(January – March)
Start off the new year in pursuit of Steelhead from a powerboat or drift boat. Steelhead typically ranges from 5-12 lbs. The weather will choose which river we will fish: the Rogue, Elk, Sixes, Chetco, or Illinois. We can provide more fishing opportunities on the upper Chetco, Illinois, and the Rogue due to the three allocated permits we have in hand.
Winter Steelhead enter Oregon’s Coastal streams in the late fall, and the run is in full swing by Christmas. Winter Steelhead, unlike their distant cousin, the Salmon, don’t die after spawning. They return to the Pacific Ocean and, after a year or two, will return to their home stream. Steelhead can journey back to the Ocean many times in their lifetime, making them very different from Salmon.
This characteristic and the Steelhead’s sense of curiosity enable these fish to be caught with various techniques. Some of these techniques may include side drifting, float fishing, or pulling plugs, just to name a few. Changing water conditions and different types of water require that we, as fishermen, change our methods often.