After a short spurt of colorful recreational angling at the mouth last week, the Chehalis River opens for widespread salmon fishing next week.
The Chehalis, from the mouth at Grays Harbor to the Weyerhaeuser High Bridge above Pe Ell, opens on Oct. 1.
For the first 15 days, anglers may retain up to two adults, one of which may be a wild coho. Adult chinook and chum must be released. From Oct. 16 through Jan. 31 the mainstem remains open for hatchery coho, but wild coho, all chinook and all chum must be released.
The Skookumchuck and Newaukum will open for salmon angling on Oct. 16. As in the mainstem, only hatchery coho may be retained; adult chinook, wild coho, and any chum must be released.
As the Chehalis system opens, the Willapa season moves above the Highway 6 bridge and permits retention of up to two adult chinook and one wild coho in the three-adult limit.
Meanwhile, waters closing to retention of adult chinook on Oct. 1 include the Elochoman upstream from Highway 4, North Fork Toutle above the Kidd Valley Road Bridge, the Green River, the Cowlitz from Blue Creek to Mill Creek, and the Kalama from the gas pipeline crossing upstream.
Also closing for kings on Oct. 1 is the Washougal from the Little Washougal upstream and the White Salmon River above the posted markers above the Highway 14 bridge.
River anglers on the Cowlitz are catching some steelhead and hatchery coho, especially near the mouth of the Toutle, where the bag average was around two to three fish per rod this week.
On the Lewis, which is closed to the retention of chinook, anglers have been catching a mixed bag, keeping only coho.
