Winter-run steelhead are moving into Columbia River tributaries where anglers are still catching hatchery coho , but fishing success for both species depends a great deal on the weather. Rainstorms, followed by clear skies, have made stream conditions highly variable in recent days.
"The Kalama River has been running high and dirty, but fishing conditions could improve there and elsewhere if the rain lets up," said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. "Especially at this time of year, it really pays to check river conditions before you head out."
Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of the fishery for winter-run hatchery steelhead , although the season is already under way on several tributaries to the lower Columbia River. On the Grays River, fishing for hatchery steelhead opens from the mouth to the Highway 4 Bridge on Nov. 15.
But the best bets for hooking up with hatchery steelhead or coho salmon right now are the Lewis and Cowlitz rivers, where dams help to moderate stream flows, Hymer said. On the Lewis River, anglers have been averaging about one hatchery coho for every two rods, although about half of those fish were released because they had turned dark. Some bright winter steelhead have also been showing up in the catch. Bank anglers had the best luck fishing near the salmon hatchery.
Bank and boat anglers are also catching hatchery steelhead - some weighing in the teens - downstream from the trout hatchery on the Cowlitz River. They are also still catching some hatchery coho, although that run is clearly winding down. As of Nov. 5, more than 47,000 adult coho had returned to the hatchery, already one of the top 10 returns to that facility on record. In addition, nearly 10,300 coho jacks were counted by that date, the second-highest return since 1990.
Sea-run hatchery cutthroat are also keeping anglers busy fishing below the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery. More than 4,700 cutthroat had returned to the salmon and trout hatcheries through Nov. 5, and more are still on the way.
The fishery below the trout hatchery is ideal for anglers who permanently use a wheelchair, because Tacoma Power built a fishing site specially for them at the hatchery outfall. The daily trout limit is five fish per day, with a minimum length of 12 inches. Most returning fish average 14 inches, Hymer said.
Anglers are still reeling in some legal-size sturgeon from the Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam, but the fishery - like the water temperature - is starting to cool down. Hymer suspects the action will shift to the area around the Willamette River, where higher water temperatures are more inviting to chilled sturgeon.
In October, anglers made 16,000 fishing trips to catch Columbia River white sturgeon and took home 3,000 legal-size fish, Hymer said.
Capt. Jerry Brown
Columbia River Fishing
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com
206-920-2428
