April 12, 2005

 

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries [PDF Format]

Salmon/Steelhead -

On last Saturday's (April 9th) flight, a total of 1,694 salmonid boats were counted from Rooster Rock downstream to Buoy 10. An additional 118 boats were counted from Rooster Rock upstream to the boat deadline at Hamilton Island on Sunday April 10 (open Sun, Mon, and Tues only). Adding the two counts together, a total of 1,812 salmonid boats were found.

300 boats were counted at Cathlamet and 284 in the Camas/Vancouver area on Saturday. Over 200 boats were counted at both Woodland and Vancouver.

This year's combined boat count was down 19% from the April 11, 2004 flight. Bank angling effort in both Washington and Oregon were also less than last year.

Cowlitz River - Some steelhead and spring chinook are being caught from the I-5 Bridge downstream. No report this week upstream from the I-5 Bridge.

During the past week, Tacoma Power and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees recovered 225 steelhead and 70 spring chinook adults during five days of separator operations at Tacoma Power’s Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.

Tacoma Power employees released 88 steelhead and 63 spring chinook adults into the upper Cowlitz River at the Lake Scanewa Day Use area above Cowlitz Falls Dam during the week. In addition, they transported 43 steelhead adults to the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton during the week.

During the week Tacoma Power employees recycled 23 steelhead adults downstream to the Olequa boat launch.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are currently at 3,430 cubic feet per second on Monday, April 11. Flows will be increased for a 12-hour daylight period during the day on Tuesday, April 12 for downstream juvenile fish migration. Flows will be reduced to 3,400 cubic feet per second on Wednesday, April 13. Water visibility is over nine feet.

Kalama River - From Chris Wageman, WDFW Fish Biologist:

April 6th report: Looking good; major push of wild winter steelhead with the last high water! Steelheading good through out the river and spring Chinook is picking up. Moderate flow with a little color- excellent drift boat conditions.

378 wild, 114 hatchery winter-run and 3 fresh hatchery summer steelhead and 1 hatchery spring Chinook (first of the season) handled at Kalama Falls Hatchery this past week. All hatchery fish were recycled to the lower river (Beginners Hole boat ramp).

Lewis River - Some spring chinook and steelhead are being caught near the salmon hatchery. Anglers should be aware of a very active sea lion at the mouth of the river. Last week we observed a sea lion take a guide's fish that was lying on the beach approximately 15 feet from the waters edge.

Wind and Klickitat rivers plus Drano Lake - Effort and catches remain low. A spring chinook was reported caught at Wind River.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 2,819 salmonid anglers with 310 chinook kept and 94 released. Based on sampling over 1,000 boats, those anglers averaged a chinook kept/released per every 6.4 rods. Boat anglers at Cathlamet and near Bonneville had the highest catch rates, a chinook per every 4 rods. Bank anglers averaged a chinook per every 13.9 rods including fish kept or released. Bonneville bank anglers had the highest catch rates, a chinook per every 7.7 rods.

77% of the chinook caught were kept. 63% of the fish kept were of upriver origin based on Visual Stock Identification.

During the same period in 2004, we had sampled over 2,700 anglers and they had kept/released 742 chinook. Boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 3.2 rods while bank anglers averaged one per every 6.9 rods when including fish released. Bonneville boat anglers had averaged nearly 2/3 chinook per rod; bank anglers there a chinook per every 4 rods. Overall, 76.6% of the fish caught were hatchery fish. 72.5% of the fish kept were of upriver origin.

Through April 10, 2005 a total of 119 adult spring chinook have been counted at Bonneville Dam. It's the record low total to date since the dam was constructed in 1938. The second lowest total was 155 fish counted in 1943.

A Joint State Hearing will take place Wednesday April 13 at 2:00 p.m. via telephone. The purpose of the hearing is to update the on-going recreational fishery on the Columbia River.

Weekly updates are part of the management plan for Columbia River recreational fisheries. Updates are scheduled to occur on Wednesdays through May 15th, or for as long as the fishery remains open.

Any modifications to the ongoing fishery will occur in the following order:
1) Eliminate fishery between the Rooster Rock boundary and Bonneville Dam completely.
2) Reduce fishery below the Rooster Rock boundary to less than seven days per week.
3) Eliminate fishery below the Rooster Rock boundary completely.

For details see Oregon and Washington Depts. of Fish and Wildlife Joint Staff Report - UpdateWinter Fact Sheet No. 15 [PDF- 49 KB]

Bonneville and John Day pools - Light effort and no catch observed.

The Dalles Pool - Bank anglers are catching some spring chinook and steelhead.

Sturgeon -

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Some legals are being caught from Vancouver to Kalama.

Bonneville Pool - Anglers are catching some legals. Through March, an estimated 360 (51%) of the 700 fish guideline had been taken.

The Dalles and John Day pools - Boat anglers are catching some legals. Slow for legal sized fish from the bank. An estimated 95 (24%) of the 400 The Dalles Pool guideline and 56 (34%) of the 165 John Day Pool guideline have been taken through March.

Walleye and Bass -

Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged 7 bass per rod; bank anglers 3 fish per rod. No effort observed for walleye.

The Dalles Pool - Boat anglers averaged 1.3 walleye per rod when including fish released. Bank anglers were catching some walleye and bass.

John Day Pool - Including fish released, boat anglers average 2/3 walleye and 3 bass per rod. No bank angling effort was observed.

Trout -

Klineline Pond - Bank anglers are catching some rainbows.

Lakes planted with catchable sized trout since March 31:

	Lacamas Lake near Camas - 6,000 browns and 3,000 rainbows;
	Silver Lake near Castle Rock - 7,017 rainbows;
	Mayfield Lake - 11,258 rainbows;
	Swofford Pond - 7,018 rainbows

 

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