Washington State Fishing Report
Updated 06/30/09
Now booking trips for summer steelhead and sea-run cutthroat trout on the Cowlitz River in Southwest Washington. Click here for more information about my guided trips!
Cowlitz River Fishing Report
From the end of June through approximately the end of October, the Cowlitz River in southwest Washington, will receive summer steelhead. Steelhead are a challenge to catch on a fly. Here is an article that I wrote on the topic - Fly fishing for Steelhead. The Cowlitz offers some of the best opportunities for success in the lower 48. That said, steelhead fishing usually requires long days for success. Some days may not result in even a strike. It is important for an angler to set expectations accordingly when pursuing one of the most challenging sportfish with a fly rod.
As we approach September, this river will also see sea-run cutthroat return. Sea-run Cutthroat average 14-16" in size. They are fantastic sport on light weight fly rods. I suggest fishing them with a 3 or 4 weight rod. Sometimes however, during the pursuit of these fish, an angler may also tie into a steelhead, and as such, I recommend using a heavier leader that would hold a steelhead in such an event. Withg migratory fish and fishing in general, each year is different. Each year, the run strength and timing is somewhat different but it's safe to assume that there will be good numbers of sea-run cutthroat from early/mid September through mid/late October. There is a good overlap of sea-run cutthroat and steelhead from September through mid/late October, making this the prime time to fish the Cowlitz river.
Cowlitz River Shuttle:
- Trudy - 1-360-864-2277
- Matt - 1-360-864-2388
A little about conservation...Please don't kill or eat Wild Steelhead
If you're traveling to Seattle, one thing you might see at Pike's Market and/or restaurants are "wild" steelhead on the menu. Unfortunately, these fish are dwindling. If you're concerned about preserving these magnificent fish, please avoid purchasing them and inform those restaurants that serve them that wild steelhead are too precious to be harvested.
Along the same line, please avoid using those guide services that are not strictly catch and release for all wild fish. Unfortunately, in Washington state, an angler is allowed to kill one fish per season. However, because of the mismanagement of this resource over the past century or so, 5 of the 7 native steelhead stocks have reached ESA listing. Unfortunately, even the new Steelhead Management plan put out in the spring of 2009 still allows anglers to harvest fish. Please write to Washington Division of Fish & Wildlife and let them know that you do not support the continued harvest of these fish.
Washington's Native Steelhead Recesion Depression...
The winter of 2009 was a slow one for wild steelhead. The rivers were low, the nets were in, and unfortunately, there were few returning steelhead virtually statewide. Those few fish that have made it through the gauntlet of nets were pounded by anglers due to the low water we had virtually all winter.
As human populations continue to grow, we continue to put more and more pressure on dwindling wild fish populations. We need to be careful in managing fish populations so that future generations can enjoy them. Unfortunately, there are already extinct runs of steelhead and salmon in Idaho, Oregon, California, and Washington state. Please do all that you to minimize your impact. For more information regarding the status of Wild Steelhead, please visit The Wild Steelhead Coalition.
Fly Casting Classes
With the beatiful weather of summer coming, now is an excellent time to work out any casting kinks that you may have by taking a casting class. As people find themselves with limited amounts of time, it's imperative to maximize your potential while you're out on the rivers. If you're interested in helping yourself become a better caster, check out my Casting Instruction page. You'll be glad you did!