The legal system has never really cared much about resources.

For something different this, I have lived on the river here in Central Park for twenty years and I have never seen a year like this. Give or take a few small events the river has stayed clear and usually tidewater is muddy only a question of degree. Not only that while the normal early Sept flows held true not since then. Fishable for water is temperature ( summer ) clarity and flows. Right now the sub basins and Chehalis at Porter are between 25% to 30% average flows date and time. I do not remember such perfect conditions for this date & time from 101 bridge to Pe Ell. To add to it the Coho returning to Bingham Hathery are 25k which is 4k more than last year. The wild return usually are about the same so frankly the normal timed Coho overperformed. From what I can tell is the same with Nov and catching has been good. Now how much one can only guess because normally Nov water is not fishable as it has been.

Best I can tell its been a really good year and about damn time!

The Chehalis flooding is not that bad in tidewater thankfully. The rain and rise missed the King Tides a week or so back. Up river above Elma the valley is full but with 8 ft tides we are good. The Satsop took a real hit as did the upper Chehalis but tidewater we are fine. What we have had is massive amount of junk! I even seen a bathtub go by, I imagine it was used for watering critters.

Everyone else in the valley doing okay?

Well NOAA says the rivers are going to clear which is good news. While ugly weather the rain is not enough to keep the elevated flows. Wish I could post a photo I took. Damn old growth about 60 ft long with root wad and around 3 3/4 ft at the upper swell, it was a bloody monster! No idea where this crap comes from other than upstream but we have had a bunch of those guys go by this year.

flow https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/rfc/

Now the wether is ugly as I said but nothing like what we had.

weather https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/weather/10_day.cgi?v=20200803v1

Two boat launches are shut down. As to South Monte it may last a few more years but it is going to be toast. Rip rap will not help because the erosion starts well upstream so the water would cut behind it sooner or later. Lets hope that Friends Landing upgrades the Port of GH pland come first.

Daily World:

Due to recent flooding and resulting erosion, two water access areas in Grays Harbor County in Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Coastal Region are temporarily closed for public safety and to prevent further damage.

They hope to reopen the south Montesano and Chehalis River-Oakville boat launches after repairs are made or as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, boaters can find alternative water access areas at https://wdfw. wa.gov/places-to-go/water-access-sites.

WDFW continues to assess flooding impacts to department- managed lands, water access areas, hatcheries and other facilities. They ask all visitors to please respect closure notices and avoid driving around signs or gates.

“Thank you for your patience as we navigate this challenging situation. Stay safe, everyone,” the department stated in a social media post

And others have let me know Fuller Hill is mudded up badly!

Any word on white bridge?

If I recall correctly DW checked and nothing in the works. DW?

1/11/2026

White Bridge, the word I heard is "this coming summer, more of a angel down river, some trees on East side of river will be removed".

BUT with South Montesano launch losing more parking lot and the angle of the Chehalis River changing, that launch could be "long gone" and that will be a major loss to all that fish that part of the river.

Depends on $$$$$$, if something isn't done, the South side of the bridge abutment, could be in danger.

I know I'm talking, WDFW $$$$ and Dept of Transportation $$$$ but????????

Friends Landing is going to be busy.

1/12/2026

Friends landing.....single ramp, terrible for a 1 person boat to get all that needs to be done.....

For those who do not get the our local newspaper the Daily World the picture is worth a thousand words. I do get the paper and went and took a look and frankly I do not see the launch being saved. It is possible that the concrete handicapped station is soon to be history. Try this link.

https://www.facebook.com/GraysHarborScan...95671119245262/

Another article from August and Doc is the pictured star !

https://www.thedailyworld.com/news/wdfw-boat-launch-near-montesano-to-close-for-renovations/

That's not Doc.
That guy has a shirt on.

I got one for thought. A friend helps around my house and her husband goes fishing for crabs! He makes a tube out of PVC pipe, swivel as in fishing at the top, cap at each end then drills 1/4 inch holes in it. (lots of them) Then small eyes are attached to anchor plastic line hanging all around with hooks on the end.

So puts clams in them and with a beach rod throws it out as far as he can get it in the surf. After some time reels it in and the crabs trying to get to the clam bait are are tangled in the tube lines and get reeled in.

I have a picture if anyone doubts it but d--- I didnt know about this!!!

Never heard such a thing? I'm a crabber and curious? Can you post a pic? What size PVC pipe? What are the tube lines that would tangle up the crabs? Is it a mess to untangle with pinchers active? Probably would need a big surf style spinning rod to get it out.

PM me your e mail address and I will send you the picture and the picture will clear things up.

No fish in the Chehalis???

Week or so back tribe was getting some hatchery steelhead and a wild here and there. Nothing to write home about.

01/23/2026

Chehalis, here's what I know........ I'm retired, don't like to fish brrrrrrr weather. Just about every day I go for a "lookie lou". I live in Central Park, so I go down the old hiway so I can check lower Wynoochee at "twin bridges", then I head East, look at boat launch by the Freeway......then go to Fuller boat launch.

Some days of the week, I drive the Satsop Loop. past cemetery, to Sheafer Park, continue to West Fork(now the main river), because the river cut thru about a half mile up from the boat launch.

Short bit on what I've been seeing, then I'll do Wynoochee.............

Satsop Hiway launch, not many rigs at all, somedays 0, big log jam below Cook creek, would be a tough pull walking drift boat around. Not many cars parked around "S corners", West Fork not many rigs there, some jet boats and a few drift boat.......I did talk with 1 drift boat person at Hiway launch, couple of days ago, NO Fish, not even a bite. If you don't know this, below the freeway, the Satsop "cut a new channel" no water goes by Keys road anymore, river is West "quite a ways"

Wynoochee......lot's of people, and boat traffic from Crossover down, to Black Ck.,
White Bridge area has some boats, drift and jet, not many.

I don't think the "fish catching" has been good, in the Chehalis or Satsop compared to many years in my past years since 1968........

No comment, from me on Wynoochee, sorry Live too close and too many know me, that fish it all the time........can tell you this, friends of mine JUST AREN'T FISHING!!!!!!