What is likely to be the last razor clam dig of the season will start Saturday after tests showed the clams are safe to eat.
“We have just enough clams available for harvest at Copalis and Mocrocks to offer one more weekday dig,” said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Ayres said he expects this to be the final dig of the season at all beaches.
“We’ll see where we are with the other beaches after this opening. But anything after this coming (dig) will definitely be an unexpected bonus,” he said.
Dig dates, with low tide:
Saturday: (7:28 a.m., -0.3 feet): Long Beach and Twin Harbors only.
Sunday: (8:01 a.m., -0.4 feet): Long Beach and Twin Harbors only.
Monday: (8:35 a.m., -0.4 feet): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks.
No digging will be allowed on any beaches beyond noon.
LAKES
American: Anglers are catching some kokanee and rainbow trout. Trolling slowly is best right now because of the colder water temperatures.
Chelan: The lake trout fishing has been best in the upper end of the trench in water 200-240 feet deep, said Anton Jones of Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service. Troll at speeds of 1.3-1.6 mph as close to the bottom as you can with Flatfish in luminous chartreuse and Kingfisher Lite Spoons in chartreuse double splatterback glow, he said.
Kapowsin: The action for rainbow trout has been fair to good. Use worms or dough bait from shore or troll a Wedding Ring or spinner. The bass fishing is still slow.
Nahwatzel: The lake produced a 5 pound, 4 ounce rainbow trout on Sunday, according to an online report. Try trolling Wedding Rings tipped with a worm.
St. Clair: Anglers are hooking a few as the bass prepare to spawn. One angler online reports landing a 5-pound fish. He reported he was using spinnerbaits. A few rainbows are being caught as well.
RIVERS
Columbia: The fishing success improved over the weekend. During the last four days, the state sampled 1,921 anglers with 303 adult and one jack spring chinook and 23 steelhead. Boat anglers averaged an adult chinook kept/released per 4.5 rods, while bank anglers averaged one per 25.6 rods. Sturgeon fishing has been a bit slow, but people are catching some legal-size fish below Bonneville Dam and in The Dalles and John Day pools.
Cowlitz: Spring chinook are being caught throughout the river while steelhead are being caught near the trout hatchery.
Klickitat: A few anglers have been giving it a try, with little success, according to a state report.
Lewis: Boat anglers in the North Fork are catching some spring chinook.
Olympic Coast: Anglers are catching a mix of winter-run and early summer-run steelhead as well as some spring chinook, said Jim Kerr of Rain Coast Guides. After spiking Monday, river levels were dropping Tuesday to near normal levels.
Skookumchuck: The river is still producing some catches of steelhead. Some of the fish are on the dark side. Jigs or corkies and yarn are the way to go right now.
Yakima: River conditions have been fluctuating in recent days, making fishing difficult. Right now, the best water is in the upper river, said a staffer at Red’s Fly Shop.
SALT WATER
Port Angeles: Salmon fishing in the area has slowed down but still seems to be the best option in Puget Sound right now, based on state sampling reports.
Tacoma: Only few salmon have been caught in recent days. Trolling and mooching off the clay banks produced some fish over the weekend, said Art Tachell at Point Defiance Boathouse.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.