In 1957 a half million pounds of smelt were taken from the Sandy by commerical fishermen - most of them destined for cat food. Then in 1958 the smelt suddenly disappeared and did not make another run until 1971. They had returned to their former large numbers by 1977 when 800,000 pounds were taken by commercial fishermen. In 1979, the last year for which figures were available [note: 1980 publication], 600,000 pounds were taken. Ten commercial outfits operated on the Sandy during the 1977 season, among them the largest vessels were 25 foot gillnet boats, the smallest were 16 foot aluminum rowboats. The smelt do not penetrate far upstream, and the Troutdale bridge at River Mile 3.1 is the upper limit of commerical boat fishing. The runs generally last about three weeks each spring."


Source:    James E. Farnell, Ph.D., Research Analyst, 1980, "Sandy and Hood River Navigability Studies", Division of State Lands, Salem, Oregon, July 1980.

"OLYMPIA — For the first time in five years, the Cowlitz River will not open to smelt dipping.

A commercial test fishery conducted last month in the Columbia River showed that area smelt abundance is too low to warrant a recreational fishery this year, state fishery managers said.

Laura Heironimus, a fish manager at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said gillnet boats participating in the test fishery near the mouth of the Cowlitz River landed less than 130 pounds of smelt after eight days of fishing.

“That’s well below the 250-pound average daily catch benchmark for opening a recreational fishery,” Heironimus said. “We also didn’t see the frenzied activity by birds and sea lions last month that usually occurs during a healthy smelt run.”

Eulachon, more commonly known as smelt, were listed in 2010 as a threatened species from Washington state to the Mexican border under the federal Endangered Species Act. In 2014, after a three-year closure, WDFW opened a two-day sport fishery on the Cowlitz River in conjunction with a commercial test fishery designed to monitor the smelt population.

For the past two years, the recreational dip-net fishery on the Cowlitz River has been limited to a six-hour period on a single day.

“We know people really enjoy this fishery, but we can’t open it in good conscience knowing the abundance is so low,” Heironimus said. “The smelt population appears to be declining again after gaining some ground, so it’s hard to say whether we’ll be able to open a fishery next year.”"


Source:    "Chinook Observer", March 6, 2018.

"Steamboat men report the Columbia alive with smelt all the way from the Cowlitz down to Cathlamet Bay. Myriads of gulls are seen along the river feeding to repletion on smelt, which are spread across the whole river, and in many places can be seen swimming close to the surface, as if the river was full of them. In the Cowlitz tons of the silvery little fish are being scooped up by fishermen and shipped to all parts of the Northwest, and here in Portland men are seen standing on street corners selling four pounds of smelt for 10 cents. ... The sturgeon used to thin out the schools of smelt as a very large sturgeon would take a barrel of them at a meal, and keep eating all day and all night, and since the sturgeon were practically exterminated the smelt have increased. There are now nearly as pelntiful as the salmon were in the good old days when Munchausen Knaggs owned the middle river, when the chinook obstructed navigation and choked the narrow places in the river, so that emigrant teams drove across on their backs."


Source:    "The Morning Oregonian", March 9, 1901, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"There was a sharp decline in the price of Columbia River smelt yesterday from 20 cents to 10 cents per pound. One smelt fisherman, instead of waiting for the school to enter the Cowlitz, decided to try dippping for them in the mightly Columbia. He found the head of the school about five miles below the mouth of the Cowlitz. Before the fish found out what he was affter he had scooped in 800 pounds of them. Their arrival in the market here brought down the price. If the weaterh keeps fine the smelt will be in the Cowlitz in a few days, and then there will be smelt to burn, and they will be shipped all over the country."


Source:    "The Morning Oregonian", December 12, 1901, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"... Last year there were as many or more salmon than ever before, and this year the same is true of the smelt. Years ago smelt did not make their appearance here in the market till about the middle of March, as no one fished for them but Indians, and they only fished with dipnets after the fish were running up the small rivers and could be caught from the banks. Now white men are out with seines, prospecting for the first school of smelt, as the first bring 50 cents and even 75 cents per pound. The result is that smelt were in market last Thanksgiving day, and were quite plentiful early in December. Since that time, nearly four months, smelt have been coming to market steadily by the ton, and immense quantities -- no one can say how many tons -- have been sold here or shipped to all parts of the Northwest at cheap rates. For a number of years the smelt, which used to be plentiful in the Sandy River, have not come further up than the Cowlitz, but lately a new school has come into the Columbia, and these have passed the Cowlitz, and are now running up Lewis River. The farmers are catching them in great numbers. The probability is that they will go on up to the Sandy, and give residents along that stream a chance to enjoy the sport of smelt fishing. This fishing is carried on chiefly at night, and when the smelt are plentiful affords fine sport to the fishermen."


Source:    "The Morning Oregonian", March 24, 1902, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"Reports from Kalama is to the effect that smelt are again plentiful in the Cowlitz and the indications are that there will be an abundance of fresh fish for Lent."


Source:    "The Sunday Oregonian", March 5, 1905, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"Smelt have not made their appearance, except in small quantities in the Cowlitz and Grays Rivers. So far there have been no smelt for sale in any of the fresh fish markets that receive their supplies from the Columbia River or its tributaries."


Source:    "The Sunday Oregonian", January 16, 1910, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"ASTORIA, Or., Feb.16. -- The largest run of smelt for years in the Cowlitz River is now in progress. The river has never been known to contain so many smelt in th ememory of the oldest fisherman.

This may bode good for the coming fishing season in the Columbia, as it is said that a good run of smelt has always been followed by a good run of salmon."


Source:    "The Sunday Oregonian", February 17, 1910, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

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NEWSPAPER IMAGE ... "Smelt Fishing On The Cowlitz", Sunday Oregonian, February 21, 1910. Courtesy Historic Oregon Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

... There is not much romance connected with the taking of the smelt that are so plentiful in the markets of Portland and the Northwest during four or five months of each Winter. There is no battling with waves and storms such as are encountered by the hardy herring fishermen of the Atlantic. FOr the sportsman, smelt fishing would be just about as exciting as clam digging and the amount of skill required about the same. Smelt fishing furnishes talkes, however, that are novelties among fish stories in that while almost unbelievable they are nevertheless true.

During the smelt runs the fish are so plentiful that even the voracious seagull becomes almost sated. ...

So plentifully do the smelt run that frequently children bail them out of the water with tin cans securing half fish and half water. When the water is shallow enough the smelt can be taken with the bare hands for the skin of the fish is not slimy when in the water.

While the Cowlitz River is the only known spawning ground for smelt where the fish may be taken year by year, they have been known to run up the Lewis River and also up the Snady. At the time the smelt ran up the Lewis River, 14 years ago, there was only a small run of male smelt in the Cowlitz and the fisherment transferred their operations to the Lewis. WHen smelt run in numbers up the Sandy River it is apparently independently of the Cowlitz run and it is said to occur in the Sandy about once in eight years. ...

This season the Cowlitz River is the spawning ground of the greatest run of smelt ever known by fishermen who have been engaged in the business for 20 years. It is now estimated that by the close of the season the river will have yielded 200,000 boxes of smelt, each box weighing 50 pounds. This will represent an output of 10,000,000 pounds or 5000 tons and as smelt average about eight fish to the pound it means the marketing of 80,000,000 fish. ..."


Source:    "The Sunday Oregonian", February 21, 1910, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2016.

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NEWSPAPER IMAGE ... "Smelt Fishing Fine", Morning Oregonian, April 14, 1913. Courtesy Historic Oregon Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

Source:    "Morning Oregonian", April 14, 1913, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"KELSO, Wash., Jan. 1. -- (Special.) -- The Columbia River Smelt Company is erecting a new dock near the depot at Kelso to facilitate the work of handling and shipping the smelt catch during the approaching season. It is now almost time for the arrival of the fish and old fishermen expect the run to start as soon as the river rises. The fish never start their run until the river is muddied by rains. Plans are being made to open an Eastern market on a more extensive scale than last year, when shipments in refrigerated cars was made for the first time."


Source:    "The Morning Oregonian", January 2, 1915, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2016.

"With the waters of the Sandy River fairly alive with smelt, the greatest run known there for years, many people yesterday started dipping the fish from the waters of that stream with intent to thwart the high cost of living for a while, at least. Then came along Game Warden Carl Shoemaker, with his deputies, and insisted that each man who dipped up smelt must pay the regulation fee for a dip-net license, which is $1.

Mr. Shoemaker made a large haul of persons not equipped with licenses, it not being known that such a permit was required to harvest the food crop now so abundant in the Sandy's waters. Thirty-three men paid the fee.

Two others declined to take out the licenses, and Mr. Shoemaker will cause their arrest unless they comply promptly with the law.

"Tons of smelt were caught in the Sandy today," said Mr. Shoemaker upon his return to the city last night. "Portland market men were on hand buying them up. There were probably 2000 people along the river, most of them watching the fishermen. The run is very heavy, perhaps a record for the Sandy."

The smelt started to enter the river in huge numbers Friday. How long the run will continue cannot be known. Two fishermen at Troutdale -- John Crawford and George Larson -- took 2500 pounds, when the run first started, in an hour."


Source:    "Morning Oregonian", April 22, 1917, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

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NEWSPAPER IMAGE ... "Smelt Run Is Heavy", Morning Oregonian, April 23, 1917. Courtesy Historic Oregon Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"Fishermen and spectators swarmed the banks of the Sandy River all day yesterday, the former to take record catches of smelt and the latter to watch the interesting process.

The silvery fish run in countless numbers up the Sandy and it did not require special skill to make immense catches. Nets, sacks, even birdcages were used to dip up the toothsome smelt, which ran in enormous schools, seeking out spawning grounds.

This is the first well defined run of smelt to occur in the Sandy River for the past three years and it is said to be the biggest run that stream ever saw. Two men near Troutdale yesterday morning caught 1500 pounds of smelt in a short time. ...

Great quantites of the fish were brought to this city by private conveyances throughout the day. The modest price of 1 cent per pound was asked for the smelt, still alive and wriggling, as soon as they were dipped from the waters of the Sandy.

During the forenoon there was a big crowd on hand to watch the fishing operations, but by afternoon multitudes had appeared. When the cloud of automobiles started back toward Portland there was a solid, unbroken line of moving vehicles stretching for a long distance. The scene resembled the auto parade that made the opening of the Interstate bridge memorable.

How long the unusual run of smelt in the Sandy will continue is entirely problematic. The run started just when the smelt had left the Cowlitz, where they have been caught in vast quantities for weeks. ..."

Seagulls Follow Up Smelt ... Presence of Birds Indicates Run of Fish Is in the River.

"VANCOUVER, Wash., April 22. -- (Special.) -- Several thousand seagulls hovering over the Columbia River for the past few days indicated to old-timers that the smelt were coming up the river. The fish are now running in the Sandy, and the gulls follow along to feed upon them. These birds rest in large numbers at the upper end of Hayden Island and feed upon smelt which come to the top of the island in going up the river to reach the Sandy.

As far as the smelt go the gulls will follow."

Source:    "Morning Oregonian", April 23, 1917, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

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NEWSPAPER IMAGE ... "Sandy Still Black With Smelt", Morning Oregonian, April 3, 2018. Courtesy Historic Oregon Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"... they auta call this town Smeltville" ...

Sandy Smelt Run Heavy.

Who has not seen the smelt run of the Sandy, when the little fish turn from the Columbia to seek their spawning riffles in the glacial waters of its tributary, has a great deal to learn about smelt -- which are fish of fine personal attributes -- and more about human nature.

Never a jollier assembly of fishermen went to the river than those who have ranged themselves along the banks of the Sandy the past few days. With nets of mosquito screen, of birdcages, of rat-traps, flour sacks and what-not, they have swept the river at its edge for a toll that is reckoned in many tons. And they have touched but the outer fringe of that flood of fish that traveled up the current.

For the Sandy was black with smelt. From the bridge, as one looked down at the sand-bars, the river bottom curved and swayed with the files of finny pilgrims in numbers past all computing. As the dipnets plunged into the current the tick-tick-tick of the smalt against the netting was continuous until the fishermen swooped his net from the water, bearing from a dozen to ahundred or more.

Commercial fishermen filled boats with the smelt in a few hours dipping. A salmon launch crept in from the Columbia, her gunwales high above the current. A few hours later she passed down stream, laden almost to the water's edge. From the banks the licensed fishermen cried their wares to the passing motorists, who lined the bridge to spectators. ...

Run Largest in Several Years.

Beneath the bridge at Troutdale is a sandbar, nestled about its sponor, one of the big concrete pillars. Until the season of low water it cannot be reached from either shore. The smelt ran thick and dark across this bar and turned in a solid bank of moving fish to skirt the pillar. Someone rigged a block and tackle from the bridge rail, and a dozen boys came down, hand over hand, to fish at the base of the pillar.

Old-timers of Troutdale say that this season's run has been the largest of several seasons. The fish are of fine quality, and or more than ordinary size. At the river bank they were almost wholly without sale, for anyone with any kind of net could dip several hundred pounds in an hour.

The length of the run is problematical, but it is throught that it has passed its height and that it will be over within a day or so. Ordinarily the smelt run in the Sandy lasts from four days to a full week."


Source:    "The Morning Oregonian", April 3, 1918, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2016.

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NEWSPAPER IMAGE ... "Smelt Run In Sandy Started", Morning Oregonian, March 31, 1919. Courtesy Historic Oregon Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2018.

"Smelt! Smelt! Smelt!   Tons of glistening smelt, dipped wriggling from the Sandy river! Smelt for the market, smelt for supper, smelt to salt away for the household larder, jolting with knockout blows the high cost of living.

Saturday the smelt began to run in the Sandy. Funny how rapidly the news spread. By 4 o'clock yesterday morning, whole families with dipnets, buckets, any old thing to dip 'em up with, were arriving at the Sandy river bridge, just the other side of Troutdale (which ought henceforth to be called Smeltdale).

These early comers were just the vanguard of a multitude who came to the Sandy yesterday for smelt. From every point and rock on both sides of the river above and below the bridge, they dipped in their nets and hauled out the smelt.

They came in automobiles, on motorcycles, in trucks and behind Old Dobbin in the family buggy. The Interurban from Montavilla to Troutdale had to run extra cars to accommodate the rush. Some even walked out.

Six Officers Busy.

Six deputy sheriffs and traffic officers were kept in a sweat all day handling the swarm of automobiles. From Troutdale down to the bridge and beyond it, a full half mile, cars were parked on both sides of the highway, and in every open parking space they were three, four, even half a dozen deep. And every moment more cars arriving to add to the jam. ...

Returning Cars Laden.

From the fronts or backs of most of the cars going out projected the handles or business ends of dipnets. Packed on the hoods and running boards of the cars returning were gunnybags, flour sacks, boxes, buckets, barrels and baskets full of smelt. ...

The annual smelt run in the Sandy usually continues from one to two weeks. It ends almost as abruptly as it begins."


Source:    "The Morning Oregonian", March 31, 1919, courtesy Oregon Historic Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2016.