Cowlitz River (Castle Rock)

Live conditions for Cowlitz River (Castle Rock): the gauge, the water temperature, the trend, and what the water is doing today — read the way a guide reads it.

Right now

4,040cfs→ lowcaution

Low and skinny at 4040 cfs — wadeable, fish the deeper holding water · -0.7% over the last 6 hours.

Water temp—

Stage33.69 ft

Clarityclear 2.6 FNU

Engine callOFF 4040 cfs outside wade band 4650–8000

Gauge read 7:30 AM CDT · USGS 14243000. Readings refresh every few minutes.

The water

Cowlitz River (Castle Rock) is a tailwater in Washington, fished for steelhead, salmon. On free-flowing water the trajectory is the story: falling and clearing after a bump is the window, rising water pushes fish to the banks and brings colour.

steelheadsalmon

Wade and float bands in cfs, the safety notes and the 14-day trend are on the signed-in river page.

Access

Barrier Dam Boat Launchramp
Barrier Dam / Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery Boat Launchramp
Barrier Dam Boat Launch (Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery)ramp
Blue Creek / Cowlitz Trout Hatchery Boat Launchramp
Blue Creek Boat Launch (Cowlitz Trout Hatchery)ramp
Massey Bar (Mission Bar) Water Access Areawalk in
Massey Bar (Mission Bar) Boat Launchramp
Massey Barramp

Directions to the put-in or wade access ride on every briefing.

The briefing

Know before you drive to Cowlitz River.

Every morning OUTFISH reads this gauge, the dam schedule, the water temperature, the sky and the tips library, and writes one plain-language call for the waters you track: go or stay home, wade or float, when to be on the water, where to put in, what to tie on — with directions.

Start free — 7 days of Guide

Signed in: the wade and float bands, the full hatch calendar, safety notes, the 14-day trend, shop reports and today's briefing for this water.

This month

Active in October:

012345

The full calendar by month, with notes, is on the signed-in river page.

Verify it yourself

The same sources the engine reads, straight from the agency:

USGS gauge ↗

More water in Washington

Yakima River (Umtanum)Hoh River (Forks)Skagit River (Mount Vernon)Spokane River (Spokane)Klickitat River (Pitt)Methow River (Twisp)Skykomish River (Gold Bar)