Fishing report: Coho and steelhead are biting in several rivers

By Bob Brown | For The Olympian • Published November 20, 2008

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Heavy rains blew out most rivers on this side of the mountains last week, but conditions have been steadily improving.

Anglers have been catching nice strings of coho and steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula, in the Cowlitz River and the Kalama River.

Some limits of coho and steelhead are being caught in the Bogachiel and Sol Duc rivers, and fishing has been smoking hot in the Cowlitz for coho and outstanding for sea-run cutthroat.

A smattering of winter steelhead, which are starting to make an appearance at Blue Creek, also are being caught. The Kalama has been producing excellent catches of coho in the canyon, and steelhead are being caught throughout the lower river.

In the lower Columbia River, anglers have been catching fair numbers of legal sturgeon in the gorge. Steelhead catches have been good above John Day Dam and in the John Day arm.

The chum fishing has been very good in front of the Hoodsport Hatchery and not bad in Perry and McLane creeks. Kennedy Creek has been producing chum, but catching has slowed.

Blackmouth fishing has been fair in the Tacoma area and in waters around Sekiu, but catches have been very light in South Sound and Hood Canal.

RIVERS

OLYMPIC PENINSULA: A fairly decent slug of winter steelhead has moved into the Bogachiel, and limits are being had near the hatchery, Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting in Forks said. The Sol Duc is producing coho and chinook, with more coho being caught than chinook. The Hoh is presently too high for decent fishing but is dropping fast and is expected to be in fishable condition before the weekend. Gooding said fishing has been pretty good lately and is expected to hold true until the next round of heavy rains hit the area.

COWLITZ: Bank angling has been good at barrier dam and Blue Creek. Not many boat anglers are fishing because of turbid water conditions. coho are being caught throughout the upper river, and winter steelhead are being caught at Blue Creek. Sea-run cutthroat fishing has been excellent. Most of the fish are being caught near the hatchery, Karen Glazer of Barrier Dam Campground said. Fishing in the lower river has been very slow because of high, turbid water, Jarrod Light of 4 Corners Store in Castle Rock said. A few anglers have been plunking just below the mouth of the Toutle without much success.