How to Get Started Fly Fishing for Steelhead

Fly fishing for steelhead is a pinnacle sport, that is, it’s one of the very best species to catch on a fly rod.  If you’ve fly fished for trout for many years steelhead fly fishing is a great next step in your fly fishing adventures.   Steelhead fly fishing has a steep learning curve and not without it’s pitfalls.  Winter steelhead on a fly rod is especially difficult and results are often sparse.  Getting started with good fundamentals and realistic expectations can help you enjoy the pursuit of steelhead with a fly rod.

It is important to know ahead of time, steelhead fly fishing can be darn tough and not very predictable.  We often refer to them as the fish of 1000 casts… guess what I’m saying is you’ll find it much different than trout fishing and I like to give guys a heads up before they travel a long way, get here and find that out.

Managing expectations for catching steelhead is important.  It’s definitely not a numbers game and generally nowhere near as productive as trout angling.  Often a good day steelhead fishing is one or two opportunities and a fish to hand.  A great day can be high single digits or on the best years even double digits but that doesn’t happen often and would be pretty rare for beginning fly angler.

The steelhead we chase are pinnacle fish- that is one of the best fish to catch on a fly rod.  Often these fish are way into the backing, jumping, running and fighting with vigor and strength you won’t find in many freshwater fish.  Steelhead often average 8-10 pounds with many fish landed each year in the 12-15lb range and some 15-20lb+. Catching just one can be a life changing event…

How to Get Started Fly Fishing for Steelhead – Understanding the Fish

Steelhead are born in freshwater streams and rivers then migrate to the ocean.  After gorging on small shrimp, euphasids, baitfish,  squid and other ocean groceries steelhead return to freshwater to spawn.  Steelhead will spend anywhere from 1-4 years in the ocean with the average being 2 years.  Steelhead come home to freshwater to spawn, not to eat.  Typically steelhead that are harvested rarely have anything in their stomachs.

Like most fish steelhead are cold blooded;  this impacts their behavior significantly.  Steelhead in cold winter waters often won’t move far for a fly compared to a summer steelhead in warm water that will smash a fly on the surface.  Water conditions and temperatures will impact your fly fishing.  Summer and fall water conditions are often relatively stable.  Winter and early spring conditions can change drastically.  These water conditions impact how quickly steelhead move through the water shed.

Unlike salmon steelhead can spawn more than once.  After the rituals of spawning steelhead make their way back to the ocean.  This migration is often difficult due to dams, sea lions and other obstacles.

How to Get Started Fly Fishing for Steelhead – Two Ways to fly fish for Steelhead.  The primary method the guides at Water Time Outfitters employ is wade fishing with spey rods.  In this technique we cast, swing the fly across the water, then step down river and repeat.  Working through a run searching for steelhead.  This is an efficient way to cover a lot of water.  When a steelhead grabs the fly it’s an electric feeling and very addictive!

The other technique often used for steelhead is indicator fishing.  This strategy is very similar to nymph fishing for trout; you just use heavier line and different flies.  This can be a deadly strategy especially on smaller streams and rivers and can be done from a drift boat or raft.  This technique excels on small waters where the swung fly is much more in-effective because of the topography of the river bottom.

How to Get Started Fly Fishing for Steelhead- Different Steelhead Seasons

Winter Steelhead Fishing:

Winter steelhead are found in many rivers along the west coast.  Washington and Oregon are great places for winter steelhead.  The fish of winter can often be the largest steelhead of the year.  These fish run in popular rivers like the Hoh, Bogachiel, Sol Duc and Cowlitz rivers in Washington.  Rivers like the Wilson, Nestucca, Umpqua, Sandy and Clackamas Rivers are some of the top winter steelhead producers in Oregon.  This fishing can be very productive but challenging with winter water levels being unpredictable and often the weather is cold and nasty.  Here is an article about HOW TO PREPARE FOR A WINTER STEELHEAD TRIP

Spring Steelhead:

For an opportunity to learn spey casting and wade fishing for steelhead the Clackamas River has a lot of opportunities.  If you are looking for great access and lots of good spey water the Clackamas River from Jan-May can be productive.  This was really good fishing this past season and we are expecting another good run in 2025.  In April we catch both wild and hatchery steelhead and occasionally spring chinook salmon.  Here is an article on Fishing the Clackamas River.  Or check out this class we offer teaching you the where to go, when to go and how to do it on the Clackamas River- Clackamas River Steelhead Workshop.

Fall Steelhead: 

Mother nature performs quiet miracles all year but come fall she can’t help but brag a little… This is one of our favorite times of the year.  The weather is great and the fishing is great and life is good!  There are a lot of rivers on the west coast that fish well for summer/fall steelhead fishing. This time of year all along the Columbia River basin steelhead ascend iconic rivers of the west.  Top producers are the Deschutes, Klickitat, Grand Rhonde, John Day and Cowlitz rivers.

We guide on the Deschutes River in the late summer/fall.  Here we ONLY fish spey rods with the cast swing technique.  This approach works very well here as steelhead are naturally very aggressive in this drainage and time of year.  The water temperatures are also very favorable to active fish.  We typically offer 3-5 day camp trips here and use jet boats to access the remote sections of the river to maximize your fishing success.  Here is more info about our Deschutes River Fall Steelhead Trips

We recommend the Deschutes River in Oregon for anyone who is trying to catch their first steelhead on the swung fly.  Aggressive fish and amazing water make this the perfect combination to get started fly fishing for steelhead.

When it comes to How to Get Started Fly Fishing for Steelhead there are a wide variety of variables and new things to learn that are different than trout fishing.  Starting your approach with some good lessons teaching you proper casting techniques can set a good foundation for success; see our Private Spey Casting Lessons.  Setting your expectations appropriately for steelhead fly fishing is important to keep you in the game.  Steelhead are rare but wonderful creatures and a pinnacle fish to pursue.  Good luck on your steelhead fly fishing adventures!

Want help getting started?  That is what we do!  For over 30 years we have helped anglers connect with steelhead.  It’s our passion, it’s in our blood!

More articles that can help you Get started fly fishing for steelhead:

5 Steps to Winter Spey Success – get our Ebook/video tutorial

High Water Strategies for Winter

How to choose the right fly for Winter

5 Tips to Summer Steelhead Success

Who is Water Time Outfitters?  Water Time Outfitters is a team of guides who offer guided fly fishing and classes on Oregon’s finest waters.  When anglers plan a fishing trip they need to know they’re spending time and money on a great experience.  We aim to surpass their expectations with expert, fun-loving guides and exceptional hospitality, so our guests can focus on their love of fly fishing, maximize their success and take home memories that last a lifetime. See more at: www.Watertimeoutfitters.com