Outdoors | Cold weather deters fishing fans, but rivers are good

Anglers aren't catching many breaks as far as the weather goes.

All the rivers last month were flooded above their banks, and the howling winds kept everyone off the saltwater.

This month freezing temperatures have set in, but those willing to brave the chill are warming up to some decent fishing.

"If you can stand this freezing-cold weather, the Humptulips and Satsop rivers have been pretty decent for coho," said Scott Barbour, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist. "There are some impressive numbers of coho around, and I heard one boat who went 7 for 9 on the Satsop. Another boat in the Humptulips last Friday was 25 for 34.

"The fish do get a little lethargic in cold weather. What's surprising is that you expect to see more steelhead, but it has been slow. Plunking at Black Creek on the Wynoochee can be a good spot."

The winter steelhead fishery on the northern Olympic coast remains the top pick.

"It has been pretty decent for steelhead in the Bogachiel and Lower Calwah, although the water is colder than cold, and the fish get pretty sluggish," said Bob Gooding, owner of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks.

Locally, the Snohomish river system has a few winter steelhead, although not many anglers are fishing.

"The Skykomish and Snoqualmie both have steelhead in them, but the rivers are low and clear," said Bryan Nelson at Three Rivers Marine and Tackle in Woodinville. "When the rain comes back, the steelhead fishery should break out."

Plunkers on the Snohomish were hooking a few steelhead. The Skagit is fair for steelhead, and good for Dolly Varden trout, which you have to release.

The news is pretty much the same in southwest Washington, where most anglers aren't motivated to get out in this bitter cold.

"We're seeing some winter steelhead around in the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis, and even the Washougal," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist. "Hatchery returns are down, and after the next rain event we should get a better gauge of what is out there."

Through Dec. 2, 266 winter fish returned to the Cowlitz Hatchery compared to 743 at this time last year. Through Dec. 4, 41 winter fish arrived at the Kalama Falls Hatchery compared to 61 last year. A total of 18 hatchery fish returned to the Lewis fish traps through Dec. 2, compared to 408 last year.

Quick bites

• Nobody was venturing out this week to the Cornet Bay pier on North Whidbey Island, but it should be decent for smelt jigging.

• "Things are starting to pick up on the squid jigging side, and I've had customers do well at the Des Moines Pier," said Jerry Beppu, owner of Linc's Tackle Shop in Seattle. "The squid are small in size, but one of them got 5 pounds one night and 8 pounds the next night using a smaller-sized squid jig. I would also try Pier 86 [on Seattle waterfront] and the Seacrest Boathouse."

Other places worth tossing a jig are the Illahee, Shilshole and Bremerton piers, but Edmonds Pier is poor.

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