Outdoors Notebook | Steelhead fishing off to decent start

The hatchery steelhead fishery in some north central Washington rivers has started on a good note since opening last weekend.

The Upper Columbia River main stem from Wells Dam up to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam, and the Methow and Okanogan rivers were the site of some relatively heavy angler pressure and fairly decent fishing.

The majority of anglers are fishing with a bobber and jig while fly anglers are going for streamers, trout beads and egg patterns.

The Okanogan River doesn't have much bank access, but a few savvy fishing guides were averaging one fish for every two to three hours of fishing.

With the opening of deer-hunting season this week, many are trying for a combo steelhead and deer trip.

"Many fishing holes on the Methow are getting hit hard, and while some are doing well, the majority have been finding it to be pretty slow," said Bob Jateff, a state fish and wildlife biologist in Omak. "It seems like if the anglers take a different approach than fishing the standard locations they could do well."

Look for pocket areas behind a boulder or going to some out-of-the-way spots to improve the chances of catching a fish.

A few boat anglers up toward Bridgeport near Chief Joseph Dam and below the Highway 17 Bridge to the state park are doing quite well trolling with plugs.

Down on the Columbia main stem by Pateros at the mouth of the Methow, the success rate has been about one fish for every eight hours of fishing. Bait is allowed in this area so try using a bobber and jig laced with a sand shrimp.

Most of the steelhead are averaging 4 to 5 pounds with a few in the 10- to 12-pound range.

"The goal of this fishery is to get anglers to retain the abundant population of hatchery fin-clipped fish, and compliance has been pretty good," Jateff said. "All the rivers are in real good fishing shape."

About 1,244 wild steelhead are destined to the area, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries has a minimum threshold of 600 wild fish. The hatchery forecast calls for about 1,400 fish.

For the first time in 10 years, a 20-mile stretch of the Wenatchee River — from the mouth up to the Icicle Road Bridge — will open for hatchery steelhead fishing starting Oct. 22, as well as the Upper Columbia from Rock Island Dam up to Wells Dam.

The Similkameen River also will open to hatchery steelhead retention starting Nov. 15 from the mouth to the railroad trestle bridge.

In all fisheries, the daily limit is two adipose-fin-clipped hatchery steelhead. Steelhead with an intact adipose fin, and those bearing an anchor tag, must be released unharmed and not removed from the water.

For the fisheries in the Columbia River main stem, statewide freshwater rules apply. In the Okanogan, Methow and Wenatchee rivers, selective gear rules and single-point barbless hooks are required. A night closure is in effect for all these open areas.

Most are slated to remain open through March 31, but some could close earlier if the allowable incidental impact to wild steelhead is reached.

Notes

• The first official meeting of the SeaTac Chapter Coastal Conservation Association is 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Des Moines Masonic Hall, 2208 South 223rd St. in Des Moines. Details: www.JoinCCA.org.

• The South King County Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers meeting is 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Des Moines Masonic Hall, 2208 South 223rd St. in Des Moines. Guest speaker is outdoor writer and photographer John L. Beath. Details: www.pugetsoundanglers.org.

• The Seattle Astronomical Society meeting is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Physics/Astronomy Building on the University of Washington campus. Guest speaker is master telescope builder Sonny Tremoulet. Details: www.seattleastro.org.

• Oak Harbor is open for coho fishing and the boundaries are westerly of a line from Forbes Point to Blowers Bluff in Marine Catch Area 8-1. Surplus hatchery coho returning to the net pen facility in the harbor are available for harvest. Daily limit is two coho.

• The East Lake Washington Audubon Society is offering a field trip to hot spots of King County from 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 22. Meet at the Newport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405 off Exit 9). Cost is $2. Details: 425-746-6351 or www.elwas.org.

• The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group is hosting a riparian planting party and BBQ at 10 a.m. Oct. 27 at Sweetwater Creek in Belfair. The group is removing invasive noxious knotweed that has overtaken the stream over the past several years. Native maples, spruce, fir and other native shrub species will replace the invasive plants. Details: 360-275-3575 to RSVP.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com