Columbia Buoy 10 fishery closed for kings, but open for coho

BOB BROWN, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published August 31, 2001

As of Thursday, fishers are no longer able to keep chinook salmon caught in the popular Buoy 10 fishery, but the coho fishery remains open with a higher daily limit of four fish per day.

Anglers also can fish in the Buoy 10 area -- around the mouth of the Columbia River -- after catching their ocean daily limit of two salmon as long as they do not exceed the daily Buoy 10 limit. They are, however, prohibited from fishing in the Buoy 10 area if they have a chinook in their possession.

Officials at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife expect the Buoy 10 coho fishery to continue through to the end of the year.

- WESTPORT: Salmon fishing continues to be fantastic, said Larry Giese of Deep Sea Charters. Last week, anglers took three kings weighing more than 40 pounds. Some silvers from 10 to 15 pounds are being taken, too.

Beginning Sept. 7, fishing will be allowed seven days a week with a two-fish limit and one of those can be a king, Giese said.

- ILWACO: Boats are limiting within three hours, said a spokesperson at Pacific Salmon Charter. Catches continue to be mixed with silvers up to 15 pounds and kings averaging 25 pounds.

- TACOMA: Fishing has been pretty consistent, said Tom Crome of Point Defiance Boathouse and Marina.

Anglers are catching a mixture of silvers and kings at the mouth of the Puyallup River, in waters around Point Delco and at the clay banks.

The silvers are averaging 5 to 7 pounds and kings are ranging from 10 to 16 pounds.

- SOUTH PUGET SOUND: Kings continue to be caught near the mouth of McAllister Creek and the Nisqually River. Tide changes have been the best time to fish.

Rivers

- COLUMBIA: Steelhead fishing has been fair on the lower river near Longview, said Roger Smith of Cowlitz/Columbia Guide Service. For trollers, spoons have been working on hog lines and spinners. Bank fishers have averaged one hatchery steelhead per every 15 rods.

- COWLITZ: Anglers are doing OK at Blue Creek and at the barrier, according to Karen Glazer of Barrier Dam Campground. Glazer said they are starting to see pink on steelhead at the barrier. Lots of jacks are being caught. Eggs and herring are working on the jacks. Corkies and yarn, along with sand shrimp, are attracting steelhead. Trout fishing has been good at Blue Creek.

Fishing has been slow at the lower end of the river below the mouth of the Toutle due to turbid water. Effective Sept. 1, chinook must be released on the entire river.

- Note: Abernathy, Germany and Coal creeks near Longview are closed to fishing in September and October to protect spawning fall chinook.

- NISQUALLY: The water remains low and fishing has been slow, said Roy angler Ed Burton. Some kings are being taken at the mouth of the river during tide changes. A few jacks are being caught.

- KALAMA: Some hatchery steelhead are being caught. A few fall chinook have appeared at the traps, but fishing has been slow for salmon. Effective Sept. 1, the daily limit is six salmon and no more than two can be adult chinook.

- LEWIS: Some coho are appearing in the steelhead catches, said Joe Hymer of Fish and Wildlife's Vancouver office. Effective Sept. 1, the salmon daily limit is six fish and no more than two may be adult chinook.

- SKOKOMISH: Kings are still being caught below the U.S. Highway 101 Bridge, said Walt Harvey of Verle's Sports in Shelton. Red and pink corkies seem to be the top angler choices, Harvey said. The fish are running from 8 to 25 pounds.

- COAST: Lots of silvers are in the Sol Duc, said Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. Good numbers of steelhead are in Kalaloch Creek and the Bogachiel River. Spinners have been productive for silvers, and sand shrimp and eggs are good for steelhead, he said.

- CHEHALIS: Opens Sept. 1 and fishing is expected to be good, said Ray Dean of Monte Square Food Mart in Montesano. The river is in excellent shape.

- WHITE SALMON: Including fish released, bank anglers averaged nearly one steelhead per rod last week. Some fall chinook have been caught, too.

Lakes

- LEWIS COUNTY: Results have been mixed at Riffe Lake. Boaters are doing their best trolling at least 65 feet deep. Bank fishers are doing fair.

Boaters at Mayfield Lake averaged nearly two rainbow trout per rod last week. Wedding Rings trolled at 30 to 40 feet produced the best results. Bank anglers are catching coho in the Tilton River.

Trout fishing has been decent at Swofford Pond next to Riffe Lake. Perch are starting to bite.

- PIERCE COUNTY: Fishing has been good for perch, bass and crappie at Alder Lake, but angler pressure has been light.

The north end of Silcox Island at American Lake has been good in the mornings for boaters. Most of the catch has been kokanee. Russell's Landing has been a good spot for bank fishing.

Rock bass and perch fishing has been solid at Spanaway Lake, but trout fishing has been slow, according to angler reports. Nightcrawlers have been the most effective bait.

- THURSTON COUNTY: Fishing at Offut Lake has been fair most of the time with worms, Power Eggs and PowerBait. Mornings have been best.

Fishing has been fair at Summit Lake, said resident Floyd Japhet. Anglers are catching kokanee, but have to work for limits. Some big rainbows have been caught at the west end of the lake on worms. Red, beaded Wedding Rings have been effective, as have glow hooks and flashers. Rubber snubbers are recommended because kokanee are biting light, Japhet said. Corn and maggots are working for anglers still-fishing.

Fly fishing

- SALTWATER: Good numbers of chinook have been caught on flies, said Tom Bolender of the Streamside Anglers store in Tumwater. Try fishing the Narrows with large Deceivers and Clouser minnows. Cutthroat trout fishing has been good in the South Sound. Small Clouser and other baitfish patterns are good, Bolender said.

- RIVERS: Rain last week brought the water level up on the Deschutes and lowered the water temperature, so fishing is starting to be more productive. Elk-hair Caddis, Stimulator and Hopper patterns are working well.

The Cowlitz and Kalama have good numbers of kings running upstream and they are biting. The Skokomish is picking up for kings and the kings are starting to show in the Nisqually, too.

Bob Brown is a correspondent for The Olympian. He can be reached at 754-5432.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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