Two winter steelhead return to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator last week, a sure sign the seasons are changing.
With the arrival of November on Tuesday, the lower portions of Cedar, Abernathy, Coal, Germany and Mill creeks reopen, plus the Coweeman River, for hatchery steelhead.
Monday is the final day of fishing at Horsthief Lake in Klickitat County and the Swift power canal in Skamania County. Monday also is the final day to fish for salmon in Wind River.
Washington and Oregon biologists say the late coho return to the Columbia River appears smaller than forecast, which was poor to begin with. Trollers at the mouth of the Cowlitz and at Lady Island should not have high expectations.
Boaters are doing well at the mouth of the Klickitat River for coho plus a few chinook.
Effort has been strong for sturgeon in the lower Columbia, but the catches are mediocre.
Angler checks from the Washington (WDFW) and Oregon (ODFW) departments of Fish and Wildlife:
Lower Columbia — Longview, eight boaters with no salmon or steelhead; 31 bank rods with four legal sturgeon kept. (WDFW)
Longview to Portland, 144 boaters with six legal sturgeon kept and 51 sublegals released. (ODFW)
Cowlitz, four boaters with no salmon or steelhead. (WDFW)
Kalama, eight boters with one adult coho released; 19 bank rods with one adult chinook kept; 11 boaters with two legal sturgeon kept and one sublegal released; five bank rods with no catch. (WDFW)
Woodland, 17 boaters with one jack chinook released; seven bank rods with no salmon or steelhead; two boaters with two sublegal sturgeon released; six bank rods with one sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Warrior Rock to Kelley Point, 14 boaters with two adult chinook kept; eight bank rods with no catch; three boaters with one sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)
Davis Bar to Portland airport tower, two bank rods with no salmon or steelhead; two boaters with two legal sturgeon kept. (WDFW)
Troutdale, 49 boaters with one adult chinook and one jack chinook kept plus two adult chinook released; 94 boaters with one legal sturgeon kept plus 69 sublegals released nine boaters with four walleye kept. (ODFW)
Camas-Washougal, three boaters with one adult coho kept; 20 boaters with one legal sturgeon kept and 15 sublegals released; six bank rods with no sturgeon; four boaters with one walleye kept and two released. (WDFW)
North Bonneville, one bank rod with no salmon or steelhead; 71 bank rods with two legal sturgeon kept and four sublegals released. (WDFW)
Columbia Gorge (downstream of Bonneville Dam), 49 boaters with two legal sturgeon kept plus one legal, two oversize and 65 sublegals released; 22 boaters with 14 adult fall chinook, four jack chinook, two adult coho and one jack coho kept plus two adult chinook released. (ODFW)
Mid-Columbia — Bonneville pool, 184 boaters with 16 adult chinook, two jack chinook, 75 adult coho amd three jack coho kept plus one adult chinook released. (WDFW)
John Day pool, 46 boats with three adult chinook, one jack chinook and nine steelhead kept plus 18 steelhead released; 11 bank rods with four steelhead kept and one released. (ODFW)
Cowlitz — Twenty-two boaters with one adult coho kept; 82 bank rods with one adult chinook and three adult coho kept plus one adult chinook and four adult coho released. (WDFW)
Kalama — Four boaters with one adult coho kept; 55 bank rods with 17 adult coho, four steelhead and two adult chinook kept plus two adult chinook, 10 adult coho and one steelhead released. (WDFW)
Lewis — Ten boaters with one adult chinook and three adult coho kept plus two adult coho released; 11 bank rods with no catch. (WDFW)
North Lewis — Forlty-two boaters with 11 adult chinookand five adult coho kept plus 13 adult chinook, one jack chinook and two adult coho released. (WDFW)
Wind — Two boater with one adult coho released. (WDFW)
Drano Lake — Four boaters wiith no salmon or steelhead. (WDFW)
White Salmon — Five boaters with one adult coho kept and one adult coho released. (WDFW)
Klickitat — Five boaters with 11 adult coho kept; 27 bank rods with 12 adult chinook, three jack chinook and four adult coho kept. (WDFW)
