Fall Chinook fishing in the Wilson River is slow above tidewater, and we will need more rain to move fish into the river. There are probably a few that have snuck into the lower river but numbers will be low.

The Wilson gets a run of hatchery summer steelhead. There are fish throughout the fishery (up to South Fork), but numbers appear to be low this year, and fishing has been slow. Fall can be a good time of year to target these fish as the dropping water temperatures can make them more active and willing to bite. For summer steelhead, fish early in the morning and cover lots of water including deep holes, pocket water, and drifts with some chop to them. Light line, subtle terminal presentations like beads, jigs, or small natural baits and hardware like spinners and spoons should all produce fish. There are no spring Chinook releases on the Wilson.

The Wilson tends to be a little slower for coastal cutthroat trout than some of the neighboring basins, but there are resident and sea-run trout throughout the fishery and lots of public access off Hwy 6.