Northwest Fishing Reports

I managed to get myself into a free chartered steelhead trip this weekend @ Blue Creek, but it's only gonna be for 2-3 hours in the morning. I live kinda far away to make the drive for only 2-3 hours if there's no chance of catchin somethin due to the river bein blown out. If I go I plan on bankin it for awhile after the boat trip, but that too depends on the flows. Anybody think there's much hope or should I bag it?

The Cowlitz up that far in the system won't get blown out, it is dam controlled. My buddies tell me all the time they do best when it reaches 14,000 CFS, it's at 10,900 right now.

I will be on a sled tomorrow also, see ya there. I am sure if you are unable to go, I know of several guys who would jump all over your situation to fish there tomorrow...

I'm going out on the first trip Sunday morning. I just got back into the state a couple months ago, and I'm hopin this trip will end with my first steel. I've been slayin the salmon around here for a couple years now, but I've never really tried for the steelhead. Are you going out there too Tony? I know I see "wannafish" pokin around another site from time to time, so I wouldn't be suprised if your there with an Xrod in your hand.

jtrapier wrote:I'm going out on the first trip Sunday morning. I just got back into the state a couple months ago, and I'm hopin this trip will end with my first steel. I've been slayin the salmon around here for a couple years now, but I've never really tried for the steelhead. Are you going out there too Tony? I know I see "wannafish" pokin around another site from time to time, so I wouldn't be suprised if your there with an Xrod in your hand.

Oh, you signed up for the Xrodz Demo. I heard about that, sounds cool.

The cowlitz is dam regulated so if the other rivers blow, I would bet that its better on the Cow. We'll be down there if there's no fish where we're going.

Last year I got steel when it was over 1200cfs. These year I got steel with it at 10900. Its not hard at all to fish high water at the cowlitz. Especially from a boat. I do it from the bank though.

I was also planning on my first steelhead trip this Sunday but looks like the rivers in Central & Northern Cascades are gonna be blown out. Is Cowlitz the place to go? Any recommended spots? Barrier Dam? Blue Creek? Others?

Thank you sirs!

Toni wrote:I am suppose to be there first thing Sunday morning. The Cowlitz is fishable into the 13,000's, I knowI have been on it in the summer or spring when they were letting a lot of water out of the dam. My concern would be for logs in the water floating down. As for fish it would turn off the bite if they let more water out while we are on the water fishing. That I have seen happen.

Yes, for some reason the fish get lockjaw on the rise, it has been leveling off, so should be great. Now if they drop it at all for the weekend, lookout!

Toni wrote:I am suppose to be there first thing Sunday morning. The Cowlitz is fishable into the 13,000's, I knowI have been on it in the summer or spring when they were letting a lot of water out of the dam. My concern would be for logs in the water floating down. As for fish it would turn off the bite if they let more water out while we are on the water fishing. That I have seen happen.

I'll see ya there!! I'm pretty sure we're on the same boat.

Jens and pooh:

I keep expectin to see you guys out there, but it seems like everytime I go you're somewhere else.... Hit me up sometime

Oh ya, Freddy V:

Like I said I'm not exactly an expert on the steelies, but I know from experience with salmon that noth Blue Creek and Barrier can be very productive, but everyone else know that too, so expect some company. From what I hear blue creek is where the steelhead are returning to, so you may have better luck there.

the steelies return to barrier because there's another hatchery somewhere upriver on the system. that's why there are some that have a ventral fin clipped as well