Looks like the cowlitz winter run is amping up.

Cowlitz Fish Report

The fish report is updated on Monday mornings, unless the date is a holiday.
March 11, 2019
Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered two winter-run steelhead adults during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
All of the fish collected last week were held at the hatchery for broodstock needs.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 5,160 cubic feet per second on Monday, March 11. Water visibility is 10 feet and the water temperature is 41 F. River flows could change at any time so boaters and anglers should remain alert for this possibility.

*******five year weekly average is 109 hatchery steelhead. Season to date is 21 hatchery fish.*******

What a joke......They must be late.

Boy... That really sucks.

Is this sufficient evidence that the "wild steelhead run" can't sustain itself on the Cowlitz? Can we please move on and restore historical hatchery plants on that system?

With good water conditions and plenty of boats not many get to the hatchery. not that the fishing is red hot but there are fish being caught everyday.

Sounds like someone needs to plant more fish?????????

Laughable.

Can someone explain why the run is small? I think they planted lots of smolts, right?

What deerlick said. 100%
Still not gonna help the hatcheries raise future fish with less fish and eggtakes.
They will be scratching their heads after this season, and have no plan to turn $hit around. BMFW. Bare minimum fish and wildlife.

It is indeed very poor for this time of year. hopefully they'll get enough for broodstock

id rather catch them than wonder how so many got to the hatchery and didn't get caught

So bobber doggin is that effective ya?

Sorry i dont use training wheels

Btw have u been there or are you waiting to hear a good report. Didnt you sell your boat because runs were so bad. What made you buy another boat?

I haven't fished the cowpie in probably 15 years. Amazing how fast things change. I'm still in shock how fast the Chum fishery has been depleted. I'm done fishing for wild Steelhead in Wa. I don't want to be part of the problem any more. My fishing will be in northern Oregon targeting their brood stock fish. Very sad.

In spite of what the winter and summer steelhead smolt release numbers for the Cowlitz have looked like on the WDFW website, I have it on good authority that for at least the past 8-9 years, WDFW (as paid managers for the Cowlitz hatcheries by TPU) has had no real idea how many smolts were actually going out due to hatchery equipment being out of calibration. The equipment now is purportedly functioning correctly.

And we wonder why "back-up" generators don't work at other WDFW hatcheries???

Imagine that? Doesn't surprise me one bit.
Great work fellas. Lol...

Wholly stocker!!!
And I don't mean fish planter.
LOL

Is it just a Cowlitz thing, this poor return? How are the other SW WA rivers doing with respect to their winter steelhead returns?

you are recognizeable after all. cant hide in that other river all the time and not get seen

Stilling laughing about the training wheels comment.

Amazing how effective those cats are by slowing down their presentations.

No Bueno. Same goes with the Willapa tribs.