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Lewis River

The rule for this water, with the receipt.

Regulated stretches: see the pamphlet rules below

Clark/Cowlitz/Skamania County · River · WA

Has its own special rules
Live rule updates from WDFW (matched to this water by name)

Synced hourly from the official WDFW feed. Open the rule for its exact terms.

How to read this page:Official text quoted regulationParsed fields from the ruleDerived calculated from rulesContext conditions, not a ruleAdvice our suggestion

The rules for this water, verbatimOfficial text

Straight from WA's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.

The reach you are on
CRC 611from mouth (a straight line from a fishing boundary marker or from the outermost upland at the north shore of the Lewis River mouth southerly across the river to a fishing boundary marker near the south shore) to the mouth of the East Fork Lewis River
  • All species
    Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older). Two-Pole allowed.
  • TroutYear-round
    Min. size 14”. Daily limit 2.
  • Steelhead (hatchery)Year-round
    Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
  • Other game fishYear-round
    Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Out of season today
  • SalmonJan. 1-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 1 adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook.
  • SalmonAug. 1-Sept. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
  • SalmonOct. 1-Dec. 31 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults including no more than 1 Chinook may be retained. Release all salmon other than Chinook and hatchery coho.
Other reaches in this official entry
CRC 615from mouth of the East Fork Lewis River to Johnson Creek
  • All species
    Two-Pole allowed. Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older).
  • TroutYear-round
    Min. size 14”. Daily limit 2.
  • Steelhead (hatchery)Year-round
    Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
  • Other game fishYear-round
    Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Out of season today
  • SalmonJan. 1-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 1 adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook.
  • SalmonAug. 1-Sept. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
  • SalmonOct. 1-Dec. 31 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults including no more than 1 Chinook may be retained. Release all salmon other than Chinook and hatchery coho.
CRC 615from Johnson Creek to Colvin Creek
  • All species
    Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older).
  • All speciesJune 1-Nov. 30
    Night closure. Anti-snagging rule.
  • TroutJune 1-Apr. 30
    Min. size 14”. Daily limit 2.
  • Steelhead (hatchery)June 1-Apr. 30
    Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
  • Other game fishJune 1-Apr. 30
    Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Out of season today
  • All speciesApr. 1-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Anti-snagging rule. Night closure.
  • All speciesMay 1-May 31 (out of season today)
    CLOSED WATERS.
  • SalmonJan. 1-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 1 adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook.
  • SalmonAug. 1-Sept. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
  • SalmonOct. 1-Dec. 31 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults including no more than 1 Chinook may be retained. Release all salmon other than Chinook and hatchery coho.
shoreward of cable buoy and corkline at outlet of Lewis River salmon hatchery fish ladder
  • All species
    CLOSED WATERS.
CRC 615from Colvin Creek to overhead power lines below Merwin Dam
  • All species
    Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) required for salmon and steelhead fishing (ages 15 and older).
  • All speciesJune 1-Oct. 31
    Anti-snagging rule. Night closure.
  • TroutJune 1-Oct. 31
    Min. size 14”. Daily limit 2.
  • Steelhead (hatchery)June 1-Oct. 31
    Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
  • Other game fishJune 1-Oct. 31
    Statewide min. size/daily limit.
Out of season today
  • All speciesApr. 1-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Anti-snagging rule. Night closure.
  • All speciesMay 1-May 31 (out of season today)
    CLOSED WATERS.
  • TroutDec. 16-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 14”. Daily limit 2.
  • Steelhead (hatchery)Dec. 16-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 20”. Daily limit 3.
  • Other game fishDec. 16-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Statewide min. size/daily limit.
  • SalmonJan. 1-Apr. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 1 adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook.
  • SalmonAug. 1-Sept. 30 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6 including no more than 3 adults. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
  • SalmonOct. 1-Oct. 31 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults including no more than 1 Chinook may be retained. Release all salmon other than Chinook and hatchery coho.
  • SalmonDec. 16-Dec. 31 (out of season today)
    Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 3 adults including no more than 1 Chinook may be retained. Release all salmon other than Chinook and hatchery coho.
from overhead power lines to Merwin Dam
  • All species
    CLOSED WATERS.
from the cable crossing 1,300 yards below Yale Dam to Yale Dam
  • All species
    CLOSED WATERS.
Old Lewis River streambed between Swift No. 1 Powerhouse and Swift No. 2 Powerhouse
  • All species
    CLOSED WATERS.
Lewis River Power Canal
  • All species
    Fishing from any floating device prohibited.
  • Trout4th Sat. in Apr.-Oct. 31
    No min. size. Daily limit 5.
  • Other game fish4th Sat. in Apr.-Oct. 31
    Statewide min. size/daily limit.
from Eagle Cliff Bridge to Muddy River and tributaries except the Muddy River
  • All species
    Selective gear rules.
Out of season today
  • TroutSat. before Memorial Day-July 15 (out of season today)
    Min. size 8”. Daily limit 10. Release wild trout.
  • Other game fishSat. before Memorial Day-July 15 (out of season today)
    Statewide min. size/daily limit.
from the Muddy River to the lower falls and all tributaries
  • All species
    Selective gear rules.
  • All game fishSat. before Memorial Day-Oct. 31
    Catch-and-release.

Statewide base layerParsed

These defaults apply where the rules above do not modify them.

Season
Saturday before Memorial Day through Oct. 31Statewide
Gear
One line, up to 3 hooks; barbed or barbless; single, double, or treble hooks allowedStatewide
Bait
Allowed. Chumming prohibited unless a water's special rules permit itStatewide
Poles
1 pole. A two-pole endorsement covers lakes and ponds only.Statewide

Where the verbatim rules above name a species, season, or limit, they replace the rows below. Each row is tagged with the layer it comes from.

SpeciesDaily limitSize
Trout
2min. 8"Statewide
Steelhead
Release all wild steelhead.
2min. 20"Statewide
Whitefish
15-Statewide
Bass (largemouth and smallmouth)
No size restriction or daily limit in rivers, streams, and beaver ponds.
No limit-Statewide
Walleye
No size restriction in rivers and streams.
No limit-Statewide
Channel catfish
No min. size in rivers and streams.
No limit-Statewide

How this answer was assembled

  1. StatewideStatewide river rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
  2. This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
  3. Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.

Where this stretch begins and ends

Loading map…

The drawn shape is the named water, matched from the official list against OpenStreetMap and accepted only because the name resolved to a single feature in this water's county.

  • mouth(mouth terminus (adjacent named water))
  • the mouth of the East Fork Lewis River(mouth terminus (adjacent named water))
  • Johnson Creek(tributary: not found near line)
  • Colvin Creek(tributary: not found near line)
  • overhead power lines below Merwin Dam(dam: not found near line)
  • overhead power lines(no geocodable landmark class)
  • Merwin Dam(dam: not found near line)
  • the cable crossing 1,300 yards below Yale Dam(dam: not found near line)
  • Yale Dam(dam: not found near line)
  • Eagle Cliff Bridge(road: not found near line)
  • Muddy River and tributaries except the Muddy River(tributary: muddy river)
  • the Muddy River(tributary: muddy river)
  • the lower falls and all tributaries(falls: lower falls)

0 of 11 stretch boundaries resolved to points on the line (failed-order). Landmark pins are approximate where the law names a landmark; confirm posted boundaries at the water. Unresolved ends stay open rather than guessed.

Season at a glanceDerived

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
opensome stretchesclosedunknown

Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.

At the water nowContext

Overnight
52°F
Mostly Clear
Wind 2 mph · 0% precip
Wednesday
73°F
Sunny
Wind 1 to 6 mph · 0% precip
Wednesday Night
52°F
Mostly Clear
Wind 0 to 6 mph · 0% precip

Streamflow: 244 cfs at lewis river above muddy river near cougar, wa (2026-07-29 03:30)

Forecast: National Weather Service. Flow: nearest active USGS gauge in this water's area, which may sit on a different reach. Conditions are context, not rules.

What are you fishing for here?Advice

Pick from the species named in Lewis River's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.

You also need (Washington)

  • Fishing license. Everyone age 16 and older needs a fishing license. Under 16 fishes license-free.
  • Catch record card. Required for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and halibut, at every age including under 16. Electronic catch record cards are available in the MyWDFW and Fish Washington apps. Where a water's pamphlet entry shows a CRC code, record your catch against it.
  • Two-pole endorsement. Lets you fish a second pole on most lakes, but only where the water's rules honor it. Lake Washington, for example, does not.
  • Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement. Required for salmon and steelhead fishing on listed Columbia basin waters (ages 15 and older). The pamphlet entry says so where it applies, for example the lower Yakima River.
  • On this water: record salmon and steelhead on your catch record card under codes 611, 615.
  • On this water: parts of this river require the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement; the stretch rules above say where.

Checked against WDFW fishing licenses and catch record cards on July 2, 2026.

Receipts

Statewide rules
Statewide
2026-27 WA Sport Fishing Rules - statewide freshwater rules & species rules (rivers)
Checked against this official source on July 2, 2026.
Special rules - Lewis River
This water
2026-27 WA Sport Fishing Rules - columbia basin rivers special rules, l n
Checked against this official source on July 7, 2026.
These rules matched the official source when we last checked (July 3, 2026). If a future check ever disagrees, this page gets flagged automatically. How we check our data

Local services near Lewis River

Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.

Run a shop or guide service on Lewis River? Get listed.