BROOKINGS, Ore,. (Jan. 3, 2026) – Winter steelhead season is off and running on the coastal rivers of Southern Oregon and Northern California, with above-average-size fish showing up in early catches. The Brookings Fishing Charters team of guides and deckhands are also drift boat river guides during the fall and winter, and have been getting customers into nice-size steelhead so far this season on the Chetco and Smith rivers. The guides also fish for steelhead on the Elk, Sixes and Rogue rivers.
A large steelhead caught with Capt. Andy on the Chetco River to begin the 2026 steelhead season.Customers fishing with Capt. Sam hold a nice Smith River steelhead.
Steelhead season began in December, but peak season is January and February. The season runs through March. December catches were better than expected, and by the beginning of January, large steelhead were being caught daily. A big storm arrived on Jan. 3, blowing the rivers out, but peak season is expected to begin the end of next week, as the Chetco and Smith drop back into shape. Flows below 4,000 cfs are ideal on the Chetco, while flows below 8,000 cfs at Jed Smith are ideal on the Smith River.
Capt. Andy holds a large hatchery steelhead caught by a customer on the Chetco River on New Year’s Eve.
Steelhead are caught while drifting the rivers in a drift boat. The two anglers in the front of the boat cast while the guide rows and maneuvers the boat downstream with oars. It’s a unique fishing experience, drifting through the Wild and Scenic Chetco River, or through Redwood National Park on the Smith River.
Fishing aboard a drift boat is a unique fishing experience.
Small pieces of roe are used to catch steelhead, as well as small plugs. Steelhead are remarkably hard fighters, and one of the most prized fish caught anywhere. The Chetco and Smith are two of the most productive steelhead rivers in the world.
A tiny cluster of roe, size 2 hook and a small Corky are used to catch steelhead. Anglers cast with light spinning rods.Customers fishing with Capt. Sam hold a Chetco River steelhead from New Year’s Day.
To book a winter steelhead trip, call (541) 813-1082, or visit www.wildriversfishing.com for more information.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 15, 2025) – This year’s ocean salmon season on the Southern Oregon Coast will provide a summer-long opportunity to troll for coho salmon, as well as a king salmon fishery spread over three months, including the Fourth of July 4 weekend.
Federal fishery managers approved West Coast ocean salmon seasons on April 15, giving sport fishermen fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor a 79-day hatchery coho season, which will run June 7-Aug. 24, and a 37-day king salmon season, open May 16-June 6 and June 30-July 15. Crescent City will have a short season, open June 7-8, July 5-6, July 31-Aug. 3 and Aug. 25-31.
Salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters
This year’s ocean seasons out of Brookings fall when anglers typically encounter good number of coho and king salmon. An abundance of hatchery coho salmon from the Columbia River allowed biologists to recommend the lengthy coho season on the Oregon Coast. Upwards of half a million hatchery coho salmon are expected to be present off of Oregon this summer. Populations of wild coho also are strong. Coho spend the ocean portion of their life off of Northern California and Southern Oregon before migrating up the coast to the Columbia River during the summer, entering freshwater in late summer and fall. This year’s season begins just as big schools of coho are moving north off the coast of Brookings.
A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
King salmon season was constrained by low forecasts for the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, but Oregon fisheries were allowed to move forward since the season dates minimized impacts to those stocks while also allowing anglers to fish on healthy runs from the Rogue, Chetco, Smith, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as the hatcheries in California that have had strong returns the last few years. Generally, the best king salmon fishing out of Brookings is late June and early July, so this year’s season occurs when fishing should be at its best off of Brookings.
Most seasons, hatchery coho season opens in late June off of Brookings. This year’s earlier opener was proposed by local charter boat operators who showed fishery managers catches are often best right as the season opens, and anglers often encounter hatchery coho prior to the opener. The coho season opens two weeks earlier than normal. With a 44,000-fish quota, the coho season is expected to continue through late August.
Anglers will be allowed to keep hatchery or wild king salmon, and hatchery coho salmon this summer.
A king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.
Salmon fishing also will be open on the Chetco, Rogue, Elk and Sixes rivers in Oregon and Smith River in California this year.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has a well-earned reputation of producing the best ocean salmon catch rates out of Brookings. Their captains troll herring or anchovies with divers and downriggers, and also mooch for coho when they are schooled up. All of the captains are also licensed river guides, and spent the fall fishing for salmon out of drift boats on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers.
Salmon trips will be offered daily, as the weather allows. In May, anglers will encounter a mix of fish from the Rogue, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as kings from the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. Prized Rogue River spring Chinook salmon are still making their way up the coast in May and are the most sought-after of the ocean kings caught on the Oregon Coast.
Limits of hatchery coho caught last summer on the Miss Brooke.Big numbers of hatchery coho are common out of Brookings in June.
By June, coho numbers quickly increase, with fish-after-fish action common during the peak in mid-June. At times, all six rods will be hooked up at once as charters troll for coho out of Brookings. When coho action is fast, anglers often book combo trips, fishing for coho in the morning and then lingcod and rockfish in the afternoon, or lingcod at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, and then coho on the return trip to Brookings.
A mix of coho and king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
Anglers will be allowed one king salmon a day, and when coho season opens a total of two salmon, with a mix of hatchery coho and one king salmon as the daily limit (two hatchery coho or one hatchery coho and one king, which can be wild or hatchery).
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 11, 2024) – Steelhead fishing on the Chetco and Smith rivers dramatically improved early this week before heavy rains returned, blowing both rivers out. Another series of storms is expected this weekend, which could bring numerous local rivers to the verge of flood stage. The rivers are then expected to drop back into fishable shape next week.
A father and son hold a bright Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Andy in January 2024.
Just before the rains, steelhead fishing had improved, with catch rates jumping to three to four fish per boat. The action was short-lived, as heavy rains increased flows to 10,000 cfs on the Chetco, and 22 feet on the Smith. Flows are expected to top 30,000 cfs on the Chetco this weekend, and 50,000 cfs, or 26 feet, at the Highway 101 bridge over the Smith River. The Chetco fishes best below 4,000 cfs.
A beautiful steelhead caught in the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco with Capt. Andy in January 2024.Longtime customer Craig with a Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Rye in January 2024.
The Brookings Fishing Charters team of captains are also licensed river guides in Oregon and California and have decades of experience fishing local rivers. Capt. Andy, Mick, Rye, Sam and Travis run trips from drift boats, navigating down the river with oars as customers use light spinning rods to drift tiny clusters of salmon or steelhead eggs. Pound-for-pound, steelhead are among the hardest fighting game fish, and often leap out of the water when hooked. The Smith and Chetco are among the most scenic rivers on the West Coast.
Fish on! Fighting a steelhead on the Upper Chetco River using light spinning gear.
Steelhead fishing was on the slow side in December and first few days of January before action accelerated late last week, as fresh schools of steelhead moved into the rivers. Fishing is expected to be good as the rivers drop back into shape next week. The peak of the steelhead season is mid-January through February. Steelhead are difficult to catch when rivers are muddy and blown out, but bite well as flows are dropping and river shifts from low visibility to what is known as “steelhead green.”
Capt. Andy and a customer with an Upper Chetco steelhead in January 2024.
Capt. Andy, Mick and Travis have special-use permits from the US Forest Service to fish the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco. Only a very limited number of guides have these permits, allowing customers to fish in an extremely productive, yet uncrowded section of river. All of the Brookings Fishing Charters guides also have Forest Service permits to fish the Smith River from the confluence of the Middle and South Forks, which allows them to drift through the stunning section of river through Redwood National Park.
To learn more about guided drift boat trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
A big wild steelhead released after an exciting battle on the Upper Chetco River.
