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.

Smelt dipping will return to the banks of the Cowlitz River as Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved recreational fisheries for Wednesday and Saturday (March 15). Dip-netting will ...

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, March 15.