SW Washington fishing report
Tributary Chinook improving slowly. Tributary winter steelhead over, summer steelhead starting. Trout Derby begins April 25.
Best bets
Tributary spring Chinook heating up in some systems
Columbia River walleye bite still very good
Columbia tributary summer steelhead improving, winters dropping off.
Lowland trout lakes fishing rated good, Trout Derby begins the 25th.
Warm water bass, panfish waking up for spring spawn.
Weather
Weekend weather is expected to be clear and with highs from the lower 60’s to 70 degrees. There is no rain in the forecast, although there will be some cloudy days in the coming week. There are no forecasts for significant rain, although there was no rain forecasted for last week, either.
Columbia River
Spring Chinook
The last day of springer fishing on the Columbia was held last Saturday, and anglers did fairly well. According to the WDFW creel surveys, 524 boat anglers caught 132 Chinook, while 421 bank anglers caught 21. Anglers must now wait until the mid-May run assessment before expecting any more springer days below Bonneville Dam.
Upriver, the good folks at the Gorge Outfitters Supply in Rufus report that a few spring Chinook have been caught by bank anglers up near them.
Cowlitz River
Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 304 winter-run Steelhead, 91 spring Chinook adults, six spring Chinook jacks, and eight summer-run Steelhead over five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
River flows below Mayfield Dam were 5,780 cubic feet per second on Monday, April 20. Water visibility is 6 feet and water temperature is 46.2 (F). River flows could change at any time so boaters and anglers should remain alert for this possibility.
During the most recent creel surveys, in the river below the I-5 Bridge — 198 bank anglers kept five Chinook, five steelhead and released two sturgeon. 2 boats/3 rods had no catch. Steelheaders report the fishing is currently slow, with the winter steelhead slowing, and the summer run just getting started.
You can check the river gauge at Kelso here.
The Lewis is running steady at about 12 feet, and is expected to stay that way through the weekend and into the week. This is a good flow for fishing the Lewis, and the river is beginning to get a little better for both spring Chinook and summer steelhead, and there are still good numbers of wild winter steelhead in the system. During the latest WDFW creel survey, Lewis River — 62 bank anglers kept five Chinook and one steelhead. 28 boats/55 rods kept nine Chinook, released one Chinook and eight steelhead. Most of the boat anglers are hover fishing at the Meat Hole at the hatchery above Woodland. However, some salmon are being taken by anglers trolling in the lower Lewis, and in the Columbia proper at the mouth of the Lewis when it has been open.
You can check the river gauge near Woodland here.
Kalama River
A few spring Chinook are coming to hand, according to reports. No report on methods used, but salmon eggs below a bobber are hard to beat on this river for the Chinook. Steelheaders are seeing the winters less, and getting some summer steelhead. The steelhead will respond to a wider range of offerings, including salmon eggs, coon shrimp, spinners, and drifted baits. During the most recent creel survey, 39 bank anglers kept three Chinook, two steelhead and released one steelhead. 21 boats/55 rods kept 13 Chinook and released one steelhead.
Drano Lake
Over 5,000 spring Chinook have crossed over Bonneville and the fishing is improving at Drano Lake. During the most recent creel survey, 11 bank anglers had no catch. 41 boats/92 rods kept 12 Chinook and released one Chinook. Most of the fish are falling for plastic plug-cut lures, such as the Spinfish, trolled behind 360 or triangle flashers. However, with the stronger bite, the competition is increasing with every day.
Trout Stockings and reports
You can check the WDFW trout stocking reports here.
The trout derby starts on April 25, and anglers can win prizes for tagged trout. For more info, look here. The usual lowland lakes, which did not close, have also been well stocked for spring. Anglers can look to Klineline Pond, Battle ground Lake, Lacamas Lake, Icehouse and Little Ash lakes, Sacajawea Lake, and others.
Rowland Lake
This lake was closed for a few weeks but will open on the 25th. It was heavily stocked ahead of the opener. Anglers can get these fish by trolling small plugs and spinners, and bank anglers can get the trout on Powerbait.