BROOKINGS, Ore. (Feb. 24, 2025) – Winter steelhead fishing has been slower than expected from Forks, Washington, down to the Eel and Russian rivers in Northern California, and the Chetco, Smith, Rogue, Elk, Sixes, Coquille and Umpqua rivers have been no exception. Steelhead are being caught, and our guides are getting fish, but catch rates are down compared to recent years, while the size of the steelhead also has been smaller than average. Steelhead fishing is fair at best, but beautiful conditions, a few fish a day, and relatively uncrowded conditions have made fishing worthwhile.
A nice steelhead from the Chetco River caught with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.
Our team of river guides – who also run ocean charter boats out of Brookings, Oregon, during the summer months, have been fishing the Chetco and Smith rivers since mid-December. The Smith has fished the best among the local rivers, but steelhead also have been in the Chetco. Small clusters of roe combined with small Yakima Bait Co. Corkies are producing best for our guides. A few steelhead also have been caught on MagLip plugs.
Corkies and roe have been the best producers for steelhead this winter on the Chetco and Smith rivers.
Steelhead season runs through March on the Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers, and ends April 30 on the Smith. Good fishing typically extends through the middle of March. Spring salmon, meanwhile, will soon begin arriving on the lower Rogue River in Gold Beach, where our guides use jet boats to anchor and fish anchovies or spinners for springers.
A double hookup of steelhead on the Smith River for guide Sam Stover.
Our guides also have been running ocean trips as the weather allows this winter. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, with limits of rockfish and limits or near limits of lingcod. Ocean fishing is open year round on the Oregon Coast.
Limits of lingcod on the Miss Brooke in February 2025.
Many of our customers have spent one day on the river and one day on the ocean, for a great combination of action during their trip to Brookings.
BROOKINGS, Ore. – There has been no shortage of rain this year on the Southern Oregon Coast, and the result has been tough steelhead fishing on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers, as high flows have limited the opportunity to side-drift for the prized fish.
In January alone, Brookings received 42 inches of rain. February also is off to a wetter-than-average start, although drier weather is expected later this month. During high water, steelhead quickly move through the system toward the spawning grounds near the headwaters of the river. This year, with so much high water, the majority of the fish appear to have blasted through while the rivers were high and muddy. By the time they dropped back into shape, many of the fish from the winter run had already spawned.
A happy customer holds a bright hatchery steelhead caught in early February on the Chetco River with Capt. Mick. They were side-drifting roe and Corkies.
In early January, just before a flood event on the Chetco and Smith, steelhead fishing busted open. Guides from Wild Rivers Fishing were getting two to four steelhead a day. Then heavy rains arrived, and the Chetco rose more than 10 feet, hitting 50,000 cfs. The Smith topped 100,000 cfs for a few hours in early January. It took several weeks for the rivers to recover from the minor flood stage and drop to levels low enough for side drifting. By the times the rivers were in shape, fishing was slow, as many of the fish had already spawned and headed back to the ocean.
A nice steelhead from the Chetco in early January, before the flood event.Flows on the Chetco reached 50,000 cfs, pushing the river over its banks and into the parking lot at Loeb State Park and Social Security Bar.
The Chetco was unfishable most of January. The Smith was high, and anglers had decent steelhead action sitting on anchor and running plugs or plunking Spin-N-Glos. During high water, side-drifting is less effective, because the water is moving extremely fast and visibility is limited. It is difficult to get baits in front of steelhead while side-drifting in high flows. The Chetco fishes best below 4,000 cfs, and there were only a few days in January when the river was below that level. This Smith was also above its optimal level for side-drifting, staying above 10,000 cfs for most of January.
A nice steelhead caught on the Smith River with Capt. Andy while plunking Spin-N-Glos from a drift boat.
In early February, fishing improved on the Chetco with better conditions for side-drifting. Fishing was decent, but not red hot. Our guides were averaging a fish or two per trip.
Drier weather is expected the second half of February. The Chetco remains open through March, while the Smith is open through April. The later part of the season usually produces a mix of fresh steelhead and spawned out adult steelhead heading back to the ocean. Our guides will be fishing through the end of the season, while also running ocean trips for lingcod and rockfish. The first lingcod trip of the season produced nice limits on the Miss Brooke.
Limits of lingcod caught on the Miss Brooke in January with Capt. Andy.A big steelhead caught on the Upper Chetco with Capt. Andy in early February.A nice Elk River steelhead caught with Capt. Rye in late January.A young angler holds his first steelhead, caught on the Chetco with Capt. Sam.
To learn more about ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com. For more information on guided drift boat trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com. Ocean and river trips can be booked by calling (541) 813-1082.
BROOKINGS, Ore. – Steelhead season has gotten off to a slow start throughout the Oregon Coast and on the Smith River in far Northern California, as catch rates the first week of January were below average, with good conditions but few fish. The last few days, catch rates have improved as adult winter steelhead begin moving in from the ocean.
An ocean-fresh steelhead from the Upper Chetco River in January 2024.A first steelhead for a young angler fishing with his father during a guided trip with Capt. Andy on the Chetco River in January 2024.
Guides fishing from drift boats and plunkers fishing from shore reported slow fishing at the end of December and first of January on the Chetco, Elk, Sixes, Smith and other nearby rivers. Fishing also was slow further up the coast on the Coquille, Umpqua and Tillamook area rivers. The last few days, with dropping river flows and calmer ocean conditions – at least on the South Coast – more steelhead began to move upstream. Plunkers fishing on the lower Chetco are catching a handful of fish a day, while guides are getting a fish or two a trip. Big rains are expected again this week, but as rivers drop back into shape, steelhead season should be in full swing.
Side-drifting the Smith River in January 2024, one of the most scenic drift boat trips on the planet.
Capt. Andy has been fishing daily, and averaging one to two steelhead a day. He has been side-drifting roe and Corkies, launching on the Upper Chetco. Andy is one of the very limited number of guides with a special-use permit from the US Forest Service to fish the Wild and Scenic section of the Chetco from the South Fork to Ice Box, or Second Bridge. With a limited number of guides on that stretch, catch rates are often higher, and anglers are treated to a much less crowded fishing experience.
Steelhead at the end of the rainbow on the Chetco, as Marty found out a few casts later.Upper Chetco steelhead fishing.
Steelhead season runs through March on the Chetco, and April on the Smith. Peak season is mid-January through February. The river has been in prime shape the last few days, but is expected to blow out this week with heavy rain, and possible snowmelt. As it comes back into shape, expect better numbers of fish, and peak-season style fishing.
To book a Chetco or Smith river drift boat steelhead trip, visit www.wildriversfishing.com or call our booking office, (541) 813-1082.
BROOKINGS, Ore. – Fall salmon season has come to an end on the Southern Oregon coast, while the first winter steelhead of the season are now arriving on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers. Peak season for steelhead is January and February, but fishable numbers of these prized fish have already arrived on the coastal rivers of the Oregon Coast.
Longtime customer Scott from Denver caught the first adult winter steelhead of the season on our boats in early December.
The Wild Rivers Fishing crew ran its first steelhead trips of the season last week. Capt. Andy got into a handful of adult winter steelhead on the Chetco. Capt. Sam ran a trip on the Smith, and encountered big numbers of halfpounder steelhead, a sign the main run is about to arrive. The first steelhead of the season have entered the fish trap at Rowdy Creek Hatchery on the lower Smith River.
One of many nice hatchery salmon caught this fall bobber fishing on the Chetco River.
Salmon season was decent on the Chetco this fall, with a very good estuary season, and fair fishing upriver once the fall rains arrived. Big numbers of salmon spawned, however, signaling a strong run on the Chetco. The Smith River was closed to salmon fishing this fall, but the hatchery had a big return, and impressive numbers of salmon have just finished spawning on the Smith, evident by spawned out salmon spread throughout the river.
Nice salmon from the Chetco River estuary in October.
Steelhead are caught from drift boats, with two anglers and a guide floating downriver, casting small clusters of roe and Corkies or Puff Balls. The trips are fast-paced, using light spinning tackle and covering large sections of the river, fishing nearly the entire drift downriver. On the Smith River, our guides have special-use permits from the US Forest Service to launch at the Forks, and drift through Redwood National Park. Fishing for steelhead beneath towering redwood trees is a truly unique experience.
Capt. Sam running a rapid on the Elk River in early November.
On the Chetco, Capt. Andy, Mick and Travis have limited-entry Forest Service permits to fish the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco. Only a small number of guides have these coveted permits to launch at the South Fork, Redwood Bar, Nook Bar and Miller Bar on the Chetco.
Most steelhead run 6-10 pounds, although the average size is a couple pounds bigger on the Smith. The Chetco River record is 28 pounds, while a pair of California record 27-plus pound steelhead have been caught on the Smith River.
The Chetco estuary was a great opportunity for young anglers to catch salmon this year.
Our steelhead trips are run by Capt. Andy, Rye, Mick, Sam, Travis and Shane. New for 2024, two of our ocean deckhands, Eric and Chris, also will be running a few winter steelhead trips during the peak season.
During Capt. Andy’s first trip of the season last week, he drifted from the South Fork to Social Security Bar. Lots of salmon were observed spawning on the Upper River. On the lower river, his group hooked four steelhead and landed two.
Capt. Andy with an early season steelhead from the Chetco in December.
The estuary salmon season kicked off in late August, with a few fish caught every day along the jetties. By September and early October, big numbers of king salmon were staging in the Chetco River estuary, waiting for fall rains. Mick, Rye and Sam had good seasons trolling the estuary with their jet boats.
As the first fall rains arrived, big numbers of salmon moved upriver, into the tidewater and above. We used drift boats to fish the river above tidewater in late October, catching salmon on roe and sandshrimp suspended above the bottom with bobbers. After heavy rains in early November, there was a week of good fishing with plugs and back-bouncing roe, but the majority of the run quickly moved upstream and spawned. There also were a few weeks of good fishing on the Elk and Sixes rivers. Capt. Sam caught our big fish of the year, a king close to 45 pounds caught and released by a young angler from Washington State, Austin Han.
Capt. Sam and Austin prepare to release a lunker Chetco River king.
Our main focus for the next two months is steelhead on the Smith, Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers. All of our river guides are also saltwater charter boat captains with Brookings Fishing Charters, www.brookingsfishing.com.
There will be plenty of opportunities to catch salmon this year on the Oregon Coast, both in the ocean and the bays and rivers, and forecasts show strong runs of kings are expected back to Chetco and Rogue rivers, while the ocean coho salmon prediction is well above average.
Anglers hold limits of hatchery coho salmon from the ocean out of Brookings from last season.
State regulators in California made the decision to shut down salmon fishing in the ocean, as well as Sacramento, Klamath, Trinity, Smith and other rivers. Drought conditions four years ago impacted salmon runs on the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. Oregon rivers, however, are open as normal, while ocean anglers will be allowed to fish for hatchery coho salmon. Huge numbers of coho salmon produced by state and tribal hatcheries on the Columbia River are expected to fuel a summer-long ocean salmon season in Oregon.
A double hookup of coho last summer on the Kraken out of Brookings. Deckhand Eric on the net.
The ocean salmon season opens June 17 out of Brookings. Since the bulk of the king salmon caught in the ocean on the Southern Oregon Coast during the summer originate from the Sacramento and Klamath rivers (those salmon spend the ocean portion of their lives feeding off of Oregon and Northern California instead of migrating to Alaska), no kings can be kept on the Oregon Coast this summer. But biologists predict an ocean abundance of coho salmon from the Columbia River and Oregon Coast streams to be more than 1 million fish. That has led to a 110,000-fish quota this summer from Brookings to Tillamook. Anglers can keep two hatchery coho salmon a day June 17-Aug. 31. During the early part of the season, Brookings often has the best catch rates on the Oregon Coast, as the Columbia River coho salmon journey south into California as juveniles, then make their way back up the coast as they migrate back to their home rivers after two years in the ocean. Peak season for ocean coho is the second half of June and first half of July.
Coho salmon offer fast and furious action, and are great from anglers of all age and experience levels.
Wild Rivers Fishing and Brookings Fishing Charters offers salmon trips daily, weather permitting. Each of the Wild Rivers Fishing guides – Andy Martin, Rye Phillips, Travis Sallander, Mick Thomas and Sam Stover – are also charter boat captains and run charter boats out of Brookings during the summer months.
Coho are caught trolling anchovies or herring, or spinners behind flashers. Each summer, the Brookings Fishing Charters captains enjoy the highest catch rates of any ocean charter company in Brookings for salmon, as each of the captains are longtime salmon fishing guides. Action is often fast and furious, with multiple hookups, and fish-after-fish action during a hot bite.
Salmon on the Rogue Bay are big and bright. These kings were caught with Capt. Andy during a previous season.
The Rogue Bay is expecting another strong salmon return. The spring salmon season was the best in recent memory in 2023, with limits throughout the season. Bay fishing begins in June and continues into October. Anglers troll anchovies along the jetties in Gold Beach, up to the Highway 101 bridge over the Rogue. July and August are peak season on the Rogue Bay. Two wild kings a day may be kept, along with five jack salmon. Coho arrive in the bay in September and October.
Capt. Andy holds a 58-pound salmon caught in the Chetco River estuary in 2009. It is one of the biggest kings ever caught in the Chetco estuary.
The Chetco River has some of the largest king salmon on the entire West Coast, and last year’s run was above average. Fishing is expected to be as good, or better, this year. Wild Rivers Fishing begins the season in September, trolling along the jetties. As salmon move upriver, guides begin targeting the kings using roe and sand shrimp fished below bobbers. Back-bouncing roe and running MagLip plugs is the preferred technique as rains increase river flows in October and November. Anglers are allowed to keep two adult salmon a day on the Chetco, one of which may be wild.
The modern-day Chetco River record king, a 65-pounder caught with Capt. Andy on a HawgNose FlatFish.
The Elk and Sixes rivers near Port Orford, Oregon, also have strong salmon runs. These rivers fish best in late October and early November. Big numbers of hatchery salmon return to the Elk River, home of Elk River Hatchery, while the Sixes has larger wild kings. Catch rates are often highest after the first big rains of fall, but fishing continues well into November on both of these rivers.
A 48-pound king from the Chetco River with Capt. Andy.Limits of Elk River kings from last season with Capt. Andy.
Just a few of the salmon from last season on the Chetco River with Wild Rivers Fishing.
The 2022 salmon season at the mouth of the Chetco River was the best in years, as big numbers of kings stacked up in the estuary waiting for fall rains. Catch rates were the best in recent memory, with guides boats and private boaters catching impressive numbers of wild and hatchery kings. The total run ended up well above average.
Dave Gilmore with the 42-pound king salmon he caught in the Chetco estuary with Capt. Michael. It is the largest king caught with our crew in 2022.
The action picked up in late August, with a full kings trickling in, and by early September, the action was already in peak-season form. Limits were caught throughout the season. Capt. Michael, Mick, Sam and Shane ran estuary trips for Wild Rivers Fishing. They trolled anchovies or herring along the jetties, targeting salmon moving in and out of the lower river on the tides. The salmon held up along the jetties until fall rains allowed them to migrate upstream to spawn.
Capt. Mich with a heft Chetco River estuary king salmon from 2022.
Action remained good through most of October, before significant rains allowed the fish to move into the tidewater. Once more fall rains arrived, our crew switched over to bobber fishing the tidewater areas of the Chetco, and eventually running plugs and back-bouncing roe as major rains arrived in November.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife indicated the 2022 run was well above average, with lots of hatchery and wild fish returning. Lots of jacks showing in the catch indicate another good year likely in 2023.
The hatchery run received a boost from a fairly new broodstock program where hatchery fish are acclimated in Ferry Creek, the lowest tributary of the Chetco. Those fish tend to hold up in the lower river, where anglers trolling the estuary have an easier shot at caching them. The Oregon South Coast Fishermen club plays a key role in collecting broodstock, which are wild salmon returning to the Chetco. The fish are brought to Elk River Hatchery near Port Orford, where they are spawned. The juvenile salmon are then returned to the Chetco. After a brief time in the river, they migrate to the ocean, then return to the river on a spawning run two to four years later.
Salmon return to the Chetco estuary late August through December. The peak season is September and October. After fall rains, the salmon quickly move upriver, spending little time in the estuary. Winter steelhead arrive late November through March. Wild Rivers Fishing guides target salmon first in the estuary, then upriver in their drift boats. They switch to winter steelhead in late December. Peak season for steelhead is January and February.
Catching steelhead with a soft bead below a float is all the rage these days on Northwest rivers during the winter. Bobber-dogging beads is effective, and easy. But long before drifting beads was the go-to method for most guides, tossing a cluster of roe combined with a Puff Ball or Corky was the top method for catching steelhead.
While I occasionally fish beads in my drift boat, I still prefer to rig up my side-drifting rods with a tiny combination of natural roe, yarn and a Corky or Fish Pill. There is something special about seeing that rod tip twitch as a steelhead snacks on the roe cluster, versus the hung-on-the-bottom pull down of a steelhead hooked with a bead. There are also many days when a steelhead will hit a gob of roe after it has passed up an a dozen beads speeding by in a popular spot.
Steelhead candy, ready to fish.
Years ago, I filmed a series of videos for Pautzke Bait Company on making steelhead candy, a sugar-infused roe cure that steelhead can’t resist. The natural roe cure remains my go-to bait for steelhead. This video is a decade old, but still full of useful information for beginning and experienced steelhead anglers.
How to make steelhead candy, roe curing tips
For a hands-on lesson in side-drifting with roe for winter steelhead, check out www.wildriversfishing.com to book a guided drift boat trip with one of our local, year-round professional fishing guides.
Nice steelhead caught during the 2021-22 season on the Chetco with Capt. Andy using steelhead candy.Cured eggs, ready to be bagged and put away until it’s time to fish.A cluster of roe, yarn and Fish Pull, ready to catch steelhead.
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.
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.
