Thursday, December 28, 2006
compiled by Columbian staff
Salmon Creek yieldsgood steelhead catches
Winter steelhead catches were excellent in Salmon Creek last weekend, before the stream went high and muddy on Monday.
Thirteen bank rods near Salmon Creek Park were sampled by the Department of Fish and Wildlife with 11 hatchery steelhead kept and four wild fish released. Bright fish as large as 13 pounds were noted.
Don't expect that kind of success to persist for very long on such a small stream.
Several angling regulation changes in Southwest Washington occur Monday with the arrival of the new year. Among them are:
Salmon fishing is closed in the Columbia River upstream of Interstate 5, plus in Drano and Mayfield lakes and the Elochoman and Tilton rivers.
Wild chinook must be released in the Columbia downstream of Interstate 5, plus in the Lewis, Kalama, Cowlitz and Deep rivers.
The bonus coho daily limit expires in the Cowlitz. Kalama, Lewis, Washougal and Klickitat rivers. The limit reverts to six salmon, but no more than two adults.
Mill Creek closes to fishing for trout, including steelhead.
Fishing for hatchery coho and chinook reopens in the North Fork of the Lewis River from Colvin Creek upstream to powerlines near Merwin Dam.
Sturgeon retention reopens in the Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day pools. Retention is allowed daily until guidelines are met. The minimum size limit in Bonneville pool is 42 inches, and 48 inches in The Dalles and John Day pools.
Battle Ground Lake has been planted with 2,000 rainbow trout, while Klineline Pond got 850 rainbow trout. Riffe Lake received 134 adult sea-run cutthroat trout.
Angler checks and related information from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW):
Cowlitz -- Six boaters with three steelhead kept; 116 bank rods with 42 steelhead kept plus six steelhead and two coho released.
The steelhead were sampled at Blue Creek and the coho at the barrier dam. (WDFW)
Klineline Pond -- Thirty-two bank anglers with 23 rainbow trout. (WDFW)
Local Streamflow Levels
(Streamflows on local streams monitored by U.S. Geological Survey and state Department of Ecology gaging equipment. Flows are in cubic feet per second)
Date Tuesday Wednesday Average
East Fork Lewis
near Heisson 1,940 2,090 951
North Fork Lewis
at Ariel 8,650 9,630 6,520
Cowlitz at
Mayfield Dam 10,700 9,720 7,510
Cowlitz
at Castle Rock 18,000 23,700 11,200
South Fork Toutle
at Toutle 1,500 2,050 716
Klickitat
at Pitt 2,040 2,730 1,019
White Salmon
at Underwood 1,690 1,760 942
Lower Columbia
at Bonneville Dam 144,620 142,000 -
Willamette at
Portland 91,000 110,000 -
Grays near confluence
with Columbia 2,510 4,200 -
compiled by Columbian staff
Salmon Creek yieldsgood steelhead catches
Winter steelhead catches were excellent in Salmon Creek last weekend, before the stream went high and muddy on Monday.
Thirteen bank rods near Salmon Creek Park were sampled by the Department of Fish and Wildlife with 11 hatchery steelhead kept and four wild fish released. Bright fish as large as 13 pounds were noted.
Don't expect that kind of success to persist for very long on such a small stream.
Several angling regulation changes in Southwest Washington occur Monday with the arrival of the new year. Among them are:
Salmon fishing is closed in the Columbia River upstream of Interstate 5, plus in Drano and Mayfield lakes and the Elochoman and Tilton rivers.
Wild chinook must be released in the Columbia downstream of Interstate 5, plus in the Lewis, Kalama, Cowlitz and Deep rivers.
The bonus coho daily limit expires in the Cowlitz. Kalama, Lewis, Washougal and Klickitat rivers. The limit reverts to six salmon, but no more than two adults.
Mill Creek closes to fishing for trout, including steelhead.
Fishing for hatchery coho and chinook reopens in the North Fork of the Lewis River from Colvin Creek upstream to powerlines near Merwin Dam.
Sturgeon retention reopens in the Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day pools. Retention is allowed daily until guidelines are met. The minimum size limit in Bonneville pool is 42 inches, and 48 inches in The Dalles and John Day pools.
Battle Ground Lake has been planted with 2,000 rainbow trout, while Klineline Pond got 850 rainbow trout. Riffe Lake received 134 adult sea-run cutthroat trout.
Angler checks and related information from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW):
Cowlitz -- Six boaters with three steelhead kept; 116 bank rods with 42 steelhead kept plus six steelhead and two coho released.
The steelhead were sampled at Blue Creek and the coho at the barrier dam. (WDFW)
Klineline Pond -- Thirty-two bank anglers with 23 rainbow trout. (WDFW)
Local Streamflow Levels
(Streamflows on local streams monitored by U.S. Geological Survey and state Department of Ecology gaging equipment. Flows are in cubic feet per second)
Date Tuesday Wednesday Average
East Fork Lewis
near Heisson 1,940 2,090 951
North Fork Lewis
at Ariel 8,650 9,630 6,520
Cowlitz at
Mayfield Dam 10,700 9,720 7,510
Cowlitz
at Castle Rock 18,000 23,700 11,200
South Fork Toutle
at Toutle 1,500 2,050 716
Klickitat
at Pitt 2,040 2,730 1,019
White Salmon
at Underwood 1,690 1,760 942
Lower Columbia
at Bonneville Dam 144,620 142,000 -
Willamette at
Portland 91,000 110,000 -
Grays near confluence
with Columbia 2,510 4,200 -