A steelhead is a Rainbow Trout that makes its way to the ocean and then returns to the river or hatchery it was born in to spawn. Each year, millions of steelhead smolt are raised in fish hatcheries All over Washinton, Oregon, Idaho, and California. In 2023 Washington state has planted over 1,200,000 Winter Steelhead and over 3,000,000 Summer Steelhead in the Columbia River alone!
Steelhead fishing in Washington and Oregon is the best steelhead fishing in the US! The Lewis River and Cowlitz River produce great numbers of steelhead year after year. These fish are so aggressive that when they bite, they can almost rip the rod out of your hand. Not to mention they often jump and flip through the air giving anglers one heck of a thrill!
The Columbia River is also absolutely dynamite for summer steelhead! These fish are traveling up the Columbia River from “Buoy 10” near the Pacific Ocean, all the way to Idaho, and beyond. To successfully make the long journey, steelhead are packed full of healthy oils and fats that make them melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Fishing on the Columbia River for steelhead can easily produce 10-30 fish days making it one of the most exciting and productive times of the year to fish! Winter steelhead fishing turns on in the later part of November and continues through March. The peak of the Winter run happens in late Feb through March. Like Summer Steelhead, Winter Steelhead fight like crazy, making big runs and skying out of the water! When the weather cooperates, it is a great time to get out of the house and go catch these fish on the Lewis and Cowlitz rivers.
We target steelhead on the tributaries and the Columbia in very different manners. On the Columbia River, we anchor in very specific spots where we find the travel lanes that the fish use to move upriver. Spin n gloe’s and Coon Striped Shimp are the ticket to catching these fantastic eating fish. On the tributaries of the Columbia, such as the Lewis and Cowlitz Rivers, we cover more ground searching for biting fish. Casting baits of eggs in areas where steelhead lay is key.
There are quite a few methods to catch Winter and Summer Steelhead. Among them are bobber and jigs, bobber and plastic worms, salmon eggs, and single plastic beads. All these methods have their time and place while steel heading on Washington and Oregon rivers.
