Fish the Smith

The Smith is the largest wild and scenic river in the United States that has been left un-dammed. Since the river system maintains almost 200 miles of hospitable salmon and steelhead habitat, the river sees some of the finest runs of Chinook salmon and steelhead in the country. The Smith boasts the state record for the largest steelhead caught weighing in at whopping 27 lbs. 4 oz. and the second largest Chinook at 86 lbs. The river is also home to cutthroat, some of which reside in the river year-round while others run to salt.

The area averages about 100 inches of rain per year, which explains the powerful flows of the river. The free-flowing river has been known to rise or fall as much as six feet in a day and is admired for its exquisite emerald green color.

Once heavily logged, most of the watershed is made up of parks. Most of the river is easily accessible from paved state highways or county routes.

Angling methods: spin, bait, and fly-fishing.

Fishing reports for the Smith River.