Steelhead season is off to a strong start on the Chetco and Smith Rivers, with near-perfect conditions and a big return of winter fish. The Wild Rivers Fishing crew has been enjoying success on both rivers.
Despite cold weather, with lots of snow in the hills, fishing has been has been good the past week. A major winter storm is expected to start the new year, which could limits options for the first week of 2022.
A beautiful Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Andy.
Both rivers blew out around Christmas, but the Smith quickly dropped back into shape, and the Chetco has been in prime shape for the past few days. During the higher flows, plunkers fishing large Spin-N-Glos from shore did well. Drift boaters side-drifting roe and Corkies did well as the river began to drop.
A wild hen steelhead is released on the Upper Chetco.
Wild Rivers Fishing has guides licensed in Oregon and California to fish the Chetco and Smith rivers, and operates under special use permits from the US Forest Service to fish the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco and launch at the Forks on the Smith River to drift through Redwood National Park.
Nice Chetco steelhead caught on a 3.5 MagLip plug.
We also fish the Elk and Sixes rivers during the winter, and occasionally on the lower Rogue River. Steelhead season is off to a great start on the lower Rogue, where some guides are getting into double-digit numbers anchoring and fishing 3.5 MagLip plugs.
The Chetco is expected to blow out by Jan. 2, and could approach flood stage with the combination of heavy rain and melting snow. When we get back on the water, we will start by running plugs and then side-drift as flows drop.
Frequent storms with heavy rain have steelhead season off to an early start on the Chetco and Smith rivers. A mix of hatchery and wild steelhead have already been caught on both streams, and now anglers are waiting for a break in the weather to get on the water.
Capt. Michael holds a Chetco steelhead caught in December 2021.
Steelhead began arriving in late November, but low, clear conditions made getting a good drift difficult. After heavy rain in early December, steelhead arrived in big numbers on the Chetco and Smith. The water has been high for the past few weeks, making side-drifting difficult, but giving plunkers using large Spin-N-Glos a good opportunity to catch fish from shore.
Our guides have had some success so far this season side-drifting when flows are below 4,000 cfs, and also have caught steelhead anchoring in the softer water near shore and fishing 3.5 MagLip plugs.
Capt. Mick with a nice Chetco steelhead from early December.
Peak season for Chetco River winter steelhead is the last week of December, all of January and February, and the first week of March. The season runs through March 31. The Smith River also fishes best during the same time frame, but remains open through April.
Many visiting anglers will book two days, so they can fish the Smith River and the Chetco River during their same trip to the coast. Our guides are licensed in Oregon and California, and also have special use permits for the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco River, located within the U.S. Forest Service boundary.
The Chetco fishes best for steelhead between 2,500 cfs and 3,500 cfs. The Smith River will fish during higher flows. The Elk River to the north of the Chetco also fishes well immediately after a heavy rain, while other rivers take a couple of days to come into shape.
To book a trip with a local, year round fishing guide, call Wild Rivers Fishing at (541) 813-1082.
The 2021 drift boat salmon season on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers started hot, as big storms brought impressive numbers of fish in, but ended on a slow note, as prolonged low, clear water made fishing tough the second half of November and in early December.
Capt. Andy holds a pair of Chetco River kings from early November.
In October and early November, the action was great. The Wild Rivers Fishing crew of Andy, Michael, Rye, Mick, Sam and Shane bounced around from the Smith to Chetco and then Elk and Sixes, getting into decent numbers of kings on each trip. The rivers then blew out in early November, and then slowed as the rain stopped.
Capt. Michael with a chromer Sixes River king salmon.
Action overall was above-average early in the season, but slow during the second half. Focus now turns to winter steelhead, which are already showing up on the Smith and Chetco rivers, and should get better with rains in mid-December. A few more bright salmon also should show up on the Chetco and Smith, and especially on the Elk and Sixes, after the first big rain of December.
The first drift boat salmon trips started in late September, when rains increased flows on the Smith River and a bunch of jacks moved in. Andy, Rye and Sam got in on the action, and caught big numbers of salmon on plugs. Lots of doubles on the smaller kings stacked up in the lower section of the Smith.
In mid-October, more rains fell, and the drift boat season got underway on the Chetco and Smith. We used bobbers and eggs, plugs and divers and bait to get into fish on both rivers. Another big rain in early November brought in the last decent fishing on the Smith and Chetco, which then slowed as the bulk of the fish moved upstream to spawn.
The action was good on the Elk and Sixes for a couple of weeks, but they too got low and clear and the action slowed.
Peak season for steelhead fishing is late December through February. With several local guides working out of our office, we have some availability. Call (541) 813-1082 to schedule a winter steelhead drift boat trip.
Here are some more photos of our 2021 drift boat salmon season on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers.
The peak of the winter steelhead season has arrived on the Chetco and Smith Rivers, and although fishing is only fair at best, some of the fish being caught are in the mid-teens or bigger. The Smith already has produced a handful of 20-plus-pound steelhead, and the Chetco has yielded several fish in the upper teens.
High water in early January has brought in decent numbers of steelhead. Catch rates, however, are still somewhat low, with one to two fish a day on average. There is a nice mix of hatchery and wild steelhead on the Chetco, while the Smith has a few hatchery steelhead, and plenty of bigger wild fish.
A large hatchery steelhead caught on a 3.5 MagLip in January 2021 on the Chetco River.
As the rivers dropped back into shape after the New Year’s rain storm, the Wild Rivers Fishing crew spent the first few days the Chetco was fishable by running plugs close to shore. A 19-pound and an 18-pound steelhead were caught on 3.5 MagLips. After the river continued to drop, side-drifting was effective.
A 19-pound steelhead caught on the Chetco River in January 2021.
The Wild Rivers Fishing guides have donated a handful of wild steelhead to the ODFW hatchery broodstock program on the Chetco. The steelhead are caught with hook and line, and after being held in live wells on the drift boats, are dropped off in holding pens on the lower river. ODFW then takes the steelhead to the hatchery on the Elk River (there isn’t a hatchery on the Chetco), where they are live spawned. The adult steelhead are released back into the Chetco, and several months later, the juvenile steelhead are brought back to the Chetco.
A beautiful Chetco River wild steelhead that was donated in January to the ODFW broodstock hatchery program.
The last few years, February has been the peak season on the Chetco and Smith rivers. Steelhead season runs through March 31 on the Chetco and the end of April on the Smith.
A hefty Chetco River hatchery steelhead from January 2021.One of the wild steelhead donated to the broodstock program.A chrome-bright Chetco steelhead.
Ocean bottom fishing charters also will begin soon out of the Port of Brookings. The Wild Rivers Fishing crew also captains charter boats in Brookings, targeting lingcod, halibut, salmon, rockfish and albacore tuna.
To book a guided drift boat river trip, or an ocean charter, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
Salmon season has quickly wound down on the Chetco and Smith Rivers, giving way to winter steelhead. This season, steelhead are showing up a littler earlier than normal, which generally indicates an above-average run. Numerous wild and hatchery adult steelhead have already been caught on the Chetco River.
Guide Michael McGahan of Wild Rivers Fishing with a hatchery steelhead from the Chetco River in early December 2020.
In late November and early December, shore anglers at Social Security Bar began catching steelhead while targeting salmon. Upriver, drift boaters encountered big numbers of halfpounder steelhead and a few adults. Normally, there are a few steelhead in the Chetco by Thanksgiving, but this season the numbers are above average. With several storms expected the week of Dec. 13, the Chetco is expected to hit 6,0000 cfs. As it drops, the peak season for winter steelhead will begin. The best time to target steelhead on the Chetco is late December through early March.
The adult steelhead already caught this season are 8 to 12 pounds. A 15-plus pounder already has been weighed in at the Chetco Outdoor Store in Brookings. As the river drops in the coming week, expect steelhead to be spread out from Social Security Bar, which is the head of tide, all the way to the South Fork.
Our primary technique for catching winter steelhead on the Chetco and Smith rivers is side-drifting roe with light spinning tackle. This is done from drift boats on the scenic coastal rivers of far Southern Oregon and the Smith in Northern California.
Several local, full-time river guides are ready to take anglers fishing this season on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers. Longtime local guides Andy Martin, Travis Sallander and Rye Phillips will be joined this year by Shane Brooks and Michael McGahan during the drift boat season. Michael and Shane are deckhands during the summer months on the ocean charter boats in Brookings and both have earned their U.S. Coast Guard captain’s licenses. Local guides Mick Thomas and Sam Stover, who guide on both the Smith and Chetco rivers, will be helping the Wild Rivers Fishing crew with some of the larger drift boat groups.
The 2021 calendar is filling up quickly, but there are still some prime dates available with the local Wild Rivers Fishing guides. Andy, Travis and Mick have Forest Service permits to guide on the Upper Chetco, which is a limited entry area for guides. They also have special permits for the Forest Service section of the Smith River. To book a drift boat trip for salmon or steelhead on the Smith or Chetco rivers, call (541) 813-1082.
While winter steelhead is the primary focus December through March, the Wild Rivers Fishing crew also runs ocean charters out of Brookings year round as the weather cooperates. The guides also serve as charter boat captains for Brookings Fishing Charters LLC, the sister company of Wild Rivers Fishing. Capt. Andy and Capt. Rye are owner-operators, while Capt. Travis, Capt. Mick and Capt. Michael also skipper ocean-going charter boats.
A pair of vermilion rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters in November 2020.
New for 2021, the daily bag limit for rockfish on the Oregon Coast is six fish a day, up from the five-fish limit the past four years. In addition to the rockfish, two lingcod a day can be kept.
In 2020, Brookings Fishing Charters began running trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse between Brookings and Crescent City. The trip has been a huge hit with customers, with trophy lingcod and trophy-size rockfish a common catch. The lighthouse receives much less pressure than the reefs off of Brookings because of its remote location 11 miles straight out from the harbor. The action is typically fast and furious there.
Some of the large lingcod caught at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse in October 2020 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
The lighthouse area is open to fishing May through December. Trips are part of the long-range excursions offered by Brookings Fishing Charters. The charter company also offers half-day bottom fishing out of Brookings, ocean salmon, Pacific halibut and albacore tuna trips. More information is available at www.brookingsfishing.com.
The 41-foot Nauti-Lady is the newest addition to the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
In September, Brookings Fishing Charters added the 41-foot Nauti-Lady to its fleet. The Nauti-Lady can take large groups up to 24 passengers to the fishing grounds, or for spreading of ashes. She joins the six-pack vessels Miss Brooke, Papa B, The Dash and Bout Time working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office.
The drift boat salmon season on the Smith and Chetco rivers is winding down, about to give way to steelhead fishing now through the end of March. Heavy rain in mid-November allowed for the first opener of the season on the Smith River above Rowdy Creek and on the Chetco River above the estuary. Two weeks into the season, most of the salmon run has now spawned as the first steelhead begin to show up.
A nice king salmon released on the Smith River with guide Rye Phillips of Wild Rivers Fishing.
The opening day on the Smith resulted in epic fishing for the guides Wild Rivers Fishing had on the river. Andy, Mick, Rye and Sam got customers into big numbers of kings, with double-digit hookups for some of the anglers. Salmon had been stacking up in the Smith for weeks, as the fish were biting aggressively during the opener.
The next day, heavy rains blew out both the Chetco and Smith. From that point until now, the salmon fishing has been tough on both rivers, as many of the kings spawned as soon as the water levels rose.
Customers hold a bright Chetco king caught with guide Michael McGahan of Wild Rivers Fishing.
The Chetco produced decent salmon fishing the first week it was open, with bright kings spread throughout the lower river. But with rains arriving late this year, the majority of the salmon spawned soon after the first big rise in flows. The last several days, fishing has been tough.
Capt. Andy holds a big king caught on a MagLip plug.
For the past week, salmon fishing has been slow, but adult steelhead are beginning to show up on the Chetco. There have been reports of four steelhead Thanksgiving week on the lower river, along with big numbers of halfpounders.
A customer battles a king salmon on the Smith River.
Salmon will continue to trickle in for the next month, while the steelhead run will accelerate. Expect steelhead fishing to be good by late December. Some seasons, limits are possible by the second week of December. January and February are the peak season for steelhead on the Chetco and Smith rivers.
Longtime customer Dave holds a nice Smith River king caught with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.Longtime customer Jerry holds a Sixes River king caught with guide Shane Brooks of Wild Rivers Fishing.Longtime customer Vince holds a bright Chetco king caught with guide Michael McGahan of Wild Rivers Fishing.A bright Smith River hatchery king caught with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.
Last season, salmon fishing remained good on the Elk and Sixes rivers into late December. Good flows are needed to get down these small coastal rivers, and they will remain options as weather conditions allow.
One of the highlights of fall fishing on the Smith and Chetco is the beautiful scenery, and autumn colors. Colorful trees still line the banks of the rivers. By January, the leaves will be gone, and the cold weather will trigger the main migration of winter steelhead.
The highly anticipated fall salmon season has begun on the Chetco River, where anglers are focusing on the area near the mouth and awaiting fall rains to start fishing upriver.
Big numbers of jack salmon have already shown up. An abundance of jacks early in the season is generally a strong indicator of good fishing during the peak season upriver, according to longtime Brookings-based guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. Andy has been fishing several Oregon Coast rivers in recent weeks, but will now focusing mainly on the Chetco and Smith rivers since salmon have arrived. He was on the Coos and Millicoma rivers near Coos Bay, Ore., last week, as well as the Umpqua and Rogue rivers in recent weeks.
Customers of Wild Rivers Fishing hold nice kings caught last week on the Coos River.
The Chetco River is the biggest draw in early October because of the potential for a trophy fish. In 2008, one of Andy’s customers caught a 58-pound king at the mouth of the Chetco, the biggest king in recent memory there. He also guided customers into a 65-pound king upriver in recent years, and has guided anglers to more than a dozen salmon over 50 pounds on the Chetco and Smith rivers.
Bright jack salmon caught Sept. 28 with Capt. Andy of Wild Rivers Fishing on the Chetco estuary, plus an adult king.
This year, despite ODFW’s forecast of a less-than-stellar return to the Chetco, big numbers of jack salmon have arrived. Several nice adults also have already been caught in the Chetco. The salmon are a bit early, an indication of a strong run, Martin said. The popular bubble season, where anglers fish in the ocean off the mouth of the Chetco in October, was canceled this year by ODFW, but there is a silver lining. That means 1,000 king salmon will not be harvested in the ocean by sport and commercial fishermen this year, adding to the in-river fishery. In years without an October bubble season, the fishing in the estuary and upriver after the rains is often above average.
A 29-pound king caught Sept. 28 at the mouth of the Chetco by a customer fishing with Capt. Rich of Brookings Fishing Charters.
In recent years, the Chetco estuary has fished better than normal because of the release of 15,000 fall chinook smolts that are acclimated to Ferry Creek, the first tributary of the Chetco above the estuary. Those salmon tend to hold longer in the estuary, fueling the sport fishery in late September and October. Another 100,000 fall chinook smolts are released at Social Security Bar. Lots of hatchery fish are already showing in the catch of the 2020 salmon return. Since the majority of the salmon on the Chetco are wild, that indicates there are a lot of bigger wild fish to come.
Ana of Brookings caught this big salmon over the weekend on the Coos River with Capt. Andy.
Anglers and guides will focus on the Chetco estuary until fall rains come. They will then head upriver on the Chetco, or to the Smith River in Northern California, with their drift boats. Both rivers produce big salmon. Capt. Andy said he will be bobber fishing with eggs, back-bouncing eggs, and running plugs, especially MagLips, HawgNose and FlatFish from Yakima Bait Company.
A pair of nice salmon caught on the Coos River in September 2020.
The limit on the Chetco is one adult salmon a day, wild or hatchery, beginning Oct. 1. Anglers also can keep five jacks a day less than 24 inches. New this year, after an adult salmon is retained, the angler must rack their rod.
The Chetco estuary is currently open. The river above the estuary, marked by the powerlines across the river at rivermile 2.2, opens after significant fall rains. ODFW’s Gold Beach office will decide when to open the river.
The Smith River opens above Rowdy Creek any time flows pass 600 cfs. Until then, fishing is limited to the Sand Hole and mouth areas near Ship Ashore. Capt. Andy will spend some of his time trolling herring at the Sand Hole. He also bobber fishes the area.
Along with Capt. Andy, guides Travis Sallander, Rye Phillips, Michael McGahan and Shane Brooks run trips for Wild Rivers Fishing. Rich Signorello, Mick Thomas and Sam Stover also help out with larger parties.
To book a fall salmon trip, visit www.wildriversfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
The river guides who spend the fall and winter fishing for salmon and steelhead the Chetco and Smith rivers for Wild Rivers Fishing are also saltwater charter boat captains. Through our sister company, Brookings Fishing Charters, they run lingcod, rockfish, salmon, albacore tuna, California halibut and Pacific halibut charters out of Brookings and Gold Beach.
Capt. Andy Martin and his daughter Alexandra hold a pair of vermilion rockfish caught off the coast of Brookings in early April 2020.
The Miss Brooke, Papa B, The Dash and ‘Bout Time have been running ocean charters since January. Ocean fishing was good in March, before stay-home orders brought charters to a standstill just before Spring Break. Lingcod fishing has been especially good this year, and the number of large vermilion rockfish has been above average. With the charter fleet grounded because of social distancing mandates, the crew has been taking their families fun fishing, and getting nice limits of lingcod and rockfish.
A nice lingcod caught in April 2020 by Jim Martin, Capt. Andy’s father, near House Rock.
We hope to resume ocean charters in May, just in time for the Pacific halibut opener. Pacific halibut season runs May 1-Oct. 31. Fishing is hit-and-miss off the coast of Brookings, but Brookings Fishing Charters has the highest success rate of any local charter company catching these prized fish. Several Pacific halibut are brought in by the Brookings Fishing Charters crew each year.
Pacific halibut, lingcod and rockfish caught last season aboard the Miss Brook near Mack Arch.
The ocean salmon season out of Brookings will run June 20-Aug. 7 this year. Late June and early to mid-July are the peak season for king salmon. Brookings Fishing Charters is one of the most successful charter fleets on the entire Oregon Coast at catch king salmon in the ocean for customers. This year’s ocean season is promising, with a combined ocean abundance forecast for the Sacramento, Klamath and Rogue rivers of nearly 1 million adult king salmon. Salmon from the Sacramento River make up the majority of the ocean catch off of Brookings. This year’s forecast for the Sacramento is almost 500,000 adult kings.
Anglers hold California halibut caught last August with Capt. Andy Martin out of Brookings.
California halibut have been off the coast of Brookings for decades, but the fish have been fairly elusive. While Cali Hali are incidentally caught each summer by anglers targeting bottom fish or salmon close to shore, few skippers have been able to dial in how to catch them. Last summer, Capt. Andy had several impressive days fishing for California halibut, with catch rates of three to five fish per angler. The best time for Cali Hali is July through September.
Capt. Rye and Capt. Mick with albacore tuna caught last summer off the coast of Brookings aboard The Dash.
Brookings Fishing Charters also was successful last summer at getting customers into albacore tuna. The six-pack charters were able to quickly get offshore and find the prized fish, with very good catch rates. Tuna trips are based on a call list. Call (541) 813-1082 to get on the list. Trips are booked when weather and fishing conditions allow.
Alexandra with a nice rockfish caught in April.Customers of the Miss Brooke hold lingcod and rockfish caught in late March, before ocean charters were put on hold because of covid-19 stay-home orders.
To learn more about our ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com. We off daily trips, weather permitting, out of the Port of Brookings. We also have a dock slip in Gold Beach for Rogue Reef lingcod and rockfish in June, July and August. For information, call (541) 813-1082.
All of the ocean charters working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office are six-pack charter boats, with local owners and operators.
The Miss Brooke is owned by Capt. Andy Martin and operated by Andy and Capt. Travis Sallander.The Dash is owned and operated by Capt. Rye Phillips.The Papa B is owned and operated by Capt. Mike Brouillette.The ‘Bout Time is owned and operated by Capt. Rich Singnorello.
With drift boat steelhead seasons now over on the Southern Oregon Coast, anglers are looking forward to the summer salmon season on the Rogue Bay, where thousands of kings will stack up near the mouth and wait for fall rains before heading upstream.
Anglers hold ocean-bright king salmon caught on the Rogue Bay with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.
This year’s fall king salmon forecast for the Rogue is strong. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates the ocean abundance of fall king salmon from the Rogue River is 257,000. Of those, ODFW predicts the in-river run to be around 60,000 adult fall kings.
An angler holds a 25-pound king salmon caught on the Rogue Bay with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.
Salmon begin returning to the bay in June. By early July, fishing is generally fair to good, with peak season in late July and August. Thousands of salmon will arrive in the bay, but warm water above the Highway 101 bridge often keeps them from continuing upstream. The ocean-bright salmon hold in the bay, moving back and forth with the tide until water temperatures in the tidewater area drop below 70 degrees.
A 30-pound Rogue Bay king salmon caught with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.
The bay is a troll fishery. Guides and other anglers will troll anchovies behind spinner blades. The key is to get an anchovy to rapidly spin and trigger a strike. Veteran guides have years of experience threading anchovies to create that perfect spin. The best guides also know where to find the salmon at certain times in the tide, how much weight to use, how far to let the line out, and how fast to troll.
When lots of salmon stack up in the Rogue Bay, the action can be fast and furious. Here is a catch caught in guide Andy Martin’s sled.
One of the big draws of the Rogue Bay is the calm, protected water. Ocean-bright fish hold between the historic Gold Beach bridge and the tips of the jetties. Here, anglers don’t have to worry about big waves or sea sickness. The shallow water of the bay also concentrates the salmon into a small area, giving anglers an advantage. Catch rates can be high, with a couple hundred salmon caught in a single day by the dozens of boats trolling.
Guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing nets a king salmon for a customer during the 2019 season on the Rogue Bay.
There are plenty of guides to choose from on the Rogue. Guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing is a local, year-round guide based on the Southern Oregon Coast. Many of the guides who fish the Rogue come from outside of the area. Aside from being a local guide, Andy also is a full-time guide, not a hobby guide. Growing up in Brookings, just down the road from Gold Beach and the Rogue Bay, Andy has fished the Rogue for more than three decades and has guided there for more than 15 years.
Guide Andy Martin with a hefty king salmon caught by customer Carolyn Ford.
Last year, the Rogue had big numbers of jack salmon. These 2-year-old salmon are a good indicator of the follow year’s run. In August, guides were catching two to four jacks a person, and losing several more. That should equate to a big numbers of larger adult salmon this summer on the Rogue Bay.
Customers of guide Andy Martin hold jack salmon caught last August on the Rogue Bay. The big number of jacks last year means there will be plenty of adult salmon in 2020.
The limit on the Rogue Bay is two adult king salmon a day, plus five jacks less than 24 inches. When fishing is good, anglers expect to catch one to two adults a person. The salmon are in prime shape, bright and full of fat. The Rogue River is known as having the best-tasting salmon in the world. During the World’s Fair in Seattle year ago, there was a taste contest to determine the best-tasting king salmon. The Rogue won!
Guide Andy Martin holds a 30-pound king salmon caught by customer Jeff Kimball of Seattle.
Andy fishes the Rogue Bay in a custom 26-foot Alumaweld guide sled. It is one of the biggest boats on the bay. He also runs rockfish and lingcod combination trips, fishing the ocean first thing in the morning and then trolling the bay the rest of the day.
Guide Andy Martin holds a typical Rogue Bay king salmon.
To book a summer salmon trip on the Rogue Bay, visit www.wildriversfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
Customers of Wild Rivers Fishing guides Andy Martin and Rye Phillips hold limits of steelhead from early Feruary 2020 on the Chetco River.
The 2020 winter steelhead run on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers is winding down, but looking back, the return to the coastal rivers was above average, with very good fishing when conditions were right.
We began the season with high, off-colored water, and spent much of early January on the Smith River in Northern California. The Chetco was too high until late January, but as it dropped, fishing was excellent. He encountered large numbers of hatchery fish this year, along with a strong run of wild steelhead. Overall, the Smith had one of its best runs in years, with new fish continuing to arrive. The Chetco was also very good, although it has been low and clear since mid-February. There are plenty of fish around, but they are tough to catch with low, clear water.
An angler holds a dandy winter steelhead from early February 2020 on the Chetco River, caught with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.
We caught most of our steelhead this season on roe and Puff Balls or Corkies, side-drifting on the lower portions of the river. The lower Chetco was especially productive this season, as was the Smith between the Forks and Ruby.
We ran several large groups this season, and found good success on the Chetco and Smith rivers. With several full-time guides working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters and Wild Rivers Fishing office, we can accommodate groups to 12 people or more.
Steelhead season remains open through March on the Chetco and through April on the Smith. We are now focusing on ocean charters out of Brookings, where lingcod and rockfish season is under way.
Some of the lingcod caught in March 2020 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
During our ocean charters, we target rockfish and lingcod year round. The ocean salmon season is expected to open in mid-May. Halibut season opens May 1. Our very popular Rogue Bay summer salmon season begins in late June or early July, as fall king salmon begin to arrive.
Some of the nice kings we caught in August 2019 on the Rogue River Bay. We begin Rogue Bay salmon trips in late June or early July.
