Tumwater Salmon Spectacular
- Thread starter Wetswinger
- Start date
Cool pics!
Unfortunately, I only count 633 fish in that second picture. They need at least 635 for spawning purposes.
Time to close MA 13 down again due to lack of fish.
SF
I'm told they used to let people snag those fish at the falls. I bet that was a fun show....I have my 12' leader and black corky...
BriGuy
Life of the Party
I was there last week and saw them sorting the fish. Three guys were wading in the end of the tank. Each would grab a fish and hold it over the edge for another guy to scan its head for an RFID code. The guy holding it would call out "male" or "female" and throw it in the appropriate bin. Other people would record the fish count/sex on a clipboard and haul the bins away. Quite the production.
They also host field trips for local schools where they tell the story of the fish and then gut and harvest the eggs in front of the kids. Eeeew, gross! My wife still remembers it as a kid.
Definitely worth a visit. They also have viewing windows and platforms at the inlet of the tanks, and post regular updated statistics on a bulletin board near the windows.
They also host field trips for local schools where they tell the story of the fish and then gut and harvest the eggs in front of the kids. Eeeew, gross! My wife still remembers it as a kid.
Definitely worth a visit. They also have viewing windows and platforms at the inlet of the tanks, and post regular updated statistics on a bulletin board near the windows.
I remember when we were young and go down to Capitol Lake, throw in the ol' car topper, and troll spinners and such around the lake trying to catch those boots. Or fish from the now long gone bridge near the mouth of the river, tossing spinners or spoons. Ugly fish for sure, but they were a heck of a lot bigger than the native cutthroat trout. Didn't take much to entertain us country bumpkins in those days.
Same here.
Sg, did you ever encounter the fisherman with one arm while you were down there?
The guy used to catch a lot of fish.
SF
Never encountered a one armed fisherman as best I remember.
Sounds like the setup for a joke.
Nope, true story.
His arm was missing from the elbow down.
When he would hook-up a fish, he’d stick the rod butt under the missing arm stub and reel with his good arm. He had it down and was an inspiration for getting out there and doing it even with his disability. He caught a lot of fish as well.
We also used to catch a fair number of steelhead down there. That of course was when they stocked everything.
SF
Divad
Whitefish
Quota was hit early and you can watch them all at the bottom of the falls. So many pools with fish, I’ve never seen it this thick.
With so many returning I’m guessing Percival has a few too if they aren’t already clubbed by tweakers. That’ll be Friday’s outing, nothing like looking for fish while armed to the teeth and tiptoeing around needles.
With so many returning I’m guessing Percival has a few too if they aren’t already clubbed by tweakers. That’ll be Friday’s outing, nothing like looking for fish while armed to the teeth and tiptoeing around needles.
I remember when they put coho in Percival Lake and they held them too long and they wouldn't leave. They opened the lake up to fishing for those coho so that they could put in kings. I also helped them when the roetenoned the lake. There were a few steelhead to he had when they did that. This was back in the '70's.
That south sound chinook program produced a lot of great opportunities and fishing back in the day. Absolutely dynamite winter blackmouth fishing.
Sad deal when it went away.
SF
Sad deal when it went away.
SF
Gyrfalcon22
Life of the Party
Having lived less than a mile from the lake in downtown Olympia, I ran or walked around the lake a lot and wondered if they would, indeed, turn it back into saltwater? Dead stickleback always floating in big numbers was not encouraging the lake was healthy in the slightest. The seals at the old KFC dam chute opening would chow on the chinook. Have not been there for years but wonder if things have changed much?
Obviously a great sign to see such big chinook returns this year. On my coastal river I see the same great uptick this year in chinook and early coho
Obviously a great sign to see such big chinook returns this year. On my coastal river I see the same great uptick this year in chinook and early coho
Last edited:
Divad
Whitefish
@Gyrfalcon22 Any day now they should release the final Enviornmental Impact Statement with decision of lake, estuary or hybrid (fall ‘22). Three options were brought forth and it looks like the estuary is the likely route.
ETA 7-13 years per project timeline.
ETA 7-13 years per project timeline.
Gyrfalcon22
Life of the Party
Very cool, thanks for the update !
FinLuver
Native Oregonian…1846
Around 1974…when the King Tut Exhibit was in Seattle. We stopped and watched fish, thick as fleas, for about an hour.
