Kalama River

CITY

Kelso

NOAA

Accuweather

TWC

In general, the Kalama is a good July choice because it has more water than other nearby rivers, such as the East Fork of the Lewis. Steelhead will enter the river in July.

Try a black Woolly Worm with a red tail or an After Dinner Mint or standard patterns such as Green Butt Skunks. Cast into water near the heads of riffles; steelhead will move into the riffly water in search of oxygen and overhead cover as the weather warms up and the sun gets bright.

Many of the steelhead are headed for the first hatchery, so the lower five miles of the river can offer good fishing. However, later in the month there will be good numbers of steelhead in the fly-only water farther upstream. WDFW has used wild broodstock in the hatchery, so you'll find fin-clipped fish up here.

For more on July tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report.