Satsop River Winter Steelhead Fishing 2022-2023

The Satsop originates on the south slopes of the majestic Olympic mountains and runs south as three separates forks (west, middle and east) before combining in the last 10 river miles before the confluence with the Chehalis.

There’s a small run of hatchery steelhead returning to Bingham Creek Hatchery. The Satsop river is usually overlooked in favor of the Wynoochee when it comes to steelhead rivers in the area.

The best way to experience fishing for winter steelhead on the Satsop is likely with a guide via a boat as bank access can be limited.

However, we will likely spend more of this blog article focussed on the topic of what to expect in the 2022-2023 winter steelhead season and try to paint the picture regarding whether the river will be open or not, though we are expected to get absolute clarity from WDFW on Dec 1st, 2022.

But first:

Let’s take a look at a couple of new features I’ve got up on the blog to help you understand run timing and how many steelhead are returning at the hatcheries

1. Automatically updating graph of the Escapement Report for the Satsop River
2. Historical run timing graph providing a visual of when steelhead normally return to the Satsop River
3. Steelhead forecast section that attempts to paint the picture of what to expect with steelhead smolt plants, escapement history and other data provided by WDFW.

All of these features are here to aid you in your trip planning efforts to increase your likelihood of success.

Updated Status of returning hatchery Winter Steelhead on the Satsop River

Once steelhead start returning to the hatchery and get reported by WDFW, this graph will automatically update, typically on Thursdays.

Historical Run Timing of hatchery Winter Steelhead on the Satsop River

The Satsop will get hatchery steelhead trickling in throughout January and February, but mid-March and into early April is typically the peak of the run,

Fishing Regulations for the Satsop River 2022

Note: Per the 2022-2023 steelhead regulations announced on Dec 1st, 2022 by WDFW, there will be a heavily modified (mostly closed) winter steelhead season on the Satsop that shuts down mid December.

SATSOP RIVER AND EAST FORK – GRAYS HARBOR CO.
from mouth to bridge at Schafer State Park CRC (329)
All species	Aug. 16-Nov. 30	Single-point barbless hooks required. Night closure.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout: min. size 14”.
Other game fish	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Oct. 1-Oct. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 2 adult may be retained. Release adult Chinook.
Nov. 1-Nov. 30	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 1 adult may be retained. Release Chinook.
Dec. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 1 adult may be retained. Release Chinook and wild coho.
from bridge at Schafer State Park upstream to 400’ below Bingham Creek Hatchery dam CRC (329)
All species	Aug. 16-Oct. 31	Single-point barbless hooks required. Night closure.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Oct. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout: min. size 14”.
Other game fish	Sat. before Memorial Day-Oct. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
from 400’ below Bingham Creek Hatchery dam to the dam CRC (329A)
All species		Night closure. Open only to anglers with disabilities who permanently use a wheelchair and have a designated harvester companion card.
Aug. 16-Nov. 30	Single-point barbless hooks required.
Trout	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout: min. size 14”.
Other game fish	Sat. before Memorial Day-Mar. 31	Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Salmon	Oct. 1-Oct. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release adult Chinook.
Nov. 1-Nov. 30	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 1 adult may be retained. Release Chinook.
Dec. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 1 adult may be retained. Release Chinook and wild coho.

Emergency Fishing Regulations for the Satsop River

Please refer to WDFW’s emergency rules page for a full list that are in effect until I can get the e-rules automation working fully again.

It’s your responsibility as the recreational angler to know ALL of these rules, not just what is discussed here on the blog.

Forecast for 2022 Satsop River Winter Steelhead

Note: Smolts planted in the 2021 year will predominantly return as 3 year fish in the 2022-2023 winter steelhead season.

As you can see since 2017, steelhead smolt plants have remained fairly steady, though 2021 was a lower smolt plant year of the last 5. Smolt plants on the Satsop river are about a third of what is planted in the Wynoochee.

Returns of Satsop hatchery winter steelhead have been inconsistent compared to the smolt plants. And even on a “good year” we aren’t talking about more than a few hundred hatchery steelhead returning.

Let’s see what the WDFW biologists are putting out there:

Forecasts seem to indicate an above average return year for the Satsop hatchery winter steelhead, and perhaps better than what occurred in 2021.

529 returning to Bingham Creek would be the second largest in the past 10 years.

But will we get to fish for these steelhead? Let’s look at the wild stock situation:

As you can see the situation is quite bleak with a sport impact limit of 198 for the entire Chehalis basin…and expected to miss escapement goal by 1486 steelhead. So far WDFW has been within 5-10% accuracy on these predictions based on the 2021-2022 evaluation.

Let’s look at what WDFW has presented in terms of season options:

There’s are ZERO scenarios in the above analysis of options that provides a fishing opportunity on Chehalis basin steelhead…

However…there was discussion at one of the meetings, that perhaps one tributary could be opened if all of the creel sampling and biologist effort was concentrated there. That tributary would likely be the Skookumchuck, but it would certainly mean other rivers wouldn’t be open as a result.

And that likely means rivers like the Satsop will be the casualty here…