The Cowlitz River typically has one of the best runs of Spring Chinook for any river not named the Columbia. There’s a significant amount of bank access, but jet boats and drift boats do a lot of the catching as well.
A few miles below Mayfield Dam you will find the Cowlitz river salmon hatchery and this begins the section of river most salmon fisherman are interested in as the waters are often filled with multiple species of salmon making their way through a gauntlet of boats and bank fisherman to return to the hatchery.
The Cowlitz river eventually flows into the Columbia river and from there into the Pacific ocean.
This blog article is arranged to show and highlight the forecasted run of spring chinook on the Cowlitz prior to the return of fish.
As the salmon return, the automatically updating portions of the article such as the escapement reports and fishing reports will be at the top. You will also see the permanent regulations and a brief “how-to fish” section below.
Recent angler effort and catches of chinook on the Cowlitz
Creel check on bank anglers downstream of I5
Creel check on bank anglers above the I5 bridge
Creel check on boat anglers above the I5 bridge
Updated Status of returning Spring Chinook on the Cowlitz River
Each week, the below graph will be updated with the Cowlitz river spring Chinook escapement numbers automatically as reported by the hatchery. Escapement numbers are a good indication of when the “run is in” and when it may be time to head down to the river.
The above graph will start receiving updates once the return of spring chinook arrive at the hatchery and are reported.
Historical Run Timing of Spring Chinook on the Cowlitz River
As you can see from the above graph, outside of some surges and counting factors by the hatchery (2015 / 2016), the run of Cowlitz River Spring Chinook remains fairly steady through May, June and July.
Forecast for 2023 Cowlitz River Spring Chinook
Overall, the forecast of spring chinook on the Columbia River in 2023 is much improved from recent lows and challenging years. And this improvement has extended to the Cowlitz River as well.
The current forecast is for 9,000 spring chinook to return in 2023 compared to a forecast in 2022 of 4,100 fish and an actual return of 7,146.
Below is the recent escapement history of Cowlitz river spring chinook:
This graph shows a nice rebounding trend off of recent lows.
Looking for a place to stay to fish the Cowlitz River near Barrier Dam?
My friend just shared his new AirBnB listing they setup that’s really geared towards fisherman and it’s only a few minutes from Barrier Dam and Blue Creek. Check out the details for staying near the Cowlitz River here.
Fishing Regulations for Cowlitz River Spring Chinook 2023
The below shows 2022-2023 permanent regulations which are valid until June 30, 2023.
As a general disclaimer, you should always use WDFW as the authoritative source for the official regulations. This section is provided a convenient reference, but may not reflect the most current regulations:
| COWLITZ RIVER – COWLITZ/LEWIS CO. | ||
| from boundary markers at mouth to Lexington Bridge CRC (561) | ||
| All species | Anglers may fish with two poles with Two-Pole Endorsement. | |
| July 1-Sept. 30 | Night closure. For salmon and steelhead fishing only. | |
| Trout | Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day | Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout. |
| Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31 | Min. size 8”. Daily limit 5. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout. | |
| Steelhead (hatchery) | July 1-July 31 | Min. size 20”. Daily limit 1. |
| Aug. 1-Aug. 31 | Closed. | |
| Sept. 1-Sept. 30 | Min. size 20”. Daily limit 1. | |
| Oct. 1-June 30 | 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. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. |
| Aug. 1-Dec. 31 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be a Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho and hatchery Chinook. | |
| from Lexington Bridge to Mill Creek CRC (561) | ||
| All species | Anglers may fish with two poles with Two-Pole Endorsement. | |
| Trout | Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day | Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild rainbow trout and wild cutthroat 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. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. |
| Aug. 1-Dec. 31 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be a Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho and hatchery Chinook. | |
| within a 100’ radius of the new Cowlitz Trout Hatchery outfall structure CRC (561) | ||
| All species | Anglers may fish with two poles with Two-Pole Endorsement. 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. | |
| Trout | Apr. 1-Fri. before Memorial Day | Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbow 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. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. |
| Aug. 1-Dec. 31 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be a Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho and hatchery Chinook. | |
| from Mill Creek to 400’ or posted markers below the Barrier Dam CRC (561) | ||
| All species | Anglers may fish with two poles with Two-Pole Endorsement. Fishing from any floating device prohibited. | |
| Apr. 1-Nov. 30 | Night closure. Anti-snagging rule. | |
| 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. |
| 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. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. |
| Aug. 1-Dec. 31 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be a Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho and hatchery Chinook. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
| 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. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. |
| Aug. 1-Dec. 31 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be a Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho and hatchery Chinook. | |
| 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. |
| 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. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. |
| Aug. 1-Dec. 31 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be a Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho and hatchery Chinook. | |
| from 400’ below Mayfield Powerhouse upstream to Mayfield Dam. | ||
| All species | CLOSED WATERS. | |
| from the posted PUD sign on Peters Road 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. | |
| Sept. 1-Oct. 31 | Anti-snagging rule. Night closure. | |
| 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. Up to 2 adults may be retained. 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. |
Emergency Fishing Regulations for Cowlitz River Spring Chinook 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 Spring Chinook on the Cowlitz River
All of our technique topics regarding river fishing for salmon are located on a dedicated page here.
There are kind of two main approaches I would advocate for in trying to hook a spring chinook on the Cowlitz, and in particular from the bank though the boat version of these techniques has only slight variations.
These two approaches are: Float fishing and Plunking. Let’s get you rigged up. I will post convenient links to Amazon where possible. Full disclosure: We are an Amazon Associate, such that while you still get the standard Amazon price, we get a small commission (thanks for your support!) if you buy through these links.
Float fishing for Cowlitz River Spring Chinook
I would focus this technique where you have bank access in the upper portion of the river. And in particular this is a popular technique near the deadline / spillway at the Barrier Dam salmon hatchery.
If you’ve done lots of float fishing for salmon previously, the main variation at this terminal location is you tend to need a longer rod and bigger floats for longer distance casting and buoyancy in the turbulent spillway water.
I use a G-Loomis STFR 1474 / 12’3″ Med-Heavy Fast Action 10-17 lb and 1/4 oz – 1 oz lure weight rod to get it done. Confused about what these numbers mean? Checkout our page on picking the best fishing rod for salmon.
Normally, I go casting rod for floating fishing, but I needed something to really bomb it out there in difficult casting situations. Good luck finding a comparable rod though…most rods of that length are surf rods, center pin or ultra-light spinning.
Because you basically want to cast 2 oz floats. A larger float stays in the pool just a bit longer and the increased weight will help you get out there. You also need the longer rod to keep your line off of the water and avoid getting pulled downstream.
You may be casting amongst many other fisherman so precision casting and line management is key
Above is the reel I would pair with it. For more on reels head to our page on best reel for salmon fishing.
Spool with 150 yards of 30 lb braid
Again, I like to toss the 2 oz floats with a 2 oz inline bobber sinker (beau mac makes these). 20 lb flourocarbon leader attached to a 1/0 -> 3/0 hook. For more on the best hooks to use for salmon head here.
For bait, cured salmon eggs is my go-to, you can add sand shrimp as well (shrimp cocktail)
Our page on float fishing for salmon explains all of the particulars here.
Here’s a video on how to float fish for king salmon, including rigging up, line mending, setting the hook and curing bait:
Plunking for Cowlitz River Spring Chinook
This technique is best used in the lower river where the river has more flow and bank access. Basically, you are just looking for good bank access near travel lanes. Water that is deep enough 4+ feet with enough current (walking speed to slightly faster) to be a preferred travel area of spring chinook.
Remember that spring chinook act a bit more like steelhead in terms of reading their preferred water. Both species have genetic programming that says “prepare to spend a lot of time in the river”, which means they prefer gentler flow as compared to fall chinook that spend considerably less time in the river and are more likely to be found in heavier flow as they charge up the river to spawn.
Your rod choices here are much greater as many rods work as a solid plunking rod. I like to use another versatile rod that I primarily use on my boat since I don’t do a lot of plunking.
Here’s a pretty good example:
Pair the above rod with this low profile line counter reel:
Now of course you don’t need a line counter reel for plunking, but again it’s about versatility, this is a good boat rod for a variety of techniques which are aided by having a line counter reel.
Fill the spool with a bunch of high vis 40 lb braid.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a full plunking guide up here yet on the blog, but I will at some point. So I’m not going to go too far into the rigging approach. Generally, you will be rigging 4 to 12 oz pyramid sinkers on a slider that hangs on a 6-18″ dropper and terminates at a bead and swivel. Which then connects to a leader of 3-4′ in length terminated with a single hook and spin n’ glow tipped with cured coon shrimp or cured roe.
You will need a bell for your rod and a good rod holder you can drive into a variety of gravel or sand bank like the below:
