North Puget Sound


Fishing: Fair – but cold – weather has helped anglers on Puget Sound, where fishing for blackmouth has picked up recently. Meanwhile, fishing continues to be slow for anglers casting for steelhead in several of the region’s rivers and streams.
“Both hatchery and wild steelhead returns are down this year to a number of rivers in the region, particularly those in the Skagit River basin,” said Bob Leland, WDFW's steelhead program manager. “Because of that, steelhead fishing just hasn’t been that great this winter.”

Those low steelhead returns prompted WDFW to close a portion of the Cascade River to recreational fishing to ensure enough steelhead make it back to the Marblemount Hatchery to meet spawning goals. The Cascade is closed until further notice from the mouth upstream to Rockport-Cascade Road.

“This closure will help the Marblemount Hatchery meet its broodstock needs, but additional fishing closures in the basin also are likely this spring to protect wild steelhead,” Leland said. Catch-and-release fisheries in the Skagit and Sauk rivers are among those fisheries that could close, he said. WDFW will continue to monitor returns of wild steelhead, which are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, to determine when emergency closures could take effect.

A stretch of the North Fork Nooksack River that closed in December to steelhead fishing has re-opened. The river is once again open from a yellow post at the corner of the Kendall Creek Hatchery farthest upstream, approximately 1,000 feet upstream of the mouth of Kendall Creek, downstream to the Mosquito Lake Road Bridge.

Out on the Sound, fishing has been good for salmon. Recent creel checks show anglers have been hooking blackmouth – resident chinook – throughout the region. On Jan. 19, four anglers were checked with four chinook at the Oak Harbor Marina, while 51 were checked with eight chinook at the Everett Ramp. The following day, 10 anglers were checked with four chinook at the Manchester Ramp, while seven anglers accounted for five chinook at the Maple Grove Ramp. “That’s pretty good fishing for this time of year,” said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist.

Selective fisheries for hatchery blackmouth in marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) and 9 (Admiralty inlet) continue into April. However, anglers only have a few more days to catch blackmouth in Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), which closes at the end of January. Anglers fishing in each of those areas can keep two hatchery blackmouth as part of their two-salmon daily limit. They must, however, release wild chinook, which have an intact adipose fin, and are required to use single-point barbless hooks.

Thiesfeld reminds anglers that beginning Feb. 1, a selective fishery for hatchery blackmouth will open in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) under the same regulations as 8-1, 8-2 and 9. Other rules and regulations for all freshwater and saltwater fisheries can be found at WDFW’s fishing regulation website at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm.


Fishing: Clear skies boosted the number of anglers – and, in some cases, steelhead caught – on area rivers during the third weekend in January. After weeks of heavy rain and high water, boats and trailers again clogged boat launches from the Satsop River to the upper Hoh.
As in previous weeks, the Sol Duc River yielded some of the highest catches. Creel surveys conducted Jan. 18-20 credited 52 anglers with 31 wild steelhead (24 released) and six hatchery fish. At the same time, 34 anglers checked on the Bogachiel had caught only four steelies, all but one of them wild.

No river showed more improvement than the upper Hoh, where 48 anglers caught 19 wild steelhead (all released) and four hatchery fish. But catch rates were still slow below the Oxbow Campground, where 80 anglers caught five wild steelhead (three released) and two hatchery fish that same weekend.

“Even so, it’s good to see that the Hoh is finally making a showing,” said Dave Low, WDFW fish biologist. “Up until the weekend, we really hadn’t seen any action on that river this season.”

Farther south, the Wynoochee, Satsop and the Skookumchuck rivers are also getting more attention from anglers, although results have been mixed. On the Wynoochee, Low said he’d observed nine boats with seven steelhead near the diversion dam during the third week of January but the action appeared to drop off by the weekend. Although fishing conditions are also good on the Satsop River, success rates have been up and down, he said.

The Chehalis River, meanwhile, has continued to run high and muddy since the December floods, said Scott Barbour, another WDFW fish biologist. “Right now, the river still looks like a chocolate mocha,” he said. “I’ve seen some people plunking, and that’s probably the best way to fish it right now.”

Anglers should be aware that several area rivers – including the Humptulips, Copalis, Nisqually, lower Wynoochee and lower Chehalis (below Porter Bridge) – will close to salmon fishing Jan. 31. Marine areas 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 13 (South Puget Sound) will also close to salmon fishing Jan. 31, but several others are scheduled to reopen Feb. 16. Areas reopening to salmon fishing that day include 5 (Sekiu), 6 (Port Angeles), 11 (Tacoma) and 12 (Hood Canal). Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) reopened to salmon fishing Jan. 16.

With wild fish now becoming increasing prevalent, Low also reminded anglers that retention of wild steelhead is currently limited to one fish per year in the Bogachiel, Calawah, Clearwater, Dickey, Green, Goodman, Hoh, Hoko, Pysht, Quillayute, Quinault or Sol Duc rivers. Elsewhere, they must be released. Retention rules for wild steelhead are outlined on page 33 of the Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

Eager for news about the next razor clam dig? Check the WDFW razor clam website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/season.htm) Jan. 25 for information about future openings.


Southwest Washington:


Fishing: Anglers are still picking up some nice hatchery winter steelhead in rivers throughout the lower Columbia River Basin, although late-run fish are just beginning to arrive and water temperatures have been a tad chilly for sturgeon and smelt.
That being the case, anglers might want to focus on catching some rainbow trout until conditions improve for those other species, said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. In recent days, the department has stocked seven area lakes with rainbows ranging from catchable-size fish to 10-pound broodstock.

Lakes planted with catchable-size rainbow weighing up to half a pound apiece include:

Horseshoe Lake in Woodland got 1,504 fish Jan. 10.
Battleground Lake got 4,105 fish Jan. 16.
Klineline Pond got 1,000 fish Jan. 14.
Icehouse Lake near the Bridge of the Gods got 802 fish Jan. 11.
Kidney Lake near North Bonneville got 1,000 fish Jan. 14.
Rowland Lake near Lyle got 3,038 fish Jan. 11.
Lakes planted with broodstock rainbows averaging 6.25 and 10 pounds each include:

Carlisle Lake near Onalaska got 41 of the 6.25 pounders and 34 ten pounders Jan. 14.
Horseshoe Lake in Woodland got 42 each of the 6.25 and 10 pounders Jan. 10.
Icehouse Lake got 40 of the 6.25 pounders.
Future release dates are dependent upon road conditions, but hatchery tanker trucks and crews are expected to be busy in the weeks ahead, Hymer said. For a weekly update, see the WDFW website at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/weekly/.

In addition to trout plants, the department is also stocking Kress Lake near Kalama with up to 50 to 100 surplus hatchery steelhead per week through early February, said Chris Wagemann, another WDFW biologist. During the week of Jan. 14-20 an additional 38 steelhead were released bringing the total to about 250 fish. Anglers have been catching these fish mostly with spinners.

About a dozen late-run hatchery steelhead had returned to the Kalama Hatchery by mid-January, with the bulk of the run expected to arrive in the Kalama and Cowlitz rivers in February, Hymer said. Meanwhile, anglers are still picking up some early-run steelies on rivers throughout the area, notably in the Cowlitz River around Blue Creek. Wild steelhead, bearing an intact adipose fin, must be released in all area waters.

Anglers fishing the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis rivers should be aware that the prohibition on retaining chinook salmon in those waters has been lifted. The rules now in effect are those shown in the Fishing in Washington regulation pamphlet. “There aren’t a lot of spring chinook around just yet, but reeling in a keeper hatchery fish could definitely brighten up someone’s day,” Hymer said. Per permanent rules, all wild chinook with an intact adipose fin must be released.

Preseason forecasts for the 2008 Columbia River spring chinook return – along with other salmon and steelhead runs – are available on the WDFW website at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/forec...bia08.htm.

For smelt and sturgeon, the fishing forecast probably won’t improve until water temperatures warm up a bit, Hymer said. Despite some commercial landings on the Columbia the previous week, there was no sign of smelt in the Cowlitz River during the weekly opening Jan. 19. Sturgeon fishing has also been slow in all areas, Hymer said.

“Smelt prefer water temperatures above 40 degrees, and sturgeon are also more likely to bite when the water warms up,” he said. “Until that happens, we’re probably not going to see much action in either fishery.”

Eager for news about the next razor clam dig? Check the WDFW razor clam website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/season.htm) Jan. 25 for information about future openings.


Eastern Washington:


Fishing: Fishing for rainbow trout through the ice at winter-only lakes – Hog Canyon in southwest Spokane County and Fourth of July on Lincoln-Adams county line – is good. Yellow perch at year-round Eloika Lake in north Spokane County are also coming through the ice in good numbers.
Despite recent below-freezing weather, WDFW district fish biologist Chris Donley advises anglers to be cautious on the ice. Deep snow can cover – and insulate – what could be thinner-than-expected ice on some lakes.

WDFW does not make regular checks of ice conditions nor make any guarantees about safety. While ice safety can never be assured, no one should venture onto the ice unless it is at least four inches thick, clear and solid, according to U.S. Coast Guard guidelines. As much as nine inches may be needed to safely support snowmobiles or other vehicles. Such ice depths can form after at least a week of below freezing temperatures, day and night. Look for more “Ice Fishing Safety” information at wdfw.wa.gov/reg/region1.htm.

Open water fishing for rainbow and brown trout remains good at year-round Rock Lake in Whitman County for those willing to brave cold and windy conditions, either from a carefully-maneuvered boat or from shore.

WDFW fish biologist Jason McLellan reports fishing for big net-pen-reared rainbow trout on Lake Roosevelt is picking up on the lower end of the reservoir near Spring Canyon just east of Grand Coulee Dam. Roosevelt anglers are also occasionally catching a kokanee or two, he said.

Snake River steelheading is cold and slow. See the latest steelhead catch rates throughout the Snake system at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel...index.htm.


North Central Washington:


Fishing: Colder temperatures on the upper Columbia River above Wells Dam have slowed the steelhead fishing considerably in the last few weeks, reported Bob Jateff, WDFW district fish biologist from Omak.
“However, there are still a few fish being caught on the mainstem in and around Pateros by boat anglers,” Jateff said. “The Okanogan, Methow, and Similkameen tributaries are still largely un-fishable due to extremely cold temperatures and ice flows.”

Rufus Woods continues to produce triploid rainbow trout in the two- to four-pound range. Jateff reported both boat and shore anglers are having success with bait, as well as flies and lures. When using bait, the first two fish caught are part of the daily limit whether kept or released. The daily limit at Rufus Woods is two trout.

Patterson Lake in Winthrop is starting to provide some success for yellow perch anglers through the ice. Jateff says the perch are mostly in the seven- to eight-inch range, with some fish approaching ten inches. Small perch lures tipped with a worm and/or maggot seem to be the most effective method.

Ice fishing opportunities for rainbow trout in Okanogan County include Rat Lake near Brewster, Big and Little Green lakes near Omak, and Sidley or Molson Lake near Oroville.

Jateff reminds anglers to check ice thickness carefully before moving too far out into the lake. WDFW does not regularly check ice conditions nor make any guarantees about safety. While ice safety can never be assured, people should not venture onto the ice unless it is at least four inches thick, clear and solid, according to U.S. Coast Guard guidelines. As much as nine inches may be needed to safely support snowmobiles or other vehicles. Such ice depths can form after at least a week of below freezing temperatures, day and night. Look for more “Ice Fishing Safety” information at wdfw.wa.gov/reg/region2.htm.


South Central Washington:

Fishing: Ice on local small fishing waters is probably thicker with recent colder temperatures, but there are no guarantees for ice fishing safety, said WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins of Yakima. A minimum of four inches of solid, clear ice is the safety standard established by the U.S. Coast Guard.
No creel checks have been conducted at the region’s winter-only rainbow trout fishery – North Elton Pond off I-82 near Selah – but it was well-stocked with half-pound fish earlier. Other year-round fishing waters, including I-82 Pond 4, Rotary Lake, and Myron Lake in the Yakima area and Mattoon and FioRito lakes in the Ellensburg area, received six-to-10-pound rainbow trout broodstock last month.

The Yakima River winter whitefish season continues, although anglers should be cautious about shoreline shelf-ice. Cummins also reminds anglers there are special whitefish rules on the catch-and-release reach of the Yakima now. Whitefish gear – one single-point hook, maximum hook size 3/16-inch point to shank (hook size 14) with bait – is allowed only for whitefish.

Sturgeon fishing remains open on the Columbia River’s John Day Pool (from John Day Dam to McNary Dam). WDFW fish biologist Paul Hoffarth of Pasco reminds anglers that this is a quota fishery, open for retention until a certain number of sturgeon are caught. The fish are scattered throughout the pool in the winter with good fishing in the Boardman and Irrigon areas and in the usual locations below McNary Dam. Hoffarth notes sturgeon fishing remains open year around above McNary Dam up to the wooden powerline towers at the old Hanford town site. It will open above the power line towers to Priest Rapids Dam Feb. 1.

Walleye fishing in the Columbia River can be very good both above and below McNary Dam during the winter months. “The state record walleye, 19.3 pounds, was taken in early February last year above McNary Dam,” Hoffarth said.

The Columbia River from John Day Dam up to the wooden powerline towers at the old Hanford town site is open for hatchery (adipose-fin-clipped) steelhead until March 31.