Satsop Sea-Run Cutthroat - Free Boat Ride

Steven Flow

Steven Flow

Steelhead
Good afternoon folks,

I've got ambitions to target Sea Run Cutthroat on the Satsop once we get a couple rains in Sept., but before it opens up for Salmon in October and turns into a zoo. I've got a 16 foot Alumaweld guide model, with two comfortable seats up front and all the other amenities of 1989 (READ: 2 cupholders. Sorry, no pizza oven).

Here is the catch: I've never targeted sea runs before in salt or fresh water, and I've only floated the Satsop once from highway to the mouth of the Chehalis. Looking to run as much of the upper sections are flows will allow. So I don't know the water and I don't know the target species.

I grew up fishing the Saint Joe and Clearwater systems in North Idaho. So I'm decent on the oars at least. Satsop is relatively low slope, but its a wild river with plenty of snags, sweepers, dead heads, rock gardens, etc. Will be running pretty cautious, especially until I get to know the water a bit better.

Looking for some more experienced sea run anglers to take fishing, and maybe learn a few tricks in the process. I'm a south sound local with 0 fly fishing buddies in the area, and would love to meet up with some of you who don't mind being seen with a guy who makes ugly casts.

I'll bring the boat, I'll row all day long, maybe even share some coffee with ya.

-hj
 
Used to catch some nice cutts out of there back in the day.
Another drift option you might consider is Oakville to Porter on the Chehalis. Lots of frog water which cutts like. There is one big long stretch in that float we referred to as the lake. Not much current at all in that section. You won’t run into many back anglers fishing for salmon either compared to the Satsop.
Good luck and have fun.
SF
 
Stonedfish said:
Used to catch some nice cutts out of there back in the day.
Another drift option you might consider is Oakville to Porter on the Chehalis. Lots of frog water which cutts like. There is one big long stretch in that float we referred to as the lake. Not much current at all in that section. You won’t run into many back anglers fishing for salmon either compared to the Satsop.
Good luck and have fun.
SF
Click to expand...
Noted, this is not a terrible idea at all. Appreciate the tip, and will probably be hitting this section sooner rather than later. How long that section take ya at a leisurely stop and fish pace?

I've tried bank fishing this section of the Chehalis a few times myself, as I drive around that area quite a bit, not much bank access at all. Most of the salmon action will be seaward of fuller bridge I imagine.
 
We fished it a lot in October and November and made a day of it. If you keep moving, it doesn’t take that long. Maybe 4-5 hours on decent flows. Probably six hours max again if you keep moving and searching for fish.
You will see some other boats during salmon season, particularly sleds in that drift but we did it in a raft and saw drift boats as well.
It’s an easy float. Just pay attention to wood.
SF
 
Hi Steven,
My friends and I have floated the Satsop several times in our pontoon boats, typically during the chum / coho runs of October. Over the years, we have drifted from Shaffer State Park to the Chehalis, albeit not in one go. A typical float might be from the Hwy. 12 boat launch (at the Satsop Bridge) down to the confluence with the Chehalis and then row like mad upstream to pull out at the Fuller St. launch. The Satsop divides into several braids near the Chehalis and there is some frog water. A second float would be from the launch on the West Fork, just above its confluence with the East Fork and down to the Satsop Bridge. There can be some wide, shallow sections as the river meanders through the hay fields. We've also launched from Schafer State Park or off Decker Creek (just downstream) to the West Fork launch; this also requires some strong rowing upstream to reach the West Fork launch at the end of the day. Early on during this float, you have to navigate around a large rock outcrop that the East Fork wraps around, but the float isn't very technical by any stretch. As SF mentioned, the biggest hazard would be a sweeper, but the river isn't that fast or deep. You could pull over if required and walk the boat around any sketchy stretches. [If the flows allow me to wade around that rock outcrop, I've actually waded downstream quite a bit in search of chums.]
I have never fished for searuns on the Satsop, but I can't imagine that they are all that different from the hatchery searuns on the Cowlitz. They aren't that picky if presented with a potential meal. This time of year on the Cowlitz, I would probably tie on an October caddis nymph or a hot-bead wooly bugger to the leader on a floating line. Later in the year, I might tie on a pheasant tail nymph off the bend of the hook of the October caddis or wooly bugger. Cast out perpendicular to the flow and let your fly drift downstream, as if you were swinging for steelhead (and on the Cowlitz, you will occasionally hook up with a steelhead...). The Satsop is quite a bit smaller and one might apply typical nymphing techniques.
Steve
 
I have got a little motor I can hang off the back for those upstream rows. Though last time I tried to get from Satsop Mouth to Fuller it was not enough to get around the big bend.
 
There really is no row upstream to take out at the West Fork, not for years. Most of the flow now cuts through to the West Fork above the take out.

1756382581581.png

This area has been tight for the last two years, especially during low flows.
1756382668473.png

And the launch from Decker with an aluminum drift boat at low flows involves some walking and taking some brush to the face. I don't think this image is quite current but more of the flow is cutting through the red line area, I couldn't even walk it through to the right.
1756383096079.png
 
Modest_Man said:
There really is no row upstream to take out at the West Fork, not for years. Most of the flow now cuts through to the West Fork above the take out.

View attachment 165018

This area has been tight for the last two years, especially during low flows.
View attachment 165019

And the launch from Decker with an aluminum drift boat at low flows involves some walking and taking some brush to the face. I don't think this image is quite current but more of the flow is cutting through the red line area, I couldn't even walk it through to the right.
View attachment 165020
Click to expand...

Thanks a bunch man! This is super helpful info. I've scoped that decker creek launch a few times, and always wondered about sending it through there.

I think the current satelite images on Google are from some pretty high flows.

That big braided log jam / bar looks like a guy could make some wrong decisions pretty easy. Appreciate the line on that one for sure.
 
Steven Flow said:
I have got a little motor I can hang off the back for those upstream rows. Though last time I tried to get from Satsop Mouth to Fuller it was not enough to get around the big bend.
Click to expand...
You need a high incoming tide, and you need to get up above the tailout of the Fuller hole before the tide turns. There's about a 2-3 hour window most days. If you know you're going to get there on the outgoing tide, you might consider motoring down to South Montesano to take out instead. But don't dilly-dally; once that tide turns, it becomes a slow go. I've taken out of the Chehalis in complete darkness a few times thanks to musjudging tide changes.

I actually like to fish the Lower Satsop on foot this time of year. The "float" tends to feature some dragging and diligence to avoid wood at low water, and you don't really get any good water you couldn't access on foot to make it worth the effort. You can access just about everything from the highway to the mouth on foot from the Highway Launch or Keys Rd., and it's low, so in the fishy spots, it's easy to reach the lies with a 6 or 7 weight. The cutthroat fishing down low is spotty at best, but there are also salmon jacks (can't keep any!) and a few (usually very few) steelhead around, and nobody else is fishing most days, so it's quite peaceful. That changes rather drastically October 1, as the hordes descend to whack and stack salmon....
Modest_Man said:
There really is no row upstream to take out at the West Fork, not for years. Most of the flow now cuts through to the West Fork above the take out.

View attachment 165018

This area has been tight for the last two years, especially during low flows.
View attachment 165019

And the launch from Decker with an aluminum drift boat at low flows involves some walking and taking some brush to the face. I don't think this image is quite current but more of the flow is cutting through the red line area, I couldn't even walk it through to the right.
View attachment 165020
Click to expand...
I remember that float LOL. Lost my hat right out of the gate taking said brush to the face below Decker. Was still a good time!

That float changes quite a bit from year to year, but the potential trouble spots always seem to be right around Decker and in the Riviera stretch (where all the wood collects and moves around in high water events). Take your time and scout, and you should be fine. High water is usually a good thing.
 
Modest_Man said:
There really is no row upstream to take out at the West Fork, not for years. Most of the flow now cuts through to the West Fork above the take out.

View attachment 165018

This area has been tight for the last two years, especially during low flows.
View attachment 165019

And the launch from Decker with an aluminum drift boat at low flows involves some walking and taking some brush to the face. I don't think this image is quite current but more of the flow is cutting through the red line area, I couldn't even walk it through to the right.
View attachment 165020
Click to expand...
Hi MM,
That is an excellent update. I hadn't floated the Satsop in a decade. Your current information shows just how much a dynamic river can change in that time.
Steve
 
I don't know anything about that river, but I just got back from fishing for searuns on an Oregon coastal river. They really aren't picky, but my favorite setup is a reverse spider (orange or orange with a pink butt) with a beadheaded prince nymph trailing. They go nuts for it...
 
My schedule is open for the next couple weeks. Is there anyone around that wants to run a joint operation?
 
Word on the lower river was that there are some large trees across the whole river in the Decker to West Fork launch. I'm not exactly sure where - near some of the restoration work that was completed the last couple years.

Wondering if anyone here has heard or seen anything.
 
Modest_Man said:
Word on the lower river was that there are some large trees across the whole river in the Decker to West Fork launch. I'm not exactly sure where - near some of the restoration work that was completed the last couple years.

Wondering if anyone here has heard or seen anything.
Click to expand...
Haven't floated it this year and don't know anyone who has. It's even lower than last year, and you remember how skinny that was.

It sounds like there are two compelling reasons to wait on a good rain before floating the Satsop (the other being that there aren't many fresh fish around that stretch right now, also due to the low water). A bunch moved up on the recent rain, but it was mostly fish that had been piled up below the mouth. I didn't witness it personally (I saw how many rigs were parked on Keys Road opening day and opted to fish elsewhere), but I heard tales of a few people hooking up with mostly colored-up fish.

I have found a few (not many) chromers in sneaky spots on neighboring rivers, but I think we need a good, sustained rain to kick things off for real. Hopefully, the rain this week and the cooler temps will be enough to make something happen, but I doubt it will be enough to move any trees. We shall see....
 
I was out Friday and there were a couple good pods of fresh fish right below the west fork confluence that were boogying upstream. I took a couple guys from work who had never caught salmon before and we brought home a couple bright fish and one dusky buck (his first salmon ever). Had to walk the boat through a few riffles that only had 3" of water. Definitely to low to run the drift boat Decker down - especially with 3 guys. I'll be out there for the weekend of the 18-19th and am praying for rain but I don't see much in the forecast.

I also don't want to launch at Decker until I get confirmation it's free of obstructions. Word was some rafts made it down but the portage getting over/under the trees was really rough but it's all third person intel at this point.
 
All this sound like a job for the Styker
 
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