Anglers will soon see more steelhead trout in Southwest Washington lakes and coastal waters as hatchery staff work to plant the fish and make some areas open to year-round fishing.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in a news release said it will plant surplus adult steelhead from hatcheries into Kress and Horseshoe lakes in Cowlitz County, as well as Black, Cases Snag and Western lakes in Pacific County. Forst Borst Park Pond, Lake Sylvia and the Inez pond near Vance Creek will also get more stocks in the future, the department said.
Summer-run steelhead in the Lower Cowlitz River had a promising season between May and December, according to data collected at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery Adult Separator. Overall, Southwest Washington steelhead hatcheries saw 4,353 fish between those months; the hatchery on the Lower Cowlitz saw 3,018 steelhead. More than 1,600 surplus fish will go into nearby Southwest Washington waters.
Freshwater fishing rules can be found in the 2022-23 WDFW regulation packet. WDFW said anglers in the Southwest Washington region can expect hundreds of fish usually weighing eight to 10 pounds.
The trout faces barriers and habitat destruction mostly due to dams and culverts, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Populations in the Lower, Middle and Upper Columbia River are all listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Planting a specific number of fish helps WDFW open areas to recreational fishing while protecting the overall success of the steelhead, WDFW said in its news release. Washington state requires the release of wild steelhead, so hatchery steelhead have a clipped fin that distinguishes them. Most hatcheries for steelhead reside in Alaska, Washington and Oregon.
Steelhead fish — unlike their close cousin the rainbow trout — live in both salt- and freshwater, usually migrating out to sea before they return to freshwater to spawn. The bespeckled creature was recognized as the official Washington state fish in 1969. It can grow to 55 pounds and 45 inches in length.
