Cowlitz River Salmon Fishing 2023

The Cowlitz River flows from the southeast side of glacier surrounded Mount Rainier. The Cowlitz flows freely through miles of mountain forest and valleys west of Highway 12 until it hits Mossyrock Dam. Stopped up flows create Riffle Lake as a large reservoir in southwestern Washington.
From there, the Cowlitz River flows a short distance before hitting Mayfield Dam, creating a smaller reservoir in Mayfield Lake. Downstream from Mayfield lake is the Barrier Dam spillway and below that is the section of river that most anglers are interested in as all of the hatchery salmon and steelhead return to hatcheries in this stretch.
The Cowlitz River later flows into the Columbia River and then into the Pacific.

This blog article attempts to concentrate in one place the angling opportunity, fishing regulations and hatchery data to make your research and fishing trip planning to the Cowlitz River as simple as possible.

Table of Contents

Latest Blog Posts about the Cowlitz River

Updated Status of returning Fall Chinook on the Cowlitz River

These graphs will automatically update as fish start to return to the hatchery.

Historical Run Timing of Fall Chinook on the Cowlitz River

Chinook will start showing up at the hatchery in mid-August, but the run really gets going typically about mid-late September, peaking in late September – mid October, but continuing through early November.

Forecast for 2023 Cowlitz River Fall Chinook

Cowlitz Fall Chinook Escapement History 2023

Escapement history just counts fish at the hatcheries that report escapement, total runsize combines escapement plus estimated catch of hatchery fish.

Updated Status of returning Coho on the Cowlitz River

These graphs will automatically update as fish start to return to the hatchery.

Historical Run Timing of Coho on the Cowlitz River

Fall coho on the Cowlitz River is a major draw each fall, and some years the fishing for coho can be nothing short of stupid.

Coho will start returning to the hatchery in September, but peaks in mid to late October, and will continue well through December, and some of those December coho are the best biters.

Forecast for 2023 Cowlitz River Coho

Will 2023 be the biggest year since 2014 for fall coho? The forecast on the Columbia river below seems to be calling for it and the abundance out in the ocean is pretty phenomenal.

Permanent Fishing Regulations for Cowlitz River Salmon 2023

from boundary markers at mouth to Lexington Bridge CRC (561)
All species		Two-Pole allowed.
Trout	Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Min. size 8”. Daily limit 5. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Steelhead (hatchery)	Year-round	Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
Other game fish	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Jan. 1-July 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
Salmon	Aug. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho.
from Lexington Bridge to Mill Creek CRC (561)
All species		Two-Pole allowed.
Trout	Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild rainbow trout and wild cutthroat trout.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Min. size 8”. Daily limit 5. Release wild rainbow trout and wild cutthroat trout.
Steelhead (hatchery)	Year-round	Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
Other game fish	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Jan. 1-July 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
Salmon	Aug. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho.
within a 100’ radius of the new Cowlitz Trout Hatchery outfall structure CRC (561)
All species		Open only to anglers with disabilities who permanently use a wheelchair and who have a designated harvester companion card. These anglers may fish within posted markers when adjacent waters are open. Two-Pole allowed.
Trout	Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Min. size 8”. Daily limit 5. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Steelhead (hatchery)	Year-round	Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
Other game fish	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Jan. 1-July 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
Salmon	Aug. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho.
from Mill Creek to 400’ or posted markers below the Barrier Dam CRC (561)
All species		Two-Pole allowed. Fishing from any floating device prohibited.
	Apr. 1-Nov. 30	Anti-snagging rule. Night closure.
	May 1-June 15	Fishing from south side of river is prohibited.
Trout	Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Min. size 8”. Daily limit 5. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Steelhead (hatchery)	Year-round	Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
Other game fish	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Jan. 1-July 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
Salmon	Aug. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho.
within a 100’ radius of the new Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery wheelchair ramp (within the posted fishing boundary) CRC (561)
All species		Open only to anglers with disabilities who have a designated harvester companion card. These anglers may fish within posted markers.
All species	Apr. 1-Nov. 30	Night closure.
Trout	Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Min. size 8”. Daily limit 5. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Steelhead (hatchery)	Year-round	Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
Other game fish	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Jan. 1-July 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
Salmon	Aug. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho.
from 400’ or posted markers below the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery barrier dam to boundary markers near the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery water intake located about 1,700’ upstream from the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery barrier dam
All species		CLOSED WATERS.
from boundary markers near the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery water intake located about 1,700’ upstream from the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery barrier dam to 400’ below Mayfield Powerhouse CRC (561)
Trout	Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Min. size 8”. Daily limit 5. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Steelhead (hatchery)	Year-round	Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
Other game fish	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Jan. 1-July 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
Salmon	Aug. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho.
from 400’ below Mayfield Powerhouse upstream to Mayfield Dam
All species		CLOSED WATERS.
from the posted PUD sign on Peters Rd. to the Forest Rd. 1270 (old Jody’s Bridge) CRC (559)
All species		Closed to all angling within posted “Closed Waters” signs around the adult fish release site.
All species	Sept. 1-Oct. 31	Night closure. Anti-snagging rule.
Trout	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Other game fish	Year-round	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Year-round	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
from Forest Rd. 1270 (old Jody’s Bridge) upstream and tributaries CRC (559)
All species		Selective gear rules.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Oct. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: release cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout.
Other game fish	Sat. before Memorial Day-Oct. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit.

If you are reading the above regulations prior to July 1st, they may be out of date (reflecting the prior year) and you should consult WDFW for the permanent regulations, this message will be removed once the current year regulations are reflected here

Emergency Fishing Regulations for Cowlitz River Salmon 2023

The above permanent regulations for the Cowlitz River are subject to change at any time and without being updated on this blog. One must consult the WDFW Emergency Regulations before any trips to ensure they are in full compliance with state laws regulating fisheries.

How to fish for Salmon on the Cowlitz River

The Cowlitz River is a major river with significant flow, so many of the small river techniques won’t be as effective for most of the river except for the upper sections.

Casting plugs like the Brad’s wiggler plunking them in the travel lanes close to shore can be fantastic on schools of coho.

I also like to fish it from the Barrier Dam area using all of the small river techniques I love such as tossing eggs under a float, twitching jigs or tossing spinners. All can be effective.

One of the major challenges with that early run of coho is they are often not very good biters by the time they get that far up the river unless they show up in really good numbers.

High concentrations of salmon typically trigger a competition type of behavior pattern that can be important for turning on the bite in otherwise non-biting fish.

Here’s a video on twitching jigs that can help you get started:

Below are some links to buy rods and reels on Amazon, as an Amazon associate, we make a small commission if you use these links, which is a great way to support the blog content and you pay the same price on Amazon regardless.

In terms of a rod for tossing jigs and plugs, I like to use this one:

In terms of the perfect rod for throwing spinners, I would go with the below rod:

Pair either of the above rods with the below spinning reel:

If you’re looking for a good float rod, I would recommend reading my article about the best fishing rod for salmon as I break down my favorite rod specs. However, if you’re just looking for a helpful link on Amazon, here you go:

Pair the above rod with the below casting reel and you have a great setup!