SW Washington fishing report

SW Washington- According to WDFW creel checkers, no steelhead are being caught on the Washougal River but few are trying.

From I-5 downstream on the Columbia, catches are poor to slow with only a few spring chinook being landed. Most anglers are concentrating efforts in the Vancouver stretch.

Commercial effort for smelt showed a marked improvement in catches this week. The last scheduled chance for recreational dipping on the Cowlitz River will be March 1st.

SW Washington fishing report

SW Washington- Cowlitz River flows dropped to 5,290 cfs on February 1 and have remained fairly steady. Steelheading is being slow. Smelt dipping will be allowed from the bank only from 6 a.m. until noon each Saturday through March 1.

As of February 17, no Chinook may be retained until further notice on the Kalama River from mouth to the upper hatchery, the mainstem Lewis River from mouth to forks and the North Fork Lewis River from mouth of forks upstream to Merwin Dam.

Walleye fishing will resume in The Dalles and John Day pools when the Columbia River settles down.

SW Washington fishing report

SW Washington- Conditions of southwest Washington Rivers mirror those of northwest Oregon; high and off-color with fishing to resume when water levels drop.

All chinook must be released on the Kalama River from the mouth upstream to the upper hatchery (Kalama Falls Hatchery) effective February 17 until further notice.

This same restriction will be in place on the mainstem Lewis River from the mouth to the forks and North Fork Lewis River from mouth upstream to Merwin Dam effective February 17. Any chinook hooked must be released unharmed.

The North Fork Lewis River from Johnson Creek to Merwin Dam is closed to all fishing as of February 17 through May 31, 2014.

SW Washington fishing report

SW Washington- It's slow going for anglers in most southwest Washington anglers with the hatchery steelhead run winding down and the better wild steelhead fishery yet to come.

Cowlitz steelheaders are taking only the occasional winter.

Steelheading has been slow for boat and hank anglers on the Washougal.

February 17 will mark the close of spring Chinook fishing on some Washington rivers. From that date forward, no springers may be taken from the Lewis, North Fork Lewis or the Kalama from the mouth to the Kalama Falls Fish Hatchery due to low run numbers. Similarly, the Lewis will be closed to steelhead angling from Johnson Creek to Merwin Dam.