Fishing report for Feb. 9

SALT WATER

South Sound: The Point Defiance Boathouse Marina reports salmon fishing has been slow north of the Tacoma Narrows bridges. South of the bridges, anglers are catching fish by trolling in areas such as Point Gibson and Eagle Island. Mooching and jigging also seems to be working near Point Gibson.

Razor clams: The Long Beach dig continues through March 10. Digging is permitted on the evening tides and is usually best 1-2 hours before low tide. Low tides for this week are 7:52 p.m. on Wednesday (-0.7 feet); 8:34 p.m. on Thursday (-0.1); 9:17 p.m. on Friday (0.6); 10:04 p.m. on Saturday (1.4); and 10:58 p.m. on Sunday (2.2). State officials suggest digging on day when low tide is less than one foot. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has proposed a two-day dig for Copalis beach for Feb. 19-20. If toxin levels are safe, the dig will be approved a week in advance.

North Sound: The waters around the San Juan Islands have yielded blackmouth. Some anglers have had luck using small spoons.

RIVERS

Columbia: Not many anglers on the river and the fishing has been slow, according to information released by the state. The Dalles and John Day pools are producing some wild steelhead (which must be released) for boat anglers. Bonneville Pool closed Monday to the retention of sturgeon. Anglers are having luck landing walleye in The Dalles and John Day pools.

Coweeman: A state count last week showed 12 bank anglers kept and released four wild steelhead.

Kalama: A state survey last week showed that 46 bank anglers kept four hatchery steelhead and released 11 wild steelhead. Twelve boat anglers kept three hatchery steelhead and released two wild steelhead.

Lewis: Last week 32 bank anglers kept and released two whitefish and two wild steelhead.

Cowlitz: Last week, steelhead were biting downstream from the trout hatchery and spring chinook were caught on the lower river. Thirty-one bank anglers kept one adult chinook and two winter-run steelhead and released one steelhead. Four boat anglers kept one winter-run steelhead. Last week, Tacoma Power recovered three coho adults, three jacks, 14 winter-run steelhead and one cutthroat trout.

Smelt: Saturday’s fishery on the Cowlitz saw as many as 3,000 anglers on the water at once, according to the state agency. Success was lower than last year, but many people still caught their 10-pound limit. No other seasons are scheduled for the Cowlitz or Washington’s side of the Columbia.

Tilton: Tacoma Power released three coho adults, four winter-run steelhead adults and a cutthroat trout at Morton’s Gust Backstrom Park.

LAKES

American: David Anderson of Bill’s Boathouse says the lake is especially high because of all the recent rain, but there have been no reports of angling success.

Munn: Anglers are having luck catching rainbow trout. The lake was stocked last week with 332 cutthroat trout.

Offut: This lake was stocked with 900 cutthroat in late January.

Scanewa: Tacoma Power released a pair of winter-run steelhead at Cowlitz Falls Dam last week.

Spencer: Stocked with 520 cutthroat late last month. Anglers are catching fish by trolling with downriggers.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 2:43 AM with the headline "Fishing report for Feb. 9."