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Blue Creek/barrier dam to Toledo; steelhead+sea-run cutthroat (counted as trout) The river tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 568 acres, worked by 37 miles of shoreline. An index of 11.1 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Tip to tip the water measures near 13.1 mi with a 2.1-mi widest point. It sits in Lewis County. If the bite dies, Silver Lake is 13 mi to the south.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 10 ft. Put Current seam (mile 8.8) first on the milk run — a current seam near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, steelhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Summer steelhead concentrate at Current seam (mile 8.8), a prime-rated current seam around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
When the water first warms, coho salmon slide up into 1 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 8.8). It's a current seam holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
When the water first warms, chinook salmon slide up into 1 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 8.8): a current seam around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 8.8) (6 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
The chart marks 15 structure features on Cowlitz River; the deepest is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at about 8 ft.
Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Washington waters are set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Cowlitz River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Cowlitz River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, steelhead, coho salmon, chinook salmon on Cowlitz River.
Current seam (mile 8.8) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cowlitz River is regulated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official Washington regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Silver Lake 13 mi · Riffe Lake 20 mi · Clear Lake 26 mi · Lake Lawrence 27 mi · McIntosh Lake 27 mi · Elbow Lake 27 mi · Offutt Lake 31 mi · Mineral Lake 31 mi · Harts Lake 31 mi · Deep Lake 31 mi · Silver Lake 33 mi · Merrill Lake 33 mi
See how Cowlitz River stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best chinook salmon lakes in Washington · best coho salmon lakes in Washington · best steelhead lakes in Washington
Browse all Washington fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.