Salt waterIlwaco: The salmon fishing remains very good, with the average catch last week at 1.41 fis...

1. Fishing report for July 4
Salt water
Ilwaco: The salmon fishing remains very good, with the average catch last week at 1.41 fish per
person. More than 90 percent of the fish caught were coho.
North Coast: The action has been better off La Push, where the average was .98 salmon per person,
while Neah Bay has been slow. The average there was down to .35 fish a person.
South Sound: The action has been fair this week. People are catching some fish from Gig Harbor
down to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Try fishing during the slack tide using a Point Wilson Dart
used as a free sliding system. Crabbing in Marine Area 11 (Tacoma) opened Friday. At this time,
move your pots around until you find crab, instead of soaking them all day in one location. Also try
fishing deeper, starting around 150 feet deep. Early reports indicate there are limits to be caught.
Westport: The action remains excellent, with the average catch at 1.61 salmon per person. While the
majority of fish being caught are coho, some large chinook are being caught. Some fish are pushing
the 35-pound mark.
Rivers
Columbia: Catch estimates from June 16-Monday include 1,720 adult chinook kept and 2,056
released during 26,100 angler trips. The Technical Advisory Committee earlier this week updated
the sockeye salmon run, The sockeye return is now expected to be 425,000 fish, up from the initial
forecast of 347,100 sockeye. The record return came in 2012 and was 521,000 fish. Shad counts
remain are consistently less than 10,000 a day.
Cowlitz: The river is showing improved summer-run steelhead action, based on state creel sampling.
Yakima: With hot and humid weather in the area, the best action has been in the evening starting
about 6 p.m. Anglers are using a combination of a X-caddis with some sort of cripple pattern as the
dropper fly. Make sure your cast gets the flies tight to the bank.
Lakes
American: Anglers are catching yellow perch fairly
close to shore, but the bigger fish are holding in
water 18-25 feet deep. Some people are just fishing
with worms, while others are putting a worm on a
white jig.
Clear (Pierce): The kokanee fishing has been good,
with people catching limits fairly quickly. The fish
seem to be holding about 25-30 feet deep.

2. Crescent (Clallam): People have been catching rainbow trout and kokanee. Fishign the shallows at
the east end of the lake has been the most productive.
Leech: The lake continues to be very productive for brook and rainbow trout. Emerger patterns
seem to be the most effective, but chironomids also are productive.
Merwin: The kokanee fishing has been down by the dam. The action has been good running your
gear about 25-40 feet deep. Many people are using pink mini-hoochies.
Potholes: Anglers are catching limits of crappie, and the yellow perch action has been very good.
Warming water temperatures have improved the largemouth bass fishing. The Crab Creek area has
been very good for walleye.
Tanwax: The bass fishing has been fair to good. Anglers are reporting have more success using
surface lures as of late.
Contributors: State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ryan Bailey at Red's Fly Shop,
washingtonlakes.com, Tom Pollack at Sportco, salmonuniversity.com, Annie Meseberg at MarDon
Resort, washingtonflyfishing.com. thenewstribune.com/outdoors theolympian.com/outdoors