Feb 16
Get out the Kwikfish and Herring rigs gang. The first springers have been caught in the lower Columbia and more are moving up every day. This years run prediction if for 263,300 Spring Chinook to cross Bonneville Dam. Both the Columbia and Willametter Rivers will be open. The Columbia below the Willametter will be open from March 24th thru April 4th. It is a seven day a week fishery with a limit of 1 fish a day per person. Above the Willamette the open dates are March 16th to April 30. Tuesdays are closed to fishing and the limit is 1 fish per person. The Willametter River hatchery Springer runs is expected to be low and you can expect to have lower than normal retention rates than most years around the mouth of the Willamette. This is also a good sign that you should focus your efforts in areas where the upriver fish tend to run. The Willamette fish run up the Oregon side of the Columbia as they approach the St Helens area. I will be focusing a lot of my efforts on the Washington side of the river around the Lewis and Kalama River mouths. This will allow me to pick up the up river fish while picking up the fish that hang in and around the river mouths as they prepare to migrate up the tributaries.
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Feb 16
Lewis River East Fork, Kalama River, Lewis River North Fork, South Fork Toutle River, Cowlitz River Report, Greys River, Elochman River, Steelhead Fishing, Fish We Catch, Washington State Fishing Reports, Chehalis River, Cowlitz River, Salmon Fishing
Smelt fishing remains slow on the Cowlitz River. Sturgeon fishing is slow in the Cowlitz and will stay that way until the smelt show. The Cowlitz and Columbia have both reached the magic 43 degree mark where the pilot run of smelt should be coming upriver in waves. And the sturgeon shhould be right behind them. The Sandy was hot this weekend with a mix of hatchery and native fish hitting in the upper river sections. Southwest Washington Rivers have dropped into shape and the Wild Fish are on the bite. A buddy of mine fish Saturday morning on a small local river and he hit three nice fish including a 15 lb native that ripped our most of his line before coming to hand. Steelheading is heating back up for late hatchery fish in the Blue Creek are of the Cowlitz. With the weather finally clearing up and rivers dropping back into shape, coastal rivers are all starting to produce well. It is time to get out on the water and catch the largest steelhead of the year.
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Feb 04
The Steelheading this winter has been a tough one at times. The drift boat has been sitting mainly unused with all the high water. I have managed to pull a few good trips on the Kalama in between the bouts of rain and blown out rivers. The late hatchery steelhead are getting ready to start hammering lures and bait on the Cowlitz. Side drifting has been producing some dark steelhead with a few fresh fish being caught. The hatchery fish in the Cowlitz have been set up by the state so that they come in over an extended period of time. The is a health shot of fish that is supposed to be headed in this month. Expectations are high for a good February with mixed catches of hatchery brats and native steelhead.
Once the Cowlitz hits 40 degrees or higher the smelt should show up in the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers. Early netting has had a few smelt caught but not in high enough numbers to be able to start dipping. I will be keeping a eye on the river and will post when the smelt dipping gets hot.
Cowlitz River, Cowlitz River Guides, Hatchery Steelhead, Native Steelhead, Smelt dipping, Smelt fishing, Winter Steelhead
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