Fishing report for Jan. 29
LAKES
Lone: Chironomids and blood worms have been effective for fly anglers fishing here. Many of the rainbows are measuring 15-17 inches long.
Ohop: The trout fishing has been fair to good on days when the temperatures warm up. Spoons such as a Kastmaster have been resulting in bites.
Potholes: Anglers are reporting catching their limits of walleye. Many people are using blade baits.
Sammamish: People chasing cutthroat trout are fishing off Issaquah Creek and then moving to deeper water. Small Needlefish and Dick Nite spoons, and Weddings tipped with worms have been effective.
Spanaway: The fishing has been on the slow side. Try using worms or Power Bait fished off the bottom.
RIVERS
Columbia: Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon have set the initial spring chinook fishing season. From March 1-April 9, people fishing down river of the Bonneville Dam will be able to keep one hatchery adult spring chinook as part of their daily limit. The sport fishery will be closed March 29 and April 5 to accommodate possible commercial fisheries. Upstream of the dam, anglers will be able to keep one hatchery spring from March 16-May 6. Sturgeon fishing between the Bonneville and The Dalles dams will close Feb. 8.
Cowlitz smelt: Fishery managers have also approved a six-hour recreational smelt fishery Feb. 6. Anglers will be able to dip for smelt from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. The limit will be 10 pounds per person, about one quarter of a 5-gallon bucket. No dipping will be allowed from a boat. Just like in the last two years, the fishery is taking place to help biologists gather data on the abundance of smelt.
Olympic Coast: It is questionable if the rivers will be fishable this weekend. The Hoh was flowing at 26,700 cubic feet per second Thursday afternoon, but falling. There is rain in the forecast through Saturday. Despite high water last week, the Calwah produced some steelhead. A state creel check of 29 anglers showed a catch of 13 fish.
Yakima: The trout fishing has been fair to good, with streamers and nymphs working best. There has been no dry fly action in recent days. There is a chance the river level could rise, which might slow fishing a bit.
SALT WATER
Crab: Sunday is the last day to turn in your winter crab catch record card to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. You can also submit the information online at wdfw.wa.gov.
North Sound: Anglers are searching for salmon right now. Try Point No Point, Marrowstone Island, Skunk Bay and Dounle Bluff. As of Feb. 5, anglers in Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait) will be able to keep just one chinook as part of their two-fish daily limit.
South Sound: People are hooking some blackmouth off Fox Island, as well as off Devil’s Head and Eagle Island. Look for fish holding about 10 feet of the bottom in water 120-150 feet deep. Marine Area 11 (Tacoma) reopens for salmon fishing Monday. Squid fishing is pretty much over for the season.
Contributors: Carolyn Burdick at MarDon Resort, salmonuniversity.com, Art Tachell at Point Defiance Boathouse, northwestfishingreports.com, Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center, Joe Rotter at Red’s Fly Shop, state Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bud Herlitzka at Spanaway Lake Boathouse, Becky Pogue at Offut Lake Resort.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
Razor Clam Dig
State officials have approved more than a month of razor clam digging on the Washington coast, according to a statement released Friday by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The dig, which runs Feb. 4-March 10, was approved after toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat.
Dan Ayres, the state coastal shellfish manager, said in a news release the extended opening is because of the abundance of clams in Long Beach.
The dig at Long Beach is on evening tides. No digging will be allowed before noon any day.
“For the best digging conditions, we advise people to plan their trips to the beach when the evening low tides are less than one foot,” Ayres said in the release.
Tides for the first week are as follows: Feb. 4, 3:41 p.m., 0.8 feet; Feb. 5, 4:28 p.m., 0.2 feet; Feb. 6, 5:11 p.m., -0.3 feet; Feb. 7, 5:52 p.m., -0.7 feet; Feb. 8, 6:32 p.m., -1.0 feet; Feb. 9, 7:12 p.m., -0.9 feet; and Feb. 10, 7:52 p.m., -0.7 feet.
This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 1:04 AM with the headline "Fishing report for Jan. 29."