Columbia River Sturgeon 2018 Fishing Charters

Columbia River Sturgeon

The Columbia River is open for Sturgeon Retention for the 2018 Season! 

BOOK A COLUMBIA RIVER STURGEON FISHING CHARTER ONLINE HERE FOR 2018 SEASON

Fish the Columbia River now through June 4th on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for Keeper Sturgeon.

You can keep 2 sturgeon for the year and 1 sturgeon per day between 44-50 inches.

The easiest way to catch sturgeon is going to be with a fishing guide since it's only open 3 days per week for 10 days the sturgeon fishing charters and guides will be out there everyday and they will know where the keeper sturgeon are hiding out.

White Sturgeon are native to several large North American rivers that drain to the Pacific Ocean. They primarily live in estuaries of large rivers, but migrate to spawn in freshwater, and travel long distances between river systems. Reproducing populations have been documented along the West Coast, from northern Mexico up to the Aleutian Island in Alaska. White Sturgeon are commonly found in deep, soft bottomed areas of estuaries, where movements in the water column is dependent on salinity.^[6] Historical ranges have been modified substantially by overharvesting, habitat changes due to dams, and river regulations; all affecting habitat quality, suitability and connectivity.^[3]

In the lower Fraser River, British Columbia, movement and abundance are assessed by acoustic tags and mark recapture methods. While the model developed by Robichaud, English and Nelson^[7] assumes a closed homogenous population, acoustic tags and mark-recapture data shows that they are sedentary during the winter months and mobile in the spring and fall, with data indicating that they leave the Fraser River and enter the Strait of Georgia during their mobile periods; this conclusion has been validated by microchemical evidence of marine exposure in Fraser River White sturgeon fin rays.

Construction of dams for hydroelectric power production affects seasonal movement of White Sturgeon in many river systems, with the Columbia River Basin being a large contributor to shifts in the distribution and movement. The dams present in the basin have largely blocked the upstream movement of sturgeon, due to designs of fish ladders being more specified for salmon and steelhead. While downstream passage of sturgeon through the dams has been reported, the route of passage was never identified. Downstream movement through the dams are only possible through operating turbines, open spill gates and the ice and trash sluiceway.

Columbia River Sturgeon Fishing

Columbia River Sturgeon Season 2018

Columbia River Sturgeon Fishing Guide

Columbia River Sturgeon Fishing Charter

Columbia Sturgeon Fishing Guide

Moses Lake Walleye Fishing Guides

Walleye Fishing Guides for Moses Lake and the Potholes.

It's Spring!  The Ice has melted over Moses Lake and the Potholes Reservoir and we are ready for the 2018 Moses Lake Walleye Season!

Guided fishing trips for Walleye are available at Moses Lake or the Potholes Reservoir depending on where the fish are hitting.

April and May are the best times to fish for Moses Lake Walleye before, during and after their spawning season.

Guided fishing trips include all gear, bait and tackle and you will be fishing from a very nice big new fishing boat set up specifically for sport fishing and catching.

Moses Lake is located in Moses Lake, WA which is named for the giant lake at the center of town.  Moses Lake and the Potholes Reservoir are located in Grant County, WA.  Grant County is an excellent Spring and Summer Destination if you love sunshine, water, fishing and the outdoors.

We won't give away all of our favorite shallow and deep water spots for Walleye Fishing at Moses Lake and Walleye Fishing at the Potholes Reservoir but we will tell you a little big of general Walleye Fishing information.

Walleye move and feed in different parts of their home waters depending on water temperature which is obviously dependent on season.

In the summertime during high water temperatures you will find Walleye in deep cool water.

In the early spring as soon as the water warms up enough for Walleye eggs to hatch, female Walleye will drop their eggs along vegetation or graveled areas.  Depending on the temperature of the water the Walleye eggs will hatch in 5-20 days. 

One amazing thing about Walleye is their eye sight.  Walleye can see very well in the dark because light reflects amazingly off of their eyes. This means that Walleye often feed at night because they can see better than their prey.  Similarly during high turbidity, often due to high winds, Walleye go on a feeding frenzy, because, again, the Walleye can see better than their prey.

There are many different types of fishing gear and bait that can be use to catch walleye.  Your Walleye Fishing Guide will provide a wide variety of gear which is known to successfully catch walleye.

Columbia River Spring King Salmon Season 2018

It's Spring 2018 Columbia River Spring Chinook Fishing Season and our Columbia River Fishing Guides and Charters are geared up and ready to help YOU Catch Columbia River King Salmon.

Columbia River Fishing Guides take 6 people King Salmon Fishing on the Columbia River for King Salmon also know as Spring Chinook or Springers during the spring of each year between March and June.  

The 2018 Columbia River Spring Chinook Season is set to run through April 7th this year and there is large forecasted return of over 160,000 Spring Chinook.  This includes a large number of fish headed up the Columbia River.

Guided fishing trips for Columbia River this year will meet at the Port of Kalama through April 7th.

There is also a fair predicted return of Spring Chinook on the Kalama River for 2018.

Guided Fishing Trips for Kalama River Spring Chinook being April 1st and will go through June of 2018.

Kalama River Fishing Guides offer fully guided drift boat trips for 1-3 people in drift boats.  Kalama River Guided Fishing Trips are peaceful until you get a huge Kalama River King Salmon on the line.

Cowlitz River Fishing Guides are also available to fish for King Salmon and Steelhead for the 2018 season.  Our Cowlitz River Fishing Trips are fast action trips run out of large sleds and can accommodate 1-6 persons.  

Salmon fishing on the Columbia, Salmon fishing on the Kalama and Steelhead and Salmon Fishing on the Cowlitz are excellent trips you will not want to miss during the Spring 2018 Columbia River Fishing Season.

Winter Steelhead Fishing Explained. . .

Lots of Detailed Information about Winter Steelhead Fishing:

Fish the Wynoochee, Satsop, Chehalis, Cowlitz or Humptulips River for Winter Steehead all small rivers and small groups of 2-3.  These fishing trips are for 8-9 hours and usually meet around 6am in Montesano, Hoquiam or Toledo, depending on which river you are fishing.
You benefit from our countless years of combined experience to choose the perfect river, the perfect section of river and species to target based on local knowledge and customer preference.  If you really want to fish only 1 specific river we can make that happen.  If you really want to fish on a specific date we can also make that happen.  If you want to leave your trip up to the fishing guide to choose the best date and river we can do that for you as well.

Learn more about these excellent steelhead fisheries below and why we recommend them for your Winter Steelhead Fishing Adventures.

Now through March:
Wynochee River:  The Wynoochee River, near Montesano, WA,  originates in the Olympic Mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in Western Washington State.  Steelhead return to the rivers of the Pacific NW from the Pacific Ocean.  Hatchery steelhead leave the fish hatcheries or streams where they were deposited as smolts, travel downstream to the Pacific Ocean and stay in the Ocean 2-4 years before returning to their stream of origin.  Native steelhead similarly return to the streams where they were hatched and raised to spawn.  The Wynoochee River is also the home of Waters West Guide Service.  We are the ONLY guide service with property on the Wynoochee River. The Wynoochee River usually gets 180,000 steelhead smolts each year.
The Humptulips River is located near Hoquiam, Washington and Ocean Shores, Washington.  It is a terrific, mostly drift boat, fishery that usually receives around 100,000-140,000 steelhead smolts each winter.  This river also originates in the Olympic Mountains and is an excellent choice for both hatchery or native (native fish must be released) fishing.
The Queets River guided fishing trips are offered by special permit through the Olympic Nation Park Service.  The Queets is located north of Hoquiam,WA off of highway 101.  There is an option when booking your trip to fish the Queets for $50/person in addition to the regular daily fishing rate.  All Queets River trips are drift boat only and with fishing guide, Aaron.  Aaron has been fishing as part of Team Waters West for about 7 years now and grew up fishing the local Grays Harbor and Coastal area rivers.  These trips are all done out of a large 18ft Pavati Drift Boat.  If you really want a remote "special" fishing trip we recommend the Queets River.  Sometimes in the winter the Queets is not in good enough shape (the river get's too high) to safety fish.  On these occasions you can either reschedule to fish a different date or fish another local river that is less "wild" than the Queets.  There is almost always a good Plan B option for a fishing trip when the Queets River is too high to fish.  Also, watching the weather report and searching for a dry week is an excellent way to get a trip in on the Queets!
The Satsop and Chehalis Rivers also have an abundance of hatchery winter run steelhead.  These rivers are closer to Olympia and I-5 and sometimes fish better than the Wynoochee or Humptulips when the water gets extra low.
February through April:

The Cowlitz River is famous and popular for it's hatchery fish programs.  There are 2 large state-run hatcheries on the Cowlitz River.  There is a salmon hatchery at the Mayfield Dam along with an excellent visitor center and fish collection facility you can view.  There is also a 'trout' hatchery at Blue Creek on the Cowlitz RIver just below the Mayfield Dam and hatchery.  Blue Creek is the most popular spot to fish for Winter Steelhead on the Cowlitz.  We usually start fishing the Cowlitz River in late February through early April for Winter Steelhead.  These trips are all done out of 'Sleds' which are fishing boats with outboard motors that can run in shallow rivers.  These Cowlitz River destinations are located near Toledo, WA.
Fishing Techniques and Boats Used:

The most popular ways of fishing for steelhead are (1) side drifting (2) pulling plugs (3) bobber and jig fishing

Side drifting can be accomplished out of a drift boat or sled.  Your fishing partners all cast in succession - casting upriver and letting your line drift down through the 'slot' where the steelhead are lying waiting to move upstream.  You continue this process over and over as your boat drifts down through the 'slot.'

Pulling plugs is the easiest for beginners and can also be the most productive method depending on conditions and section of river.  You simply let small divers called plugs sink below the water into the river where fish are waiting to move upriver.  Your guide keeps the boat in position and slowly drift down through the hole or remain stationary depending on section of river.

Bobber and jig fishing is fun and easy.  You cast a bobber with a line and jig attached below.  The steelhead jigs are various colors depending on the water clarity ranging from bright green/yellow to black.

Your fishing guides have the experience to know when and where to use what gear.  Some days they may only have 1 type of fishing technique prepared for you and other days they may have up to 3 techniques ready for you.  It all depends on water level, clarity and what section of river the fish are in.

Boats!

We have a wide range of boats for use during winter steelhead season each with it's specific advantages based on the river and water conditions.

Aaron runs an 18ft Pavati Drift Boat.  Pavati drift boats are the Cadillac of all drift boats (some prefer Willie Boats which can be equipped equally well) All of our boats, including Aaron's Pavati have propane heating systems.  The Pavati has doors which makes getting in and out of the boat easy for all ages.

Casey uses Willie Drift Boats and Alumaweld Sleds.  Sleds are boats with outboard motors that are all open to make casting and fishing easier.  They have high degree hulls which makes them able to run in shallow rivers.  Casey has a 20ft and a 25ft Sled.  The 20ft sled is used on the smaller rivers such as the Wynoochee, Satsop and Chehalis and the larger sled is used mostly on the Columbia River or Cowlitz for larger groups.

Chris uses Willie Drift Boats and has a brand new Willie Sled being delivered in time for the Cowlitz River Winter Steelhead Season. He also has a 17ft Wooldridge Sled which can be used on the smaller rivers for Winter Steelhead.

Call/txt: 253-389-0359
https://fishwaterswest.rezdy.com

Wynoochee River Winter Steelhead

Why is the 2017/2018 Season going to be so amazing?

The 2016/17 Wynoochee River Smolt Counts were down. WAY down compared to the following year's smolt plants.

For the 2017/2018 Wynoochee River Steelhead Season there will be a return based off of 169,150 planted hatchery steelhead smolts compared to only 88,740 from the previous year.

If you have been waiting for a good year to fish the Wynoochee River then this is it!

Fish with a Wynoochee River Fishing Guide in a small sled or drift boat.  Our Wynoochee River Fishing Guides have private river access, the best boats on the water and local knowledge that only comes after years of fishing the Wynoochee River daily in season.

We are the only guide service located directly on 
the Wynoochee River.  We fish the Wynoochee 
River for both Summer and Winter-RunRiver for both Summer and Winter-Run Steelhead.  
The best time to fish the Wynoochee River is from 
June through March, with the best chance at 
trophy Wynoochee River The best time to fish the Wynoochee River is from June through March, with the best chance at trophy Wynoochee River Steelhead during January 
through March.

We welcome you to experience the beauty of the 
Wynoochee River and the ultimate through March.
We welcome you to experience the beauty of the Wynoochee River and the ultimate Wynoochee River Fishing Experience!


The Wynoochee River is also close to the Ocean 
Beaches and the best fishing for Wynoochee River 
Steelhead falls during normal clam-digging season!

Satsop River Fishing Guides

The Satsop River is located near the small town of Montesano in Grays Harbor County Washington.  Our Satsop River Fishing Guides will help you catch winter steelhead like the ones pictured above fishing for Satsop River Winter Steelhead.  

Satsop River fishing guides use small drift boat and sleds to guide you to fish.  

The Satsop River is best fished for summer steelhead, winter steelhead and fall salmon.  It closes in the spring to allow native steelhead to return and spawn in the headwaters of the Satsop River.  

Satsop River Fishing Guides use several different fishing techniques to catch Satsop River Steelhead.  Satsop River fishing guides use bait such as sand shrimp and salmon roe.  Satsop River fishing guides use light tackle terminal gear and some use light weight fly gear.  Satsop River Steelhead are susceptible to side drifting and free drifting making sled fishing during the high water winter months extremely productive.

Fish the Satsop River with our Satsop River Fishing Guides and you won't be disappointed. 

Wynoochee River Fishing Guide

The Wynoochee River is located near the small town of Montesano in Grays Harbor County Washington.  Our Wynoochee River Fishing Guides will help you catch winter steelhead like the ones pictured above fishing for Wynoochee River Winter Steelhead.  

Wynoochee River fishing guides use small drift boat and sleds to guide you to fish.  

The Wynoochee River is best fished for summer steelhead, winter steelhead and fall salmon.  It closes in the spring to allow native steelhead to return and spawn in the headwaters of the Wynoochee River.  

Wynoochee River Fishing Guides use several different fishing techniques to catch Wynoochee River Steelhead.  Wynoochee River fishing guides use bait such as sand shrimp and salmon roe.  Wynoochee River fishing guides use light tackle terminal gear and some use light weight fly gear.  Wynoochee River Steelhead are susceptible to side drifting and free drifting making sled fishing during the high water winter months extremely productive.

Fish the Wynoochee River with our Wynoochee River Fishing Guides and you won't be disappointed.