Free tool
Bead Match
Tell us the water — we'll tell you the bead. Select your target species and current water condition to get the right size, colour family, and direct shop links — no guessing, no wasted casts.
1 — Target species
Learn about Chinook →2 — Water condition
Recommended size
Colour families
Prime window: a large, visible egg. Red and orange match king roe.
Why bead size and colour matter
Steelhead and salmon are keyed on natural salmon eggs drifting down the water column. The right bead size mimics the eggs present in that system at that time of year. Water clarity — driven by flow and recent rain events — determines how much contrast the fish can perceive: clear water rewards subtlety and realism; coloured water rewards size and brightness. This tool distils those variables into a starting point; local knowledge and a few test drifts always have the final say.
Reading the conditions
Low & clear— flow below seasonal average, good visibility (24"+). Fish are spooky; downsize, lengthen your leader, and fish early or late. Green & dropping · prime — the falling limb after a rain event, classic "steelie green" clarity (~18–24" visibility). This is the money window; fish big and bright. High & coloured— visibility down to 12" or less, fish holding tight to structure. Go large and vivid. Blown out — fish below a clearwater tributary or wait for the drop.
Browse every bead size guide
Steelhead
Chinook
Common questions
- What size bead should I use in low, clear water?
- In low, clear conditions, downsize to match natural eggs. For steelhead, an 8mm bead in natural or mottled tones is ideal — run a longer fluorocarbon leader (18–24") and keep your presentation subtle. For Chinook, 14–16mm still works in clear water; the bigger fish size compensates.
- What colour bead works best when the water is high and coloured?
- When visibility drops, go big and bright. Cerise (bright pink), orange-roe, and red all show up in murky water and trigger reaction strikes. For steelhead in blown or high-coloured water, a 16–20mm bead in cerise or red is the go-to. Chartreuse is the classic low-vis trigger for coho and chum.
- Do bead sizes differ between steelhead and salmon species?
- Yes — match the bead to the fish's natural food source and typical egg size. Pink salmon peak at 10–12mm, steelhead at 8–14mm depending on conditions, coho at 10–16mm, and Chinook at 14–32mm (bigger water, bigger fish, bigger bead). The Bead Match tool adjusts its recommendation for each species automatically.