The Kilchis is a wild steelhead river with no hatchery steelhead releases. The winter steelhead run is at its best on this system late December through early April. The Kilchis can get low and clear, so it fishes the best as the water drops after high water events.  It is often one of the first Tillamook Rivers to come back into shape after a rain event.

It’s still pretty early for steelhead on the Kilchis, although a few may have trickled in after the freshet caused by Tuesdays heavy rains.

Due to a poor return of Chinook salmon, and conservation concerns about meeting spawning escapement goals, emergency regulation changes took effect for coastal rivers in the NW Zone on Nov. 1, 2018.  As a result the Kilchis River is closed to fall Chinook fishing upstream of the Hwy 101 bridge. Downstream of the Hwy 101 bridge the bag limit for fall Chinook is reduced to one adult Chinook per day and a limit of 3 from Nov. 1 through the remainder of the season.

Trout fishing in streams will reopen May 22, 2019.