Hunting+Fishing
Steelhead and salmon
The South Fork Clearwater is the best steelhead destination, with reports of anglers taking as many as three fish an hour. Fish around Orofino are said to be dark, and the catch rate is a fish every 11 hours. The entire Salmon River system has seen an increase in angler success this week.
The Grande Ronde is up some, but river clarity is excellent and steelhead are on the bite. The biggest fish weighed in for Boggan’s Steelhead Derby is only 8.2 pounds, so the grand prize is still up for grabs. The derby runs until April 15. Anglers can register at Boggan’s Oasis or the Sportsmen’s Warehouse.
Cowlitz River bank anglers are catching a few steelhead from the I-5 Bridge downstream. Boat anglers have been doing best at Blue Creek. Kalama River anglers in the canyon area are catching some winter steelhead.
Blackmouth salmon fishing remains hot on Puget Sound, the best in several years according to some anglers. Most marine areas in the region – with the exception of Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) – are open for blackmouth. The San Juans have been particularly productive, especially throughout Rosario Strait.
Rivers and streams throughout the Puget Sound area have dropped into shape for some prime steelhead fishing. Success has been good on the Bogachie, Sol Duc and Hoh rivers.
Most areas of the Skagit River remain open for the harvest of hatchery steelhead through Thursday. Beginning next Friday, a catch-and-release fishery for steelhead opens on the Skagit from the Dalles Bridge to the Cascade River.
Springers are showing up in creel surveys on the lower Columbia.
“Spring chinook fishing should improve daily,” said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist.
He said anglers are catching hatchery spring chinook between the I-5 Bridge and the Lewis River. The Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis rivers should also start producing springers soon.
Farther upriver, fishing for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead will open next Friday from the Tower Islands (6 miles below The Dalles Dam) to McNary Dam. Chinook fishing will open the same day on the Wind River and Drano Lake.
Trout
Amber Lake is fishable. Working the shoreline Wednesday, Barry Pipella of White’s Fly Shop took numerous 16- to 19-inch rainbow in 5 feet of water. He said fly fishermen at center lake were catching smaller, brighter trout.
Participation at Region 2 opening-day lakes was low. With some exceptions, fishing was generally slow at the production waters (five fish limit, bait allowed). Quality waters (one fish, selective regulations) varied from fair to good. Martha Lake catchables were concentrated at the north end, and many anglers took limits in an hour. Upper Caliche was also ice-free, but fishing was slow. Quincy and Burke still had a lot of ice. Dusty was ice-free, with anglers taking four to five fish an hour up to 20 inches. Lenice and Nunally were both ice-free. Anglers there averaged three fish each, mostly rainbow to 19 inches. Lenore Lake was still 80 percent ice-covered. Eleven hundred 1.5-pound rainbow will be added to Lenice and Nunally in April.
Lake trout effort on Lake Chelan is shifting from the lower basin to the area just above the narrows as big fish use the bottom as ambush cover to hit tightly packed schools of migrating kokanee. At Darrel and Dad’s Family Guide Service, Anton Jones said one in 10 fish is 10 pounds or better.
Lakers are also biting well on Pend Oreille. Priest Lake is still ice-covered, but it’s melting fast. It won’t be long until fish are cruising the surface.
Rufus Woods reservoir has been productive for triploid rainbows, unless you’re fishing out of my boat. I stubbornly trolled plugs on Tuesday for a skunk. The day before, a friend caught and released numerous 3-pounders while drifting a fly near the first net pens. Anglers plunking Power Bait near the second net pens often experience frantic bites with six or more fish and hour are taken.
Coffeepot Lake anglers were disappointed early this week to find no one had broken through from the launch to the open water. They reported the ice looked pretty solid and Coffeepot may be another week away.
Hog Canyon Lake has open water at the access and at the far end. A few 14-inch trout were being caught from shore by bait anglers near the access Wednesday. Fourth of July is still kicking out rainbow.
The Tucannon River impoundments in Columbia County that opened March 1 have been providing good catches of 8- to 10-inch rainbows. The lakes will be re-stocked starting the week of March 19.
The best bet for Roosevelt rainbow seems to be from Keller to Spring Canyon, but fishing has not been fast.
Spiny ray
Water temperatures on the Columbia near Brewster are remaining steady at 37 degrees, said Rod Hammons at R&R Guide Service. Jigs are taking most of the fish..
Lake Roosevelt walleye should be staging in the Spokane Arm prior to spawning. So far, fishing has been slow.
Moses Lake and Potholes are wide open, but anglers are just beginning to venture out. The fishing should pick up in a couple of weeks as Moses begins to fill.
Boat anglers fishing for walleye have averaged one fish per rod in The Dalles Pool, and almost that in the Bonneville and John Day pools.
Other species
A three-day razor clam dig is tentatively scheduled for March 16-18 at various ocean beaches. The final word will be announced soon, once marine toxin tests are complete.
The Ocean Shores Chamber of Commerce is planning a razor clam festival March 17 to coincide with the scheduled dig at Copalis Beach, which includes the beach at Ocean Shores. Information on the festival, which includes chowder cook-offs and live music, is available on the chamber’s Web site ( www.oceanshores.org) or by calling 360-289-2451.