I have a 5 day vacation 4th of July week and need some ideas of fishing oppertunities. Basicly anything in Washington or Oregon or Northern Calif is in range and all options are on the table. I am looking for some quality time on the water be it salt or fresh looking for salmonid types. I have a 20 ft sled that can go with or stay home or I can float in the cataraft. Fly fishing would be a plus. It would be just me and the wife. Thanks in advance

Desertdog looking to get wet.

That's a lot of territory and opportunities to cover in a post. Too many actually. If you bring your cataraft along in the sled, or bankfish, you can flyfish for summer steelhead in the SW Washington rivers such as the Kalama and Washougal. Then in that same area you can sled the NF Lewis or Cowlitz rivers for them. I think the mainstem Columbia opens for summer steelhead on July 1st, so that is an option in a lot of places. The place I like best is along Ives Island, between Beacon Rock and Bonnevilla dam. If the other rivers get too low this summer due to low snowpack/rain, this mainstem Columbia may be the best option, fishing Warts or spinners from your sled. And it's beautiful in that area! ... In Oregon, the Willamette tribs, Clackamas/Santiams/McKenzie all have good summer steelhead opportunites. Also, all those places I've mentioned will have a few late spring chinook available but they will have turned grey belly by then. Good luck.

RT

Some good options up our way is the ocean or Straits of Juan de Fuca. Areas 1,2,3,4, and 5 open July 1st with 2 adults, one of which may be a nook'. Areas 1 and 2 are only open Sundays through Thursday, the others are seven days per week. This is the first year that Sekiu (area 5) has been open for nook' retention for quite a while!!! Also summer run steelies should be pretty good in the Cowlitz about that time. Hope this helps ya out!!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

Thanks for good suggestions RT and Jeffhead.
Think I will look for some summers on the cowlitz or lewis. Sounds like that is shaping up to be a great fishery this year.


Thanks also to those individuals that responded via e-mail. Your information will be put to good use.