With two steelhead runs and four salmon runs, the Lewis River near Woodland offers year-round fishing just two hours south of Seattle. Three dams on the North Fork keep flows cold and stable below Merwin Dam, so the river often stays fishable when neighboring rivers blow out, and it tends to see lighter crowds than its quality might suggest.
Seattle Fishing Company’s guide breaks down each run. Spring Chinook arrive in April and fish well through May, followed by the river’s signature summer steelhead, which peak from June through August. Fall Chinook and coho overlap from September into November, and winter steelhead close out the year from December through March. The wilder East Fork holds the state record winter steelhead.
Top spots include the famous Meat Hole near the North Fork launch off Cedar Creek Road, productive bank water below the hatchery, Paradise Point State Park and the stretch through Woodland. The guide also recommends seasonal tactics, from back-trolled plugs and bobbers with cured roe to spinners, twitching jigs and corkies, and reminds anglers to check regulations, which vary by stretch and season. It’s a rewarding trip for anglers of every level.
Read the full post here: Fishing the Lewis River
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