A smelt dip on the Cowlitz River brings about a festival atmosphere as folks gather to have fun, and hopefully end up with a mess of smelt. (Terry Otto for The Columbian) Smelt-dipping will return to ...

Fisheries managers for the WDFW have started the process by which the state will decide if there will be enough of a smelt return to the Columbia River to open recreational smelt dipping on the Cowlit ...

The state House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that affects a rite of passage practiced by generations of Washingtonians with a license — smelt dipping. Smelt, also called a candlefish, is ...

Mar. 8—Smelt dippers will return to the banks of the Cowlitz River as the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved recreational fisheries for Wednesday, March 12, and Saturday, ...

Mar. 12—Anglers from across the Pacific Northwest took to the banks of the Cowlitz River on Wednesday, March 12, for the opening of the state's brief smelt dipping season. All it took was a few empty ...

As February approaches, local sportsmen and women start to think about smelt dipping. Will the popular smelt dip take place on the Cowlitz River this year, or is the run supposed to be too depressed ...

Jan. 16—The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced a new tentative schedule approach for the Cowlitz River recreational smelt fishery. "This approach is designed to provide ...

I have two old smelt dip nets in my garage gathering dust for the past few years. I'd like to put them to use. I know it's been cold and all, but is anyone out there up on the local smelt scene? I've ...