Sammamish River

[Scheindogg]

So I live in a condo right next to the sammamish River, I can see it from my living room. Never tried fishing it. I'm aware that all fishing is selective gear rules and trout is catch and release.
Anyone know why there's no salmon fishery here?
I'm asking this because all of a sudden fish are jumping like CRAZY today like atleast once per minute for the last hour (atleast, I got home one hour ago). Why are these fish not allowed to be fished for?
They are definitely big fish and from my living room I saw several ones that were quite large jumping and a few must have been at least 6 lbs (quite likely more but hard to tell from so far away)
I read that there are several salmon runs on this river of chinook, coho, sockeye and steelhead. I can't tell which ones are jumping but either way, just looking to learn more about the river and the fishery and why it's not open to much fishing

[Bodofish]

Same reason everything else is closed. But it's never open for Salmon. The Slough is also juvenile only unless they changed the regs again. Or is it just part of the year.... I guess I'm too lazy to look it up too.

Could you imagine the $#it show on the Burk Gilman if it was open for everyone and all species? Nothing would make it to Lake Samm.

[Scheindogg]

Yes I noticed never open for salmon, that's part of what I was asking. And idk if it used to be juvenile only, but the regs state that the tributaries from it (little bear creek and big bear creek) are juvenile only. The rest of river (68th ave bridge to lake samm) is open (not year round) but for C&R for trout and "other game fish" are open but selective hear rules for all. But as I see it- it's completely closed to fishing until January.
And wow lol good point! Now I think I have to UN imagine how terrible that would be...

[BentRod]

There used to be a fall salmon fishery on Lake Samm, but it's been closed to sports fishermen the last two years. I wonder if we'll ever get it back. Not that it was anything spectacular, but it was at least an opportunity and pretty popular too.

[Scheindogg]

Yeah, I just got into fishing this year and I noticed that there used to be one. That would indeed sound like fun. My dad is stubborn and only takes his boat to lake sammamish because it's right by his house, so that would be a great opportunity for me! Nothing spectacular though huh? Just not a lot of fish to be had or not quality or why do you say not spectacular? I know it's not open this year anyhow, but maybe it will be in future years... For the reasons I stated above, I have my fingers crossed, lol.

[Bodofish]

There used to be a fall salmon fishery on Lake Samm, but it's been closed to sports fishermen the last two years. I wonder if we'll ever get it back. Not that it was anything spectacular, but it was at least an opportunity and pretty popular too.

It's likely to remain closed due to the Coho runs. It is a shame we were never able to fish for the Kings in Lake WA before they turn into boots but, that's never going to happen till the State and Tribe get it together on the Cedar. That run was down to sub ten fish returning and through careful management with the hatchery, they were able to bring it back to a viable, fishable run. Then they both just walked away from it........ So until there's no worry about catching a Cedar King, there won't be any King fishing in Lake Wa and the only thing available in Samm if and when it opens will still be boots. I fished it a couple of years but I wouldn't even put the fish in my smoker when they get that far.

[Scheindogg]

There's kings in WA? I didn't know that, were you hoping they were going to open it this year but they didn't? Or you don't think they ever will again?
Also do you know how many sockeye it takes to open lake wa for sockeye?! Because I saw some reports for people catching Kokanee in there, and I noticed the fish counts showed 60k sockeye got to lake Was which is much more than other lakes need to open, yet it didn't open. Does it take 100k? 200k?

[Bodofish]

If I remember, it was like 300k fish through the locks to open for Sockeye. There has been Kings running through Lake WA forever. From Issaquah Creek via Lake Samm and from the Cedar River. There used to be a fishery for Coho's in Lake Wa for the fish running up to Issy Creek but only when there were no Kings in the system.

[Scheindogg]

Oh got it, lots of cool info, thanks.
300k... Damn that's a lot. Hopefully we get that in the next couple of years because that seems like it would be a fun fishery and it's equally as close to my dads house so I could convince him to take out his boat haha

[Bodofish]

If by cool, you mean being able to walk from the south end of Mercer Island to the Boeing plant on the boats, then yeah fun!
Anyone with anything that floats in the Seattle area will be out there. Other places are good for catching them but you need good electronics to spot them and put your gear just above them. A dodger and a couple of colored hooks and you're good to go.

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

I'm one of the few that fished for cutts, salmon, steelhead and other trout in the Sammamish, in addition to duck hunting there. It was a few years ago. Duck hunting was eliminated first.

[tooboocoo]

When I was a kid, back in the '50's, they use to have hydro races in the slough.

[Scheindogg]

I mainly meant cool is the chance to attempt to catch a sockeye on the lake I grew up right next to (lived in eastgate for 18 years).
I realize that's also how everyone else in Seattle would feel, which would make it very hard, but still would be fun/memorable

Duck hunting at sammamish?! That woulda been awesome haha.
And hydros on the slough?!? I could watch t from my house that would be insane lol

[Bodofish]

I mainly meant cool is the chance to attempt to catch a sockeye on the lake I grew up right next to (lived in eastgate for 18 years).
I realize that's also how everyone else in Seattle would feel, which would make it very hard, but still would be fun/memorable

Duck hunting at sammamish?! That woulda been awesome haha.
And hydros on the slough?!? I could watch t from my house that would be insane lol

Hahaha, my folks owned one of the first houses in Eastgate. I remember the exit off I90 at 150th was a dirt road and there was no over pass. It was a huge deal when the park was put in. Then we moved to Cougar Mtn. The hydro races were way cool, they started in Kenmore and hauled @$$ to the barrier dam and turned around and went back to the finish at Kenmore. Major wipe outs and crashes when they were going both directions........ I never did any duck hunting on the Slough but the north end of the lake right by the barrier dam and we fished anything that had water in it.... It's all Yuppy spawn now. Although I do like the trail, it makes a nice safe place to pedal the bike which would be plain dangerous if I had to ride on the road, drivers these days........... It makes it easy to pedal along just before dark and toss in a bug trap and come back in the morning to a full trap..... The biggest obstacle is not letting anyone see you toss it in and keeping the line hidden. If it's not cast in cement, they'll steal it.

[Scheindogg]

I was right near the elementary school on 153rd! But wow the dirt road and no overpass is way before my time lol. Sounds badass about the hydro races. What do you mean by bug trap?

[Bodofish]

A crawdad trap.

[Amx]

Mud bugs.

[Amx]

Yup, I thought they had the Slough Races into the '70s. They were still running the races when I first moved here in Dec. '72.

The races ran from 1933 to 1976.

Here is an article from a couple years ago.


http://www.redmond-reporter.com/communi ... 60901.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


other articles;

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylc=X3 ... s&ei=UTF-8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Amx]

A couple videos;

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Aw ... yfp-t&fp=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Amx]

Awesome video here;

http://www.agaulculley.com/kenmore-hydroplane-cup/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;