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The Columbia's biggest Washington tributary — large hatchery programs for Chinook, coho, and steelhead.
New chinook since Aug 26, 2026
+175
counted Sep 2, 2026 · 7 days since the previous report
Back so far this run
7,455
the 2026 run
be the first to say how Cowlitz River fished
No reports yet for this water.
Want to know the day chinook show up at Cowlitz River?
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67°
Drizzle · feels 65°
Sun
Good
75°/53°
wind 8 kt · 10% rain
Mon
Good
71°/51°
wind 6 kt · 5% rain
Tue
Good
79°/51°
wind 8 kt · 2% rain
Wed
Good
88°/50°
wind 4 kt · 0% rain
Thu
Good
78°/49°
wind 7 kt · 1% rain
Fri
Favorable
64°/45°
wind 5 kt · 13% rain
Sat
Favorable
68°/46°
wind 3 kt · 15% rain
from boundary markers at mouth to Lexington Bridge CRC (561)
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)
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)
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 — Apr. 1-Nov. 30
Night closure. Anti-snagging rule.
from Mill Creek to 400’ or posted markers below the Barrier Dam CRC (561)
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 — Apr. 1-Nov. 30
Night closure.
within a 100’ radius of the new Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery wheelchair ramp (within the posted fishing boundary) CRC (561)
Salmon — Aug. 1-Dec. 31
Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho.
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)
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 the posted PUD sign on Peters Rd. to the Forest Rd. 1270 (old Jody’s Bridge) CRC (559)
All species — Sept. 1-Oct. 31
Anti-snagging rule. Night closure.
from the posted PUD sign on Peters Rd. to the Forest Rd. 1270 (old Jody’s Bridge) CRC (559)
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 boundary markers at mouth to Lexington Bridge CRC (561)
▸ All species: Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older). 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)
▸ :
There is no tide here, so the windows are first and last light — the hour either side of sunrise and sunset, when river fish move and feed. Wind, the chance of rain during the window, and how much rain fell in the previous day separate one morning from the next; the river's flow and what the hatchery is counting apply to the whole period.
Only legal hours are considered — one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset — so a turn in the middle of the night is left out entirely, and a window running past the boundary is trimmed to the part you may fish.
Times come from NOAA and Open-Meteo, counts from WDFW. The ranking is ours — it is a read on conditions, not a promise of fish, and it does not account for regulations. Check the rules for the section you are fishing before you go.
USGS publishes what the river is doing now, not what it will do — so flow is read as a condition on the whole period, and a heavy rain day can change it.
2,570 cfs
steady →
-11% vs the normal for this date (2,880 cfs)
gage height 33.1 ft
▸ 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. 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 Trout Hatchery outfall structure CRC (561)
▸ All species: Two-Pole allowed. Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older). 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.
▸ 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: Fishing from any floating device prohibited. Two-Pole allowed. Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older).
▸ All species — Apr. 1-Nov. 30: Night closure. Anti-snagging rule.
▸ All species — 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. Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older).
▸ 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. 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)
▸ All species: Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older).
▸ 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: Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older). Closed to all angling within posted “Closed Waters” signs around the adult fish release site.
▸ All species — 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 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. Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older).
▸ 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.