Casey Kelly is a Cowlitz River Fishing Guide that offers world class fishing for spring Chinook, fall Chinook, winter-run steelhead and summer-run steelhead. The Cowlitz River has been considered the best river in the state for winter steelhead for many years. With an average annual return of 16,000-plus winter steelhead, and an average catch of around 9,000 per winter for anglers it is no wonder it is the best in the state.
Winter steel heading starts in middle February and runs consistently through early April. Cowlitz River fishing guides fish the Cowlitz River predominantly for Winter Steelhead around the Blue Creek area of the Cowlitz River. Fishing for Winter steelhead is a hands-on approach meaning that casting for these fish is mandatory. We often use light line and rods to target these fish will dragging the bottom with either salmon roe or a single bead that represents salmon roe. It’s always a good time casting, and feeling the bottom of the river, and when a steelhead grabs your bait, there’s no doubt in your mind.
Summer Steelhead on the Cowlitz is second to none. The Cowlitz River summer steelhead runs are enormous giving anglers outstanding fishing all through the summer. Cowlitz steelhead tend to be very bright fish since they are so close to the Pacific Ocean. Steelhead this fresh and bright are aptly named chromers. These fish are amazing table fare and have a very mild flavor and texture. They can be baked, grilled and even smoked.
We target Summer Steelhead on the Cowlitz by techniques called side drifting and bobber dogging. Both involve casting just like for winter steelhead, but we predominantly use just salmon eggs as our bait. Summer Steelhead seem to prefer the real thing over artificial baits like their counterpart’s winter steelhead. Often, after feeling a summer steelhead pick up the bait the rod will dive down aggressively a few times alerting the angler that there’s a fish biting. The best part of summer steelhead is once they are hooked, they can take a lot of line off the reel and often times jump out of the water multiple times!
Another great fishery on the Cowlitz River is the world-renowned Spring Chinook Salmon. Some years, the Cowlitz River can see as much as 20,000 Spring Chinook! The Cowlitz is long river, which lets us get away from other boats and fish stretches of river all by ourselves. Targeting these fish requires bringing just about everything they bite every day to ensure you have what they want that particular day. This includes salmon eggs, Kwikfish, sand shrimp, herring, anchovies, and many times twitching jigs. You never know what they will want to bite day to day so the key to success is bring it all!
Fall Salmon fishing is also world class on the Cowlitz River and is a favorite amoung Cowlitz River Fishing Guides. Each year Cowlitz River fishing guides flock to the Cowlitz River for its great fishing for their clients. When Chinook salmon enter the Cowlitz in late August fishing is considered red-hot for nearly a month. Right on the tails of the Chinook are Coho salmon which come in great numbers providing fishermen and women with a hard fighting aggressive fish to catch all day long. Located just over an hour from Seattle, Washington it can make for a great adventure if you are visiting from out of town for even just a day in Seattle, Washington or Portland, Oregon.
NW Columbia Fishing Adventures
Northwest fishing guide, Oregon fishing guide and Washington fishing guide, specializes in 1 to 6 man fishing trips on Northwest rivers. From Buoy 10 to Bonneville dam we catch Salmon, Sturgeon, Winter Steelhead, Summer Steelhead, Kokanee, Walleye, Shad and Bass. Book a trip today good dates fill fast.
