The 2021-22 winter steelhead season has come to an end on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers. Fishing closed for the season March 31, and re-opened May 22 for sea-run cutthroat trout. Anglers will begin to catch a few king salmon in the Chetco estuary in June and July, with the best trolling in September and October. The fall drift boat season for salmon begins in late October or early November, after the first major fall rains. Winter steelhead will arrive in early December, with the best fishing in January and February.
A nice steelhead from February 2022 on the Chetco River with Capt. Andy.
This past season was good overall, despite high water in December, then a prolonged period of low, clear water. Even though the river was low, and difficult at times to get a drift boat through shallow riffles, fishing was good. There was an above-average return of both hatchery and wild steelhead in both the Chetco and Smith rivers during the 2021-22 season.
Fishing was especially good late in the season, after the crowds were gone. Rain in March brought in impressive schools of hatchery and wild steelhead, leading to high scores for the handful of local guides still on the river.
Currently, the best fishing opportunities are in the ocean, through our partner charter company, Brookings Fishing Charters. Learn more about ocean charters out of Brookings at www.brookingsfishing.com
To book a river salmon or steelhead trip, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.wildriversfishing.com.
A nice limit of Chetco River steelhead with Capt. Andy in January 2022.
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.
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.
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.
