Washington Fishing Report

Updated for for the week of September 9th – September 15th, 2005
Washington Fishing Update

North Puget Sound:
The transition from pink salmon to coho salmon is well under way in the saltwater sport fishery. While 2- to 4-pound pinks are still hitting anglers' gear, increasing numbers of ocean-going coho are nudging the humpies out of the spotlight in many areas, including marine waters inside Whidbey Island (marine areas 8-1 and 8-2), Admiralty Inlet (Marine Area 9) and central Puget Sound (Marine Area 10). "The bulk of the coho we're seeing at the boat ramps are averaging around six pounds apiece, but we have seen a few individual fish up to 13 pounds," said Patrick "Slim" Simpson, the head of WDFW's sport fish sampling program for Puget Sound. Simpson said anglers have been reporting good coho action off Meadow Point, near Edmonds and off Mukilteo.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula:
Anglers fishing off the Washington coast continue to reel in large numbers of chinook salmon as the ocean salmon fishery enters the home stretch. Although coho catches have not met expectations, anglers had caught 87 percent of the chinook guideline for the Washington coast by Sept. 4. In Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco), where the catch had already exceeded the chinook guideline for that area, WDFW issued an emergency rule requiring anglers to release any chinook they catch as of Sept. 9. "Our goal is to try to extend the ocean salmon fishery as long as we can," said Pat Pattillo, intergovernmental salmon policy coordinator. "The chinook fishery out of Ilwaco has been one of the best we've seen in years." Barring any further actions, the salmon fishery out of Ilwaco is scheduled to run through Sept. 30.

Southwest Washington:
An update from Pro Guide Brad Shride (877-483-0047) - Fishing at Buoy 10 this past week was good with some limits and a good mix of URB Kings and Hatchery and Native Silvers, (Coho) for those that traveled outside the Columbia River Bar. More Tules were caught this week as well. We got into some very big Hatchery Coho this past week. It was about a 50/50 mix on Hatchery and the Wild Coho. You have to release the Native Coho. We were traveling as far South as 10 miles from the CR Buoy to find fish. Bait of choice for us was Anchovies behind a diver, shortened Bungie, Fish Flash and a 5 foot 40 # leader with 4/0 and 5/0 Gamakatsu hooks.

Southwest Washington:
An update from Pro Guide Brad Shride (877-483-0047) - Fishing at Buoy 10 this past week was good with some limits and a good mix of URB Kings and Hatchery and Native Silvers, (Coho) for those that traveled outside the Columbia River Bar. More Tules were caught this week as well. We got into some very big Hatchery Coho this past week. It was about a 50/50 mix on Hatchery and the Wild Coho. You have to release the Native Coho. We were traveling as far South as 10 miles from the CR Buoy to find fish. Bait of choice for us was Anchovies behind a diver, shortened Bungie, Fish Flash and a 5 foot 40 # leader with 4/0 and 5/0 Gamakatsu hooks.

Eastern Washington:
From Pro Guide Pat Long of Snake River Guide Service (509-751-0410)
Steelhead fishing on the Snake River has started to pick up with the rising numbers of fish crossing over Lower Granite Dam this past week. Most of the fish are being caught in the area just below the confluence of the Clearwater River then upstream into the Lower Clearwater itself. Water temps on the main stem Snake remain around 70 degrees so most of the arriving fish bound for the Snake's upriver regions are holding in the cooler water around Lewiston and Clarkston. This situation will change as we get some cool weather, until then the fishing hot spot will remain in this area.

North Central Washington:
Bob Jateff, WDFW's district fish biologist in Omak, reminds anglers of the early closure to all fishing of the Chewuch River from the mouth to Eight Mile Creek, and the Twisp River from the mouth to War Creek. These sections of the Chewuch and Twisp were open for catch-and-release fishing and scheduled to close Sept. 30, but they were closed Sept. 6 to protect fish. Extremely low water, coupled with high summer temperatures, concentrated fish into areas where they are susceptible to repeated catch and release fishing, Jateff said.

South Central Washington:
The Yakima River opened for salmon fishing Sept. 1 from the Columbia River to Sunnyside (Parker) Dam. Creel checks are yet to come, and the fishery remains open through Oct. 22. Paul Hoffarth, WDFW fisheries biologist, reminds anglers that a Yakama Nation fishing permit is required for fishing in all areas upstream of the Highway 223 bridge at Granger. Check the 2005-06 fishing pamphlet's "Special Rules" section for the Yakima River for additional details and restrictions. Hoffarth said a strong fall chinook return is anticipated this year in the Hanford Reach area of the Columbia River, which has been open since the middle of last month and remains available for salmon fishing through Oct. 22.

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