Once again I'm a loser and none of my friends go steelhead fishing... which rivers are good? I really dont want to drive for a couple of hours and end up not finding a decent spot to fish.

From where you live it’s gonna be a couple hours to the decent spots for winter steelhead.

Cowlitz for summer steelhead is especially good but it’s also combat fishing unless you’re in a boat then it’s combat fishing with a boat.

The peninsula rivers—Bogachiel, Hoh, Chehalis, always the Wynoochee.

One could say don’t give away secret spots but those aren’t exactly secret spots.

if you wanna head out now, your just gonna be catching logs

I fish Steelies with a guide, same one for years.
Cowlitz, Nooch, Sky locally
Annual trip east for the Snake
I go where he’s at,
because that’s where the fish are biting
And it’s cheaper (WAY CHEAPER) than owning a second boat.

Coastal rivers can be good. This time of the year rivers like the Hoh get some big natives returning (be a good guy and release those big natives to continue the genetics for future generations). Might be worth paying a Quinault guide to fish some of those areas on the rez with limited access. Last time I looked into it (4 years ago), the price was reasonable. At the time, max 3 fisherman per Quinault guide, $120-200 per day per fisherman (walk n wade not boat). I think the trick is finding one that’s reliable. Heard horror stories of guys drive several hours to meet one to fish at 4 or 5am, and their “guide” being a no show. Also heard stories of “guides” encouraging snagging, flossing, and shady practices. Some of these guys are more of a way to access river otherwise off limits to non tribal members, and not really what I’d think of as a fishing guide.YMMV.

From what I’ve heard the Sky has gone downhill a bit. Cowlitz is a combat fishery. Clearwater in Idaho can be as well. I know guys who hit the Wynoochee from drift boats and do well.

I fly fish, so pursuing steelhead on the fly is something I don’t have enough time or patience for these days. Steelheading is a sport for guys who enjoy getting wet, cold, skunked more often than successful, and have plenty of money to burn.

Jason is right about us steelheaders, we are a crazy lot for sure!!! Standing nut deep in a freezing river while train n sleet is blowin sideways was my style for many years but sadly those days are over.

OP, get into your home river (Puyallup and Carbon) and learn to fish the upper stretches, known travel routes (they will use those same areas over and over) plus cover a lot water.

As far as thinking that there are any good steelhead rivers left is not a correct assumption. Hell look at the mighty Skagit, Years ago there were tens of thousands of fish that were punched now there may be 1,000 or more returning, just like on the Cowlitz.
The population boom on the west coast has more people in the mountains, on the rivers and the wildlife managers of the resources cannot pull their asses out of a wet paper bag. They are political appointees of clueless hacks like Inslee and Brownstain to the south.....

Good luck finding a spot on the river that’s not occupied on the small streams on the OP.

Jim is spot on. Sure wish we still had a Steelie fishery up here.

When WDFW closes all the Puget Sound rivers everyone come down to the Wynoochee. You can’t get into the launch at the 7400 or White bridge unless you camp there, which you can’t... Same thing happens on the OP rivers, just makes steelheading a hassle dealing with the overflow of fishermen.

WFC is the main obstacle for hatcheries because they want only Wild fish!!!