It was a great day of smelt dipping on the Cowlitz River, with many dippers getting their limits in a matter of minutes! Early morning fog gave way to sunshine as people lined the banks to take part in this unique fishery. Thanks to everyone who stopped by a WDFW sampling station to help us gather valuable biological data on these fascinating fish.

Our enforcement officers were also out educating people on the need for every dipper to have a separate container, as well as issuing citations for those over the limit of 10 pounds per person.

To stay up to date on potential smelt fishery openings, visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/smelt