LAKES
Desire: This lake, about four miles southeast of Renton, was planted last week with 6,000 rainbow trout. A state report said there were 3.4 fish per pound.
Kapowsin: The lake was stocked a week ago with 4,000 rainbow trout. There were 3.4 fish per pound, according to a state report.
Lenice: The fishing has been good at this popular lake in Grant County. The fish are in good shape with many of them in the 16- to 20-inch range. Chironomids or small leech patterns have worked best, said Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center.
Louise: This Pierce County lake was stocked last week with 1,560 rainbow trout, with 3.6 fish per pound.
Mayfield: Water conditions are OK for muskie, but the fish don’t seem to get it. One angler reported online that he was marking fish, but could not coax them to hit his offerings.
RIVERS
Columbia: Overall catch rates and locations were similar to the previous week. A few more lower river fish were sampled the past couple days in the Vancouver area and the first fish of the season was sampled from the bank in the area just below Bonneville Dam, said a state report. Boat anglers last week averaged a chinook kept/released per every 17.1 rods. Sturgeon fishing has been slow.
Cowlitz: Steelhead is still hit and miss. Some days are OK, other days no bites at all, said Marshall Borsom at Fish Country. He said some people are having success side drifting eggs. A state report said some fish are being caught at the trout hatchery.
Lewis: A few spring chinook have been caught, according to a state report, but there are few people fishing.
Olympic Coast: People willing to brave the weather over the weekend were catching steelhead, said Jim Kerr of Rain Coast Guides, but the rivers are running very high now.
Tilton: Last week, Tacoma Power employees released 17 winter-run steelhead into the river at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.
Wind: The river and Drano Lake opened for spring chinook fishing today, with a limit of two chinook per day. Expect fishing to be slow at first because only 41 fish have been counted at Bonneville Dam through Friday, well below the 10-year average of almost 350 fish, said Joe Hymer, state fish biologist.
Wynoochee: The river is blown out, as is the Satsop, said Ron Adams at Verle’s Sports Center.
Yakima: Most successful anglers are using a dropper system, said Jim Gallagher of Troutwater Fly Shop. He recommends using a skawla nymph as the lead fly and a San Juan worm or beadhead as the dropper. River flows were at 2,100 cfs Tuesday morning.
SALTWATER
Hood Canal: Bad weather has kept most people on shore.
North Sound: People are catching some fish at Point No Point, but overall the action has been slow.
Sekiu: Very few people have been trying the area, but those who have are catching fish, said Donnalynn Olson at Olson’s Resort.
Tacoma: Fishing remains very slow, according to Art Tachell at Point Defiance Boathouse Marina. A check of the state creel sampling backs that up. Not one angler brought in a salmon over the weekend.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
