Rivers in Cowlitz County
Abernathy and Germany creeks: These small streams west of Longview provide late summer and fall sea-run cutthroat fishing opportunities. Some steelhead are caught in the winter season beginning November 1. All wild cutthroat and steelhead must be released. These streams are closed to salmon angling at all times.
Columbia River Bars
Columbia River: This stretch of the Columbia offers beach and boat angling for sturgeon, winter and summer steelhead, sea-run cutthroat trout, plus salmon during open seasons. Shad are available as they pass through on their way upstream. A minor boat fishery for shad takes place several miles downstream from the Lewis River mouth. Angling opportunities for anadromous fish vary with the seasons and health of the individual runs. Check with the regional WDFW office in Vancouver for the latest information on seasons and catch limits. WDFW office phone numbers are listed on the inside front cover. All wild cutthroat and steelhead must be released. The river here reopens for steelhead and shad fishing on May 16. Sturgeon fishing can be good, especially during smelt runs. From Bonneville Dam downstream to the mouth, the daily sturgeon limit is one fish, 42-60 inches in length. Anglers can continue to catch-and-release sturgeon after they have legally recorded their daily bag limit. Yellow perch, various catfish species, largemouth and smallmouth bass and crappie are caught in the main river and connecting sloughs, with with an occasional walleye showing up. Check the regulations pamphlet for new walleye rules.
Coweeman River
Coweeman River: This Cowlitz River tributary provides good fishing for winter steelhead. Sea-run cutthroat trout are no longer released into this river. Anglers are reminded that all wild cutthroat and steelhead must be released. Salmon fishing on the Coweeman is closed.
Cowlitz River
Cowlitz River: The Cowlitz usually provides excellent fishing for summer and winter steelhead, plus some sea-run cutthroat angling. All right-ventral clipped steelhead must be released in the lower Cowlitz (below the Mayfield barrier dam); these fish will be used to provide natural production and enhance fishing opportunities in the upper river. All wild cutthroat and steelhead must be released. Limited spring chinook angling will be available this year. Coho salmon abundance is expected to be good this year, and some fall fisheries are possible. Limited sturgeon fishing takes place in the lower river. The smelt (eulachon) fishery has been closed on the Cowlitz and all other Washington lower Columbia tributaries, although the 2000 return showed signs of improvement. Refer to the Lewis County listing for more Cowlitz River information. For river flows, call Tacoma City Light fishing hotline at 1-888-502-8690.
Green River
Green River: This Toutle River tributary offers easy access along Weyerhaeuser logging roads (if the roads are not gated shut) for much of its length, and fair-to-good fishing for summer steelhead. All wild steelhead must be released, and the river is closed to all trout fishing other than steelhead. Improved fall coho salmon returns this year may allow a fishery. In addition, there will likely be opportunity to catch spring chinook. Check with the regional WDFW office in Vancouver for the latest information on seasons and catch limits. WDFW office phone numbers are listed on the inside front cover. Check the regulations pamphlet for legal fishing boundaries and open season for steelhead.
Kalama River
Kalama River: The Kalama gets both summer and winter steelhead, spring and fall chinook, early and late stock coho, and sea-run cutthroat trout. Hatchery sea-run cutthroat are not released into the Kalama. All wild cutthroat and steelhead must be released. To further protect wild steelhead, all of the hatchery winter and summer steelhead returning to Kalama Falls hatchery are recycled downstream to the lower river. To protect wild steelhead "jacks," the trout minimum size limit increases to 20 inches effective May 1, 2000. Spring chinook and coho returns are expected to be improved this year, and some fisheries are possible. Check with the regional WDFW office in Vancouver for the latest information on seasons and catch limits. WDFW office phone numbers are listed on the inside front cover. The river is easily accessible from I-5, and gets quite a bit of pressure from the surrounding metropolitan areas. A section is set aside for fly-fishing only; check the regulations pamphlet for boundaries.
Lewis River
Toutle River
Toutle River (North and South Forks): The South Fork Toutle supports an excellent fishery for hatchery summer steelhead, plus limited, mostly catch-and-release fishing for winter steelhead (no hatchery winter-run steelhead are planted). Check the regulations pamphlet for fishing boundaries. Selective gear rules are in effect for the winter season. All wild steelhead must be released. The North Fork and main stem Toutle (from the mouth to the forks) also provide some fishing for hatchery summer steelhead, with wild steelhead release. Some fall salmon seasons are possible on the North Fork this year; please contact the Vancouver office for the latest on seasons and catch limits. All North Fork and South Fork Toutle tributaries are closed to fishing.
Fishing in the Northwest Home Page
