Fishing guides in Washington State are constantly on the move to the next best river to fish. Whether it be the
Columbia River
Cowlitz River
Lewis River
Wind River
Drano Lake
etc
Avid fishermen and professional Washington Fishing Guides alike are always searching for the fish and searching for the bite. Since the majority of our fish are migratory this continues to be a constant battle.
Fishing guides in Washington State constantly have Salmon and Steelhead to target:
Starting in January, guides will target keeper Columbia River Sturgeon in the Columbia River Gorge. The keeper sturgeon season lasts the entire month and some years into February with great results daily. In between fishing for sturgeon, the guides will target Winter Steelhead on the tributaries of the Columbia River.
Winter Steelhead, like their counterpart, Summer Steelhead are a blast to catch on light tackle. Winter Steelhead are a highly cherished fish here in the pacific northwest because of their witty ways to outsmart us humans sometimes. Winter steelhead are a challenge to catch for some but having experience in where they hide at any given water height or condition can be the difference in a successful day or not.
As winter continues on, winter steelhead does as well. As hatchery steelheading winds down, native winter steelheading heats up. From March through mid April, native winter steelhead flood the SW Washington tributaries. Wild winter steelhead are probably the most cherished fish in Washington and Oregon. Anglers pursue these fish with a passion and addiction that cannot be described.
Facing freezing temperatures, rain, sleet hail and snow, anglers hunt these fish just for a chance to catch one, take a quick picture and then release it. There is something about wild winter steelhead that just cannot be described. Native Winter Steelhead on average are larger in size than their hatchery counterparts which give anglers on the other end of the fishing rod a fishing experience they won’t soon forget!
As April begins, fishing guides in Washington State will juggle between winter steelhead and the beginning of the Columbia River Spring Chinook season. Spring Chinook like winter steelhead are also a highly sought after fish here in the pacific northwest. Spring Chinook make fishing guides in Washington State go crazy trying to catch them.
Every year, catching Spring Chinook seems to change due to water conditions and other factors. Being on the water daily and getting dialed in on what the fish want is vital to Washington fishing guides success.
As the month of April comes to an the Bonneville Dam fish counts begin to rise and that’s when Spring Chinook fishing really heats up. Being able to see how many fish are going over Bonneville Dam is a huge advantage to fishermen that Fish in the Columbia River Gorge. Drano Lake and the Wind River are hotspots for catching Spring Chinook every year. Each of these rivers receive great runs year after year making for great days fishing for guides and sportsmen alike.
After the Spring Chinook fishery winds down at the end of May, Washington fishing guides switch gears back to Summer Steelhead on the Columbia River. On May 15th the Columbia opens up for steelhead and it’s normally hot fishing right out of the gate! The Summer Steelhead season lasts clear through July on the Columbia River and it’s tributaries such as the Cowlitz River and Lewis River.
Fishing for Summer Steelhead with light tackle is one of the funnest ways to fish that there is. One technique is called sidedrifting. Sidedrifting is when there is a trough of deeper water surrounded by shallower water where steelhead like to hang out. Casting a light weight along with salmon eggs into the drift while letting the current take it downstream. When steelhead bite they bite hard and fight like no other fish their size!
After steelhead season winds down, the main event starts to begin. Fall Chinook and Coho Salmon fishing! In August, fishing guides in Washington flock to Astoria Oregon for the world famous Buoy 10 fishery. The Buoy 10 fishery lasts the entire month of August and into September with great days of fishing the entire time!
At Buoy 10 trolling with anchovies and herring along with spinners is the ticket to get Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon to bite. This is one of the hottest fisheries of the year and one you don’t want to miss!
Early September most fishing guides in Washington move inland to intercept the Salmon that have just came in from the ocean. In September, we target chinook and coho in Woodland Washington where fish stage before heading farther up the river.
When September comes to an end we move into the tributaries of the Columbia where Chinook and Coho are even easier to target due to the size of the rivers we are fishing. Light tackle, and a hands on approach makes catching these coho and chinook a blast! Chinook and Coho season last until mid November where we start the cycle all over again with winter steelhead.
Fishing guides in Washington love fishing nearly year round in Washington rivers and also enjoy showcasing the scenery we all enjoy. See you on the water!
