- COWLITZ: Bank anglers near the barrier dam are still catching some hatchery coho salmon, although most fish are being released. Steelhead catches continue to increase.

Karen Glazer of Barrier Dam Camp Ground reports that fishing is still going well, with most angler activity being centered at Blue Creek.

Glazer said anglers are catching limits of nice steelhead, and said there appear to be two different-size runs.

Early mornings are producing steelhead weighing 6 to 7 pounds. During late afternoon and evenings, anglers are catching steelhead weighing 10 to 18 pounds.

Flows below Mayfield Dam are presently 13,800 cubic feet per second with a water-depth visibility of 1 to 2 feet.

A creel check taken Dec 10-16 tallied 248 bank anglers at the barrier with 84 adult coho and 42 steelhead kept. Two were released.

Eighteen boat anglers had four adult coho and nine steelhead kept. Two were released.

Through Dec. 12, a total of 134 and 487 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to the salmon and trout hatcheries, respectively.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is forecasting the 2002 adult spring chinook salmon return will be 3,100 fish. The adult spring chinook return in 2001 was 1,700 fish.

- KALAMA: Anglers were catching some hatchery coho and steelhead before the high and turbid water last week. The river is presently at flood stage and unfishable.

Through Dec. 12, a total of 248 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery. Hatchery fish are being recycled downstream.

A creel check taken Dec 10-16 counted 42 bank anglers with three adult coho and 10 steelhead kept.

Three boat anglers had two steelhead kept and one released.

- LEWIS: Joe Hymer, biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Vancouver office, reports that good catches of hatchery winter steelhead are being had near the salmon hatchery.

Counting some fish released, anglers averaged .5 steelhead per rod last week. Some hatchery coho were also being caught, although most are being released.

Last week, 144 bank anglers had 11 adult coho and 50 steelhead kept. Twenty-two steelhead were released.

Twenty-five boat anglers had five adult coho and 15 steelhead kept.

Through Dec. 12, more than 1,200 hatchery winter steelhead returned to the facilities. Almost all of the steelhead have been recycled downstream.

Flows below Merwin Dam were expected to be 14,640 cubic feet per second this week.

The Lewis River adult spring chinook return is forecast to be 2,000 fish in 2002. Last year, the return was 2,200 adult spring chinook.

- JOHN DAY POOL: Counting fish released, bank anglers averaged .5 summer steelhead per rod, while boat anglers averaged .75 fish per rod last week.

Boat anglers fishing the John Day Arm averaged 1.5 steelhead per boat last week, while bank anglers fishing above the John Day Dam averaged .14 steelhead per rod.

- CHEHALIS: The river is presently at flood stage and unfishable, said Ray Dean of Monte Square Food Mart in Montesano. Fishing was good until the river went out, Dean said.

- COASTAL: Recent rains have shut down fishing, said Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. Gooding said there is so much water, anglers couldn't even go plunking.

Most of the rivers are "really nasty," Gooding said.

- RINGOLD: Bad weather kept angling effort to a minimum last week, but some boat anglers that did venture out caught nearly a hatchery summer steelhead per rod.

The average was three pole-hours per fish. Through Dec. 16, an estimated 813 steelhead had been taken.

- COLUMBIA: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that the greatest concentration of boat angler effort in the Portland-to-Longview areas last weekend occurred in the Sauvies Island area.

Boat anglers in the Portland-to-Longview areas averaged .38 legal sturgeon per boat. Boat anglers had good success in the Troutdale area, where they averaged .40 legal sturgeon per boat last weekend.

In the Gorge, boat anglers averaged .33 legal fish per boat. Frozen smelt, sand shrimp and roll mop continue to be the baits of choice.

Beginning Jan. 1, sturgeon will be allowed to be retained in both the Bonneville and The Dalles pools.

- TACOMA: A handful of anglers went out between fronts last week and caught some decent-size blackmouth, said Tom Cromie of Point Defiance Boathouse and Marina.

The fish, averaging 5-8 pounds, were caught right in front of the boathouse and in waters around the clay banks.

A couple in the upper teens were also caught. Anglers are also picking up a few squid at night off the fishing dock, Cromie said.

- SALTWATER: Tom Bolender of Streamside Anglers in Tumwater reports that saltwater fishing in the South Sound is pretty much at a standstill for bank anglers because of muddied waters, which resulted from recent rains.

Bolender said boat angling is the only way to go.

- RIVERS: River fishing is pretty much on hold right now also. Most rivers are blown out.

Stevens Creek or the Salmon River would be good bets if the weather clears up for a few days, Bolender said.