Anyone know Willipa Bay well?

Looking for some old info.

Did smith creek have a hatchery facility on it at some point? Also, the south fork willipa? Where were they located? Trying to use the internet, but WDFW is of no help...surprising huh.

Thanks

WDF had three hatcheries (at least in the 80s) in WB. Nemah and Naselle were, I believe, built in response to Boldt and were initially part of the Great Chum Enhancement. The Willapa Hatchery is located on Forks Creek a Willapa R trib.

Don't remember a Smith Creek site. Don't even remember any off-station release sites. Smith may have been a water supply for one of the three.

I have heard of “the old hatchery” a few times while spending time down there, but for the life of me, I can’t figure it out. I’m usually pretty good about finding stuff out...but this is to the point of obsession. When I say “oh, you mean forks creek”, to the locals, I get a “nope” and nothing more.

In an article I found researching the subject, the author mentions the smith creek hatchery. It is an article on low key steelhead spots.

WB is a diffeeent animal when it comes to locals, land owners and fishing. Lots of fish, small water and limited jerk offs.

I am in Raymond almost everyday to take my son to ABA therapy (for autism). I usually have between 3-5 hours to kill, so naturally I go fishing. The locals have been very helpful, more than most places I’ve gone. Except, everyone is pretty zipper lip about this...it’s bothering me now.

Here's an article that mentions Smith Creek and a hatchery. Also mentions hatchery plants.

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/fishing_salmon-steelhead-fishing_wo_0109_01/

..and some other links...

https://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/water_access/30415/

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/score/score/..._Pacific_County

..and a reference to a fishway on a dam on Smith Creek from 1920 and an oblique reference to a hatchery on the Chinook River in Pacific County...

https://books.google.com/books?id=Gw-0Tr...ery&f=false

...and lastly, a WRIA report from the 1970s on the Willapa Basin. A lot of historical information and a good write-up on Smith Creek. No mention of a hatchery, though, on Smith Creek.

http://docs.streamnetlibrary.org/Washington/DFW/StreamCatalog/24-WRIA.pdf

I know of some fry-releases (unclipped hatchery coho) that get put into the North River, but NOT aware of any Smith Creek plants.

Never seen any stats on those NR releases... volume of the "program" or any fry-to-adult recruitment data. Not sure WDFW even keeps track.

i seem to remember the planting of sea run cut throat in smith creek

According to Regional Mark Information System (RMIS), there has been periodic outplants into the Smith River and trips of coho, steelhead, Chinook, chum over the years since the late 1970s. There is no "Smith River Hatchery" releases shown. The winter steelhead releases into the Smith River were raised at a variety of locations including Lake Aberdeen Hatchery, Eells Springs (Skokomish Basin), Forks Creek Hatchery. Looks like the Smith River received steelhead releases as recently as 2012.

I was wrong about Nemah as it has been there quite a bit longer than the 70s. There was a lot of hatchery stuff that went on in the past and should be mentioned in the annual reports. I will check the couple of really old ones and see what they say.

Plus, there was a big "fish farm" push in the 50s and 60s, some of which were in Willapa.

I remember hearing about a private hatchey operating on the north river but don't know where it was or if it actually existed. Customer at my old job told me he had just bought a house next to it, artic area if i remember correctly.

The north and smith creek are weird streams. Deep and murky and full of stumps, not much in the way of fishabe access if you can find somewhere to get in, few gravel bars and limited "classic" steelhead water. Unfortunately my exploring of these areas ended when hancock timber bought most of the land around them and gated the roads.

If memory serves there was a small (private?) operation somewhere in WB. probably more or less off the books, some local landowner that made some rearing ponds, got some fish, and probably did a pretty good job of putting a few fish out. Probably flew below the "public" radar but likely received all the help and advice he needed..................

The "private" hatchery you might be referring to is/was in Vesta on the N. River. Kings and Silvers were planted there for years with large returns during the '90s. So much for the theory behind salvaging the last "pure" run of Chinook in WB by squeezing anglers out of the area north of marker 13.

A local fishing club used to plant summer runs in the S. Fork. Funny that WDFW reports all steelhead plantings but apparently doesn't do the same with salmon.