The Cowlitz has two distinct runs of hatchery winter fish. Unlike other Washington streams, which get a big push of steelhead during a brief period, the hatchery brats on the Cowlitz tend to be spread out, producing good fishing for a considerable length of time.

Don't overlook the Kalama River or Lewis River this winter. The Lewis gets 140,000 winter steelhead smolts each season, while the Kalama receives nearly 75,000.

The Humptulips and Wynoochee are two southwestern Washington sleepers. Each gets a healthy release of steelhead smolts.

NORTHERN OREGON COAST
The North Coast rivers, particularly the Wilson and Nestucca, yielded excellent steelhead catches in March and early April. With such good catches late in the season, anglers hope for more this season.

The Wilson receives 170,000 steelhead smolt each year, while the Nestucca gets 180,000.

Those two rivers tend to produce the highest catch rates of hatchery steelhead on the North Coast, said guide Val Perry.

But the veteran salmon and steelheader likes to spend most of his time on two of the North Coast's more overlooked systems, the Necanicum and Nehalem.

Late December and early January are peak times for hatchery fish on the Necanicum and North Fork Nehalem. The Necanicum gets 40,000 winter steelhead smolts each year, while the North Nehalem gets 90,000.

Both rivers tend to clear quickly after a storm, but boaters are challenged by technical water. Bank access, however, is good near the North Nehalem's hatchery.

"These rivers get a lot less pressure than the Wilson or Trask," Perry said.

The mainstem Nehalem, meanwhile, is an exceptional trophy fish producer in March.

The Trask River also has a reputation of giving up trophy steelhead, while the Wilson and Nestucca produce some of the biggest hatchery steelhead in the state, with 20-pounders caught each year, usually in February and March.

The Alsea River is one of Oregon's steadiest producers of hatchery steelhead, usually in December, thanks to the release of 120,000 smolts each year.

OREGON SOUTH COAST
Confir, the ODFW biologist in charge of the Chetco River, said it has one of Oregon's highest spawning densities for wild steelhead. Nearly 50,000 smolts are released into the Chetco each year.

The Chetco is one of Oregon's best rivers for multiple-fish days, and is popular with drift boaters who side-drift roe. Fishing tends to be best in late December and all of January, although some of the biggest fish are caught in March.

Bank access is good at Social Security Bar, Loeb State Park and the numerous forest service day-use areas.

Aside from the Chetco, the lower Rogue River is known for its high catch rates. The fishing is fueled by 150,000 smolts released from the Applegate River each year, along with another 100,000 winter steelhead smolts from the Rogue's Cole Rivers Hatchery.

Bank-anglers plunk large Spin-N-Glos from the lower Rogue gravel bars, while jet-boaters will pull plugs, such as FlatFish and Hot Shots.

Confir said the record number of half-pounder steelhead last year should translate into healthy returns of adult fish this winter.