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Fishing improves with the change of season (0) | | Monday, February 26 |
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Head to eastside lakes for trout, Puget Sound for blackmouth (0) | | Thursday, February 22 |
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Weekender Update November 15 - 28, 2006 (1) | | Wednesday, November 01 |
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stillguamish (0) | | Monday, October 23 |
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Steelhead Anglers Report in (0) | | Thursday, September 21 |
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Weekender Update September 20 - October 3, 2006 (0) | | Tuesday, September 19 |
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2006 Yakima River / Hanford Reach Salmon Reports and Ringold Steelhead Reports (0) | | Monday, September 18 |
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INVENTORY BLOWOUT SALE (0) | | Tuesday, September 12 |
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Lake Washington sockeye catch largest in a decade (1) | | Thursday, September 07 |
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Weekender Update September 6-19, 2006 (0) | | Tuesday, August 29 |
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Weekender Update August 23 - September 5, 2006 (0) | | Sunday, August 20 |
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How to Catch Salmon - Marine Areas (0) | | Sunday, August 20 |
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Slam'n Salmon Ocean Derby in Brookings, Oregon (0) | | Thursday, August 10 |
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Weekender Update August 9 - 22, 2006 (0) | | Thursday, July 27 |
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Weekender Update July 26 - August 8, 2006 (0) | | Saturday, July 22 |
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News › Weekender Update September 20 - October 3, 2006
 Weekender Update September 20 - October 3, 2006 Posted by glock on Thursday, September 21, 2006 (18:43:26) (5447 reads)
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Sept. 23 is National Fishing Day, created by Congress in 1972 to promote outdoor sports and conservation. Read the full report by reading more.
North Puget Sound
Fishing: The coho salmon catch continues to be spotty in both saltwater and freshwater fisheries throughout most of the region. "Based on the catch rates in the sport fishery, we haven't seen a big push of coho come into Puget Sound," said Tim Flint, salmon resource manager for WDFW. "But there are coho around, and the number of fish moving into the region should be improving."
Anglers in marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) are finding some coho. Recent creel checks at the Everett and Edmonds boat ramps show anglers are averaging about one silver for every seven rods. The catch in Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) has been slightly better. Anglers are averaging one silver for every six rods, according to creel checks at the Armeni and Shilshole boat ramps.
Anglers who participated in the Edmonds coho derby earlier this month also managed to hook some silvers. A total of 450 anglers weighed in 122 coho during the event. Brandon Choate was the derby's big winner. The 13-year-old angler hauled in a 13 pound, 9.5 ounce coho, taking home first prize in both the adult and kids divisions. For his effort, Choate was awarded $2,500 and a $200 gift certificate. Ken Forland, who weighed in a 13 pound, 3 ounce coho, finished second and pocketed $1,000, and Steve Bratton's 11 pound, 6 ounce silver was good enough for third place and a West Coast Resorts fishing trip.
Crabbing in the region is still an option, but only in one marine area for a limited time. The eastern and northern portions of Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) are open for crab Wednesday through Saturday each week through Sept. 30. See WDFW's sport-crabbing website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/) for more information.
Freshwater anglers have plenty of opportunities. The Snohomish and portions of the Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish and Skagit rivers are open for salmon fishing, and should start to heat up for coho.
Steve Foley, WDFW fish biologist, said anglers are having some success on the Snohomish River. "There's been pretty good fishing for coho recently," Foley said. "Fish are jumping around and moving up river, and some anglers are doing pretty well."
Anglers fishing the Snohomish River, as well as the Skykomish, Snoqualmie and Stillaguamish rivers, have a daily limit of two salmon measuring at least 12 inches and must release chinook and pinks. Anglers on the Skagit River are allowed three salmon daily measuring at least 12 inches, and must release chinook. Anglers should check WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) for more information on those and other fisheries in the region.
Rather cast a line at a lake? Lake Washington is open for coho, although fishing has been slow, Foley said. "There should be plenty of coho in the lake. We've seen good numbers of coho moving through the Ballard Locks, well over a 1,000 a day last week," he said. Anglers are allowed two coho per day (minimum size 12 inches) from waters north of the Highway 520 Bridge and east of the Montlake Bridge.
South Sound/Olympic Peninsula
Fishing: Now that salmon fishing is closed in most ocean areas and not yet open on many area rivers, the focus has turned to the hatchery coho fishery heating up in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca. Through mid-September, catch rates in Sekiu averaged about a half a fish per rod, but approached a fish per angler some days.
"Coho really respond to the onset of increasing rain during the fall, and we've started to see that during the past week," said Laurie Peterson, a WDFW fish biologist. "Once we start getting more rainfall, the fish will likely start to move further into Puget Sound and catch rates should pick up." Anglers are expected to test the bite Sept. 23 at the Sekiu Coho Derby at Olson's Resort. For information, call 360-963-2311.
Although most ocean salmon fishery closed Sept. 17, Marine Area 1 remains open through Sept. 30. Through Sept. 17, anglers fishing out of Ilwaco averaged one fish for every two rods - nearly all coho, said Wendy Beeghley, another WDFW fish biologist.
Also, a portion of Marine Area 3 (LaPush) opens Sept. 23 through Oct. 8 for a late-season salmon fishery. See WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) for details on boundaries and rules. The LaPush Last Chance Salmon Derby on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 will feature $4,300 in prizes, including $1,000 each for the top coho and chinook. Call 360-374-2531 for information.
Salmon fishing opened Sept. 16 in Grays Harbor, but anglers must release any chinook they catch through Sept. 30. The daily limit is two fish, with a minimum size of 12 inches. Starting Oct. 1, anglers may keep one chinook salmon as part of their daily catch limit.
The salmon have been elusive lately in Puget Sound, with almost no chinook being recorded and only a few coho biting. But WDFW fish biologists predict the onset of fall rain should move the fish into inland waters as the season continues in marine areas 11 (Vashon Island to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge), 12 (Hood Canal), 13 (South Puget Sound) and 10 (Bremerton), with a daily limit of two fish.
New opportunities for fall fishing open as the salmon make their way back up area rivers. Several area rivers open for salmon fishing on Oct. 1, including the Chehalis, Elk, Hoquiam, Humptulips, Johns, Satsop and Wishkah in Grays Harbor County; Kennedy Creek (upriver to the Highway 101 bridge) in Thurston County; Nemah River in Pacific County; and the Skokomish River in Mason County. Many of these rivers are open to coho fishing only, so anglers are advised to check WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) for details. The White River in Pierce County also opens Oct. 1 for trout fishing.
Recreational crab fishing remains open in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point) and 13 (South Puget Sound) seven days a week through Feb. 28. In early October, WDFW will announce if crab fishing will reopen in other waters where the catch has not met area quotas.
Southwest Washington:
Fishing: Anglers must now release any chinook salmon they catch on the mainstem Columbia River from Rocky Point to Pasco, but the window of opportunity is still open for fall salmon on most area tributaries. Growing numbers of coho are also pushing up many of those rivers - notably the Cowlitz, Lewis and Kalama - as sturgeon anglers on the mainstem Columbia await the Oct. 5 start of a new retention fishery from Bonneville Dam downriver to the Wauna powerlines.
"This is prime time for the tributaries," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "The rain we've had recently is helping to move fish up the rivers."
Of 129 boat anglers on the Cowlitz River from Sept. 11-17, creel checkers counted 29 chinook salmon, 15 hatchery coho and seven hatchery steelhead. Another 60 bank anglers contacted during that period took home one chinook and five hatchery coho. On the north fork of the Lewis River, 221 bank anglers were checked with 32 hatchery coho but no adult chinook. Eighty-seven bank anglers pulled 14 hatchery coho and five chinook from the Kalama River the same week, while those fishing the lower Klickitat River scored 11 chinook for 19 rods.
Hymer said anglers should start seeing more bright, late-stock coho in the catch during the weeks ahead, noting that all unmarked wild coho must be released from the mouth of the Columbia to the Hood River Bridge and all tributaries in between. But anglers hoping to take home a chinook need to move fast. Many tributaries to the Columbia - or sections of those rivers - are scheduled to close for chinook retention Oct. 1 to avoid interfering with spawning salmon. Waters closing to chinook retention that day include:
Elochoman River, upstream from the Highway 4 Bridge
North Fork Toutle from the Kidd Valley Road Bridge near Highway 504 upstream
Green River
Cowlitz River from Blue Creek to Mill Creek
Kalama River from the natural gas pipeline crossing upstream
Washougal River from the Little Washougal River upstream
White Salmon River from the posted markers half a mile above the Highway 14 Bridge upstream
Other changes beginning Oct. 1 include:
On the Lewis River, all fishing will close from Colvin Creek (near the salmon hatchery) upstream to Merwin Dam.
At Drano Lake, night closures will take effect and all non-tribal fishing will be prohibited Wednesdays.
In the Buoy 10 fishery in the Columbia River estuary, the daily catch limit for salmon will increase to six fish, although only two of those fish can be adults, of which only one can be a chinook. Anglers must release chum, sockeye, and wild coho. The Buoy 10 fishery is the only area of the mainstream Columbia still open for chinook retention below the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco.
But for many anglers, the most important change set for October is the opening of the white sturgeon retention fishery from the Wauna powerlines to Bonneville Dam. Limited to catch-and-release fishing since August, anglers fishing in that area will be allowed to keep sturgeon measuring 42 inches to 60 inches on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only. More than 9,400 of the area's 12,800-fish annual harvest guideline remain to be caught, setting the stage for a strong fall season, Hymer said.
"I can't remember when this many sturgeon were available for the fall fishery," Hymer said. "Bank and boat fishing just below Bonneville Dam should be especially productive."
Meanwhile, Hymer suggested a few other fishing options for anglers looking to try something different. One is the catch-and-release fishery for gamefish - including steelhead - that runs through Nov. 30 on a stretch of the Wind River. Closed for a number of years, the fishery is now open from 100 yards upstream of Shipherd Falls to boundary markers approximately 800 yards downstream from Carson National Fish Hatchery (except from 400 feet below to 100 feet above the coffer dam and all tributaries). Anglers must follow the selective gear rules in effect.
"Historically, that area had a good steelhead fishery," Hymer said. "For anglers looking for a change of pace, this might be worth a try."
Another fishery that hasn't received much attention is sea-run cutthroat trout on the Cowlitz River, from Blue Creek downstream. Anglers can catch and keep five hatchery cutts, which often measure from 12 to 20 inches, Hymer said. "Those fish will take flies, lures or bait and put up a heck of a fight," he said. "Mostly it's a bank fishery, and you're not going to run into a lot of people."
Other options? Anglers are still catching leftover catchable-sized rainbow plants and hefty triploids at Swift Reservoir on the Lewis River, and a crew from the Skamania Hatchery was busy planting 3,000 cutthroat in Goose Lake during the week of Sept. 18. "Those cutts, averaging a pound each, should provide excellent fishing until the snow gets too deep," Hymer said.
Finally, high mountain lakes are still accessible for fishing throughout the region. "It's a good time to head into the high country," Hymer said. "The mosquitoes are finally down, the crowds have thinned, the foliage is in fall colors and the trout are putting on the feed bag to prepare for winter."
Eastern Washington:
Fishing: Snake River steelheading near the confluence with the Clearwater River near Clarkston has been steady for early morning or late evening boat anglers and for shore anglers. The daily limit is three hatchery steelhead (rainbow trout over 20 inches marked with a clipped fin). Any wild (unmarked) steelhead, or chinook and coho salmon must be released.
Trout fishing at many of the region's lakes is excellent now with cooler air and water temperatures. Chris Donley, WDFW central district fish biologist, reminds anglers that most trout lakes in Spokane County close at the end of the month and September is "prime time for catching."
"Amber Lake shifts to a two-month long catch-and-release season starting the first of October, and it will provide some good fly fishing," Donley said. "Clear Lake stays open through October and it has a phenomenal brown trout population that really hasn't been tapped."
Donley also said that Rock Lake, in Whitman County, is open year-round and has a good population of brown and rainbow trout. Lake Roosevelt is another year-round water that's always good for big rainbows. "Some of the best crappie and perch fishing is also happening now at waters like Long Lake or Downs, Bonnie, Eloika, Diamond and Waitts," Donley said.
Daily bag and size limits, as well as catch-and-release and selective gear rules were lifted Sept. 13 at McDowell Lake in Stevens County, so anglers can harvest as many rainbow and brook trout as possible before the lake is treated next month to remove an infestation of tench. McDowell Lake, which normally closes Oct. 31, will close Oct. 2 for the rehabilitation.
The U.S. Forest Service boat ramp at Browns Lake in Pend Oreille County is currently closed for long-needed repairs, but will re-open by October, the final month of fly fishing on the lake for cutthroat trout. Until then, a primitive access at the far end of the lake near the big cedar grove is still available for float tube launching.
North Central Washington:
Fishing: Daily bag and size limits were lifted as of Sept. 13 at several trout lakes in the region that have undesirable fish infestations and are scheduled for rehabilitation later this year. The lakes would normally close Sept. 30, but fishing has been extended up to treatment schedules. Vic Meyers (Rainbow) Lake, Mirror Lake, and Park Lake in Grant County will remain open until Oct. 30. Blue Lake in Grant County will be open through Oct. 22. Pearrygin Lake in Okanogan County will remain open through Oct. 8. Long Lake in Okanogan County will remain open through Oct. 1. Alkali Lake in Grant County, which is normally open year-round, will close Oct. 23-Dec. 31.
Bob Jateff, WDFW Okanogan district fish biologist, reminds anglers that Methow River trout fishing closes Sept. 30. Catch-and-release fishing with selective gear has been fairly good, he noted, with both rainbow and cutthroat trout up to 18 inches being caught on both flies and spinners.
"Fishing in general is picking up now as water and air temperatures drop," Jateff said. "Some of the selective gear lakes like Big Twin, near Winthrop, and Blue in the Sinlahekin, are pretty good and are open through October."
Access to some fishing waters could still be restricted due to wildfires. Contact the U.S. Forest Service Methow Ranger District at 509-996-4000 or see http://inciweb.org/state/49/ for information about access.
South Central Washington:
Fishing: Paul Hoffarth, WDFW fish biologist, said that "for the time being," the Yakima River will remain open for the harvest of fall chinook and coho salmon. "Overall the fishing has been slow," he said. An estimated 16 chinook were harvested the first full week of September and six wild steelhead were caught and released. Effort has picked up, primarily at the Chandler powerhouse.
Hoffarth said fishing success typically improves around Oct. 1 through the end of the season. The sport fishery is open from the Highway 240 bridge in the Tri-Cities upstream to Prosser Dam and from the Highway 223 bridge at Granger upstream to Sunnyside (Parker Dam). There is a night closure and non-buoyant lure restriction in effect for all species from Sept. 1-Oct 22. All steelhead (hatchery and wild) must be released unharmed.
The Columbia River Hanford Reach fall chinook salmon sport fishery is open through Oct. 22 upstream of the old Hanford townsite (wooden power line tower crossing). The area from the Highway 395 bridge upstream to the Hanford townsite is scheduled to remain open through Dec. 31, although Hoffarth said few chinook are caught after the first week of November.
"Right now we're starting to see a few chinook caught in the Hanford sport fishery," he said. An estimated 90 adults and eight jacks were harvested the first full week of September. "Fishing usually picks up around the third week of September in the Reach. A good return of fall chinook was expected, but that may be revised based on current fish passage."
The Ringold area (Highway 395 bridge to Hanford) will open for the harvest of Ringold Hatchery-reared steelhead on Oct. 1. These fish can be distinguished by their fin clipped adipose and right ventral fins. All other hatchery and wild steelhead must be released unharmed.
Hoffarth also noted that fishing for walleye can be extremely productive in the fall. The Columbia River below McNary Dam regularly produces good catches at Umatilla, Irrigon, Paterson, Boardman, Crow Butte, and Arlington.
"Many anglers prefer night fishing, but it can be hazardous," Hoffarth said. Be aware of other anglers and barge traffic. Keep your lights in good working condition and wear your life jacket."
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