Cowlitz River Fishing Guides and Conditions, Washington

About the Cowlitz River

The Cowlitz produces more hatchery steelhead and salmon than any other river in Washington, and for a lot of anglers in the southwest corner of the state it is simply the river. It comes off the south flank of Mount Rainier, passes through the Mossyrock and Mayfield reservoirs, and runs west past the Barrier Dam and the Blue Creek hatchery through Toledo and Castle Rock to the Columbia at Longview.

The fishery is a year-round rotation. Winter steelhead run from December into April, summer steelhead through the warm months, spring and fall chinook and a large coho run fill in the rest, and sea-run cutthroat show up in late summer for anglers who prefer a fly rod and lighter tackle. The reach from the Barrier Dam down to Blue Creek is the most concentrated and most crowded water in the state on a good day; the long floats below Toledo give more room and more solitude.

The Castle Rock gauge reads the lower river. Typical fishable flows run in the low thousands of cfs. Reservoir operations upstream smooth the river out compared with a free-flowing coastal system, but heavy winter rain still pushes it into the tens of thousands and puts it out for days, and the color takes longer to clear than the level takes to drop. Mount St. Helens sediment continues to affect the lower channel.

Castle Rock, Toledo, Salkum and Longview line the river, and Interstate 5 crosses it, which is a large part of why it gets fished so hard. Guides run sleds and drift boats depending on the reach and the season.

Access

Barrier Dam: the top of the anadromous river, bank fishery and boat launch.
Blue Creek and the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery: the most popular access on the river.
Massey Bar and Mission Bar: upper river ramps below the hatchery.
Toledo and Kiser Road: middle river launches and long float options.
Castle Rock: access near the gauge, ramp and town park.
Longview and the Columbia confluence: the bottom of the river.
Seasons here change by emergency rule; check current regulations before every trip.

Seasons

Year-round; something is open on this river in nearly every month.
December through April: winter steelhead, the signature fishery.
May through September: summer steelhead, spring chinook and sea-run cutthroat late in the season.
September through November: fall chinook and a heavy coho run, the busiest boat traffic of the year.