The Siuslaw River is approximately 110 miles long. Located southwest of the Willamette Valley, its source lies in the Central Oregon Coast Range and it flows into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Florence. The river got its name from the Siuslaw people who called this area their homeland. The Siuslaw River basin is one of the very few Western Oregon rivers on which all major forks are undammed. Florence offers many tourism opportunities and an abundance of beautiful weather during the summer and early fall.
The Siuslaw River offers prime Chinook salmon fishing out of the Port of Siuslaw during September and October. Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon and are a prized catch for the sportfishing angler. Herring can be trolled from the mouth of the jetty into the bay early in the season and to the upper Tidewater sections towards the end of the season.
Fishing transitions itself inland on the Siuslaw River for winter steelhead from December to March. Steelhead are a species of Salmonid native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean. They are a sea-run form of coastal rainbow trout that return to fresh water to spawn after 2 to 3 years in the ocean. Steelhead are often referred to by fisherman as Grey Ghosts because of their elusive and majestic nature. They are an aggressive, battle-ready fish that will not give up without a fight.
Every year the ODFW, in conjunction with STEP (Salmon & Trout Enhancement Program), release a large number of steelhead smolts into Whittaker Creek, part of the Siuslaw River watershed. The main stream is open for retention of fin-clipped steelhead above Whittaker Creek. The Siuslaw River has many tributaries that provide options to have a shot at catching one of these awesome fish, such as Whittaker to Wildcat or from Wildcat down to Linslaw, along with the lower section of Lake Creek and Green Creek near Deadwood. Contact us for more information.