Wynoochee River Salmon Fishing 2023

The Wynoochee River originates from the south slopes of the wild and rugged Olympic mountains and winds its way south until it dumps into the Chehalis near Montesano. The often overlooked cousin of the Satsop River when it comes to salmon fishing can still provide decent fishing for coho and chum salmon.

If you are looking for a place to access the river, I would head for the white bridge access area and go from there.

Like many of these rivers near the coast, the best way to experience it is by drift boat.

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 salmon are returning at the hatcheries

1. Automatically updating graph of the Escapement Report for the Wynoochee River
2. Historical run timing graph providing a visual of when salmon normally return to the Wynoochee River

Updated Status of returning Coho on the Wynoochee River

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

Historical Run Timing of Coho on the Wynoochee River

Forecast for 2023 Wynoochee River Coho

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

Forecast for 2023 Wynoochee River Fall Chinook

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

As you can see the run of chinook is rebuilding which means no retention again on the Wynoochee River in 2023.

Fishing Regulations for Wynoochee River Salmon 2023

These reflect what’s been made available electronically to the public regarding permanent fishing regulations on the Wynoochee River.

from mouth to WDFW White Bridge access site CRC (337)
All species	Aug. 1-Sept. 30	Selective gear rules.
	Oct. 1-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-Nov. 30	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 2 adults. Release adult Chinook.
	Dec. 1-Dec. 31	Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 1 adult. Release Chinook.
from WDFW White Bridge access site to 7400 Line Bridge CRC (337)
All species	Aug. 16-Sept. 15	Single-point barbless hooks required.
	Sept. 16-Nov. 30	Bait prohibited. 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.
from 7400 Line Bridge to 400’ downstream of barrier dam near Grisdale CRC (337)
All species		Selective gear rules.
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.
from barrier dam near Grisdale to 400’ downstream of Wynoochee Dam CRC (337)
All species		Selective gear rules.
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.
400’ downstream from barrier dam near Grisdale to the barrier dam
All species		CLOSED WATERS.
upstream of Wynoochee reservoir to Wynoochee Falls CRC (337)
All species		Selective gear rules.
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.
from 400’ downstream of Wynoochee Dam to Wynoochee dam
All species		CLOSED WATERS.

Always make sure you fully understand the fishing regulations and check emergency regulations to avoid a costly ticket.

Emergency Fishing Regulations for Wynoochee River Salmon 2023

The above permanent regulations for the Wynoochee 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 Wynoochee River

With Coho Salmon being the primary target on the Wynoochee River, there are several ways to target them in, but below are my favorite techniques:

1. Casting spinners
2. Twitching jigs – scroll down to twitching jigs section of the guide.

You should also read our guide to river fishing for salmon.

Also, take a look at this simple video about twitching jigs for coho:

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

Here’s my favorite twitching jig rod:

And this spinning reel for both of the above rods: