LAKES
Kapowsin: The panfish action is very good. Anglers are using worms and maggots for perch, bluegill and rock bass, said Harry Erickson of Erickson Boat Rentals. Trout anglers need to fish deep and be patient, he said.
Mayfield: Trout fishing is improving. People are using pop gear with Wedding Rings tipped with cocktail shrimp and worms. Look for trout near the Tilton River and Winston Creek in water 20-30 feet deep.
Mineral: The lake was planted with 2,363 catchable-size brown trout last week.
Potholes: The state Department of Health has posted a warning about a blue-green algae bloom. A toxic bloom was found in the Lind-Coulee arm; there’s also algae near the Job Corps dike, but it’s not known if this algae is toxic. Because of the size of the lake, there are plenty of places to fish, especially in the sand dunes and Crab Creek, said a staffer at MarDon Resort.
Riffe: The lake is still producing silvers at both ends. Anglers are fishing with cocktail shrimp and worms or casting spinners. The fish are holding 30-60 feet deep.
Tapps: The smallmouth bass fishing has been good to very good. Try fishing plastic baits on a drop shot or Carolina rig. Tiger muskie fishing has been fair.
RIVERS
Buoy 10: The number of people fishing is increasing, and so is the catch. Anglers averaged a chinook per boat and a coho per every four boats last weekend, said a state report. Bank anglers caught some chinook and coho off the North Jetty. Buoy 10 is scheduled to remain open for chinook retention through Sunday.
Columbia: In the river below Bonneville Dam, the fall chinook catches are increasing while the number of steelhead handled remains strong. Last week the state sampled 3,201 anglers who had 217 adult and eight jack fall chinook, 794 steelhead and three adult coho. Few anglers are taking part in the current catch-and-release-only fishery.
Cowlitz: The steelhead fishing remains good, mainly downstream from Blue Creek. Boaters are pulling divers with coon shrimp, said Marshall Borsom at Fish Country. Most bank anglers are using corky and yarn, jig and bobber, and sand shrimp or eggs. There were some reports of fall chinook being caught at Barrier Dam.
Puyallup: Monday’s rain should send a fresh wave of salmon upriver. The pinks have been averaging 5-7 pounds. Anglers need to remember that the river downstream of the Puyallup outfall structure will be closed to recreational fishing Sunday and Monday. Also, law enforcement agencies have been checking frequently for rules violations.
Yakima: Pull out your hopper patterns and fish close to the bank, said a staffer at Red’s Fly Shop. Hatches for bugs such as caddis have tapered off. The fishing seems best early in the day under sunny skies.
SALTWATER
Hood Canal: There were 53 anglers checked by the state during the Hood Canal Salmon Derby. They brought in 26 chinook.
Sekiu: The pink salmon fishing remains very good. Over the weekend, anglers were averaging more than two pinks per person, according to a state report. For every five pinks, anglers were catching one coho.
Tacoma: The salmon fishing has been spotty for chinook. Look for them off the clay banks, Gig Harbor shoreline or Point Dalco. Troll a flasher and hoochie, said Art Tachell at Point Defiance Marina. Pink salmon fishing has been good but seems to have dropped off a bit.
Jeffrey P. Mayor, staff writer
