Today, 10 am–2 pmSteelhead
The bite peaks at 68.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Steelhead range 40–55°
From the south-southeast
Sunrise 7:44 am
57% chance of rain
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Washington regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Steelhead bite in 40–55° water, best near 48°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 2–60 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Washington statewide: 20" minimum, 2 hatchery steelhead a day; all wild steelhead must be released. Open during the game fish or salmon seasons of each water.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Washington
Season here: Oct–Apr. More on steelhead
No water reading here right now. Chinook salmon bite in 42–58° water, best near 50°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 15–150 ft down.
Catch and release only today. Washington: every river is closed to salmon unless the special rules list a season for that reach. Limits, minimums and which salmon must be released change by reach and date, and emergency rules often adjust them in season.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Washington
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon
No water reading here right now. Coho salmon bite in 44–58° water, best near 53°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–120 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Washington: every river is closed to salmon unless the special rules list a season for that reach. Many reaches allow only hatchery coho, and emergency rules often adjust seasons in season.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Washington
Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Washington WDFW publishes a report for the state.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · trout stocking · fish-consumption advisory
Washington's most productive hatchery river — a lower-Columbia tributary that returns big runs of spring and fall chinook, coho, and summer/winter steelhead, fished hard from the bank and by boat below Blue Creek and the salmon hatchery.
Lexington Bridge to Mill Creek: hatchery steelhead all year, 20" minimum, 3 a day. Salmon 12" minimum, 6 a day including no more than 2 adults: hatchery chinook and hatchery coho Jan 1–Jul 31, then hatchery coho only (3 adults). Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement required.
The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Cowlitz River you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Cowlitz River is listed on this site for 3 commonly-targeted species: Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Cowlitz River against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Cowlitz River has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Lexington Bridge to Mill Creek: hatchery steelhead all year, 20" minimum, 3 a day. Salmon 12" minimum, 6 a day including no more than 2 adults: hatchery chinook and hatchery coho Jan 1–Jul 31, then hatchery coho only (3 adults). Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement required.
state agency regulations apply at Cowlitz River. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Cowlitz River is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
