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Cowlitz, Kalama rivers yield good catches of steelhead

By Bob Brown | For The Olympian • Published April 09, 2009

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Winter steelhead catches have been very good in the Cowlitz River this week and nearly as good in the Kalama.

On the Olympic Peninsula, the Hoh has been producing fair-to-good catches of steelhead and the odd spring chinook. Some light catches of both species also are being had in the Calawah, Bogachiel and Sol Duc rivers.

Joe Hymer of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Vancouver office said there has been an improvement in spring chinook fishing in the lower Columbia.

Last week, catch rates of .5 chinook per boat was better than previous weeks and higher than at the same time last year (0.42 chinook per boat).

There also has been a new record boat count on the lower river. On Saturday, DFW personnel counted 3,275 salmon boats and 1,082 bank anglers from Bonneville Dam down to the mouth of the river. The previous record was 3,260 boats counted April 14, 2001. The count also included 300 sturgeon boats.

Bonneville Dam adult spring chinook counts are increasing although still behind this time last year. On Monday, 100 fish were counted at the dam. To date, 436 spring chinook have been counted, compared to 552 last year. The 10-year average is 11,559 fish.

Saltwater salmon fishing continues to be slow in all areas open to fishing. Blackmouth and chinook fishing will close April 15 in Marine Areas 7 (San Juan Islands) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet). Marine Areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) remain open through April 30.

Morning razor clam digs are scheduled Friday through Sunday at Twin Harbors and Saturday through Sunday at Long Beach. All digging must be completed by noon.

No digs are scheduled at Mocrocks and Copalis because of the number of clams available for the state-managed recreational harvest on those beaches, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the WDFW.

RIVERS

COWLITZ: Fishing has been holding up well at barrier dam and Blue Creek. Barrier dam anglers are catching a fair number of steelhead and the odd chinook, said Karen Glaser of Barrier Dam Campground. Boat anglers fishing the Blue Creek area also have been doing well catching both species. Sand shrimp, eggs, pink worms, corkies, plugs, jigs and a variety of other baits are being used. Flows are fluctuating between 5,000 and 6,000 cubic feet per second.