SW Washington by Ian Carter
The Kalama still shows promise, and the Cowlitz is maintaining at a “buy”. Merwin is greatly improved and looks like the adjustment period may be over. Travelling in a couple different directions to the boundaries of SW Washington presently offer some different opportunities.
REMINDER, please verify the regulations before fishing any body of water
Lewis Report
Pressure is soft right now. Fifty-eight wild winter Steelhead were intercepted at the hatchery during the last 7-day period. That’s up from four the week before, which could be a good omen. Hatchery winter Steelhead have yet to appear in the escapement totals.
WDFW angler checks showed 65 bank rods kept five coho and released one coho. 6 boats/15 rods kept one coho.
Washington fishing
East Fork Lewis Trout | image credit Stephen Greenwood
Kalama Report
This Wednesday I counted 3 drift boats working below the hatchery. There was virtually no bank activity. There are reports of hit and miss fishing success up in the canyon. There is no fish activity in the lower portion of the river that I noted.
The WDFW creel checks for the Kalama didn’t fare well. Twenty-one bank rods released only one Chinook, with two boats/4 rods had no catch. This is a considerably poorer report than the previous week.
Cowlitz Report
This week the WDFW angler success checks varied noticeably depending on the river region fished. Cowlitz River I-5 Br downstream – 36 bank rods kept one coho. Cowlitz River Above the I-5 Br – 38 bank rods kept 14 coho and released one Chinook and 13 coho. 2 boats/4 rods kept three coho and released nine coho.
Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 2,559 coho adults, 73 coho jacks, 12 fall Chinook adults, 52 cutthroat trout, 11 summer-run steelhead adults, and five winter-run steelhead over seven days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. That’s about half as many coho from the week before.
Dave Mallahan with Dave’s Guide Service is still fishing the Cowlitz. When I spoke with him on Monday, he stated that he caught five and kept two. He was still fishing below the I-5 bridge. At this time in that catch area from Lexington Bridge to Mill Creek, you can retain up to four adult Coho. You must release all salmon other than hatchery Coho. All wild rainbow and wild cutthroat must also be released.
Washougal Report
Again, there were no WDFW angler checks reported. John Thompson at Sportsman’s in Vancouver has heard that there are still some coho coming to the net.
Escapement reports show more growth for Coho. It’s one of the only rivers in our immediate area where the Coho counts ARE NOT on the decrease. The hydrograph shows the river level holding at a steady at 5.2ft.
Toutle Report
The river did get a boost of hatchery coho back. I haven’t heard any confirmed reports of fishing success.
Naselle Report
Nathan at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Kelso spent a couple days Chum fishing. They caught a bunch of zombie Chum. There are a few freshets of bright Coho still moving through below the Hiway 4 bridge. There is some pretty good bank access in that area, although it does tend to get crowded.
Klickitat River
I have heard no reports this week and there were no WDFW creel checks for any Gorge tributaries.
Columbia River
Walleye fishing in the Irrigon area is outstanding right now if you don’t mind the commute. It’s a fun fishery, I just wish it were closer. Catch and release Sturgeon fishing might be a good option. If you don’t have any go to Sturgeon spots, this time of year start by focusing on water that is downstream from grain elevators or tributary mouths.
Merwin is a bright spot this week. I’ve heard several different accounts from folks over the past several days. So much so that I’m going to head up on Saturday. Initially planned on Thanksgiving morning, but the wind forecast was a little too much. Saturday looks better. With my open boat I can handle the rain, but not the beastly wind on Merwin.
Riffe – Nathan tells me that the launch is open again. He has not heard any specific fishing reports.
Swift – A subscriber brought to my attention that the only remaining open launch on Swift is now closed. You can get updated information about the reservoir here. It’s not updated regularly, and they are virtually impossible to reach by phone. If anyone has additional information or a contact, I would truly appreciate a message.
Smaller Lakes Report
All the lakes stocked in our area (Klineline, Battle Ground and Kress Lakes) are fishing well. There are most certainly some brutes in the mix as I observed today. During my stop at Kress Lake there was some significant trout fishing going on.
Coastal Report
Razor Clams – latest news is not good.
Nov. 23, 2022
Contact: Dan Ayres, 360-249-4628
Media contact: Mark Yuasa, 360-902-2262
Razor clam dig closures on all coastal beaches continue until further notice due to rise in marine toxin levels
OLYMPIA – The recreational razor clam season on all coastal beaches remains closed until further notice, shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.
Test results, released on Nov. 23 for razor clams, indicate domoic acid levels on all beaches, have exceeded the health guidelines for safe consumption set by Washington Department of Health (WDOH) officials.
“Unfortunately, we need to wait before we can get back to digging razor clams, but the good news is the clams are just getting bigger and fatter,” said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager.
Puget Sound – Sea-run Cutthroat fishing in the south-sound Tacoma area and north up Hood Canal is very good right now.
Weather Prediction
Get ready for a few days of rainy unstable weather. Watch for winds in the gorge and on the reservoirs.
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