Cowlitz Fish Report
Cowlitz Restoration and Recovery grant funding is available for hatchery-associated production (HAP) projects or activities that lead to on-the-ground projects. The 2025 grant round is closed. Year-round engagement is encouraged to prepare for future grant rounds.
Click here to learn about the HAP process, timelines, and available application supportCowlitz Fish Report
December 15, 2025
Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 5,016 Coho adults, 133 Coho jacks, two Fall Chinook adults, 41 Summer-run Steelhead, seven Winter-run Steelhead, and 41 Cutthroat Trout over five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
During the past week, Tacoma Power employees released 368 Coho adults and 23 Coho jacks into the Cispus River near Yellowjacket Creek and they released 127 Coho adults and three Coho jacks at Franklin Bridge in Packwood. Tacoma Power also released 2,816 Coho adults, 68 Coho jacks, and six Cutthroat Trout into Lake Scanewa at Copper Canyon.
Tacoma Power employees released 385 Coho adults and ten Coho jacks into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton and they released two Fall Chinook adults, 1,237 Coho adults, 26 Coho jacks, two Winter-run Steelhead, and 12 Cutthroat into the Tilton River at Bremer Bridge.
River flow below Mayfield Dam is 28,800 cubic feet per second on Monday, December 15, 2025. Water visibility is 1 foot and water temperature is 49.3(F). River flows could change at any time so boaters and anglers should remain alert for this possibility.
- Get information about river flows and lake levels at MyTPU.org/LakeLevels.
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- Questions? Please email cowlitz@cityoftacoma.org.
Cowlitz Fish Stats:
- Graphs of adult returns by species for each week and 10-year averages.
- Tables of collections by species for each week, season to date and weekly 5-year averages.