Fishing for steelhead around Forks

[bullsandbass]

I want to go over to Forks, WA here soon for some steelhead fishing.  A good friend of mine is from there but hasn't lived there since around 1997.  We go over every summer and salmon fish.  However,  I have never been over to fish for the steelhead and would like to try it.  Any ideas of when the rivers wil be good or is the fishing mostly over? I would be fishing from shore.  I tried fishing the Sol Duc river and actually hooked one on my 3rd cast ever steelhead fishing but lost it...fished for 3 more days and not a bite!..any help would be appreciated..thank you fellow sportsmen.

[nwhunter]

Fishing is good right now for good size wild steelhead as the hatchery run is starting to slow down. Any river is as good as the others mostly depends on mother nature cooperating with the rain so that you can fish. Lots of guides so expect lots of company but thats the norm anymore. Good luck and enjoy your time in Forks.

[WSU]

There are fish now through March but not much you should keep.  Like said above, every river out there will have fish is conditions are right.

[plugger]

If the rivers are low, fish low. Use the tides to your favor. I would be on the lower hoh or lower sulduc. Fish high tide 2 hours before to 2 hrs after. Fish will trickle in all day also. You can stay ahead of the boats and have first water by staying low on the rivers. If there high, I would fish the upper duc. There is lots of beautiful water below the bear springs camp ground. Park there and head down river. You can keep one native fish per year and from what people are saying on here, they been killing big fish for years and there still there and its legal (Check the regs for locations) sooo?  Im coming over first weekend in march and praying for low water. Don't want to drag the boat over. good luck

[Bullkllr]

If the rivers are low, fish low. Use the tides to your favor. I would be on the lower hoh or lower sulduc. Fish high tide 2 hours before to 2 hrs after. Fish will trickle in all day also. You can stay ahead of the boats and have first water by staying low on the rivers. If there high, I would fish the upper duc. There is lots of beautiful water below the bear springs camp ground. Park there and head down river. You can keep one native fish per year and from what people are saying on here, they been killing big fish for years and there still there and its legal (Check the regs for locations) sooo?  Im coming over first weekend in march and praying for low water. Don't want to drag the boat over. good luck

Good general advice.

Also good reminder to check the regs. Most of the rivers that allow retention it is only in "sections". On the Duc for example- no retention above the hatchery, which is well below Bear Springs.