Chehalis River

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I was down at the Chehalis the other day, messing around with my girls, and tossing spinners "just for the fun of it"
First fish was a Cutthroat, about 14", then I caught a Smallmouth Bass about 11", last fish was a 13" squawfish (Threw it up on the bank)
I did not know there were smallmouth in there, heck I even hear that they sometimes catch sturgeon. (Year round season, 24 hours a day. )
Anybody here fish it ?
I wish I had a boat to explore the darn thing, maybe someday...

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I almost forgot, there are a lot of large 3-4" freshwater mussels in the river also.

[Antlershed]

The Chehalis Sturgeon fishery is mostly in the lower end of the river, and its nothing like it used to be from what I'm told. The nets pretty well took care of a lot of them. I keep telling myself I am going to go fish it sometime though.

[turkey buster]

I have fished it quit a bit for sturgeon lower end, yes antlershed is correct nets screwed it up, but their are still a few in to be caught
chuck

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I know it is mostly in the lower river, but according to my research, some have been caught as far up as Centralia....

Most of the sturgeon fishing in the Chehalis occurs in the Aberdeen to Friends Landing area below Montesano.  However there can be fish caught in the river from Westport all the way to Centralia.
The Quinault Indians net for salmon, steelhead & sturgeon here both in the spring & fall.  That being the case, there seems to be less sturgeon at those times of the year.

The normal bait of choice here will be sand shrimp.  It seems that the sturgeon have not developed a taste for smelt as their cousins in the Columbia.
However there is also a run of sturgeon in the late spring of the year when the Ells migrate upriver to spawn.  Of course ell would then be the prime bait.

I dont know much about them, but there might be some whoppers in some of the holes..
And considering Centralia is the furthest upriver boat launch.........
But really, I was more interested in the "easier" fish to catch, like Steelhead and Salmon, but with bass in the river, and lord knows what else...
It might make for an interesting day.

[PolarBear]

I use to fish it a lot for salmon and steelies but had no idea that there were smallmouth in there.  I caught one sturgeon below the Monte Bridge many years ago and let him break me off because I had no way to get him on shore by myself.  It was well over 6 feet long and surprised the crap out of me.  I was fishing for silvers when it hit.

[Curly]

I know there's largemouth in the Chehalis.  I didn't know about smallmouth being in there. 

[bowtech721]

I know they catch some sturgeon down low but i know of several that have been caught plunking for steelhead right in oakville and one big oversized that was caught in porter. There in there but I dont think there are very many at all.

[Martinhunter]

A buddy of mine cought a 6ft sturgen last January while plunkin for stealies. Also ya I've cought smallies right at porter in the little slough area next to the highway.

[Antlershed]

It wouldn't surprise me if there were a few Sturgeon as far up as Centralia, but I doubt its enough to make it worth fishing for them. Much better opportunities to target them, IMO.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Year round ?
What if you were out fishing for (whatever) and found some good pool/slots on you depth sounder ?
Seems like it would be wasting your time not to try for one.
I wasn't thinking about spending all day fishing for them, I was just commenting od the diversity of available fish in the river.
Cutthroat trout, steelhead, salmon, Largemouth, Smallmouth, I am sure there is a catfish or 2, let alone anything else that got in there during the floods, and Sturgeon.
I dont hear of a lot of pressure on river, except during salmon/steelhead runs, pretty much from fall to early spring...
And even then not much.

[Antlershed]

Year round ?
What if you were out fishing for (whatever) and found some good pool/slots on you depth sounder ?
Seems like it would be wasting your time not to try for one.
I wasn't thinking about spending all day fishing for them, I was just commenting od the diversity of available fish in the river.
Cutthroat trout, steelhead, salmon, Largemouth, Smallmouth, I am sure there is a catfish or 2, let alone anything else that got in there during the floods, and Sturgeon.
I dont hear of a lot of pressure on river, except during salmon/steelhead runs, pretty much from fall to early spring...
And even then not much.

Columbia is open for retention 10 months out of the year. I agree though, there is a lot of variety in the Chehalis.

[BigGoonTuna]

i used to fish the chehalis a lot during the early-mid 90s with my dad for sturgeon, and it was some really great fishing.  not a ton of big ones but lots of shakers and a decent amount of keepers.   haven't fished it for sturgeon in several years now...from what i hear i'm not missing much.  last time i fished it i think you could still keep 10 a year.

i do recall an episode of fishing the west or some other old local fishing show where they were fishing the sloughs for largemouth and doing really well.  those brackish tidewater stretches of coastal rivers can have some really interesting fishing, kind of like catching a yellow perch and a flounder out of the same spot.

i'm just patiently waiting for the sept. 16th salmon opener...of course, the I5 travelling circus will be out here thick, just like they'll be on the hump in october, satsop in november and wynoochee in january...