2/08/2024

This posting is the most current from the Wynoochee Trap Report. Tacoma City Light is the agency in charge of Fish hauling but TCL does work with WDFW to haul fish from the trap to Lake Aberdeen hatchery.

Fish, Salmon and Steelhead, are removed from the trap and taken to 3 areas and then released.

1. removed from trap and taken above the "big dam" and released.

2. removed from trap and placed in the area, above the trap but below the Dam

3. removed from trap and WDFW hauls the fish to the Lake Aberdeen hatchery.

TCL has had that duty since 1990's, the trap is open 7 months of the year, October to June 30. They do not move summer steelhead, WDFW does haul some to Lake Aberdeen for brood stock, any extra are put back in the river. The trap is "dumped Tuesdays and Thursdays, except during "high flow periods".

The following is the total salmon and steelhead from October to February 1

Salmon

Above the Lake/Big Dam Coho 1063
Jacks 93
Chinook 0

Between Dams Coho 50
jacks 3
Chinook 10


To Hatchery Coho 13


Winter run Steelhead, Above lake/Big Dam

Native 17
Hatchery 657

Between Dams Native 16
Hatchery 0

To Hatchery Native 9
Hatchery 232


I've never driven to the trap on a Tuesday or Thursday to watch the process. I really should to that just to see "size of retuning fish".

I've been a 50 year fisher on the Wynoochee so I know there really were/are some really BIG Native Coho, Native Winter run steelhead and spring Chinook.

I did this because there have been comments about "no native steelhead" to the trap but to let everyone that with a plant of 170,000 +, not very many hatchery fish have made it to the trap, this year..........with no one legally fishing.

Pain in the ass to type this in.......Not how it looked when I typed it in.......grrrrrrrr but the information is there.