Fishing report 12/1

It’s a dead time of the year for angling other than for winter steelhead in the tributaries, which can be spotty and is influenced by water conditions.

The East Fork of the Lewis was flowing at 1,170 cubic feet per second on late Wednesday, a very nice level for using a drift boat.

The Washougal River was flowing at 1,600 cubic feet per second, also a good fishing level.

Sixty-seven winter steelhead returned to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery last week, that brings the total to 151 for the season.

More than 2,000 coho also returned last week, bringing that total to 41,229.

At 11,600 cubic feet at Mayfield Dam, the Cowlitz is on the high side.

The North Fork of the Lewis River at Ariel was flowing at 6,290 cubic feet per second, also decent for winter fishing.

Angler checks from the Washington (WDFW) and Oregon (ODFW) departments of Fish and Wildlife:

Lower Columbia — Longview, eight bank rods with no sturgeon. (WDFW)

Kalama, four bank rods with no sturgeon; four boaters with one sublegal sturgeon released. (WDFW)

Woodland, four bank rods with no sturgeon; five boaters with one legal sturgeon kept and four sublegals released. (WDFW)

Mid-Columbia — John Day arm, six boats with two steelhead kept and seven released. (ODFW)

Cowlitz — Thirteen bank rods with three adult coho kept plus three adult coho and two adult chinook released; one boater with one steelhead released. (WDFW)

North Fork Lewis — Seven boaters with four adult chinook and seven adult coho kept; 37 bank rods with six adult coho and three steelhead kept plus two adult coho and one steelhead released. (WDFW)

Washougal — Sixty-eight bank rods with one steelhead kept plus one steelhead, one adult coho and two fall chinook released; 40 boaters with four steelhead kept plus three steelhead, one adult coho and two adult fall chinook released. (WDFW)