3/28/08:  Tomorrow is the last day to dip smelt in 2008.  BUT, there are no visible signs of smelt in the Cowlitz or Columbia Rivers so find something else to do (snowball fight??)

SEE YOU NEXT JANUARY!!!

Smelt Update

 Thursday – March 6, 2008

Conditions:

There has been no sign of smelt in the Cowlitz and Lower Columbia River for over a week.  No smelt were encountered during Wednesday’s test dipping.  Eulachon smelt can continue to enter the Columbia River well into March but we are past the typical peak of the run and it is unlikely that any smelt will be present in the Cowlitz this coming Saturday.

The Cowlitz River flow is 8,200 CFS at Castle Rock. The water temperature in both the lower Columbia and Cowlitz rivers is 44ºF.

Catches:

Columbia River:

Commercial:

No reported landings for Thursday, February 28^th, or Monday, March 3^rd.

10,308 lbs cumulative landings since late-December.

Cowlitz River:

Sport:         

Sport dipping was unproductive Saturday, March 1^st.

Commercial:

            No reported landings for Sunday, March 2^nd or Wednesday, March 5^th.

      5,900 lbs cumulative since January 2^nd.

Sport Seasons/Regulations:

Tributaries - Sport dipping is only allowed on the Cowlitz River, from 6 AM to 10 PM Saturdays through March 31^st.   The daily limit is 10 lbs per person per day.  This is equivalent to ¼ of a 5-gallon bucket.

Mainstem Columbia River daily limit is 25 lbs per person per day and the fishery is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Commercial Seasons:

Columbia River:  9-hour fishing periods on Mondays and Thursdays.

Cowlitz River:  6-hour fishing periods on Sunday and Wednesday nights.

Fishing Rule updates are also available by calling (360) 696-6211, then press *1010

Sport fishers are reminded that it is currently illegal to harvest smelt from Columbia River tributaries other than the Cowlitz River. The run was expected to be poor, and the decision was made to operate fisheries at Level One of the Smelt Management Plan.  Under that management level, smelt in other tributaries, such as the Grays, Elochoman, Lewis or Kalama rivers should be left alone, and allowed to spawn.