steelhead from 400 feet upstream from #5 Fishway to boundary markers below the salmon hatchery.
Lower Columbia River from the I-5 Bridge downstream to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line - Increasing numbers of hatchery summer run steelhead are being caught from Longview downstream.
Sturgeon -
Lower Columbia from the mouth to the Wauna power lines - At the Deep River ramp, boat anglers averaged a legal per boat last Saturday (May 22). Bank anglers in the Chinook/Knappton area were also catching some legals.
Lower Columbia from the Wauna power lines upstream to Beacon Rock - Boat anglers in the gorge averaged nearly ½ legal per boat while in the Camas/Washougal area it was a legal per every 3 boats.
Through April, an estimated 2,168 of the 12,000 fish target (18%) for the above Wauna fishery had been taken. However, this total does not include the Willamette River catch for January-March which was 350% of normal (3,500 actual vs 1,000 average).
Mainstem harvest is tracking about 37% of projected. However, considering January-March Willamette River harvest was about 2,500 sturgeon above background levels, total impact to the population is equivalent to about 76% of what was projected for the above Wauna fishery.
Bonneville Pool - Counting fish released, boat anglers averaged ½ legal per rod last week. Bank anglers were also catching some legals.
The Dalles Pool - Anglers are catching some legals.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers are catching some legals. Slow for legal sized fish from the bank.
Walleye and Bass -
Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged nearly 8 bass per rod when including fish released. No effort was found for walleye.
The Dalles Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers averaged 2 walleye and nearly 7 bass per rod last week. Bank anglers were catching some bass.
John Day Pool - Boat anglers averaged over 1.5 walleye and 9 bass per rod when counting fish released last week. Bank anglers were catching some bass.
Trout -
Mayfield Lake - Anglers are catching some rainbows. The reservoir was planted with another 5,780 one-half pound rainbows in mid May. A tiger musky was checked there last week.
Riffe Lake - Bank anglers are catching a variety of salmonids and warmwater fish.Klineline Pond - Bank anglers are catching some rainbows.
Lakes planted with trout last week:
- Lake Sacajawea in Longview - 1,980 catchable size rainbows;
- Icehouse Lake near Bridge of the Gods - 1,520 half-pound browns
Shad -
Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers in the Camas/Washougal area averaged nearly 7 shad kept per rod last week. Shad are also being caught in the Kalama/Longview area. No report on angling success just below Bonneville Dam.
Over this past weekend (May 22-23), daily counts were 10,400-12,600 fish at Bonneville Dam and 30,900-46,000 fish at The Dalles Dam. Through May 23, nearly a quarter million shad had been counted at The Dalles Dam and 78,400 at Bonneville Dam. A lot of fish swim through the locks at Bonneville Dam, thereby creating the difference in the counts between the two dams.
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