Last year steelhead were scarce in local rivers and the fishing was poor just about everywhere. The low returns were probably the result of two major factors. The drought of 2015 meant very poor conditions for out-migrating smolts, and the few fish that did make it to the sea found poor conditions in the ocean.
This double whammy hammered the fish pretty hard, and last year’s returns were some of the worst in recent years.
The question on the minds of steelheaders is: will this year’s runs be any better?
That question will probably not be answered until this season runs its course. While there are good indicators for forecasting salmon runs, the same is not true for steelhead. Fisheries managers do not have the tools to look ahead and make solid projections.
The early hatchery runs are beginning to show in local rivers. These include the Washougal River, the North Fork Lewis River, the Kalama River, and two local walk-in streams, Salmon Creek in Vancouver, and Rock Creek in Stevenson.
Those runs will peak during the holidays.
WDFW changing hatchery stocks
Changes are coming for all the streams that have early hatchery runs, which have been produced with the Chambers Creek Stock from the Puget Sound area until recently.
“The last release of Chambers Creek stock was the 2017 release year (2016 brood year) in Washougal, Coweeman, Kalama, Salmon Creek and Rock Creek,” said Cindy Le Fleur, the Regional Fisheries Manager for WDFW’s Region 5. “Those fish will return in 2019 and 2020 primarily.”
“In 2018 we will release Kalama winter steelhead in the Kalama River and Salmon Creek. We will release Eagle Creek Hatchery stock in the Coweeman, Washougal and Rock Creek. In 2019 we will release Big Creek stock in these three rivers and Kalama (hatchery stock) in the Kalama River and Salmon Creek.”
The Eagle Creek and Big Creek stocks are used in Oregon and originated within the Columbia basin, making them a better genetic match for local rivers. Both stocks are early returning steelhead that will come back in December.
Eventually the department hopes to plant these rivers with a Kalama River stock adjusted to return earlier. It will take a number of generations to accomplish this and the department estimates results in about 12 years.
There are no changes being planned for the early returning hatchery steelhead in the North Fork.
Hatchery steelhead are already returning in the North Fork and other rivers with early runs, and should produce good fishing until mid January.
By that time, a few late returning steelhead will start to show in the Kalama and Cowlitz rivers. These stocks originated with wild local steelhead and will not show in strong numbers until mid February.
Here is a quick look at steelhead returning to SW Washington this year.
Cowlitz River
This river produces more steelhead than any other in Southwest Washington, and guide Cary Hofmann of CNH Guide Service targets the Cowlitz every year. He is hoping for more steelhead this season and less high water.
“Last year we had to deal with a lot of high water,” Hofmann said. “In that high water, steelhead run straight up to the hatchery.” He prefers conditions that spread the fish throughout the river.
Hofmann will start fishing the Cowlitz about Feb. 20, and the run builds until it peaks starting in mid-March. The return to the Cowlitz River this year will be from a planting of 609,492 mostly late returning steelhead.
Kalama River
This mid-sized river is well known for producing giant wild steelhead, although it does receive a run of hatchery fish, too. Mike West of Fish the West with Mike West guide service spends his winters on the Kalama. He helped a client land a monster 21.5 pound wild steelhead last year. “The Kalama is capable of producing those big fish,” said West.
While the river has a hatchery run, it is a small portion of all the steelhead caught. “On the Kalama you have a chance to boat a hatchery steelhead while catch and release fishing for wild steelhead,” added West.
He reports that he fishes the entire river, including a section of the canyon in the upper basin. He has private access and can launch a drift boat upriver of the public launches.
“I often have that river to myself down to the Red Barn launch,” he adds.
Depending on the river’s flow he can fish all the way down to the Interstate-5 Bridge. He likes to side-drift salmon eggs, back troll diver and bait, and pull plugs. His favorite plug is Yakima Bait’s Maglip 3.5. Since the Kalama features those late run steelhead he does not fish the river until January.
Washougal River
This river received a plant of 76,892 Chambers Creek stock smolts in spring of 2016. These fish are already returning, and the run will peak during the next week.
Salmon Creek
This walk-in fishery was planted with 32,600 Chambers Creek stock steelhead in spring 2016.
North Fork Lewis River
More than 163,000 early returning steelhead smolts were planted in the river in 2016. Anglers are already catching some steelhead at the Lewis River Hatchery near Woodland. Keepable hatchery steelhead are marked with a clipped adipose fin. Always check the regulations before you fish any water.
Guides List
CNH Guide service: Captain Cary Hofmann (206) 919-1266, www.cnhguideservice.com/
Fish the West with Mike West: 360-673-3474, https://www.artful-nature.com/
