Monday March 17, 2025
The Reflector —
This year’s Cowlitz River recreational smelt dip-fishing season kicked off Wednesday almost totally without its two most important elements: smelt and people dipping for them.
Each year for decades, the banks of the Cowlitz have been lined elbow-to-elbow with thousands of dippers looking to fill their buckets with the small but delicious fish. But this year at Gerhart Gardens, which is normally one of the most popular dipping spots, only a dozen nets plunged into the water as the season started at 8 a.m. sharp.
This year was the first that licenses were required for the prized local tradition and the first that approved dipping days were announced so far in advance. It’s hard to say if the low dipper turnout Wednesday was because of rainy weather, WDFW’s new approach or the fact smelt hadn’t yet made it into the Cowlitz despite the fishery being opened.
On Thursday, WDFW approved dipping on Wednesday and March 22 — the last day of the season.