Winter Steelhead: The Time is Fast Upon Us

Low clear water conditions coupled with the cold front have conspired to induce cabin fever at an almost unprecented level approaching pandemic stage among steelheaders in the northwest.   Despite scattered reports of a few fish caught here and there it just hasn’t been worth it to go out for a freezing skunking.  That’s the way I see it anyway.  But that is all changing fast.  Hopfully, you’ve been home catching up on the honey do’s. 

The freshets we’ve been getting are just now causing a spike in river levels and temperatures.  The vanguard of our winter steelhead runs have been stacked up really  low in the river systems, sniffing around, biding their time and are set to stampede.  You know what that means:

 Alsea hatchery steelhead

 The Alsea is justly famous for its early run steelhead and the Big Elk is a good option for shorebound fly anglers.  The Tillamook system is known to get a good push of early fish and even the rivers known for slightly later run timings such as the Siuslaw/Lake Creek system should be seeing fish in catchable numbers once they drop into shape.  From what I’m seeing forecast, most area rivers are going to be on the high side of their fishable range over the weekend.   If heading out this weekend, I’d recomend focusing on the lower to middle sections of the river as it will take some time for steelhead to work into their way into the upper ends of their watersheds.

Keep your eyes on the gauges and make sure to stock up on everything you need for winter steelhead.  Lowly glowlies can be deadly, micro-jgs off a fly rod are effective and bright bushy flies can be swung to good effect in suitable runs.

I’ve been watching the western skies for this moment.  Thankfully, the time has finally come.–KM

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1 Response to Winter Steelhead: The Time is Fast Upon Us

  1. Rob R says:

    Man, you pounded the shit out of that poor girl–the blood-red pupil says it all.

    And in the spirit of Karl’s savage post, I’d like to add this cheery call to action: If you value wild steelhead, it is your duty to get out there and extract every single hatchery puke from your river(s) of choice. None shall be spared…

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