FISHING REPORT

posted 11:40 PM 01/31
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The first chinook of the season have gone through Bonneville Dam, but fish biologists aren’t sure if they are springers.

An unclipped chinook adult and an unclipped jack went through one right behind the other on Jan. 25.

They remain the only chinook to come through the dam so far.

RIVERS

Columbia: In The Dalles Pool, boat anglers averaged nearly three steelhead per rod. Nearly two-thirds of the fish were wild and had to be released. The sturgeon action has been slow overall but has been best in the Bonneville Pool.

Cowlitz: Fishing has been on the slow side since the weekend. Anglers at Blue Creek last weekend said they saw only 4-5 fish caught all day, said Marshall Borsom at Fish Country. People pulling plugs seem to have the best luck.

North Sound: Many of the systems are closed as of today because of low returns of wild steelhead. Among the river systems shut down by the emergency closure are the majority of the Skagit, Snohomish and Stillaguamish. Go to wdfw.wa.gov for details of each closure.

Olympic Coast: It might not be until this weekend that rivers in the area are fishable. The Hoh topped out at more than 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), and had dropped to just 5,500 cfs by Monday night. The forecast looks good for the weekend.

Skookumchuck: There have been plenty of positive reports from the weekend. People are catching steelhead using light-colored corkies and yarn as well as pink-and-white jigs. Some of the fish are approaching 10 pounds.

Washougal: The steelhead fishing has been slow. A state sampling of 67 bank anglers showed they kept five steelhead and released one hatchery fish and one wild fish; 21 boat anglers kept four steelhead and released 11 wild fish.

Wynoochee: The river is producing some steelhead, said Ron Adams at Verle’s Sports Center. Try bouncing eggs off the bottom or jigs in pink or orange under a bobber. Plunking with Spin-N-Glos also is working.

Yakima: Trout fishing has been good to very good, said a report from The Evening Hatch. You’ll have more success nymphing with Pat’s stonefly and San Juan worm patterns.

LAKES

Offut: Fishing has been off and on, said Bob Pogue at Offut Lake Resort. Part of that has been because few people have been fishing. Dough bait and worms fished off the bottom have been the most productive.

Riffe: The lake is producing some smaller silvers near the dam. Try using cocktail shrimp and worms or throwing a Little Cleo, Borsom said.

Rufus Woods: The action seems to have slowed, but reports indicate people are still catching rainbow trout. Drifting with dark-colored jigs or Super Roostertails seemed more effective than other setups.

Sammamish: This lake continues to produce good catches of cutthroat trout and kokanee.

Spencer: The lake has been fishing very well for trout. Try using dough bait, worms or trolling a Colorado Spinner with a worm very slow, Adams said.

SALT WATER

North Sound: People are catching a few blackmouth but not in great numbers. The best action, if it can be called that, has been in the Everett-Kingston area.

South Sound: Salmon fishing in the area remains very slow. Five anglers were checked Saturday at Narrows Marina and they had no fish to report.

Jeffrey P. Myor, staff writer

Comments

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:45 PM 01/27

People eager to get out and fish this weekend might be better off heading for a river. Timing your trip will be important. River levels might be on the high side this weekend, but there is more rain in the forecast for Sunday. So today might be the best bet before river levels start to rise again.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:44 PM 01/24

Just as rivers return to shape and the roads are cleared, a series of storms is headed this way. The Olympic Coast has been experiencing high winds and has lots of rain in the forecast. The Skykomish remains a good option for now. Reports from local lakes have been nonexistent.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:46 PM 01/17

As expected, the harvest level of white sturgeon below Bonneville Dam has been cut for the third straight year.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:44 PM 01/13

The best fishing seems to require a drive these days, at least for folks hoping to tangle with a steelhead. The Skykomish and the Forks-area rivers are the best bet right now. River levels have dropped and visibility is very good, requiring anglers to go with smaller gear.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:46 PM 01/10

River fishing seems to have improved as water levels have dropped after last week’s rains. The Olympic Coast is a good bet for the weekend, while the Cowlitz and Green are good options closer to South Sound.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:41 PM 01/06

Fishing for steelhead and other game fish will close early in several river systems in Puget Sound and along the Strait of Juan de Fuca to protect wild steelhead. The early closures will affect the Puyallup, Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish and Snohomish systems, along with several streams along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:45 PM 01/03

Rivers offer the best option; it will just depend on what shape they are in. Rains on the coast are expected to blow out the Olympic Peninsula rivers by today. Trout anglers might want to consider a trip to the Yakima.

FISHING REPORT

posted 01:36 AM 12/28

This is the final week to go crabbing in South Sound. The region closes at sunset Saturday. Puget Sound will be closed to crabbing until summer.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:40 PM 12/23

Odds are you won’t spend much time fishing over Christmas weekend. But if you can sneak away for a few hours, there is a clear-cut place to try for steelhead.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:43 PM 12/20

Those looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of last-minute Christmas shopping can find plenty of peace and quiet on area lakes and rivers.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:41 PM 12/16

Clam diggers will get the chance to dig for razor clams during the school winter break with an opening Thursday and Friday at four ocean beaches.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:48 PM 12/13

Rivers and streams are the best option right now. The Satsop has been productive in recent days, and Minter Creek continues to attract lots of people eager to hook a chum salmon. Lake fishing for trout has been hit-and-miss, in large part because of the cold weather.

FISHING REPORT

posted 11:43 PM 12/09

Fishing for chum salmon seems to be getting the most attention from anglers right now. For steelhead, the Olympic Peninsula is the best option. Fishing in area lakes has been very slow because of the cold weather and few people heading out.