Fishing report for March 15
SALT WATER
South Sound: The Point Defiance Boathouse Marina staff reports anglers are catching blackmouth salmon when they aren’t battling rain and wind. The Vashon Island shoreline is producing fish, but expect to put in some time. Anglers using light gear and fly-fishing are catching cutthroat (must be released) and coho.
North Sound: Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) was closed Monday to salmon fishing. Before the season, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and tribal managers agreed to limit chinook encounters (retaining or releasing the fish) to 12,248. The closure is to ensure compliance with the agreement, the WDFW officials said in a statement published on its website. The closure is scheduled to last through April.
Razor clams: State officials have approved a razor clam dig for Friday-Sunday on the Mocrocks and Copalis beaches. The WDFW approval came when it was determined that marine toxin levels were safe. The dig will be on the evening tides. Low tides will be 4:15 p.m. on Friday (0.7 feet), 5:07 p.m. Saturday (0.5) and 5:50 p.m. on Sunday (0.4).
A dig on Long Beach continues through March. State officials warn diggers that the shift in low tides from evening to morning is this month, so diggers must pay attention to when digging is allowed. No digging is allowed in the afternoon when low tide is in the morning. No digging is allowed before noon when low tide is in the evening.
A three-day dig is proposed for the morning tides in Mocrocks starting March 25.
RIVERS
Cispus: Near Yellow Creek, Tacoma Power released 33 winter-run steelhead and nine spring chinook last week.
Columbia: Little has changed here, according to the WDFW. Last week the state sampled 821 salmonid anglers (311 in boats) with 29 adult spring chinook and three steelhead. All but two of the adult spring chinook were kept. Steelhead weren’t biting in The Dalles Pool with more anglers trying the John Day Pool with better luck. Both pools produced some bass and walleye. Anglers have been catching sturgeon.
Cowlitz: WDFW numbers show that last week 132 boat anglers kept 85 hatchery winter-run steelhead and released one wild. Meanwhile, 64 bank anglers kept five hatchery adult spring chinook and 10 hatchery winter-run steelhead and released one hatchery winter-run steelhead. Chinook were biting at the barrier dam while steelhead were caught near the trout hatchery and at points downriver. Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 346 winter-run steelhead and 24 spring chinook adults.
Kalama: Last week’s count by the state showed 44 bank anglers kept five hatchery steelhead and released eight wild steelhead. Three boat anglers released one wild fish.
Lewis: Slow going here according to recent state counts. Last week five bank anglers failed to catch fish.
Tilton: Last week, Tacoma Power released 71 winter-run steelhead at Morton’s Gust Backstrom Park.
LAKES
Beaver: The state stocked this King County lake with more than 7,000 fish last week.
Bradley: This small South Hill lake was stocked with 1,000 catchable rainbow trout March 8.
Green: Last week, this Seattle-area lake was infused with 5,000 rainbow trout.
Meridian: Last week, this King County lake was stocked with 4,000 rainbow trout from the Puyallup Fish Hatchery.
Offut: Trolling and still fishing were both producing catches last week.
Scanewa: Last week, Tacoma Power released 13 chinook and three steelhead above Cowlitz Falls Dam.
Spanaway: Spanaway Lake was stocked with 4,000 rainbow trout March 8, less than a week after receiving 4,300 fish.
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497, chill@thenewstribune.com, @AdventureGuys
This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 3:54 AM with the headline "Fishing report for March 15."