Smelt Dipping Approved for Saturday—Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG News

Get those nets back out; yet another day of smelt fishing on the Cowlitz River has been approved for tomorrow.

In a release, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) smelt lead, Laura Heironimus, said, “After careful consideration of this week’s recreational harvest and mainstem Columbia River fishery data, we’re excited to open another dipping opportunity this weekend. Available data indicates the smelt run size is large enough to support additional harvest while still meeting conservation goals.”

The rules for dip netting remain the same; you can dip from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The area open is only between the Tennant Way Bridge and just past the PH-10 Bridge in Castle Rock. Each dipper can keep up to 10 pounds, and everyone over 15 years old needs a fishing license.

WDFW says that on Wednesday they estimated there were 2,800 dip-netters on the Cowlitz, and about 14,675 pounds of the little fish were harvested.

Fishery managers want to make it clear, though, that several factors affect smelt activity on open dip-netting days; they cannot guarantee the fish will still be in the water.