If you ask me my favorite fishery of the year, I will always tell you that winter steelhead fishing is king! There is a romance to steelhead fishing in the winter that is unlike anything else, and I can’t get enough of it. A very close second is fishing for Coho salmon in our many rivers around the Puget Sound and along the Washington Coast.
Coho salmon begin entering our river systems in the early fall, generally from mid-late August, depending on rain. The migrations vary by river, but in some cases continue through January. The peak time to target these fish is from late September into late November. Since 2025 is a pink return year, I expect that the Coho will likely push in just a bit later to avoid the massive influx of pinks. We have over 7,000,000 pinks forecasted to return to the Puget Sound this year. You can always find both species in a system at the same time, but I don’t believe that they like to compete for water, and hence, the Coho tend to avoid the pinks as best they can. For this reason, I have found that early run Coho are often found in less common water when the pinks are in. Think center of the river in the current and on the soft edges.
The best thing about fishing for Coho is that they tend to be very predictable. You are going to find them holding up in softer water, staging for their final push to their spawning grounds. As one group moves out of a hole and upstream, another will travel up and fill in. This will continue as fresh fish enter the river system and continue to migrate upstream. For this reason, I have found that Coho are much more predictable and easier to target than species such as spring Chinook or winter Steelhead. The advantage of Coho fishing is that we often experience greater numbers of encounters, get to fight many fish, and often restock our freezers for the winter.
It is important to note that during the fall, you may find Chinook, summer Steelhead, Pinks, Coho, and even Chums in the same system. Depending on the river, you may be able to keep multiple species and, in some cases, even unmarked fish. Make sure that you read the regulations closely and comply with all rules related to gear restrictions and retention.
Coho can be finicky and may not bite at times, but by nature, they are very aggressive and territorial. It might take a bit to get one to bite, but once you do, it is usually game on for a while. The nice thing with Coho is that you can employ many techniques to target and catch them. It is fun to anchor in a slot and pull plugs. There is nothing quite like the takedown on a plug to get your heart pumping. This is a great technique for those who are looking for a relaxing day on the water. Note that fishing plugs generally means that you are fishing the traveling lanes, not the soft pockets of holding water.
Some prefer to use bait. For years, cured eggs drift-fished was the go-to technique. There are so many options today that you don’t see bait used as much. Some are even switching from bait to beads as they work very well and can be drift fished, bobber dogged, and even used under a float. Speaking of floats, fishing jigs like we do for Steelhead is another fun and proven method to target Coho in slow-moving water. Again, a jig takedown under a float makes for an epic fight.
Currently, I see more anglers targeting Coho in holding water by casting presentations at them. My favorite technique is to throw spinners, but depending on the river system, Wiggle Warts, Dick Nite’s behind an inline weight, or with a dropper, spoons, Wicked Lures, homemade hoochie spinners, and jigs all work very well. The technique that is really catching on is twitching jigs. A twitching jig is a bit heavier than a normal jig, weighing anywhere from 3/8 to 1 oz. They come in a variety of colors and are deadly for Coho. To twitch, you simply cast your jig towards your target and let it sink towards the bottom. Twitch up on the rod from about 30 degrees to 75 degrees and reel ¼ to 1 turn as you drop the rod tip. The speed of your retrieve will dictate your depth in the water column. Note that twitching will work in water as shallow as 2 feet and is deadly effective in deep pools. The takedown when twitching is unmistakable and often very violent. The only drawback to twitching is that it does tend to tire you out, so plan to mix it up throughout the day.
For newbies, I highly recommend that you book with a guide for your first few trips. Learn the tricks from them on where to find fish and which technique to use to target them based on the water you are fishing. Try the river systems in the North Sound, such as the Snohomish, Skagit, or Nooksack systems. Try the SW Washington rivers, such as the Cowlitz or Lewis. Target the rivers feeding into Grays Harbor and the Chehalis system. Some of the largest Coho can be found in this region. For a real adventure, try the rivers on the coast from the Humptulips all the way up to the Quileute system near Forks. I know that the lower Quinault can be a ton of fun when fished with a tribal guide.
I have always said that the fishing in an odd year for pinks is a great way to get the kids interested, since they will catch a lot of fish. Coho are not much different in that they tend to be plentiful and are often not hard to catch. The advantage of catching coho is that they make great table fare once they enter the river. Some might even say that they taste better after they have been in fresh water for a bit.
Give it a try and get out this year! Learn a new river system. Try a “new to you” technique. Most of all, have fun!
