Winter steelhead arrivein Cowlitz River
November 3rd, 2006 by Fishing admin
Winter steelhead arrivein Cowlitz River
Eleven winter steelhead returned to Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery last week, a reminder that the season is changing quickly.
Trollers working the south and west sides of Lady Island at Camas have been doing well for coho, but with the change in weather and increase in rain it is very possible that fishery will slow.
About 500 late-stock coho had returned to Washougal Salmon Hatchery through Oct. 25. That compares to about 300 through the same period in 2005.
Just 34 boats and 16 bank rods were counted during Sunday’s flight from Bonneville Dam downstream.
Trollers at the mouth of the Klickitat River are catching coho.
The steelhead limit in the Cowlitz and North Fork of the Lewis River is back to two fish a day with the arrival of November.
Through Dec. 31, there is a four-fish daily bag limit on coho in the Cowlitz.
An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 coho are expected back to Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery this fall.
The large return is due to sport and commercial fishing restrictions implemented for the first time in the lower Columbia River to protect wild coho, which were listed in 2005 under the Endangered Species Act.
The state also is allowing anglers to fish to within 100 feet of the salmon hatchery barrier dam. The old deadline was at 400 feet downstream.
Boat fishing for salmon between Beacon Rock and Bonneville Dam is closed in November and December to protect spawning chum.
Sturgeon fishing is, predictably, best in the Columbia Gorge.
Angler checks from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW):
Lower Columbia — Longview to Portland, 89 boats with four legal sturgeon kept plus one legal and 291 sublegals released. (ODFW)
Longview, two bank rods with no salmon or steelhead; four bank rods with one sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Cowlitz River mouth, one boater with no salmon or steelhead. (WDFW)
Kalama, 17 bank rods with one steelhead; two boaters with no salmon or steelhead. (WDFW)
Woodland, two boaters with two legal sturgeon kept and seven sublegals released. (WDFW)
Warrior Rock to Frenchmen’s Bar, 11 boaters with four legal sturgeon kept, one legal sturgeon released and 36 sublegals released. (WDFW)
Davis Bar to Lemon Island, five boaters with eight sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Camas, 38 boaters with 13 adult coho and two jack coho kept, one steelhead released and one adult coho released; 26 boaters with two legal sturgeon kept and 83 sublegals released; five bank rods with no sturgeon. (WDFW)
Troutdale, 91 boats with seven adult chinook, 28 adult coho and one jack coho plus nine coho released; 24 boats with four legal sturgeon kept plus one oversize and 161 sublegals released. (ODFW)
North Bonneville, four boaters with with one legal sturgeon kept and six sublegals released; 94 bank rods with 13 legal sturgeon kept plus three oversize and 15 sublegals released. (WDFW)
Columbia Gorge (downstream of Bonneville Dam), three boats with seven adult chinook; 16 Oregon bank rods with one adult and one jack chinook kept plus one chinook released; 41 boats with 61 legal sturgeon kept along with eight legal, four oversize and 541 sublegals released; 408 Oregon bank rods with 78 legal sturgeon kept plus 10 legal, five oversize and 69 sublegals released. (ODFW)
Mid-Columbia — Bonneville pool, 25 boaters with 14 adult coho and one adult chinook kept. (WDFW)
John Day River mouth, 49 boats with 11 steelhead kept and six released; 43 bank rods with nine steelhead and one chinook jack kept. (ODFW)
Cowlitz — Eighty-four boaters with 16 adult coho, four jack coho, two adult chinook and 11 cutthroat trout kept plus two adult chinook and two steelhead released; 272 bank rods with 27 adult coho, two jack coho, 13 steelhead and 14 cutthroat trout kept plus 72 adult chinook, one jack chinook, seven adult coho, one jack coho and nine steelhead released. (WDFW)
Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls reservoir) — Sixty-three boaters with 17 adult coho and two jack coho kept plus 10 adult coho and one jack coho released; four bank rods with two adult coho released. (WDFW)
Kalama — Twenty-nine bank rods with seven adult coho kept plus two adult chinook and six adult coho released. (WDFW)
North Fork Lewis — Forty-seven boaters with six adult chinook, one jack chinook, three adult coho, six jack coho and one cutthroat kept plus one adult coho, one jack coho and two adult chinook released; 149 bank rods with 22 adult coho, one jack coho and two adult chinook kept plus four adult coho and one jack coho released. (WDFW)
Washougal — Thirteen bank rods with one coho kept. (WDFW)
Klickitat — Two boaters with one adult coho. (WDFW)
Bonneville Dam fish count
Date Chinook Steelhead Coho
Thursday 210 146 298
Friday 127 144 220
Saturday 97 196 343
Sunday 170 146 281
Monday 313 130 224
Tuesday 177 117 245
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