This 3,600-acre reservoir on the North Fork Lewis River is primarily fished for kokanee. This is a sprawling place, and a boat will definitely serve you well. True, the Kalama isn’t what it used to be (what local salmon and steelhead river is?). This article also will talk about the best fishing spots near Cathlamet and other locations in neighboring Wahkiakum County, one of state’s smallest counties both by population and size located just down the Columbia River and within a short drive from Longview and elsewhere in Southwest Washington. For decades, the lower Cowlitz River reigned as king of winter steelhead fishing streams in Washington. These days, there tends to be enough smelt to dip only during years of relative abundance. WDFW fishing and stocking reportsWDFW fishing regulationsNational Weather Service forecasts. Only fish with a clipped adipose fin can be kept; release all wild rainbows and wild cutthroat. Better Burial Marketing for The Death Industry. This is a big lake in acreage (about 3,000 acres) but it’s also quite shallow, with absolutely tons of cover that bass, crappie and other warmwater fish species seek. smacked the crap out of my spinner and pulled like a mule. The slough has the typical lower Columbia River backwater mixture of largemouth bass, crappie, yellow perch and bullhead catfish, plus aggressive northern pikeminnows. There are dozens of producing fishing spots between the trout hatchery and Toledo. Salmon runs are highly cyclical, so when these fish return to abundance, the Lewis will be one of the places to reliably catch them. Tiger muskies, a sterile hybrid of a true musky and northern pike, grow to massive size and are primarily a catch-and-release fish for serious anglers. The trout will fall to relatively shallow trolling or bait-fishing techniques, but don’t expect this fishery to stretch into the summer here like it will at the reservoirs on the Lewis and Cowlitz rivers. “Chinook and coho salmon returns to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery have been above levels needed to meet broodstock collection goals for the Cowlitz Hatchery Chinook and coho programs. We’ll divide up the two counties in the listings below to help keep you oriented. And please release them. Some months provide anglers an opportunity to catch a grand slam. They are planted here as young fish and grow to catchable size feeding largely on plankton, but they are aggressive enough to strike different offerings. Josua Holowatz, a fish biologist in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Southwest Region, says that this year’s return of sea-run cutthroat has been particularly good. This reservoir is the lowest of three big impoundments on the Lewis River, and it is shared with Clark County. This river system is located in northern Cowlitz County and is a major tributary of the Cowlitz River. During the warmer months, you’ll find fair to good fishing for bass and panfish species. This is a smallish river with big potential for salmon and steelhead fishing. Besides Cathlamet, the small number of residents in Wahkiakum County are scattered around from Puget Island, Skamokawa, elsewhere along Highway 4 (Ocean Beach Highway) and up into several river valleys. The North Fork’s winter steelhead runs often peak in December around the holidays and continue to offer fair (sometimes good) fishing into January. Wynoochee river fishing s cowlitz river fish reports map 30 min to white p ski area how to catch summer steelhead riptidefishCowlitz River FishingCowlitz River Fishing S West Side Service WestsideCowlitz River Fly Fishing TripsCowlitz River Fishing Visit RainierBlack Heron Fly Fishing Longview WashingtonBlack Heron Fly Fishing Longview WashingtonCowlitz River Summer Steelhead Water … There also are coastal cutthroat trout here, and WDFW mentions brook trout among the fish you might catch, although the other species are the primary focus. Fly Fishing the Cowlitz River. The North Fork below its series of reservoirs tends to be the larger producer of salmon and steelhead. Pricing Information King Salmon We target Spring King Salmon March thru June 10th & Fall King Salmon August 1st thru October. A lot of anglers target these tasty fish with fly-fishing tackle — streamers and wet flies like Reverse Spiders and dry flies like skated October Caddis can be productive — but they can be caught on the same baits (eggs and spinners) targeting coho. Coho salmon are caught during the same time frame here. Best salmon catches were in October. Light Tackle (1) Drift Fishing (1) Policies. Kurk Shriver on the Blitzen river fly fishing trout. See more in our Best Tiger Muskie Fishing in Washington article. There also is some fishing for wild cutthroat trout. Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies - Cowlitz River Washington Fly Line: The fly line we recommend for salmon fishing the Cowlitz River should be either an 9 or 10 weight, floating fly line. You Keep Catch (1) Targeted Species. Yale has a moderate number of trout that drop in from tributaries, primarily coastal cutthroat trout. Steelhead also come up the Columbia, with both summer and winter runs using it as their freeway to smaller tributaries as far upstream as Idaho. The lower Columbia River bordering Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties is most enthusiastically fished for salmon, especially the runs of Chinook salmon that come up the big river, both those turning into tributaries and those on their way farther upriver. There’s also a worthwhile fall Chinook fishery here, with the best catches likely to be in September. This is a former bend in the Lewis River that offers excellent seasonal fishing for plentiful stocked trout (lots of rainbows and often some browns). The trout will fall to relatively shallow trolling or bait-fishing techniques, but don’t expect this fishery to stretch into the summer here like it will at the reservoirs on the Lewis and Cowlitz rivers. Located near Kalama, on Interstate 5 between Longview and Woodland, the river has some sort of salmon or steelhead run available pretty much all year long, with good numbers of hatchery fish. With rain in the forecast, fish managers are optimistic that there will be additional sea-run cutthroat making their way up the Cowlitz. See our listing above and the fishing opportunities are similar for both counties. And with hatchery returns coming in strong, a number of fish will also be recycled — that is, transported downriver to the I-5 bridge to make their way back up toward the hatchery — giving anglers another opportunity to catch these fish in the days and weeks ahead. There are some cutthroat trout in Castle Creek. They released 17 coho adults, two coho jacks, three winter-run steelhead, and two cutthroat trout into to the Cispus River near Yellowjacket Creek and they released 38 coho adults, six coho jacks, and four winter-run steelhead at Franklin Bridge in Packwood. There’s a smaller summer-run of Chinook, but small doesn’t describe these fish, which can be among the largest found anywhere. These links will take you to great fishing just a short drive from Longview and Kelso. You’ll use the same types of set ups in the heat of summer, but you’ll need weight or a down-rigger to reach the schools, which run deeper as the surface water warms. When the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery began operation in 1968, it was the largest salmon hatchery in the world. At this end you’ll find a limited number of designated bank access spots where you can fish. Dated 10/7/20 Ray Johnson with a Cowlitz summer run. Please subscribe to the Lunker’s Guide today! The two facilities have allowed the re-population of steelhead and salmon to the Cowlitz River upper basin for the first time since the 1960’s when the Mayfield Dam and Mossyrock Dam were built. To view our fishing access maps and additional information about this fishing destination you must be a Lunker’s Guide member. Minimum size 20". Twelve months of the year there is a genuine possibility of hooking into a fish 15 lbs. Sturgeon are present throughout this section of the river, but fishing for them is a fairly low-numbers affair since the states turned this into largely a catch-and-release fishery. There have been a few days of open fishing in designated areas on the river. Both lakes are dammed and preserve the cold water from the mountain, creating great trout fishing in the lakes, and cool water continuing downstream producing excellent water conditions for steelhead, salmon and trout migrating upstream to spawn. “We’re hoping people get a chance to try one out this fall.”. River Fishing (1) Fishing Technique. The forks and tributaries, especially the clearer ones including the Green, have modest populations rainbow and sea-run and resident cutthroat trout, but you must release all wild trout. Clark County: To the south, lower Columbia River salmon, sturgeon and walleye plus nicely stocked trout and bass lakes. This tributary of the very lower Cowlitz River, flowing alongside Kelso on the way, can produce a modest number (sometimes just a few dozen) marked steelhead in a winter season. It’s not currently stocked but you are legally allowed to retain any fin-clipped hatchery steelhead that may stray into the creek, which flows next to Highway 4 in about the lowest mile or so after bringing its forks together. Access really couldn’t be better here, with lots of bank access and a boat launch in a city park located in Woodland right off Interstate 5, right between Vancouver and Longview-Kelso. Salmon catches can be moderate when the runs are good. The kokanee are a trout-sized land-locked sockeye salmon known for being feisty and quite tasty and traveling in large schools. The North Fork has runs of both fall and spring Chinook and also fall coho. The sound of LARGE fish rolling and jumping makes the adrenaline flow. Price: 2 Anglers $400.00 / 3 – 6 Anglers $175.00 each Reserve Your Spot Coho… This river flies under the radar for anglers outside of the lower Columbia River area, but it’s the best stream located primarily in Wahkiakum County. While some of the most productive (and crowded) spots for salmon and steelhead are in Lewis County, the salmon and steelhead also are caught migrating through the lower two dozen miles in Cowlitz County. You can even do pretty well for summer-runs in September and October, when the majority will be upstream closer to the hatchery rather than below Modrow Bridge. On December the 14th 2020, the flow of the river at Mayfield Dam is estimated to be 8,800 feet … The lowest sections of this very short western Wahkiakum County river, including a lower slow-moving slough of a section that flows into Grays Bay, offer a mixture of warmwater fish such as bass and panfish and some sturgeon holes. 96%. The Toutle’s forks and tributaries offer some fair fisheries for salmon and steelhead, but like most systems in the region have been less-than-stellar in recent years due to a variety of factors including natural boom and bust cycles. The fall Chinook runs are more modest most years, with the best catches around September. There’s also a ramp to launch a small boat, in addition to day-use facilities including picnic spots. There are a few spots with decent bank access. Those probably aren’t state record bass or transplanted steelhead … they are almost certainly some of the Asian grass carp planted in Sacajawea to keep the aquatic plants from taking over. These fish remain in the river well into August, but fishing is focused on the months of April, May and June. A more modest number of coho enter the catch in this part of the river during the same period as the Chinook, and they in fact are often caught by anglers focused on the bigger salmon. By: Blackstarfishing. Draining the slopes of Mt. At the lowest end near Skamokawa, there is a slough that might contain any of the bass and panfish species found in other Columbia River backwaters. Cowlitz River Salmon fishing kicks off in the month of April with the arrival of Spring Chinook Salmon. I Watched Another Documentary on Climate Change & I’m Angry. 1; Details; Find more fishing reports in Washington. The WDFW announces “emergency” seasons only when there are enough smelt to justify a fishery, which is often shortly before the limited fishery opens. There are lots of sections of river with varying regulations, so study up before fishing. Kapowsin Lake Fair New. Bass anglers come here in pretty good numbers, so don’t expect to have the place to yourself. Use multiple glow jigs with the heaviest on the bottom.. Fall Chinook overlap with often bigger runs of coho, although the latter “silvers” typically are migrating upriver a bit better by October. The Cowlitz River is widely considered to be one of Western Washington’s major sport-fishing factories, and this time of year anglers have their choice of several overlapping species. When These California Wildfires Go Out, New Ones Will Come, America’s Wetland Forests: Our Southern communities’ shelter from the storms. This is another lake formed by a debris flow from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens that has become an excellent trout-fishing destination. The first summer fish start appearing in May and June, especially in the lower river, although overall Cowlitz catches are better in July and August. In the early months, kokanee will be fairly shallow and can be caught trolling small spoons, hootchies and other lures. There also is a pretty good population of largemouth bass and a variety of panfish to keep the action going in the hotter months when trout aren’t available. The run typically continues into late October or early November. Dated 10/5/20. Panfish angling can be quite good here, with excellent catches of crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, bullhead catfish and other species possible starting in the spring, going through summer and into the fall. Whether you call them harvest trout, cutts, or sea runs, sea-run cutthroat trout have been a fall favorite for generations. Anglers of a certain age will remember incredible catches in the 1960s through 1980s. The lake also is home year-round to a collection of largemouth bass and various panfish, which tend to bite best starting in the spring as trout fishing winds down and continuing throughout summer and into early fall. There should be a few cutthroat trout around as well, including sea-runs in the late summer or early fall, but pay heed to regulations. The summer fish typically come in best around June, which together with their size is why locals call them “June Hogs.”. A few years ago, there were a few dozen Chinook tagged and a bit more coho (the latter mostly in the West Fork). The fall Chinook run is the largest in numbers of all, and the fish aren’t bad size either, with some going 30 pounds or better. Just think a bit smaller, Holowatz says. Annual Membership at $29.99 for the year! They are often caught by trolling small lures and jigs. Hatchery fall Chinook salmon may be retained but fairly low catches have been reported in recent years. This is a pretty big lake (773 acres) that has drive-up access only at the southwest end, just off State Route 504. This is a small river system of modest interest to anglers, with some salmon (including Chinook and chum), steelhead and cutthroat trout present. Currently, it produces nearly 13 million fish each year. This short stream entering the Columbia River by the community of the same name has been known to put out a few steelhead for a mostly local contingent of anglers. the Cowlitz can be a pretty good fly fishing river, best bass lake less than a two-hour drive from the Portland-Vancouver area. As you can see from the photo above, they can grow to a size similar to a jack salmon, and weigh up to 3 pounds. There also are two runs of steelhead in the Kalama. 16 in. West Side Guide Service has … The Cowlitz itself headwaters in the Mount Rainier area clear up in eastern Pierce County, but major tributary Toutle River originates in the Mount St. Helens area. The land-locked sockeye salmon are tasty and at times can be caught in good numbers. The fall run on the North Fork is likely to be the larger return most years, with best fishing in September and October, with some catches into November. By June, you’ll probably do better closer up toward Kalama Falls Hatchery. Cowlitz River Fishing Reports Recently shared catches and fishing spots. If you’re looking for a different kind of fishing experience, or maybe you just want to bring home a stringer of trout along with your salmon catch, Cowlitz sea-run cutthroat trout should be on your mind (and hopefully on your dinner plate). Salmon harvests may be allowed during better run years, so watch the WDFW for updates. While the landlocked resident coastal cutthroat can be found in dozens of lakes throughout Washington, the sea-run cutthroat moves between the river and ocean, much like salmon and steelhead. Minimum size 12". If you need fishing tackle, or are looking for a fishing guide or fishing charter please visit Tackle, Guides, Charters Kokanee fishing is nearly always a boat show. As the spring salmon fishery tapers off, summer steelhead picks up, and the Cowlitz often provides excellent summer steelheading from July through October. The first salmon of the year typically arrive in reasonable numbers during March (although die-hards start chasing them even earlier), while April generally produces the best results for spring Chinook. Species: Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Whitefish. Merrill has been planted with a variety of trout through the years, including rainbows and browns that grow to pretty good size. If you see some giant shadowy fish swimming not far under the surface, often in small groups, don’t get too excited, especially in the summer. Today, the Cowlitz River provides anglers with an exceptional sport-fishing opportunity. Anglers, as well as several Cowlitz river fishing guides, tend to swarm from around the country to get a chance to catch some of the prize species of fish that make their home in the Cowlitz river system.Chinook Salmon, Coho, and Steelhead are among the most popular species caught by anglers on the Cowlitz River, but trout such as rainbow trout and cutthroat trout, are in good numbers as well as … Other Fishing Reports for Vancouver. The reservoir also is home to some bull trout, which along with dolly varden are protected and must be released unharmed if caught incidentally. Of course, catches here have mirrored recent lower success rates in other Columbia tributaries, but this is a good spot to have on your radar. Columbia River. Merrill is located just north of the community of Cougar and Yale Lake. Much more on this river’s fishing options: Columbia River Fishing. Other communities in Cowlitz County include Kalama, most of Woodland and a bunch of smaller communities scattered around the river valleys and forested hills. These are among the top fishing holes on the Cowlitz river and will get you on the water at some of the top fishing access points. Adjacent to the salmon hatchery is the barrier dam, which diverts spawning and upriver migrating fish to a separating station where fish are … The river is also open right now for other fishing opportunities, including hatchery coho. Expect Lewis River springers to peak in June. The spring Chinook returns have been somewhat depressed in recent years, but some are available and these are a highly prize hatchery-bred fish. Toutle River. Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) (1) Salmon (Chinook) (1) Salmon (Coho) (1) Salmon (Pink) (1) Sturgeon (1) See how FishingBooker rates How FishingBooker rates. The fly line we recommend for steelhead fishing should be a 7 or 8 weight, floating fly line. Locals might hate us for saying this, but Silver Lake is also the best bass lake less than a two-hour drive from the Portland-Vancouver area. kyle grizzard. Also, note that Coldwater Creek and all inlet or outlet streams are strictly closed to fishing. The middle section of the North Fork is noteworthy by its series of dams forming Merwin Lake and Yale Lake bordering Cowlitz County, as well as Swift Reservoir upriver in Skamania County. Steelhead catches have been very modest here in recently years, mostly consisting of a handful of winter-run fish. Most people access the lake from the Cougar side, although come up the Kalama is a rougher option. The Cowlitz gets a bad rap as being a gear anglers haunt, and it is, but there are some great runs and pools to fish where most gear anglers are not to be found. For many non-anglers, Cowlitz County is these days perhaps best known as the gateway to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, definitely worth a visit for its stunning landscapes (including the amazing vista of the mountain itself) and museums showing the incredible devastation of the 1980 eruption and the ongoing rebirth of this area. It has large, Chinook salmon that will challenge anyone; sea-run cutthroat trout; summer steelhead, winter steelhead, and Coho salmon. Open: year-round above Lake Scanewa. Area 11 Good New. Date: Report: Author: 11-18-2020: Retention of hatchery salmon expanded on Cowlitz River Action: Increases daily limit of hatchery salmon. Speaking of colder months, WDFW tends to dump in thousands of hatchery trout, typically during the winter only. Grays River’s watershed drains much of the county and spills into Grays Bay just east of Deep River. The Cowlitz County section is a good-sized river that carries the large runs up into Lewis County. Winter steelhead tend to run fairly late here, with catches usually best in March and April. Steelhead fishing is a much more modest pursuit than salmon, but both bank and boat anglers have a reasonable shot at these shallower-swimming oversized rainbow trout. A freshwater fishing license is required. You’ll have to hike in, so it’ll take some work, but Castle Lake offers good bank fishing access and some good-sized rainbow trout in the Mount St. Helens blast area once you get there. “This is a fish that is fun to catch, bites opportunistically and aggressively, and tastes great,” Holowatz says. The state stocked 75 Rainbow Trout on Jan 4th Fishing has been a little slow but not bad Learn More. They are hard to catch but will strike large plugs and spinners that look like forage fish. Selective gear rules apply. The fall run in this lower reach picks up speed during August and keeps going strong into September. The Toutle has two main forks and also some significant tributaries, including the Green River flowing into the North Fork Toutle. Other information: On the Cowlitz River, the trout daily limit is 5 fish, no more than 3 over 20". It has some cutthroat trout fishing. Most anglers come to this big impoundment (3,800 acres), also known as Lake Merwin, to either catch kokanee or try their hand at fooling big tiger muskies. By October most of the action is farther upriver or in coastal bays. The 280-acre lake was formed naturally by an old lava flow from Mount St. Helens, long before the 1980 blast that impacted areas to the north far more severely. Tiger muskies were introduced here and elsewhere in Washington to control non-game fish species that tend to overrun some waters. The Elochoman is a relatively short river, originating in the soggy hills of Southwest Washington and flowing into a slough and then the Columbia River northwest of Cathlamet. Its a true year-round fishery. No report this week upstream from the I-5 Bridge. Other Fishing Reports for Puyallup . More: Fishing at Horseshoe Lake in Woodland. The Cowlitz River is a great conventional gear and fly fishing river. Both reproduce naturally to help repopulate the lake. Sea-run cutthroat trout appear in the lower river during the late winter and early fall but often get second billing to the steelhead and salmon arriving with them. Before we get there, we also suggest that after you’ve explored the best waters in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties, stick around for the “Fishing in Neighboring Counties” feature below. Skamania County: To the east, salmon, steelhead and more in the Columbia River and tributaries, plus some very good trout and bass lakes. The Coweeman River’s headwaters are Coweeman Lake in the mountains east of Kelso. They’re being caught now on the Cowlitz River from Barrier Dam to below I-5, and one popular drift is the section from Blue Creek down to Massey Bar. Pacific County: To the west, lower Columbia River and Willapa Bay salmon, crabbing and more on Washington’s southern coast. Learn More. 01/13/2021 Trout. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2020–21 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, More from The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Green Death: A Hipster Phenomenon? Lewis County: To the north, the best salmon and steelhead fishing on the Cowlitz River plus excellent trout, bass and other fishing. Would you Buy Some Value of an Earthworm and a Bee in Nature’s Bio-systems? The lake, shared with Skamania County, currently hosts rainbows as well as cutthroat trout that were native to Coldwater Creek. There are lots of lily pads and other aquatic plants, docks, island, coves, downed trees, and on and on. Types of fish Encountered : Depending on the time of the year, you will encounter cutthroat trout, steelhead, Chinook and Coho salmon. 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