Elochoman River Washington Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Click Here to see our Steelhead Flies: Click Here to see our Salmon Flies.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Steelhead (winter and summer run)
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Sea-run Cutthroat
Size
Small to Medium
Location
Southwest Washington
Nearest Towns
Cathlamet
Season
Varies by species – Make sure you
see the current regulations
Access:
Fair
Non-Resident License
State of Washington
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
Varies by species
Summer:
There is a summer run of steelhead from June to September.
Fall:
Sea-run Cutthroat Trout last through the fall months. September and October are the prime Salmon fishing months. October and November are the top salmon
fishing months.
Winter:
Steelhead are in the river from December through March with the best fishing taking place in December and January.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
For Steelhead and Salmon
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate typerod, sinking, sinking tip and floating
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths
Tippets:
10# and 12#
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand rods
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Elochoman River Washington The Elochoman River is a small tributary of the Columbia River. It’s headwaters begin at Elochoman Lake. The main stem is joined by the East Fork and the North Fork Elochoman tributaries. Further downstream, its East Fork joins the main stem of the river. Below there, the river flows into a broad, flat bottom called the Upper Elochoman Valley. Leaving the valley it flows through a short and narrow gorge into the lower Elochoman Valley.
The mouth of the river is located at Elochoman Slough, a 3-mile long side-channel of the Columbia River located near Cathlamet. In spite of its small size, the Elochoman ranks among the top winter steelhead destinations in Washington. Most of the steelhead caught by anglers are hatchery fish. December and January are the two best months for winter steelhead. The Beaver Creek Hatchery is located six miles upstream from the mouth of the river.
There is also a summer run of steelhead that takes place from June to September. The river gets very low in the late summer and the fish are very difficult to fool.
There’s both a Chinook and Coho Salmon run. October and November are the best months for salmon fishing.
The state also stock Sea Run Cutthroat smolts providing good Fall fishing opportunities for them. The Cutthroat must all, wild and stocked, be released.
Most anglers drift the river but you can fish the bank in a few different places. There are areas of private property. Most people fish downstream of the Beaver Creek steelhead hatchery but there is also fishing opportunities between the Beaver Creek hatchery and the Salmon hatchery upstream of it.
One big advantage of the fly fishing the Elochoman River is that the water clears up very fast after heavy rains. It can get a little crowded at times, but that’s just a product of the fishing being good. It is those that are not fished you need to avoid.