Columbia River Fishing Guides

The mighty Columbia River is home to millions of returning salmon each year.  With runs for king salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, chum salmon and steelhead and various strains of these fish all headed for different upriver destinations planning the timing of your columbia river fishing trip can seem a bit daunting.

Columbia river fishing guides have you covered.  Our columbia river fishing guides are all seasoned veterans of the river.  Many people think of native american fishers when it comes to salmon expertise and being one with nature.  However, you would be hard pressed to find any native american in Washington or Oregon who spends more hours each year on the river than any of our columbia river fishing guides.

Our columbia river fishing guides are often licensed to fish in both Washington and Oregon.  Washington State gives commercial guide licenses for salmon and steelhead and Oregon gives guide/outfitter licenses.  The reason we obtain Oregon licenses is because there is a moratorium in Washington State on Charter Licenses for salmon.  This means that if we want to take you fishing below the longview bridge on a columbia river fishing trip, we must obtain an Oregon guide/outfitter license which allows us to fish all the way to the mouth of the columbia river.

Columbia river fishing guides must obtain charter captain licenses from the U.S. Coast Guard.  They must provide proof of insurance to the state that licenses them.  

Most importantly by booking a trip with one of our Columbia River Fishing Guides all you have to do is show up dressed for the day with lunch and recreational fishing licences.

Your columbia river fishing guide will take you out on an adventure on the columbia river to fish for king salmon, chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and sturgeon.

Humptulips River Fishing

The Humptulips River is famous for huge king salmon and plentiful coho and chum salmon. The Humptulips River sees thousand of salmon return each fall beginning in good number in September with coho returning some years into January.  The sport fishing season for the Humptulips River usually begins September 1st.

Early in September you can expect to catch lots of King Salmon.  The 2016 season is set for a 2 king salmon per person limit for September. Early in the season the the Humptulips our Fishing Guides usually fish the lower stretches of the river because that is where the king salmon are early in the season.  As soon as there is a good amount of rain some coho salmon will start entering the river and some king salmon will also move to the middle stretches of the river.  Typically the first rains are short and do not sustain a mid or upper river fishery for more than a day or two.  Our Humptulips River Fishing Guides are very experienced with the influx of salmon, river levels and temperatures so know very well each day what the best stretch of river is for you to catch the most fish.

Usually by the first week of October you can expect to be fishing the middle section of the Humptulips River with your fishing guides.  Once it has rained steady enough that the fish are moving through the lower and middle sections of river you can expect to fish the upper float of the main Humptulips River for King and Coho Salmon.  The main float starts near the fish hatchery where you float through the 'chute' in the dark. It is quite an adventure to hear the sounds of the rushing water get louder and louder in the dark morning and then culminate as you float through the chute in the darkness.  Fishing the Humptulips is an adventure for many reason but this is one of the first you will experience each morning with your fishing guide.

There are several popular spots to fish along the river that most fishing guides and anglers know about.  What the majority of people do not know is how to successfully fish the Humptulips is all conditions in both low and high water for catching you limits of king and coho salmon.

Many guides have been fishing the Humptulips for years and more guides have been fising it only 2-3 years or are just starting out taking customers on guided fishing tours here.  We guarantee that when you fish with Waters West Guide Service you are fishing with the absolute MOST EXPERIENCED fishing guides on the entire river.

No team of guides has put more hours in or caught as many fish as we have!  If you're looking for the best of the best in a Humptulips River Fishing Guide - you've found us!

Book Online 24/7 or call our friendly fishing trip advisor:  http://www.fishwaterswest.com 253-389-0359

Buoy 10 King Salmon Fishing Charters

One of the Pacific NW's most popular sport fisheries is known simply as Buoy 10.  Buoy 10 is a nautical marker marking the entrance to the Pacific Ocean of the Columbia River.  This marker also serves as a fishing regulation boundary.  The Buoy 10 fishery usually encompasses a line through Buoy 10 and Tongue Point near the Astoria Megler Bridge.

We have two of the best full time Washington State Fishing Guides available to fish the peak month for King and Coho Salmon each year in August.  During years when there is a strong Coho Salmon run we will stay and continue fishing into mid-late September for Coho Salmon.

The small towns of Chinook, Astoria and Warrenton along the mouth of the Columbia come alive in August due to summer tourism and the return of millions of fall salmon.

Our guides meet at the West Mooring Basin in Astoria and the Hammond Marina in Warrenton.

The 2016 King Salmon Forecast for the Columbia River is just shy of 1 million fish and as a result of the strong anticipated return King Salmon is open through Labor Day pending actual returns.

The largest King Salmon we caught in August 2015 was probably 43 pounds with at least one king salmon over 20 pounds caught daily.

If you want to catch the biggest and freshest king salmon of the year without taking your chances in the Ocean or Alaska then Buoy 10 fishing near Astoria, Oregon is the best bet for you!

When are they going to announce a Sockeye Opening for the Upper Columbia & Brewster?

Short Answer:  Sometime between tomorrow and early next week.

Long Answer:

The Sockeye salmon we are catching and releasing now and hoping to keep in the coming days and weeks are bound for Lake Osoyoos in the Okanogan.

Last year we had a stellar return of Sockeye but only 37,624 of the fish made it back to lake Osoyoos and only about 10,000 reached their spawning grounds on the upper Okanogan River.  And that is from a huge return that entered the Columbia of 512,000 fish!  The high water temperatures in the Okanogan are to blame for the death of almost 170,000 Sockeye Salmon that passed Wells Dam but never made it home.

As a result of this dismal return the pre-season forecast for 2016 was very low around 101,000 sockeye.  As of July 5th there have been 312,422 sockeye over Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River and 78,131 have made it over Wells Dam on the upper river.

The popular Brewster Pool fishing area is just south of the Wells Dam on the Columbia River.

As of last Thursday they have counted 5,000 Sockeye as returning to their spawning grounds and they want to see at least 60,000 before they open the upper Columbia River to Sockeye Sport Fishing.  As fisheries biologists tally up the Friday-Sunday fish counts that 5,000 number could be very close to reaching the 60,000 goal.

The fisheries biologists are hopeful that the Brewster Pool and upriver destinations will open for Sockeye before this coming weekend but at the latest it will be early next week.

If you have a sockeye trip scheduled for this week or weekend you are welcomed to come and fish for a 2 hatchery king salmon limit + 2 jacks and release lots and lots of native kings and sockeye salmon during your trip.

Since July 1st, everyone who has fished has had a terrific time with 20+ hookups per person per day.

You can book a half day or full day trip now through July for Kings and/or Sockeye.  Half day trips until Sockeye opens will be for King Salmon and after Sockeye opens half day trips are for Sockeye only and full day trips are for Kings and Sockeye.  All trips are scheduled for Brewster.

Stay tuned for updates - feel free to call/txt/email.  If you want to reschedule a Sockeye date you have booked for between now and early next week please email with alternate dates you can fish.  If you don't have a Sockeye trip booked yet please try to book one soon because most dates through the 20th are full but we may send another guide over to help with morning trips on the weekends starting next weekend to get everyone accommodated.

Thank you for your calls/emails/questions - more coming soon!

Jessica - 253-389-0359

Brewster Pool Fishing Report Update

Brewster Pool Sockeye and King Salmon Fishing

Looking for a fishing guide for the Brewster Pool Sockeye Salmon Fishery?  Then look no further.  Ryan is our Expert Lake Pateros Fishing guide and Brewster Pool Fishing Guide.

Year after year Ryan provides customers with excellent fishing opportunities all over Washington State and you could call July the icing on the cake!

Waters West Guide Service provides guided fishing trips for Salmon and Steelhead in the upper Columbia River near Brewster Washington.  We are located in the city of Brewster Washington for all of July every summer. This area of the Columbia River near Brewster is an amazing and very productive fishing area. The fishing pressure and boat numbers are noticeably less then the lower Columbia and we think the fishing is even better. We at Waters West Guide Service want you to enjoy your fishing trip, and always encourage participation from you.  There are few experiences as exciting as setting the hook at the bite into a feisty Salmon or Steelhead.  It is hard to explain the feeling when you lift as hard as you can on the pole and the fish pulls it right back down to the water.  Come fish with us out of a very comfortable 25’ Brand New Wooldridge.   

Salmon,
Summer Chinook/King, and Sockeye Salmon starts in July and ends in October.  From the start of the season to the end salmon can be consistently caught.  Kings will peel the line off the reel in hard and long runs.  The Kings range in size from small jacks to over 40lb monsters, and the majority of the Kings weigh in the mid teens to mid twenties.  We have also been able to fish for Sockeye the last couple of years.  Sockeye season is not pre-set annually, but the season is opened based on numbers of returning fish.  The Sockeye returns the last few years have been huge, and we have been fortunate with a large limit size.  We have heard people say Sockeye are the best eating salmon, but we think it is hard to tell which one is better Chinook or Sockeye.  We mainly troll for Salmon using bait and lures.  We also will anchor up and fish bait if that is the most productive method at the time.    

Brewster Pool Sockeye Fishing at Lake Pateros

Escapement Goals for the Okanogan will be reached for Sockeye Salmon in 2016!

If you're looking for a sockeye fishing guide for Lake Pateros aka Brewster Pool - Look No Further!  

Our fishing guides have many years of experience helping customers catch lots of Sockeye and King Salmon in the Brewster Pool and we let YOU catch the fish!  Light tackle, no downriggers or fidgety guides worrying about netting every fish.  You will have a great time, catch fish and kids can lose fish after fish and still catch their limits.  

If you want a fishery that will keep kids engaged and excited - this is it!

Brewster Pool Fishing Guides, Brewster Pool Sockeye, Brewster Sockeye Fishing, Lake Pateros Sockeye Fishing, Upper Columbia Sockeye Fishing, Upper Columbia King Salmon Fishing, Upper Columbia Fishing Guides

Book a Sockeye Fishing Trip Online or Call/txt: 253-389-0359

Columbia River Sockeye Salmon

Columbia River Sockeye Fishing Update June 28, 2016

The last two years you have enjoyed very good fishing for Sockeye Salmon as a result of the strong runs we had in 2014 and 2015.  In 2015 there was an actual return of 512,500 Sockeye to the Columbia River.  Due to warm water temperatures there was a high mortality rate before these fish reached their spawning grounds.  As a result, the expected return for 2016 was only 101,600 fish.  Much to our and everyone else's surprise, including WDFW fish biologists, as of June 28th there are 255,498 Sockeye Salmon over Bonneville dam so far.  

Before the fish arrived the season for Sockeye was not likely to happen.  June 3rd WDFW sent out a notice closing Sockeye Salmon in the Hanford Reach area.  They must not have been engaged in the same Sockeye Dance we were here because as we watched 10s then 100s and 1000s of Sockeye cross over Bonneville Dam in early June we KNEW that this was going to be a great Sockeye year!

Effective Today WDFW re-opened Sockeye fishing from the HWY bridge at Pasco all the way up to Priest Rapids Dam for 3 Sockeye.  WDFW is being very conservative at the moment because they fear warm weather in the coming days will bring water temperatures up and may result in more Sockeye to die off before reaching their spawning grounds.

The big question on all of our minds is WHEN ARE THEY OPENING BREWSTER FOR SOCKEYE??  The director of WDFW, Jim Unsworth, was on NW WildCountry Radio Saturday morning saying that they definitely WILL open the upper Columbia River for Sockeye it is just a matter of when they will be confident enough that escapement numbers will be reached.  

As of today, June 28th, 13,068 Sockeye have passed Wells Dam which is above Brewster and they are headed for Lake Osoyoos in the Okanogan.  The management goal for Sockeye in the upper Columbia is only 65,000 fish over Priest Rapids Dam and as of today their are 77,900 Sockeye well over the escapement goal.

At the moment the Brewster Pool is open for King Salmon retention.  The summer return has been very good this year with 69,451 Summer Chinook over Bonneville so far and thousands more crossing each day.  The limit is 2 adult king salmon now through August.  There are several places to fish within 1/2 hour of Brewster for King Salmon that are very productive based on the time of day.  

If you have a Sockeye trip planned for July 1st through July 5th or 6th you can reschedule for Sockeye if they do not open Sockeye before your trip or you can fish for King Salmon for the same discounted rate you booked your Sockeye trip at.

We expect the WDFW to announce a Sockeye Season for the Brewster Pool any day!  We will update everyone as soon as we hear and look forward to seeing you all at Brewster in July for Sockeye!

Book a King or Sockeye Salmon Trip Online 24/7 https://fishwaterswest.rezdy.com/  txt: 253-389-0359

Columbia River Sockeye Fishing

Buoy 10 King Salmon Fishing Guides and Charters

The 2016 Buoy 10 forecast is for 960,000 Huge King Salmon.  The popular sport fishery know as Buoy 10 is names after the nautical marker Buoy 10 which marks the entrance to the Columbia River - the same entrance that millions of salmon enter each year headed to upriver destinations such as the Cowlitz River, Kalama River, Lewis River, Willamette River, Snake River and many more.

The 2016 Buoy 10 King Salmon Season is going to be off the hook with nearly 1 Million King and Coho Salmon entering the Columbia River in mostly August and September.

One of our most popular services is guided fishing and charters for king and coho salmon at Buoy 10.  The best time to go is August 1st through Labor Day.  The 2016 season for king and coho salmon starts August 1st and goes through Labor Day this year which will give everyone plenty of time to book a Buoy 10 Charter Trip for King Salmon.

Astoria boasts thousands of fishing trips during the peak king salmon run with many sport fishing charter and fishing guides taking tens of thousands of anglers out to catch ocean fresh salmon without actually going in the ocean.  

Columbia River Fishing Guides, Columbia River Fishing Charters, Columbia River King Salmon

Buoy 10 Fishing Guides  Buoy 10 Fishing Charters Buoy 10 King Salmon Buoy 10 Coho Salmon Buoy 10 Silvers Buoy 10 King Salmon Guides

Columbia River Spring King Salmon Report 3.28.16

Catching King Salmon on the Lower Columbia Now through April 9th.

I don't even know what Ryan puts in his bait but he sure has the Columbia River dialed in like no other.  He is meticulous when it comes to where the bait comes from, who ties the tackle and his closely guarded herring brine that is irresistible to King Salmon each spring.  Groups of up to 6 more than welcomed to come and fish in what is quite possibly the nicest boat you will see on the river this season at Portland.The perfect trip for the whole family - and just in time for SPRING BREAK!!  Easy fishing, catching and the best quality king salmon you can catch ANYWHERE!Fish now through April 9th in the Morning or Afternoon.  TEXT: 253-389-0359 or:  BOOK ONLINE HERE

Preparing for a Successful Fishing Trip

Preparing for a Successful Fishing Trip

Preparation on your part will lead to a successful day on the water!

For literally 4 years Casey has been asking me to make a one page handout that will list everything you need to bring for your fishing trip.  Every time I start the task it just seemed too overwhelming especially when trying to explain these things to someone who may have never fished before.  This is meant to be a more comprehensive list than the basic items such as license, rain gear and lunch that you’ve seen over and over on confirmation emails over the years.  So here is my first attempt and I am sure we will update this list in the future.

When you book a fishing trip with us you are booking a day on the water with an experienced fishing guide who fishes almost every day of the year and has for many many years.  The things that are natural to us like what to wear and bring on a trip, we realize, may not be second nature for people who only get out once a year or even 12 times a year.  Additionally the guide’s number one priority after Safety is for you to catch fish and have fun.  It takes 100% of their focus to keep you on the fish - they often don’t have enough energy/time to focus on some of the times listed below.  So I am going to try and communicate these things in advance of your fishing trip so you are prepared to catch fish and the guide can focus on catching you fish.

We’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks that go above and beyond the minimum requirements and will contribute to you, your friends and your family having an excellent day on the water.

Fishing license with the proper endorsements that coincide with the river you are fishing.

Catch record cards for salmon and steelhead and Columbia River Endorsements are usually required in addition to a freshwater and/or saltwater license.  Pens that works in the rain to mark your catch after each fish.  Familiarize yourself with the catch record cards and codes for the areas you will be fishing ahead of time if you plan on keeping fish.

Rain gear with boots or fishing waders.  Light weight rain gear or waders are usually better than very bulky or heavy alternatives.  

Whatever you’d like to eat or drink for the day in a small backpack.  A small backpack can easily be stowed out of the way of the activities occurring throughout the day catching fish.  Suitcases and large coolers are usually too big to bring on most boats.

Sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses are a plus.  Even if the sun only comes out ½ the time - when it’s sunny and the sun is glaring off the boat and the water you will be very happy you remembered your sunglasses.  Holders/lanyards to sunglasses and/or glasses are also a great idea since you are engaging in a sporting activity while fishing.  

Sunblock/Sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat.  Remember to apply sunscreen to all parts of your body that are exposed to the sun.  The sun can be extra damaging when reflecting off of the water.

Hand warmers. Disposable hand warmers can start the morning off on a great note if you’re fishing in the Fall/Winter/Spring.  Having a stash of hand warmers in your backpack for the day is always a great idea.

Have a suitable sized cooler with ice ready in your car to get your freshly caught fish home.  The fish you will be catching will range from 5-45lbs so make sure your cooler is big enough.  .

Faceshield.  These are very light and inexpensive but are more than worth their weight in gold on a cold morning or blazing hot sunny afternoon.

Dress in layers - it can be 30 degrees in the morning and 60 degrees in the afternoon.  Your comfort is very important and helps you to stay mentally prepared to catch fish.

Nitrile gloves will keep your hands warm and dry and will allow you to actively catch fish without getting in the way like bulky gloves will.

All children 12 years and younger or who are not adult sized must bring and wear life jackets.  We have required life jackets on board for adults and may start offering automatically inflatable life vests for regular daily use in the near future.  

Come well rested and excited for a day of catching fish and having FUN.  A great attitude is often one of the biggest factors which will contribute to a successful day on the water.  

This Guy is Always Perfectly Prepared!

(Howard and Kevin can skip this section)  We usually recommend that you leave your own fishing gear at home if you’re coming on a guided trip with us.  There are so many different weights and brands of fishing line these days that the same weight rating for different brands often varies greatly.  One of the biggest problems occurs when the line on your reel is lighter than that of our leaders.  This causes the entire line to snap off when you lose a fish or hit a snag and leads to more time being spent tying up new gear that could be spent catching fish. You can’t catch fish if you don’t have gear in the water.  Your guides will have multiple fishing rods tied up with multiple set ups ready to fish the morning of your trip.  

Make sure your phone is fully charged before starting your trip.  Some of our newer boats do have phone chargers but this is never a guarantee and most fishing boats do not have chargers. Also be prepared to be out of cell coverage for at least 8 hours.  Some areas we fish do not have cell phone coverage.  

Seasickness.  Very rarely someone will get sea sick when fishing near Buoy 10 on the lower Columbia River where we customarily fish in August.  I have only heard of 1 person every getting sick on this trip but these tips could also be used for ocean charter fishing.  If you’re prone to seasickness the best advice is to take medication before your trip and to focus on stationary objects in the distance during your trip.  If you do get seasick and are going on an ocean charter bring some comfort items with you such as your favorite beverage or snack and a neck pillow.  (I will follow this advice on my next ocean trip)

If you have any questions before your fishing trip please respond to your confirmation email with your questions so I will have a better idea of who you are and when and where you will be fishing.

We know you have waited a long time for your upcoming fishing trip and are really excited and look forward to having a great time and catching fish.  Hopefully one of these tips will add a little more comfort and success to your day on the water.

BOOK A SALMON OR STEELHEAD TRIP FOR SPRING 2016 HERE

2016 Columbia River Spring Chinook Seasons Announced

GREAT NEWS from WDFW Regarding the upcoming and highly anticipated Columbia River Spring Chinook Returns for 2016.  In a nutshell - the best news is for the Cowlitz and Kalama Rivers which are both expecting near record returns of Spring Chinook this April-June.  Book a Cowlitz or Kalama River Spring Chinook Fishing Trip ONLINE HERE

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VANCOUVER, Wash. – Anticipating a return of 299,200 adult spring chinook salmon, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today set this year’s initial fishing season to run through April 9 on the lower Columbia River.

In addition, representatives from the two states agreed to close the winter sturgeon retention fishery in the Bonneville Pool effective Feb. 8 and approved a six-hour recreational smelt season Feb. 6 on the Cowlitz River.

Here are the major provisions of those agreements:

• Spring chinook: From March 1 through April 9, anglers fishing downriver from Bonneville Dam may retain one marked, hatchery-reared adult spring chinook as part of their daily catch limit. The fishery will be open to both boat and bank anglers upriver to Beacon Rock, and – for bank anglers only – from there upriver to the fishing boundary just below the dam.
  
  The sport fishery will close in all areas of the lower Columbia River on two Tuesdays – March 29 and April 5 – to accommodate potential commercial fisheries.
  
  Upstream of Bonneville Dam, anglers may retain one hatchery-reared adult spring chinook per day from March 16 through May 6 between the Tower Island powerlines and the Washington/Oregon state line. Bank anglers using hand-casted gear (no boats) can also fish from Bonneville Dam upriver to the Tower Island powerlines during that time.
  
  Barbless hooks are required to fish for spring chinook in the Columbia River and anglers must release any salmon or steelhead not visibly marked as a hatchery fish by a clipped adipose fin.

• Sturgeon: The recreational sturgeon retention fishery between Bonneville Dam and The Dalles Dam will close Feb. 8. By that time, fishery managers expect that anglers will have reeled in 140 sturgeon from those waters, leaving 185 available for a one-or-two day fishery in summer. Catch-and-release fishing remains an option until then.

• Smelt: As in the past two years, fishery managers approved a limited fishery for smelt on the Cowlitz River to help gather data on the species’ abundance. Recreational smelt dipping will be restricted to the hours of 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. The limit per person is 10 pounds – about one-quarter of a five-gallon bucket. Smelt dipping is not allowed from boats.
  
  To support the data-collection effort, the two states also approved a limited gillnet fishery for smelt in February on the lower Columbia River. The area’s smelt population was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2010, but runs have shown some signs of improvement since then.

Fishing rules reflecting these actions are available on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) website at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/

Fishing for spring chinook is currently open on a daily basis from Buoy 10 near the mouth of the Columbia River upstream to the Interstate 5 Bridge, although the bulk of the run doesn’t arrive until mid-March when the new fishing rules will be in effect.

Catch guidelines approved for the popular fishery will allow anglers fishing below Bonneville Dam to catch approximately 9,100 hatchery-raised “springers” before an updated run forecast is completed in late April or early May.

Another 1,000 adult upriver chinook are reserved for anglers fishing upriver from Bonneville Dam to the Washington/Oregon state line, 17 miles above McNary Dam. Additional fish have also been reserved for the Snake River sport fishery.

After banner spring chinook returns in each of the past two years, the projected run of 299,200 adult fish for 2016 is still slightly above the recent 10-year average, said Ron Roler, WDFW Columbia River policy manager. However, while this year’s projected run of upriver fish is down by about 100,000 fish from last year, he said returns to some tributaries – notably the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers – show an increase this year.

“Salmon returns rise and fall from year to year, especially during the kind of cyclical ocean changes we’re seeing right now,” Roler said. “Even so, if this run comes in as projected, it will still be the ninth-largest return in more than 25 years. We’re expecting plenty of fish to support a great fishing season.”

As in previous years, Washington and Oregon will manage the fishery with a 30 percent buffer on the upriver chinook forecast until the results of the in-season run update are known.

“We’ll continue to take a conservative approach in managing the fishery,” Roler said. “If the fish return at or above expectations, we will look toward providing additional days of fishing on the river later in the spring.”

Cowlitz River Winter Steelhead

Anxiety levels are high!  We're only weeks or possibly days away from the flood of returning winter steelhead on the Cowlitz River!!

All of our Cowlitz River Fishing Guides have their big jet boats ready, engines tuned, leaders tied and new rods in stock to provide you with the best that the Cowlitz River has to offer.

You and your friends, family and customer will LOVE fishing with our Cowlitz River Guides.  We have guides Casey and Ryan with very nice big roomy sleds.  We have a 2 year old 20ft Wooldridge for smaller groups, a 24ft Willie Raptor for medium groups and a whopping 26ft 2015 Wooldridge sled for big groups.  We can even put two boats together for extra large outings.

The smolt plants on the Cowlitz River have remained at a very high level, around 700,000 fish, for winter steelhead for many years.  This year is the first year there are no fish returning for the A run which historically showed up earlier in the year.  So this year the Cowlitz River 2016 returning steelhead will all be coming in big waves starting sometime in early February and fishing will be red hot through April.

All of our steelhead fishing trips on the Cowlitz River start out at the Blue Creek Boat Launch.  We run up and down the river casting hand tied leaders, home cured bait (secret recipe) and gear to help you catch these beautiful winter steelhead.

We typically meet just before dark and you can plan on fishing for 8 hours or until you catch your limits of winter steelhead.  There is a really big WDFW parking lot at the Blue Creek Boat Launch o be sure to bring the parking pass that come with your fishing license.

WHAT:  Cowlitz River Winter Steelhead 2016

WHEN:  Early February through April

WHERE:  Blue Creek Boat Launch located on Osprey Ln Toledo,WA 98591

WHAT TO BRING:  Rain gear, boots, lunch.  Fishing license with catch record card for salmon and steelhead, Columbia River Endorsement, parking pass, camera and a cooler to get your fish home.  Be sure any kids bring and wear life jackets.  Sunglasses and sunscreen/protection are also recommended.

GROUP SIZE:  We can accomodate groups of up to 10 total people fishing in two boats. If you book a group of 3 people you get the boat to yourself with your guide.  Individual boats can hold a maximum of 4 and 6 people.

LIMITS:  The limit on the Cowlitz River for the Winter 2016 steelhead is 2 hatchery steelhead per person.  Be sure to mark your catch - the catch record code for the Cowlitz River between the mouth and Mayfield dam is 561.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Buy Your Washington State Fishing License Online Here 

Check Cowlitz River River Flows

Check Weather forecasts for Toledo Area

Directions to the Blue Creek Boat Launch

WDFW Steelhead Smolt Counts for the Cowlitz River

Tacoma Power Weekly Fishing Reports

Waters West Guide Service Cowlitz River Fishing Reports

Sign up for our Newsletters for most up to date fishing reports and promo codes for special savings

Book a Cowlitz River Steelhead Fishing Trip Online Here

Or Call/txt/email anytime with any questions:

jessica@fishwaterswest.com
253-389-0359

Three Fishing Trips YOU Must Book For Yourself NOW for the New Year

Your Love of Fishing will translate into a Successful trip because You booked one of these Prime fishing trips.

Winter Steelhead
When: November-April.  Some of the coastal rivers will start seeing catchable numbers of winter steelhead as early as November each year.  Other rivers on the peninsula won't start producing until January.  The Cowlitz River will be very good beginning in February and stays good clear through April.  The Humptulips, Satsop and Wynoochee Rivers are currently producing limits or near limits daily now.

Where:  Wynoochee through March and the Cowlitz through April

Why:  The Cowlitz and Wynoochee Rivers get the biggest returns of winter steelhead each year for their river sizes.  These rivers are easy to access with lots of public and private launching and fishing opportunities.  We catch 2 or 3 salt fish on these rivers almost daily.  The Wynoochee run is already in thick as of January 1st, 2016 and the Cowlitz will be good starting sometime in early February.  LINK TO SMOLT COUNTS

King Salmon
When:  Spring and Fall - the Chinook or King Salmon run in Washington State is broken up into 3 distinct runs of salmon.  There is Spring King Salmon aka Springers, Summer Salmon aka June Hogs and Fall Salmon frequently referred to as Fall Chinook.  

Where:  The best king salmon fishing can be achieve on the Columbia River and it's tributaries as well as the Humptulips Rivers.  We fish the Columbia River in March through August for King Salmon as well as it's tributaries including the Cowlitz, Willamette, Wind River and Drano Lake.  BUOY 10 is a very popular place to fish the Months of July and August for King Salmon near Astoria, Oregon.

Why:  King Salmon are high on the list of every anglers dream fish.  They are the biggest of all the salmonid species and are abundant in Western Washington and Oregon Rivers for 10 months of the year.


Humptulips River King Salmon
When:  September 1st-November 20th.  The Humptulips River opens annually on or around September 1st for the retention of King and Coho Salmon.  The Humptulips River is famous for producing huge king salmon and lots of coho and chum salmon each fall.  Besides Buoy 10 this is our most popular king salmon fishery of the year.  We catch King salmon here every year through Thanksgiving but the best months are September and October.


Where:   The Humptulips River is located in Grays Harbor County north of Hoquiam, Washington and east of Pacific Beach, WA.  Lots of people stay in Hoquiam or the Ocean Beaches for this fishery.

Why:  HUGE KING SALMON fishing on a remote creek -  you will love it!


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