Smelt dipping success varies in Cowlitz

KELSO — Lots of dippers went home happy on Saturday after the six-hour season for smelt in the lower Cowlitz River.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reports dipping success depended on location. The best catches came in the Lexington to Camelot stretch, with dippers getting 1 to 5 pounds per scoop. Upstream or downstream of Lexington to Camelot, the average was zero to 10 smelt per dip.

Lots of dippers got their 10-pound limits. Counts showed about 3,000 dippers on the river at any time.

The catch was a mix of males and females and their conditions ranged from green to having already spawned.

No additional dipping is planned for the Cowlitz. Fishing for smelt is closed in all other Washington waters.

Oregon officials have said they might consider a one-day season in the Sandy River if the smelt show. That season would be set on short notice. Smelt runs in the Sandy River are well-known for only lasting a few days. Many years, smelt do not enter the Sandy River.