SALMON AND STEELHEAD
Cowlitz River – 31 bank anglers kept 1 adult spring Chinook and 2 winter run steelhead plus released 1 steelhead. 4 boat anglers kept 1 winter run steelhead. Steelhead were caught from the trout hatchery downstream; the spring Chinook was caught in the lower river.
Last week Tacoma Power recovered three coho adults, three jacks, 14 winter run steelhead and one cutthroat trout during three days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. There was a two day maintenance shutdown for the fish ladder at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery.
During the past week Tacoma Power employees released three coho adults, four winter-run steelhead adults and one cutthroat trout into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton. They also released two winter-run steelhead into Lake Scanewa at Cowlitz Falls Dam.
Most Read Sports Stories
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 12,100 cubic feet per second on Monday, February 8. Water visibility is four feet.
Lower Columbia mainstem from the I-5 Bridge downstream – Effort and catches are light. 4 bank anglers and 1 boat/2 anglers had no catch. A handful of boats and 57 bank anglers were counted on the Tues. Feb. 2 effort flight count.
Bonneville Pool – No effort observed for steelhead.
The Dalles and John Day pools – Boat anglers are catching some steelhead though the majority of the fish were wild and had to be released.
From a fish counter at Bonneville Dam: The first springer has rolled through Bonneville Dam. It came through on 2/4 during the 16:00 hour and was about 30″ long, chrome and wild.
STURGEON
Bonneville Pool – Boat anglers averaged a legal kept per about every 8 rods last week. Starting today (Feb. 8), closed for retention until further notice.
The Dalles Pool – Boat anglers are catching some legals. Through January, an estimated 49 (49%) of the 100 fish annual guideline had been taken.
John Day Pool – Boat anglers are catching some legals; fishing is slow from the bank. An estimated 26 (5.2%) of the 500 fish annual guideline had been taken through January.
WALLEYE
Bonneville Pool – No effort was observed for either specie.
The Dalles Pool – Both boat and bank anglers are catching good numbers of walleye. No effort was observed for bass.
John Day Pool – Boat anglers averaged almost a walleye kept/released per rod. Other than an incidental fish, no effort was observed for bass.
TROUT
Recent releases of catchable size rainbows. No report on angling success.
| Lake/Pond | Date | Species | Number | Fish per Pound |
Hatchery | Notes | ||||||||
| Feb 01, 2016 | Rainbow | 3,000 | 2.1 | VANCOUVER HATCHERY | ||||||||||
| Feb 01, 2016 | Rainbow | 1,800 | 2.1 | VANCOUVER HATCHERY | ||||||||||
SMELT
Cowlitz River – Success was lower than last year but effort was similar during last Saturday’s fishery on the Cowlitz. Success depended upon the location in which you were fishing with some of the best catches in the Lexington to Camelot area with 1-5 pounds per dip. Below and above this area the average was 0-10 fish per dip. Lots of fishers still got their 10 pound limits. Instantaneous effort counts showed around 3,000 fishers at one time on the river.
Catches were a mixture of males and females of various sizes including some smaller fish. Fish spawning condition ranged from green to spent.
No other seasons are currently planned for the Cowlitz. Fishing for eulachon (Columbia River smelt) is also closed in all other waters in the state of Washington.