South Puget Sound anglers land plenty of fish during lowland lakes opener

LAKES

Saturday was opening day for the lowland lakes fishing season. Not even the rainy weather could dampen the action. Anglers averaged more than two fish each at most South Sound lakes.

Aberdeen: More than 300 fish, including a 26-inch rainbow, were caught on opening day, according to state counts.

Bay: On opening day, 15 anglers combined to catch 58 fish.

Clara: A 27-inch rainbow and 10-inch cutthroat were among 66 fish caught on opening day.

Clear (Pierce): Rainbows as long as 18 inches were caught on opening day.

Clear (Thurston): On opening day, 62 anglers averaged 4.24 trout caught. The largest catch, according to state records, was a 24-inch rainbow.

Crescent: Forty-eight anglers combined to catch 157 fish Saturday, according to state counts.

Deep: Anglers averaged two fish Saturday.

Haven: The action was scorching hot on opening day for the 15 anglers who visited this Mason County lake. They averaged more than eight trout each.

Hick: On Saturday, 45 anglers combined to catch 110 fish, including a 22-inch rainbow.

Limerick: A 5-pound rainbow and three 3-pounders were among the haul Saturday on this Mason County lake.

McIntosh: Anglers averaged more than five fish each on opening day. Many fish measured 18 inches.

Mineral: One of the busiest lakes on opening day and for good reason: State counts show that 130 anglers combined to catch more than 600 fish.

Pattison: State counts show action was slower here than most other South Sound lakes, but 29 anglers combined to catch 49 fish.

Rapjohn: Anglers averaged 3.81 fish each Saturday.

Silver: The state checked 42 anglers on opening day. The anglers caught 98 fish, the largest of which was a 22-inch rainbow trout.

Tanwax: A 17-inch rainbow was the highlight of 81 fish caught Saturday by 27 anglers.

Tiger: More than 200 fish were caught on opening day at this Mason County lake, according to state counts.

Wildberry: Action was good Saturday morning before rain chased many anglers off the water.

SALT WATER

South Sound: The Point Defiance Boathouse Marina staff reports action is slow. Trolling the clay banks is recommended. State counts show that over the weekend,40 anglers leaving from Point Defiance and Narrows Marina combined to catch seven chinook. All were landed by anglers leaving from Point Defiance. An angler leaving from Fox Island caught a rock sole.

North Sound: Action was slow over the weekend. State creel reports show 35 boats leaving from Everett landed a combined seven chinook. A few anglers caught chinook and rock sole in Cornet Bay on April 21. Plenty of rockfish, as well as some chinook, are being caught off Sekiu.

Razor clams: The state has given the OK for a six-day dig that will include four beach areas. It also increased the daily limit to 25 per person at Long Beach only. The limit elsewhere remains 15 clams. The dig on morning tides will be from Wednesday (April 26)-Monday at Long Beach, Wednesday-Sunday at Twin Harbors, Thursday and Saturday at Mocrocks, and Friday and Sunday at Copalis.

RIVERS

Cispus: Bank and boat anglers are having similar success according to state statistics. Last week, Tacoma Power released 137 spring chinook adults, nine spring chinook jacks, and 17 winter-run steelhead near Yellow Jacket Creek.

Columbia: In a four-day period ending Sunday, the state sampled 3,129 salmonid anglers below Bonneville Dam. They combined to catch more than 700 chinook and three steelhead. State counts show that through April 23, there have been an estimated 61,020 angler trips with the fishermen keeping 8,947 adult chinook.

Cowlitz: Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 371 winter-run steelhead adults, 505 spring chinook adults and 29 other fish last week at the hatchery separator. At Packwood’s Franklin Bridge, 172 chinook were released.

Tilton: Last week, Tacoma Power released 15 winter-run steelhead at Morton’s Gust Backstrom Park.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 3:43 PM with the headline "South Puget Sound anglers land plenty of fish during lowland lakes opener."