Humptulips River trips are run from our drift boat and offers beautiful scenic views and multiple places to fish for fall chinook & coho salmon, as well as steelhead.
Humptulips River Specifics
Boat Used: Drift boat (2-3 people)
Salmon: October – December
Steelhead: December – March
Rate: $275 per person (minimum of 2 anglers required for this trip)
Meet up location: Humptulips Country Store, 1935 Kirkpatrick Rd. Hoquiam, WA 98552
Needed items for a Humptulips River trip
- Full body rain gear with rubber boots or waders with a rain jacket
- Warm layered clothing
- Please bring plenty of water to stay hydrated.
For a complete list of recommended items to bring on fishing trips please see our “What to Bring” page.
In September, the Humptulips River, which is located a few miles east of Ocean Shores, WA opens for its fall run of chinook and coho salmon.
Just a month later in October (depending on rainfall) the river is full of ocean bright fish. We target these fish from our drift boat as we float down a full 7-10 miles of the Humptulips River.
The distance we cover during the day, offers beautiful scenic views and multiple places to fish from. These trips are very hands-on and give you the opportunity to target chinook and coho salmon with many different techniques.
The techniques we use on any given day depend on the Humptulips River water conditions.
You will get to learn a variety of techniques as we move down river from spot to spot.
Regardless of the river flow, the Humptulips River will act differently depending on the contour. We will teach you how to “read the water” and determine where to fish and the correct technique to use. The tactics we use vary from steelhead to salmon fishing.
For example, salmon tend to bite on eggs (roe), as well as spinners and other hardware. Steelhead will also bite eggs, but the offering is smaller.
River Facts
The Humptulips River originates in the Olympic National Forest in the East Fork and West Fork. This region of the Olympic Peninsula receives around 220 inches of rain annually, feeding many streams.
The forks are separated by the Humptulips ridge. The West fork is separated from the Quinault River by Quinault ridge, while the East Fork is separated from the Wynoochee River by Fitzgerald Peak.
Flowing south and southwest, the forks exit the mountains, merging about 4.5 miles above the town of Humptulips. Near the town the river is crossed by U.S. Route 101.
The Humptulips Salmon Hatchery is located just below the town, at the mouth of Stevens Creek, a tributary of the Humptulips River. After the hatchery, the river turns south, flowing the last few miles before its mouth at North bay of Grays Harbor, which empties into the Pacific Ocean.
There are two small towns near the river’s mouth, Copalis Crossing and Tulips.
Need a fishing license? Visit WDFW and purchase your license online.
