Outdoor photographer Larry Ellis holds a small steelhead from America’s Wild Rivers Coast. Photo by Andy Martin

Some anglers are happy to visit an area with one really good steelhead river. Sometimes steelheaders run across a region with two prime streams. But what are the chances of finding eight world-class rivers flowing within a short drive of each other, each offering unrivaled fisheries under almost all conditions?

The 101-mile section of Northern California and Southern Oregon known as America's Wild Rivers Coast is home to some of the West Coast's best steelhead fishing. Popular rivers such as the Smith and Chetco produce some of the largest steelhead anywhere, with 20-plus-pounders common. The Klamath and Rogue rivers are legendary for their abundant steelhead. The Elk River is one of the fastest-clearing rivers anywhere. The Sixes yields big steelhead late into the season, and the Winchuck and Pistol rivers feature rarely visited riffles with trophy steelhead as well.

The rugged coastline of Del Norte County, California, and Curry County, Oregon, is a must-visit region for steelheaders this winter. From high, off-color water to low, clear conditions, at least one of the rivers of the Wild Rivers Coast is sure to offer fishable water nearly every weekend this season.

For Golden State anglers, the Wild Rivers Coast provides a chance to experience some of the best steelheading in the world, without having to leave the country, let alone the state. "It's several days to Canada and we have more or less as good of fishing right here," says pro guide David Castellanos, who fished throughout the West, including Alaska, and then moved his operation just north of Crescent City to enjoy the year-round opportunities of the Wild Rivers Coast. "One of the biggest advantages of where I am located is the ability to have choices depending on the weather. Sometimes Oregon rains more than California and sometimes vice-versa. I have several really great rivers to choose from."

While locals have always enjoyed the vast steelheading opportunities of the Wild Rivers Coast -- it's common to see more California than Oregon licenses plates on the Chetco's gravel bars when the fishing is hot, and Oregon guides can outnumber Golden State outfitters on the Smith during a good bite -- it was only a few years ago when chambers of commerce at the mouths of the rivers in the vicinity went together to jointly market their area. The spectacular region, with towering redwood trees, rugged coastal vistas and exceptional fishing, is now presented to visitors as America's Wild Rivers Coast. The area extends from Klamath, Calif., to Port Orford, Ore.

The Smith and Chetco rivers are by far the most popular steelhead streams in the region, offering excellent bank access and arguably the best drift boat fishing in the world. Anglers will fish aboard powerboats on the Klamath and Rogue rivers, while drifting is the only effective method of fishing the Elk and Sixes. Die-hard bank anglers, meanwhile, are rewarded for clearing a path through the brush and wading the banks of the secluded Winchuck and Pistol rivers, finding steelies in holes few anglers ever fish.

SMITH & CHETCO RIVERS
Castellanos often faces a pleasant dilemma when choosing where to take his clients. Towing his boat to the Chetco or drifting the Smith can be a difficult decision. Both rivers are nearly identical. The steelhead are big, sometimes pushing 25 pounds, and there are days when a boat with three anglers can hook into a dozen or more aerobatic fish.