SW Washington fishing report
A slight chance of rain is possible Saturday but shouldn’t amount to much. The rest of the weekend and next week should bring partly cloudy skies with highs in the 70s to low 80s. If you find pea-green water or greenish scum at your favorite lake, keep pets and kids out and avoid contact; check the Washington algae postings before heading out. Full regulations are available here.
Columbia River
The walleye bite remains good, with schools holding 12 to 30 feet deep over gravel or rocky reefs. Air quality has been an issue from smoke, so anglers with health concerns should check conditions first. Cooler weather this week should keep the bite strong, though high winds are possible; larger walleye should show more often in the catch as September approaches.
Salmon and steelhead fishing improved slightly but remains only fair. A flight count on Sunday, August 16 tallied 400 salmonid boats and 85 Washington bank rods, with the best results out of the Cathlamet area; another uptick is expected next week. Starting August 25, anglers can keep any Chinook, marked or unmarked, in the Buoy Ten (B10) fishery, where reports indicate improving action. Coho remains open in Marine Area 1, though Chinook retention there has closed.
Hike-in Trout Lakes
Hike-in lakes are offering good fishing along with solitude and scenery for anglers willing to walk in.
Cowlitz River
Over five days at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator, Tacoma Power employees recovered 226 summer-run steelhead, 88 spring Chinook adults, 13 spring Chinook jacks, 135 spring Chinook mini jacks, eight fall Chinook adults, one fall Chinook jack, and 21 cutthroat trout. As of August 14, Tacoma Power has recycled 1,746 summer-run steelhead and five spring Chinook adults to the I-5 boat launch in Toledo this season.
Flows below Mayfield Dam were 2,330 cfs on August 17, with 9 feet of visibility and a water temperature of 52.9°F; flows can shift quickly, so boaters and anglers should stay alert. The lower river saw poor success this week, while anglers below Blue Creek did well: a recent creel survey showed 47 bank anglers keeping 14 steelhead and releasing three, while 23 boats and 73 rods kept 84 steelhead and released one.
The first fall salmon should be entering the river now. Chinook retention is not allowed on the Cowlitz, and the early coho run, expected to show this week, tends to bite poorly in the low, warm water; the bite is usually better once the late run arrives. Check river gauges at Kelso, Castle Rock, and Mayfield Dam.
Mayfield Reservoir
Mayfield was stocked with 2,520 catchable rainbows (1.26 per pound) on August 11, bringing the past month’s total to almost 10,500 catchable rainbows. Trout fishing is rated fair to good. See the WDFW trout stocking report for more.
Lewis River
The gauge at Woodland shows the river dropping and holding around 7 feet, typical for this time of year, with further drops expected. Steelhead are showing in decent numbers and are spread from the deadline at Merwin Dam down to the golf course.
Early fall Chinook are now entering the river and should increase over the next two weeks; only hatchery fin-clipped Chinook may be kept until after October 31. The early coho run should also begin trickling in this week, holding near the hatchery when they first arrive; low, warm water is making for a tough bite.
Merwin Reservoir
Kokanee fishing continues to be good as fish feed hard ahead of their spawn. The lake continues to see heavy pressure, though fall river salmon runs may pull some anglers away. Yale Lake offers a quieter alternative with smaller fish but far less competition.
Kalama River
Steelheading remains very good, with a few fall salmon now holding in the lower river. The river is low, and only rafts can currently make it through; guides report fish spread through the system, holding a bit higher than usual, mostly in deeper holes but occasionally in the riffles. The vanguard of the fall salmon run is likely starting to trickle in and should build through the week, holding in lower-river holes until rain lifts the water.
At Drano Lake, five bank anglers had no catch, while 9 boats and 14 rods kept one Chinook and released four steelhead. That fishery should really kick in within about two weeks.
Klickitat River
No angling success report is available. Cooler weather this week should help clear out some of the dirty water.