Going Smelt Fishing on the Cowlitz River in 2024

Finally, we have a smelt fishery announcement! I know we’ve had a few in the past several years, but they haven’t been quite the same opportunity as what’s expected this Thursday.

If you’ve tried to plunk for steelhead below the Toutle River confluence with the Cowlitz River, you know that the smelt are in and plentiful.

Let’s review what you need to know to be successful on this smelt fishery opener.

The most important thing you need to be successful is a dip net. Unfortunately, this announcement only gave us 3 days’ notice! Really, only two if you are first reading this today.

Buying a smelt dip net for the smelt fishery

I tried to find a suitable smelt dip net on Amazon that would ship and arrive in a single day and I simply couldn’t find one.

The above smelt dip net would be suitable, by a reputable brand, and at a decent price, but won’t arrive until Monday. I would still consider it though because they may open another smelt fishery after this first one and you don’t want to still be without a dip net.

Now, the alternative I see a lot of people going with is mounting a similar small mesh type of net (like a pool net perhaps?) onto a 10′ PVC pipe/pole. Just make sure you get sturdy enough PVC as you will not want your setup to break under pressure.

Sportco as of Tuesday morning still has a long handle few dip nets, but they are going fast.

You should take a look at the below video I made in 2021 which does a decent job of describing the experience and the technique.

I was a complete noob at the beginning of this video, but managed to get my 10 lbs of smelt and I describe exactly how I did it. I’ve already watched this video and some of the raw footage multiple times to help me remember what I did.

I also cover cleaning and cooking these tasty morsels.

Finding a smelt dipping spot – Where to smelt dip on the Cowlitz River?

The most important thing is to find the right spot to smelt dip. You could go to a place like Gearhart Gardens near the southern boundary of the smelt dip, but that’s where I started in 2021 and it was super crowded even 30 minutes before the opener.

You should refer to the WDFW News post below for the exact timing, boundaries and licenses required for this smelt fishery.

A good smelt dip spot will put you within close contact, safely from the bank with water that is 4-8 ft in depth.

Smelt are swimming near the bottom and close to shore, but not right on the bottom and also not right next to shore.

How to smelt dip?

The above picture from my video that day shows the dip net angle I used to get my limit of smelt.

You start with the net upstream of your position and you push it with the current downstream to scoop up smelt.

This can be physically challenging as you are trying to push the net faster than the current to capture the smelt in your net.

I tried finding the bottom with the net and then coming up, but that wasn’t as successful as just “sensing” where the bottom was from previous net sweep attempts and using a net angle that put me 1-2 feet above the bottom.

Is all of this worth it for smelt? Do they actually taste good?

Yes!!!

Don’t listen to the people who only want smelt for bait, they don’t know what they are missing.

I once sent a friend who was visiting from Utah home with a bunch of seafood from my freezer and smelt was his absolute favorite of everything I sent. Not the salmon, clams, crab, or the steelhead. Smelt!

Think about this: A lot of the fat and oils that king salmon are consuming come from candlefish.

Wait, are candlefish and smelt the same thing? Yes! Or as biologists refer to them: Eulachon.

Smelt are so oily and rich with fat that they will literally burn like a candle when dried. So yeah, I guess you could wait for springer season to start to get your fatty healthy fish oils, or you could just make like a spring king salmon and go catch some smelt!

I hope to see you out there!

Below is the WDFW News announcement for the Smelt fishery opening this week:

One-day smelt fishery announced for Cowlitz River on Thursday, Feb. 15

RIDGEFIELD – Smelt-dipping will return to the banks of the Cowlitz River as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has approved a one-day recreational fishery on Thursday, Feb. 15.

During the limited opener, a designated portion of the Cowlitz River in Southwest Washington will be open for recreational dip-netting from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for one day only.

“The fish have arrived at a great time to open a recreational dipping opportunity,” said Laura Heironimus, WDFW’s Columbia River smelt lead. “Early season forecasts indicated a potential recreational opening, and we are excited to open this fishery to the public.”

Fishery managers will continue to monitor the run and catch effort from Thursday’s fishery to determine if additional fishing days can be supported. For future updates and regulations, visit the Cowlitz River smelt fishing webpage, WDFW’s newsroom, and the emergency fishing rules.

As of early 2024, a fishing license is not required for dip-netting smelt. However, anglers are required to follow all regulations. Dip-netting from the shore is permitted on the river from the Highway 432 Bridge near Kelso upstream to the Al Helenberg Memorial Boat Ramp, located approximately 1,300 feet upstream of the Highway 411/A Street Bridge in Castle Rock. It is unlawful to harvest smelt from a vessel.

Each dip-netter is allowed to retain a daily limit of up to 10 pounds of smelt. For reference, 10 pounds of smelt fills about a quarter of a five-gallon bucket, though anglers are advised to bring their own scale to keep track of their catch. Anglers must keep all smelt caught until they reach the daily limit. Each harvester is required to use a separate container to hold their catch, which must be either in their presence or marked with their name.

With potentially strong river levels and flows on the Cowlitz River Thursday, dip-netters are strongly advised to exercise caution. WDFW recommends the use of personal flotation devices. WDFW Enforcement officers will be present to ensure public safety and enforce regulations, including the 10-pound limit and separate container requirement, during the open hours of the fishery.

Eulachon, commonly known as Columbia River smelt, have been listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) since 2010 due to a sharp decline in returns that began in the 1990s.

To ensure a sustainable harvest, fishery managers monitor the fish population each year. The recreational fishery plays a crucial role in this process, providing the opportunity to gather biological data on the spawning grounds.

WDFW updated its smelt management plan in September 2023. The new plan identifies current management strategies and makes recommendations for monitoring and evaluation of the population, as well as harvest criteria and communication between state and federal managers. For more detailed information, please refer to the Washington and Oregon Eulachon Management Plan.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities. 

WDFW Email dated 2/12/2024