Chehalis River Fishing

By Staff - Jun 15, 2003

The Chehalis is a beautiful river that flows into the Harrison River above the #7 Highway bridge. The Chehalis is a medium size river located east of Mission BC, in the Hemlock Valley. The river gets its water supply from Chehalis Lake, as well as various streams that accumulate runoff water from the surrounding mountains.

Unfortunately, the Chehalis offers one tenth of the fishable water that the Vedder River has to offer. For this reason crowding can be a problem, as fisherman stack up around a few main spots. On the good side , if you can find some space to yourself, the Chehalis is a gem of a river that has a late run of Coho salmon that will keep the Lower Mainland angler busy with Coho through early December. The Hatchery Hole is a popular spot, as are the Easter Seals and the Gun Barrel runs. Starting at the Easter Seals run (below the bridge that crosses the Chehalis), it is possible for an eager angler, in low water, to hike all the way to the mouth of the river where it meets the Harrison. For this reason, even a small number of anglers can crowd this river.


The Chehalis is prone to blow out with a good rain, but thankfully it drops fairly quick. I've been stranded on a bar in the middle of the river after the Chehalis rose three feet in a short period of time, and have heard of guys needing ropes to cross back. So if you see trees floating downstream, no matter how good the fishing, cross back!

In mid June, summer run Steelhead make their appearance, albeit in small numbers. It is important to make first light to be successful with these beauty fish. At an average weight of 7 pounds and bullet chrome these fish are a blast, often expoding out of the water numerous times upon being hooked.

Small numbers of summer run Steelhead trickle in until the fall, and some are picked up during Coho season as well as the summer months. These fish are transient and will move from the mouth up through to the canyon depending on water conditions.

Come September the Coho begin to appear, a run that peaks near the end of October, with the odd fresh fish until Christmas.

When the Coho are in, it seems that every angler aged 17-75 in the Lower Mainland is fishing the Hatchery and Easter Seals pools. Crowding is a serious problem and this river should only be fished during the week, unless you enjoy fishing in crowds. The low water levels of the early fall months combined with an increasing lack of angler ethics can make for an unpleasant fishing experience.

Above the main bridge is the canyon section of the river. The canyon has been known to swallow the odd fisherman so caution is advised. The canyon pools are deep and swift, and in low water fish will stack up. The up and over section of the canyon is no secret, though, and fishing space is limited, so if the parking lot is full you might be wasting your time hiking in. In the fall favourable conditions (water levels ,visibility) only last a day or two. One day the river is perfect, the next it's gin clear, or blown out. Fish, though,can be caught in all conditions if the angler adapts.

There is also a small Chinook salmon fishery that begins the first week in July and lasts only about 6 weeks. The fish usually have to enter the river in low water conditions and therefore colour up real quick. Low light and some summer rain will turn the fish on, but don't set your expectations too high with these wary fish.

Chehalis Steelhead

The river produces both hatchery and wild winter run Steelhead. This Steelhead river can be tough to fish, as most of the time the water runs low and clear or fully blown out , making it tough to catch these fish. Fishing for steelhead is most productive during warmer spells when the river gets some rain instead of snow. A low freezing level will mean that all precipitation that falls will stick to the ground as snow, and the river will remain low.Fishing can also be productive in early spring when snow starts melting in the mountains surrounding the valley, causing the water levels to rise, and water to color up.At this time of year the Chehalis will flow a beauty green color.

Some of the more popular and effective steelhead producing techniques on this river are: small wool ties, Jensen egg/wool combinations, and quality salmon or steelhead roe (see articles below). Some of the more effective wool colors include pink, peach and orange. Also, since this is not a large river and the average fish size is around the 6-10lb. range, consider the use of lighter gear.

The most easily accessible section of the river is middle section, with the Chehalis river hatchery being the central point. For this very reason, this section of the river is also the most heavily fished. Some of the more popular spots include the Easter seal, the hatchery and the gun barrel runs. The upper section of this river is also fishable, however, the access is difficult and it can be very dangerous hike. Please do yourself a favor and do not try to explore the upper Canyon section of the Chehalis alone.Another thing to take note of is the amount of thefts that have occured over the past few years to vehicles parked near the river...never leave extra gear in your truck.

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