Share your catch

Kalama River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Columbia's polished trib: a spring-fed steelhead river of ledgerock pools, summer runs in September light and fly-water tradition.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
63 / 65 F
Wind
S 6 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Kalama River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings a mixed sky, wind S around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 65. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutGood

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadSlow

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 68 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp63 F
High / Low65 / 49 F
WindS 6-10 mph
Pressure1013.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain28% cloud, 18%
Sunrise / Sunset06:36 / 19:44
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 65/49 F, wind 8 mph, rain 18%

Fair or better. A 8 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Kalama River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Kalama River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Kalama River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 58 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 59 F, wind to 16 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 62 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Washington requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Washington license + steelhead/salmon cards. Fly-only sections and quota rules: check WDFW Kalama regs.

Access

Kalama River Road pullouts: hatchery, Prichard's, upper fly water.

About this water

The spring-fed steelhead trib, Cowlitz County, WA. Southwest Washington's polished run.

Fishing Kalama River: the full guide

The polished river

The Kalama drops off St. Helens' shoulder into the Columbia: a compact river of basalt ledges and emerald pools with outsized reputation: hatchery summer and winter steelhead runs, fall coho and kings, and a fly-and-jig culture polished across generations.

The two-run year

Summer steelhead enter May-October (September's low, clear pools fish the prettiest water in southwest Washington): winters run December-March on the rain pulses: and the holy water (the upper fly-only stretch: check current designations) preserves the swing tradition. Eggs and beads rule the seasons between.

Salmon interludes

Fall kings stack the lower pools (September: the meat run: check quotas), coho follow October's rain into every drift, and spring chinook tease the faithful in April's windows. The hatchery (a classic riverside operation) anchors returns and access alike.

River practicalities

Kalama River Road ladders the whole river (pullouts at every named pool: Beginners, Prichard's, the Holy Water): flows swing fast with rain (fish the drops): and the modest size makes it wade-friendly at most levels. Portland sits 45 minutes south: the Kalama is its polished escape.

Common questions

When do summer steelhead run the Kalama?

May through October, with September's clear pools the classic: low water, visible fish, light lines. Winters answer December-March on the rains.

What is the Kalama's Holy Water?

The storied upper fly-only stretch: swing tradition preserved by rule. Check current WDFW designations and fish it with the reverence the name suggests.

Is fishing good at Kalama River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Cowlitz River8 miLewis River12 miLake Merwin18 miRiffe Lake43 miSandy River48 miDrano Lake59 mi
Share your catch