Fishing Reports & Predictions

North sound winter cutthroat fishing can be wet but productive on big fish.

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We get reports on a daily basis. For the latest information, please call us. Reports are from our guides, customers and industry professionals. We also offer predictions based on available data (i.e. flows, weather, historical run timing).

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-The Avid Angler

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Olympic Peninsula

3/11/2025: The coastal rivers continue to be a good option for March. We've seen some pictures of some great steelhead caught recently. Pack your spey rods and favorite flies and head west!

1/22/2025: Steelhead season is in full swing! The Bogachiel and Calawah are still putting out some hatchery fish, as well as a few nice natives here and there. We’ve heard of some decent fishing on the Sol Duc and Hoh as well. Give us a shout if your planning a trip and we can give you more up to date info as we get it. As with most winter steelhead fisheries in our state, a Spey rod will be an important tool to your success. These two handed rods make casting sink tips and larger flies a breeze with little to no back cast room, which sums up the majority of the Olympic Peninsula Steelhead fishing. Make sure you take a variety of sink tips to help you get your flies down in the zone, as winter steelhead don’t like to chase a fly as much as their summer brethren. If you have any questions regarding spey casting or getting into the sport let us know we’re more than happy to help you along your way.

11/14/2024: The Olympic Peninsula has been fishing well! The fall chinook numbers are mostly in the river right now, making this a great time of year to go swing some big fish. Fall coho are also abundant right now in most any river on the coast. There should be some summer steelhead still kicking around in the rivers as well, look for these fish holding behind spawning salmon looking to feed up on eggs and flesh. The salmon fishing should continue through the end of the month. Hatchery winter steelhead should be showing up any week now so keep an eye on the water levels and plan an early winter steelhead trip! The salmon fishing is done one of two ways on the coast. For most coho fishing we tend to fish more single hand rods with floating lines and long leaders in the river. When fishing with the floating lines the heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action from the fly. Good flies to start with would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. These fish can get very fly picky, so make sure to have a good assortment of flies for your best chance at a good day. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 0-1x tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! For the Chinook, while this single hand rod technique would work, most people end up picking up the two hand spey rods and swinging larger runs on the lower rivers. Chinook like to hold in deep slow to moderate speed water so be prepared with a rod that’s capable of turning over big flies and heavy sink tips. Look for this fishery to be at its prime when the rivers come up with some rain, the fish really start moving well and taking flies well when the water is up. This can be a good time of year to fish some of the lakes on the peninsula as well. Crescent lake would be a great one to try this time of year for the unique Crescenti Cutthroat and Beardslee Rainbows. The fish in this lake grow quickly and quite large due to the abundance of baitfish in the lake, so streamer fishing is a great bet. The main forage is young Kokanee Salmon so a fly that is silver or white with a slightly darker back would be a great place to start. Because this lake is so deep, a minimum of a sink 3 would be a good idea to get your flies down to the bigger fish. Keep an eye out on the weather forecast if your thinking of fishing the lake, it’s a big lake so wind is not your friend. Keep an eye out on the upcoming weather and it can be a great time to plan a trip out to the coast

10/16/2024: The Olympic Peninsula has been fishing great! There are lots of fish to chase right now; Coho and Chinook salmon, Sea Run Cutthroat Trout, Resident Rainbow Trout, and summer run steelhead are all swimming around in the rivers right now! The salmon numbers have been fairly good this year considering the lower water levels. We have heard of folks catching both Chinook, A.K.A. King salmon, and Coho, or Silver salmon, in the rivers on the west end. There have been decent numbers of summer run steelhead still in the systems as well. The hatchery Summer run program on the Bogachiel has been putting out some nice fish as of lately. The Sea Run Cutthroat fishing has been very good in the rivers, with people boasting both some good number days as well as some above average sized fish. As far as the trout fishing goes, it is hard to not fish an October Caddis dry fly this time of year. The hatches have been very prolific and the fish are definitely keying in on these bugs. It isn’t a bad way to encounter a summer steelhead either! If you were to fish earlier in the day I would recommend a floating line or maybe a light sink tip with leech style flies for the cutthroat. They love a fly that is stripped or that looks lively, so definitely impart some action on your flies as well. The salmon fishing is done one of two ways on the coast. For most coho fishing we tend to fish more single hand rods with floating lines and long leaders in the river. When fishing with the floating lines a heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action. A good place to start would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 0-1x tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! For the Chinook, while this single hand rod technique would work, most people end up picking up the two hand spey rods and swinging larger runs on the lower rivers. Chinook like to hold in deep slow to moderate speed water so be prepared with a rod that’s capable of turning over big flies and heavy sink tips. Look for this fishery to be at its prime when the rivers come up with some rain, the fish really start moving well and taking flies well when the water is up. This can be a good time of year to fish some of the lakes on the peninsula as well. Crescent lake would be a great one to try this time of year for the unique Crescenti Cutthroat and Beardslee Rainbows. The fish in this lake grow quickly and quite large due to the abundance of baitfish in the lake, so streamer fishing is a great bet. The main forage is young Kokanee Salmon so a fly that is silver or white with a slightly darker back would be a great place to start. Because this lake is so deep, a minimum of a sink 3 would be a good idea to get your flies down to the bigger fish. Keep an eye out on the upcoming weather and it can be a great time to plan a trip out to the coast!

8/26/2024: The Olympic Peninsula rivers are fishing ok for trout as well as salmon and steelhead. Look for fresh fish to be pushing up with the coming rains. This is a great time of year to head west and fish the peninsula. In the coming weeks we should see some October caddis starting to hatch out as well as continued hatches of short wing stoneflies and other smaller caddis species. Expect to see Cutthroat, Rainbows, and Steelhead to really start looking for these insects in the coming weeks. It is still early in the year for salmon fishing, though a few rivers on the coast do get some nice early runs of Coho Salmon as well as Chinook. Look for the rain in the forecast and plan your trips around that, the rivers are still on the low side. Make sure to double check if the rivers are open to salmon fishing before heading out.

The Lakes on the Olympic Peninsula should also be fishing well for the next few months. Crescent lake would be a great one to try this time of year for the unique Crescenti Cutthroat and Beardslee Rainbows. The fish in this lake grow quickly and quite large due to the abundance of baitfish in the lake, so streamer fishing is a great bet. The main forage is young Kokanee Salmon so a fly that is silver or white with a slightly darker back would be a great place to start. Because this lake is so deep, a minimum of a sink 3 would be a good idea to get your flies down to the bigger fish.

1/31/2024: The reports coming from the Olympic Peninsula have been pretty good overall. There are a few hatchery winter steelhead still being caught though the bulk of the hatchery fish have already returned. The wild steelhead are starting to show in decent numbers, and we have been getting a few good reports back from customers finding fish. Historically, the bulk of the wild steelhead return to our coastal rivers in February or March, meaning we should continue to see improving fish numbers in the coming weeks and months. Make sure to take a variety of sink tips and flies to prepare for the everchanging water conditions.

12/14/2023: The Olympic Peninsula has a respectable number of hatchery fish that pushed in on this last water event. Look for these fish in multiple up and down the coast and try to time your trips around the river conditions. Hatchery fish numbers will increase throughout the month, and we should see a few wild fish pushing in. Bring a variety of fly patterns in multiple colors and weights to be able to effectively fish your conditions, and just remember to fish a bright fly for a bright day and a darker fly for darker conditions. Make sure your gear is not under gunned for these fish as fighting them on light gear can lead to a higher mortality rate. An 8 weight spey rod is ideal to be fishing right now and will help with throwing the larger flies and heavier sink tips preferred this time of year. As with all native fish, if you do land one make sure to keep the fish wet and handle it as minimally as possible.

12/1/23: Olympic Peninsula Rivers are mostly open for fishing through March. For details, please check WDFW link below to read regulations before traveling to the OP.

2/20/2023: Fishing has been ok for those willing to put in the time, there have been some really nice quality fish caught in the past couple of weeks. Bring a variety of fly patterns in multiple colors and weights to be able to effectively fish your conditions, and just remember to fish a bright fly for a bright day and a darker fly for darker conditions. Make sure your gear is not under gunned for these fish as fighting them on light gear can lead to a higher mortality rate. An 8 weight spey rod is ideal to be fishing right now and will help with throwing the larger flies and heavier sink tips preferred this time of year. As with all native fish, if you do land one make sure to keep the fish wet and handle it as minimally as possible.

Take a look at the flows Here:NWRFC

The Olympic peninsula offers the finest Steelheading in the State of Washington. The Sol Duc, Hoh, Queets and many more rivers have become the benchmark for Winter Steelheading and these productive fisheries should be on every fly fishers bucket list. Seasons are based on numbers of returning salmon and steelhead so please check local regulations. Call us to if you need assistance, and check out the WDFW website for rule updates and to sign up for email updates.

Yakima River

3/11/2025: Skwalla time is here! Pat's Rubber Legs under an indicator or a Bullethead Dry will bring some good sized trout to hand.

2/26/2025: It’s that time again! We are just a week or two away from dry fly fishing. The Skwalas should be hatching in early March. The nymphs will be active and easily imitated with an olive Patt’s Rubber Legs. Smaller olive Chubby Chernobyls or bullet-head dries can bring big trout to the surface.

1/2/2025: The Yak continues to be a good option for winter fishing. There is very little fishing pressure during the cold months. Tungsten jig nymphs like the Duracell are great options for fishing deep. The upturned hook snags the basalt rocks less and the heavy bead drops it down to the fish’s level. Swinging streamers can also activate some large fish. Dark buggers and zonkers would be good choices.

12/8/2024: Cold water means the end of dry fly fishing but there are plenty of trout to be caught using nymphs and streamers throughout the winter. Swinging a Sculpzilla streamer on a sink tip line is a good way to cover water. Jigged nymphs like the Duracell are great options in the Canyon as they are less likely to snag on the jagged basalt rocks. The fish are running large and strong. There are no crowds in the winter so you will most likely have the water to yourself!

11/14/2024: The Yakima river is starting to slow down for the winter. Most of the fish we have heard of caught have been on either nymph rigs or streamers. This is a great time of year to bust out the trout spey rods and go sling some meat for trout. With the water temps starting to cool, look fir the fish to start holding in deeper and slower water than their summertime haunts. As far as the nymphing goes, a standard two fly rig with a Pat’s Rubber Leg and your choice of dropper nymphs would be a go to. It is not a bad idea to fish a heavier streamer pattern under an indicator as well, it’s something the trout don’t see all that often. It would be a good call to try small nymphs as well, small WD-40’s or zebra midge would be a great option as a dropper. Make sure to dress warm and cover that water well, often with the colder water these fish can be on the timid side to eat. Nymphing will be your best bet earlier in the morning as that bite can taper off around noon most days. Some patterns to note are a #8-12 Pats Rubber Leg Stone in darker colors (i.e. Black, Black & Coffee, Dark Olive), #8-10 Twenty Incher Stone, #8-10 San Juan Worms, #14-18 General Attractor Nymphs, small Baetis and Midge nymphs (i.e. WD-40, Baetis Nymph, Lightning Bug, RS2, Rainbow Warrior and small pheasant tails) and Sculpin Streamers (Near Nuff Sculpin, Sculpzilla, Sheila's Sculpin, Slumpbuster, Bugger Patterns)

10/06/2024: October is primetime for the Yakima. The flows are low and the wading is easy. BWO mayflies are hatching throughout the day and there are still some October caddis cruising the surface. Duracell nymphs under a small indicator are bringing in some very large trout. When the wind picks up in the afternoon, try swinging a bugger or Sculpzilla through the riffles. Sometimes the trout just want to chase something.

8/26/2024: The Yakima River is fishing well right now! The nighttime temps have been dropping and so have the water temps! The terrestrial fishing has been phenomenal, and we are starting to see some Craneflies as well as a few October Caddis skittering around. Short Wing Stoneflies, Caddis, and Blue Winged Olives are out and about as well. The flows are dropping already and this will make for some good fishing in the coming weeks, both for the boat anglers and those hitting it from the bank. Consider skittering and moving your Stoneflies, October Caddis, and craneflies to trigger those fish to come up and eat. Hoppers, Ants, Beetles, and bees are all on the menu right now and will be for a few weeks to come, and it’s not a bad idea to put a smaller dropper nymph underneath your dries.

Suggested Flies: Dries; Hopper Stone Tan, Chubby Chernobyl #8-#12 in Norm Woods, Orange, Tan, or Brown, Cloud 9 Hopper in Tan, Morish Hopper, Juicy Hopper, Schroders Parachute Hopper, Daves Hopper, Gypsy king Stonefly in brown, Elk Hair Caddis, Cutter Caddis, X Caddis, Headlight Sally, Outrigger Sally, Mini Chubby Chernobyl Yellow #16

Nymphs; Prince Nymph, Baetis Nymphs, Lighting Bug, Rainbow Warrior, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Yaeger’s Soft Hackle, Hares Ear, Copper John, Walts Sexy Worm, Frenchies, Duracell Jig, Zebra Midge, WD-40

8/12/2024: Keep an eye on the water temps! The canyon has been running a few degrees colder than the middle river, so if you’re planning on hitting the middle section try to fish the mornings or the evenings to avoid stressing the fish. All that said, fishing has been good! Summer terrestrial season is here! Expect decent mid-day hopper fishing! Mornings and evenings have been producing some sporadic Caddis and Summer Stoneflies so keep an eye out for those. Look for the bigger fish tucked tight to the bank right now, the closer you can get your flies the better. It is a good idea to drop a small nymph underneath your dry as well, the fish are on the feed right now. Streamer fishing has still been good too. Sculpin or Smolt patterns would be the go-to this time of year. Favorite Flies: Henneberry Hopper, Hopper Stone, Cloud 9 Stone, Chubby Chernobyl, Lightining Bug, Yeagers Soft Hackle Caddis, Copper John, Egan’s Red Dart, RIIO Tung Tied Yellow, Lafontains Sparkle Pupa, Skiddish Smolt, Sculpzilla, Shiela Sculpin, Sparkle Minnow

7/18/24: Summer flows are high, making boat drifting the best option. Dry fly fishing has been great. Chubby Chernobyls and caddis dries are favorites. Pat's rubber legs and lightning but nymphs are a good backup.

4/22/2024: Fishing has been great! The skwalla hatch has dwindled but the fish are still eating the imitations. March Brown mayflys are providing consistent dry fly action and giant salmonflies are showing up!

1/31/2024: Call for updated information, river might be frozen!

12/14/2023: The Yakima river is in good shape right now. Fish deep with your standard nymph patterns or streamers and you may find a few fish! Make sure to dress warm and cover that water well, often with the colder water these fish can be on the timid side to eat. Some patterns to note are a #8-12 Pats Rubber Leg Stone in darker colors (i.e. Black, Black & Coffee, Dark Olive), #8-10 Twenty Incher Stone, #8-10 San Juan Worms, #14-18 General Attractor Nymphs, and Sculpin Streamers (Near Nuff Sculpin, Sculpzilla, Sheila's Sculpin, Slumpbuster, Bugger Patterns)

8/23/2023: The Yakima River has been fishing decently well considering the higher water. Anglers who focus their attention to getting those flies tight to the banks have been doing the best and finding some good quality fish. The water is currently on the drop so fishing is expected to be good in the coming weeks. Water temperature has also dropped allowing people to start fishing all day again and not worry as much about stressing the fish. The summer stone hatch has still been fishing well, as well as some sporadic Caddis in the evenings and some Yellow Sallies still showing themselves. Terrestrials have also been working well and should continue to fish well in the coming weeks. Expect to be mostly fishing dry dropper rigs tight to the bank to entice those fish out from those undercut banks and brushy edges.

Suggested Gear: 9’-10’ 5 or 6 weight single hand fly rods, matching reel, floating line with a 7.5’ or 9’ 2x-3x tapered leader, 2x-4x tippet

Nymphs; Prince Nymph, Baetis Nymphs, Lighting Bug, Rainbow Warrior, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Yaeger’s Soft Hackle, Hares Ear, Copper John, Walts Sexy Worm, Frenchies, Duracell Jig, Zebra Midge, WD-40

5/5/2023: The Yakima River is still running high and out of shape for the time being. You’re better off fishing local lakes or the Puget Sound in the meantime while we wait for the water to drop in to shape. Feel free to call us for an up-to-date report.

4/20/2023: The Yakima river has been fishing well the last couple of weeks. Expect the river to fish well for atleast then next week as we are anticipating our spring runoff shortly, raising the water levels and putting the river off color. There are still some Skwala Stones hatching still but that will be coming to a close here in the next couple of weeks or when runoff hits. There have been some sporadic March Brown hatches coming off as well as Baetis and Midge hatches. Earlier in the day fish streamers or fish a double nymph rig under an indicator. Afternoons are going to be your best bet for dry fly fishing, try to find yourself in good dry fly water by about 1:00 pm. Fly Patterns: Bullet Head Skwala, Skwala color Chubby Chernobyl, 20 Incher Stone, Pats Rubber Leg, San Juan Worm, Baetis Nymphs, WD 40, Pheasant Tail Nymph, March Brown Dries, Brindlechute, Parachute Adams, Parachute BWO, BWO Comparadun, Zebra Midge, Grifiths Gnat.

2/20/2023: The Yakima has been fishing decent for the month of February and should continue to improve as the weather warms up. Concentrate your time right now fishing slower and deeper sections of water and you can be rewarded with some nice trout. Expect to be mostly nymphing or throwing streamers until the Skwala Stonefly hatch starts to kick off. Some patterns to note are a #8-12 Pats Rubber Leg Stone in darker colors (i.e. Black, Black & Coffee, Dark Olive), #8-10 Twenty Incher Stone, #8-10 San Juan Worms, #14-18 General Attractor Nymphs, and Sculpin Streamers (Near Nuff Sculpin, Sculpzilla, Sheila's Sculpin, Slumpbuster, Bugger Patterns)

Open year round for trout fishing. Wade fishing is best in the spring and fall as the flows are down. Summer irrigation demands creates an advantage to anglers that float the river. Our guides are safe and know the river, and its fish.About the Yakima River

Dry Falls/Rocky Ford

1/22/2025: Rocky Ford has been fishing great! This is a great time of year to go enjoy this Eastern Washington desert spring creek fishery. These fish will eat a variety of flies fished in a variety of ways. It sounds like stripping streamers and leeches has been the best bet, though fish are being take on scuds and a variety of small nymphs. If you get an overcast afternoon, expect there to be decent dry fly fishing as well. Come prepared with a variety of midge adults as well as some small #18 or #20 Parachute Adams for an all around mayfly pattern. We recommend taking a few different scud patterns as well as a small selection of mayfly nymphs in sizes 14-18. If you are nymphing, look into using a small pinch on or yarn indicator to not spook these fish before they get a chance to eat your flies.

11/14/2024: While we haven’t gotten any recent reports from Rocky ford, this can historically be a great time to fish it. With the weather cooling off a bit it makes for easier fishing and hiking along this beautiful spring creek. Come prepared with lots of flies and a good assortment of sizes and colors as we have seen some pretty crazy hatches out of this creek this time of year. I would not leave home without some smaller #18 or #20 baetis nymphs, emergers, and dries as that can be a crucial hatch. Also come prepared with midge patterns, scuds, small streamers and leeches, and don’t hesitate to throw something crazy! Maybe a mouse?!?! With the cooling temperatures outside theses fish are heavily on the feed and you would be surprised at what they might look at as food. As with most spring creeks, this creek can have some spooky fish in it, so it is best to approach with caution and fish lighter and longer leaders. 4.5 or 5x 12 foot leaders are your best friend out here. It should fish very well now though March or April, so get after it!

8/12/2024: Rocky Ford is fishing ok for those willing to withstand the heat and avoid the rattlesnakes and tics. Make sure to keep an eye out when walking this time of year, snakes are a common sight right now. Look for fish eating dries this time of year as there are multiple mayfly species around as well as terrestrials and midge. As always you could also fish streamers, big streamers too! A Dolly Llama or large bugger pattern would be a good place to start. As far as the dries, a good selection of PMD, midge, and Mahogany dries would be recommended. While these fish can be tricky, when you figure out the right bug in the right size it can make for some amazing fishing.

Favorite Flies: Zebra Midge, Lightning Bug, WD-40, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Henneberry Hopper, Schroders Parachute Hopper, Rusty Spinner, Mahogany Dun, Brooks Sprout Emerger, Grifiths Gnat, Parachute Adams, Quiggly Cripple, Wooly Bugger, Dolly Llama, Sheila Sculpin, Sculpzilla, Kellers Miss Tickle Cripple, Parachute PMD

Dry Falls will be fishing well once the lake starts to cool off. Expect it to start fishing well a little later on into fall. Check back in for a future report or give us a ring to find out if we’ve heard any reports.

1/31/2024: We have had some very good reports coming back from 'the ford' lately and we expect the good fishing to continue. Because of the springs feeding this creek the water stays warm year-round and the fish eat 24/7 365 days a year. We have heard of some good success on smaller nymphs and scud patterns. Any of the usual baetis and midge patterns will work as well as well as other small flashy attractor nymphs. If you are faced with tough fishing it is never a bad idea to go smaller rather than bigger, its not uncommon to catch a 20”+ trout here on a #20 or smaller fly. Though there isn’t much of a hatch this time of year you generally can find a few fish on small dry flies as well. A #18 parachute Adams or Griffiths Gnat are both great options to get fish looking up.

12/14/2023: Rocky ford should be heating up! This is a great time of year to make the trek across the pass and try your luck with some big spring creek bows! The fishing can be tough but very rewarding. Make sure to check the weather forecast before heading out as the wind can make it a challenge this time of year. Fly Patterns: Scud patterns in olive, tan, and orange/pink #10-#18, Zebra Midge #16-#20, Ice Cream Cone #18, Chromie #18, Baetis Nymphs #18-#20, Lightning Bug #16-#18, Pheasant Tail Nymph #14-#20, Griffiths Gnat #18-#20, Parachute Adams #16-#20, Parachute BWO #18-#20, Thin Mint Bugger AKA Twin Lake Special #8-#12, Wooly Buggers in brown, black, and olive #8-#12, Dolly Llama olive, black/white, olive/white, tan/pink #2 or #6, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow white or brown/gold #4-#10, other large streamer patterns.

4/20/2023: Rocky ford is still fishing very consistently and putting out nice fish. We have been hearing of more fish being caught on scuds (Freshwater Shrimp) as of lately, so come prepared with a selection of colors and sizes of scuds to match the hatch. You should also come stocked with a variety of small midge and mayfly patterns to match any potential hatch you should encounter. For those who want to get aggressive eats, a larger streamer pattern or leech and bugger flies stripped aggressively on a floating or intermediate line. Make sure to check the weather forecast before heading out as the wind can make it a challenge this time of year. Fly Patterns: Scud patterns in olive, tan, and orange/pink #10-#18, Zebra Midge #16-#20, Ice Cream Cone #18, Chromie #18, Baetis Nymphs #18-#20, Lightning Bug #16-#18, Pheasant Tail Nymph #14-#20, Griffiths Gnat #18-#20, Parachute Adams #16-#20, Parachute BWO #18-#20, Thin Mint Bugger AKA Twin Lake Special #8-#12, Wooly Buggers in brown, black, and olive #8-#12, Dolly Llama olive, black/white, olive/white, tan/pink #2 or #6, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow white or brown/gold #4-#10, other large streamer patterns.

2/20/2023: Rocky Ford is still fishing well and should continue to in the coming months. Those looking to get into some aggressive fish and feel the grab can expect to hook some fish casting and stripping large streamer patterns. Dolly Llamas, buggers, and zonker style flies in variations of white, olive, and black are going to fish well. Those who don’t want to cast streamers can find slow down and fish a variety of scuds, midge, small baetis nymphs, as well as smaller emergers and dries. Think small on a lot of these flies, anything from a 16 to a size 24. Some patterns I wouldn’t leave home without are a parachute Adams #18-20, Grifiths Gnat #18, WD-40 #18, Zebra Midge #16-24, and a good selection of scud patterns. It helps to have some small strike indicators when fishing these flies around the wary trout, we prefer the Palsa Indicators for the gentle landing and natural presentation.

Check back in spring for Dry Falls report.

Call the shop for a more refined report.

South Puget Sound

3/18/25: Fishing has been slow but is picking up. Fish will be focusing on chum fry. We've got some great patterns tied by our staff. Stop in and stock up!

1/22/2024: After a relatively slow start to the season, we are starting to get some better reports back. Look for fish sipping krill near the shoreline as you walk onto the beach, these fish can be spooky and tight lipped so its best not to approach too quickly. Small euphausiids and krill make up a good majority of their diet, with sculpin, saltwater worms, and crab and shrimp larvae being common as well. Small suggestive patterns like wooly buggers or various shrimp and krill patterns in sizes 8-12 are a mainstay for winter cutthroat fishing. Make sure to fish any of the krill or euphausiid patterns on the slower side, as they don’t naturally move very fast. As with most sea run cutthroat fishing, moving water tends to be the most productive. So try and plan your trips around good tide swings.

11/13/2024: The South Puget Sound is fishing great! The Chum salmon are in thick this year! It’s a great fishery that is highly slept on. Make sure you bring a heavier weight rod for the Chum, they are gear busters. An ideal chum rod would be a single hand 9’ 9 wt, though an 8 or 10 weight would work as well. For the hood canal chum fishery you won’t need a heavy line, floating lines are ideal though an intermediate would work as well. These chum salmon feed pretty heavily on Krill while out in the ocean, so krill flies tend the be the best bet. Chum aren’t too picky on colors, though it is nice to have a few options if it’s a tricky day. Small krill patterns about in inch to inch and a half long in Chartreuse, Pink, Cerise, and Purple will be your best bet. As far as patterns go, Chum Turds, ITR Shrimp, Comet, Handle Bar, and Spankers. Fish these flies slowly as krill don’t move quick. Long slow strips with minimal pauses in between is a great place to start. If that doesn’t produce, a hand twist retrieve like we use in stillwaters can be effective as well. Sea Run Cutthroat fishing has also been quite productive lately. There are still a few baitfish swimming around shallow, though these fish are going to start switching over to eating more of their winter diet soon. Sculpin, Euphassiid and Krill, and small suggestive patterns mimicking copepods, amphipods, and other small crustacean larvae will be the bulk of what’s in your winter box. Retrieve these flies the same way as we would for chum, once again krill don’t naturally move quickly so its important to slow down.

10/16/2024: South Puget sound has been producing some very nice Cutthroat as of lately and we should start seeing some Chum Salmon returning in the coming weeks. A good selection of sea run flies right now would consist of a few sand lance patterns, a few small herring patterns, and as the weather cools we will start fishing more krill patterns as well as sculpins. The coming weeks would be a good idea to start thinking about Chum salmon. While these fish are the prettiest or the best table fare, they do pull very hard. A good 9’ 8 or 9 weight single hand rod with a floating or intermediate line is perfect. Chum Salmon are not terribly picky when it comes to fly patterns. Smaller krill patterns tied on a heavier wire hook are the ticket. Bright colors work the best; pinks, purples, or chartreuse are the go-to colors. Strip these slow and look for fish making wakes in shallow water. Its not uncommon to look up beach and see what looks like wind, only to find out is a school of 100 chum making their way back to spawn. What a sight!

8/12/2024: The South Puget Sound beaches are seeing their fare share of cutthroat! We have heard of some very quality fish being stuck, which Is a welcome sight. Those who have been doing really well have been covering a lot of water and fishing fairly quickly. The fish are hungry and feeding heavily this time of year so if they are in the area they will want to bite your flies. Generic baitfish patterns, and those mimicking Herring or Sand Lance, are the staple of a summer Puget sound beach box. Make sure to have some natural patterns as well as some brighter attractor flies. There will be more coho pushing through in the coming few weeks so be on the lookout for those. Just like up north, Strip fast for the coho and sea runs; if you think your stripping to fast then STRIP FASTER!!! There are some very good tides coming up the next few weeks, particularly the week of the 12th with those first early morning low tides. Make sure to be up to date on salmon seasons and when and where you can retain fish and bring a cooler if you’re planning on taking one for the grill. Check WDFW’s website for regulations.

Favorite Flies: Miyawaki Popper, Bucktails, Flatwings, Surf Candy, Psychedelic Herring, Imitator in Oil Slick or Herring, Fry Me a River, Mini Deceivers, Foul Free Herring, and Clouser Minnows in Olive/White, Pink/White, Pink/Chartreuse, or other baitfish colors.

4/22/2024: Fishing for searun cuththroat is improving every day. Fish a chum fry pattern and cover water until you find some action!

1/31/2024: Still hearing of a few fish moving around and getting hooked. Those who keep moving and covering water are doing the best. The fishing should improve in the next couple of months, with the chum fry migration getting closer and closer. Fish Sculpin patterns, Euphassiid and Krill, and small suggestive patterns mimicking copepods, amphipods, and other small crustacean larvae type flies for your best bet at a few fish.

12/14/2023: The south sound has still been fishing fairly well. We have been hearing of fewer fish in the last week or so but there have been some very quality fish caught, Slow down your retrieves and focus more on your winter fly patterns. Sculpin, Euphassiid and Krill, and small suggestive patterns mimicking copepods, amphipods, and other small crustacean larvae.

8/23/2023: The South Puget Sound has been fishing very well in the past few weeks and we should see the good fishing continue in the weeks to come. Pink salmon numbers this year have been fare compared to years past and supplying lots of opportunity for anglers to get out on the beaches or in a boat and chase some hard fighting fish. The pink salmon this year have been larger on average than those of the past few runs, with fish up to 8 and 9 pounds reported off several of the popular beaches. Coho fishing has also been good this year with a lot of resident fish around as well as a few of their ocean-going brethren swimming around to make things interesting. Sea Run Cutthroat fishing has been great in the past few weeks as well with some very nice fish being seen off the beaches. Look for moving water, early morning outgoing tides, and keep searching and covering the water looking for fish to be the most successful on the beaches!

Suggested Gear: 9’-10’ 6 or 7 weight single hand fly rods, matching reel with decent drag, Floating or Intermediate Lines off the Beach, Intermediate or Type III Sinking lines out of a boat paired with a 9’ 15lb Tapered Leader for a floating line, 6’ 15lb for intermediate or sinking lines.

Suggested Flies: Pinks; Chum Turd in Pink, Pink and White Clouser Minnows, Pink Krill Patterns, Handlebar Fly Pink, Pink Comet Flies, Salmon Deep 6.

Coho; Sandlance and Candlefish Patterns, Herring Patterns. Mini Deceiver, Foul Free Herring, Fry Me a River, Oil Slick Imitator, Bucktails, Clouser Minnows in Chartreuse, Olive and White, and Tutti Fruiti (Pink and Chartreuse), Miyawaki Popper, Slime Shady

Sea Run Cutthroat; Sandlance and Candlefish Patterns, Herring Patterns. Mini Deceiver, Foul Free Herring, Fry Me a River, Oil Slick Imitator, Miyawaki Popper, Surf Candy, Bull Baby, Slime Shady

5/5/2023: The South Puget Sound has been consistently putting out fish. The Chum fry are still roaming around near shorelines and estuaries as well as the mouths of any small finger creeks. Tides are looking great for the coming weeks and should have some great days of fishing. Bring a small variety of chum fry patterns and some small sparse sand lance patterns. Chum Babys, Chumpy Fry, McFry, Fry Me a River, Small Olive and White Clouser Minnow, Glass minnow, Surf Candy Patterns.

4/20/2023: South Puget Sound beaches have been fishing decently in the last couple of weeks. We have been seeing some chum fry roaming around near the beaches which has led to decent fishing. There have been some reports of resident coho still roaming around off the beaches as well which make for fun bycatch! Expect to find fish feeding on fry fairly close to the bank so make sure to not wade deep to avoid spooking these fish. Fly Patterns: Chum Baby, Foul Free Herring, Small Clouser Minnows

2/23/2023: Resident Coho are starting to show up! The fishing will get better in the coming months but there are enough fish around to have some good days. The south sound beaches have been slow for cutthroat, but will continue to improve in the coming months as more fish return from their spawning grounds. For both the Resident Coho and occasional Resident Cutthroat expect to have to slow your retrieves down and fish krill and euphasid patterns. Pay close attention on a calm day and you may notice fish rising to eat krill right under the surface! It's a good idea to have a floating krill pattern (White Gartside Gurgler) easily accessible to make a quick change and target those finicky fish. My Puget Sound fly box this time of year has a selection of Crazy Charlies in size 6-8 in white, pink, and orange, size 6 Gartside Gurglers, and other euphasid patterns. It is worth bringing a few baitfish patterns like a Foul Free Herring or a Mini Deceiver incase you see fish working on bait.

Primary fly caught species - resident Coho salmon, sea-run cutthroat. The south sound fishes best in the spring and summer as fish are leaving or staging near their natal streams. About Fly Fishing the Puget Sound

Seattle Area Beaches

2/26/2025: The beaches continue to be stingy this season, but things should pick up as the fish switch from krill to chum fry. Keep casting and cover water until you find feeding activity.

1/5/2025: We’ve had some reports of good fishing off the Puget Sound beaches, some even on surface flies! The cutthroat are focusing on krill but can still be tempted with small baitfish patterns. The beach is an ideal place to spend a couple chilly hours before retreating back to the warmth. Washington beaches are magical places. String up your six-weight and catch something mythical.

11/12/2024: Our seattle area beaches are drastically slowing down. Most of our Sea Run Cutthroat are already pushing up in the rivers on their spawning journey. If you want to fish beaches, head to the south sound. You can also always look for these cutthroat in the streams and rivers as they head up to spawn.

10/16/2024: The Seattle area beaches are starting to slow down as most of the cutthroat in our northern Puget sound are starting to think about going up the rivers to spawn. We still have a few weeks of coho fishing being open in Marine Area 10, though the fishing has slowed drastically. Most of the fish we have heard of in the past few weeks have been on the larger side but have been being caught in deeper water. If you have access to a boat it is not a bad idea to go out and look for one of these nice B run coho. We have some custom tied clousers down here at the shop that would be a great option to troll or strip in the salt right now.

8/26/2024: Coho fishing has started to pick up here in the inner Puget Sound! Weve gotten a few good reports this week both from the beach anglers and those out in the boats. Still not too many large fish around but we have seen some pictures and heard rumors of some larger ocean going fish getting caught. Those who have been doing well have been covering a lot of water and fishing fairly quickly. The fish are hungry and feeding heavily this time of year so if they are in the area they will want to bite your flies. Generic baitfish patterns, and those mimicking Herring or Sand Lance, are the staple of a summer Puget sound beach box. Make sure to have some natural patterns as well as some brighter attractor flies. Strip fast for the coho and sea runs; if you think your stripping to fast then STRIP FASTER!!! The Sea Run Cutthroat fishing has been good throughout the last week as well, so its not a bad idea to fish smaller flies for both the coho and cutthroat and up your odds of finding some fish on the beach! Make sure to be up to date on salmon seasons and when and where you can retain fish and bring a cooler if you’re planning on taking one for the grill. Check WDFW’s website for regulations.

8/12/2024: The sound is fishing well and should continue to through the rest of the salmon season. Resident Coho salmon have been abundant and were starting to see some of their ocean-going friends around too. The resident fish are averaging 3-5lbs and the migratory fish we’ve heard about have been quality fish. Expect the fish size and numbers. The resident fish are spread out along most of our favorite cutthroat beaches and for the best odds at a migratory fish would be hitting one of the baches on the West side of Whidby island. Sea run cutthroat fishing has been doing good as well. Sand Lance and Herring are around on all our beaches, and it can be a good idea to match the hatch. Clouser minnows in bright colors will also fish well as an attractor pattern. Strip fast for the coho and sea runs; if you think your stripping to fast then STRIP FASTER!!! Come prepared with stiff leaders in the 0x or 1x size to help combat any wind and the toothy mouths of our pacific salmon. There are some very good tides coming up the next few weeks, particularly the week of the 12th with those first early morning low tides. Make sure to be up to date on salmon seasons and when and where you can retain fish and bring a cooler if you’re planning on taking one for the grill. Check WDFW’s website here for regulations.

12/14/2023: The Seattle area beaches have slowed down for the year as we see most of the cutthroat returning up the river systems to spawn, Check back come early spring for a new report once we see fishing pick back up again.

8/23/2023: The Puget Sound has been fishing very well in the past few weeks and we should see the good fishing continue in the weeks to come. Pink salmon numbers this year have been fare and supplying lots of opportunity for anglers to get out on the beaches or in a boat and chase some hard fighting fish. The pink salmon this year have been larger on average than those of the past few runs, with fish up to 8 and 9 pounds reported off several of the popular beaches. Coho fishing has also been good this year with a lot of resident fish around as well as a few of their ocean-going brethren swimming around to make things interesting. Sea Run Cutthroat fishing has been great in the past few weeks as well with some very nice fish being seen off the beaches. Look for moving water, early morning outgoing tides, and keep searching and covering the water looking for fish to be the most successful on the beaches!

Suggested Flies: Pinks; Chum Turd in Pink, Pink and White Clouser Minnows, Pink Krill Patterns, Handlebar Fly Pink, Pink Comet Flies, Salmon Deep 6.

Sea Run Cutthroar; Sandlance and Candlefish Patterns, Herring Patterns. Mini Deceiver, Foul Free Herring, Fry Me a River, Oil Slick Imitator, Miyawaki Popper, Surf Candy, Bull Baby, Slime Shady

5/5/2023: Seattle area beaches are starting to heat up. We have a good number of Chum fry hatching and swimming around near mouths of creeks and tight to the shoreline. We have heard from a few customers who have been out finding some really nice fish. There are some very nice tides coming up in the next couple of weeks, expect the morning outgoing tides to fish well. Bring a small variety of chum fry patterns and some small sparse sand lance patterns. Chum Babys, Chumpy Fry, McFry, Fry Me a River, Small Olive and White Clouser Minnow, Glass minnow, Surf Candy Patterns.

4/20/2023: North sound beaches should be putting out some fish in the coming weeks. The first week of may has some very good early morning outgoing tides that are begging to be fished! Our north sound cutthroat should mostly be out of the rivers by now and looking to feed up and put on some weight. This is a great time to fish a baitfish pattern quickly stripped under the surface. Look for bait and expect there to be a few cutthroat swimming nearby. Fly Patterns; Chum Baby, Small Clouser Minow, Foul Free Herring

2/23/2023: Fish are still mostly up in the rivers. We have heard of a few fish "Sightings" though i haven't heard of any fish hooked or landed yet. Its still very early in the season, though you can still get out and wet a line and work on some casting. For those wanting to fish a beach, we would highly recommend heading to the south sound for the best chance of hooking fish.

12/16/2022: Most fish are going to be up in our river systems so fishing these beaches right now will be very slow. We should see more fish moving around on our local beaches come mid to late spring. It's always nice to spend some time on the beach. You never know what you'll see, maybe a submarine!

Local beaches offer good access to salmon and sea-run cutthroat. These local beaches offer a wonderful year round fly fishing opportunity for both the local and visiting angler. These fisheries are our specialty and we take great pride in our knowledge and experience with regard to this fishery. About Fly Fishing the Puget Sound

Kitsap Peninsula/Whidbey Island Beaches

11/14/2024: Kitsap beaches are drastically slowing down. Most of our Sea Run Cutthroat are already pushing up in the rivers on their spawning journey. If you want to fish beaches, head to the south sound. You can also always look for these cutthroat in the streams and rivers as they head up to spawn.

10/16/2024: Whidbey island beaches are closed for Salmon fishing! Overall the season was pretty good, though the inshore fishing tight to the beaches was a little scarce. If you happened to be successful off the beach this year give yourself a pat on the back, cause it was a tough one!

8/26/2024: The Coho fishing around Kitsap and Whidbey island has been good the last week, and it should just continue to get better in the coming weeks. It seems the fish are starting to really show up and are on the feed. Any of the beaches on the west side of Whidbey are a great bet right now, as well as those over on the Kitsap Peninsula. There are more salmon swimming by these West Whidbey and East Kitsap beaches than anywhere else in the state! Look for moving water, early morning outgoing tides, and keep searching and covering the water looking for fish to be the most successful on the beaches! Generic baitfish patterns, and those mimicking Herring or Sand Lance, are the staple of a summer Puget sound beach box. Make sure to have some natural patterns as well as some brighter attractor flies. Strip fast for the coho and sea runs; if you think your stripping to fast then STRIP FASTER!!! The Sea Run Cutthroat fishing has been good throughout the last week as well, so its not a bad idea to fish smaller flies for both the coho and cutthroat and up your odds of finding some fish on the beach! Make sure to be up to date on salmon seasons and when and where you can retain fish and bring a cooler if you’re planning on taking one for the grill. Check WDFW’s website here for regulations.

8/23/2023: Fishing off of Whidbey or the Kitsap Peninsula has been HOT! Pink salmon numbers this year have been fare and supplying lots of opportunity for anglers to get out on the beaches or in a boat and chase some hard fighting fish. There are more salmon swimming by these West Whidbey and East Kitsap beaches than anywhere else in the state! The pink salmon this year have been larger on average than those of the past few runs, with fish up to 8 and 9 pounds reported off several of the popular beaches. Coho fishing has also been very good this year with a lot of resident fish around as well as a good number of their ocean-going brethren swimming around to make things interesting. Look for moving water, early morning outgoing tides, and keep searching and covering the water looking for fish to be the most successful on the beaches!

Suggested Flies: Pinks; Chum Turd in Pink, Pink and White Clouser Minnows, Pink Krill Patterns, Handlebar Fly Pink, Pink Comet Flies, Salmon Deep 6.

In the spring, sea-run cutthroat, bull trout and millions of salmon smolt spill out of the S Rivers. The north sound fishes best in the mid-summer through the fall, when baitfish bring salmon and cutthroat to the shallows to feed.

Basin Lakes

4/22/2024: Now is the time! Lake fishing has been great this year. Strong reports from Lenice and the other eastern lakes. Suspend chironomids and balanced leeches under an idicator or strip a bugger on a sinking line. Pump up your tube and drift in comfort, like a floating La-Z-Boy chair!

05/02/2023: The fishing at Lenice Lake is red hot. Hang a black and red chironomid below an indicator or strip a Twin Lakes Special bugger on an intermediate line. Hold on tight! The fish are spunky this time of year and have been know to jump above your head when fishing in a float tube! Always check the wind conditions before heading over to fish these lakes, as they are very exposed. It's "go time!" Please check the current fishing regulations with regard to your lake of choice.

The "cream" of Washington State trout fly fishing. These central Washington lakes offer exciting fishing for large Rainbow and Brown trout with some Cutthroats thrown in. A few of these lakes open in March with the rest opening in April and can offer some excellent fishing.

Snoqualmie River

1/2/2025: The lower Snoqualmie could be a good bet for winter steelhead is the water clarity cooperates. The middle for, above the falls, continues to be a popular spot for local trout. Nymph fishing tends to be the most popular technique this time of year but don’t forget to swing a streamer through your favorite run. Something surprising could happen.

12/10/2024: Trout fishing in the forks continues to reward anglers tossing nymphs and streamers. The middle fork is open all year and will occasionally produce a surprisingly large trout. This would be a good place to practice your contact nymphing skills. We have yet to hear of any steelhead reports from below the falls this season but hope springs eternal!

11/14/2024: The Snoqualmie River is back open! This is a great time of year to go swing flies for a multitude of fish species in this river. The Sea Run Cutthroat are mostly going to be in the rivers by this point so this is a great time of year to go chase these fun little fish. A small streamer or dark leech pattern on a light sink tip can produce a lot of fish this time of year. Our favorites are a small Pine Squirrell Leech in black and reverse spiders in a variety of colors. The sea run cutthroat will sit in a variety of water, look for these fish in anything from deep frog water to faster tailouts and seams. There should be some summer Steelhead still kicking around in the system as well which makes this a great time of year to swing some flies. With the water temperatures cooling down in the past week or two, we would recommend fishing slightly larger flies for steelhead and utilizing sink tips to get them down. Flies like Hobo Speys, fish tacos, small intruders, or foxee dogs will be your best bet to get these fish to eat. The B-run coho, which are notoriously larger and more aggressive fish than their earlier A-run siblings, are around in the system as well. These fish don’t take as well to a swung fly so we tend to find ourselves fishing more single handed rods with floating lines and a long leader to a heavily weighted fly. When fishing with the floating lines the heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action from the fly. Good flies to start with would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. These fish can get very fly picky, so make sure to have a good assortment of flies for your best chance at a good day. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 15lb tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! Make sure to use a heavier tippet material because there are chum salmon in the system right now, and you will encounter them as a bycatch. Chum salmon numbers in the Puget sound have been down in recent history, so make sure to treat these fish with respect and send them on their way to make more!

The middle fork of the Snoqualmie is still open, though fishing has slowed drastically in the last few weeks. Those finding fish have either been nymphing deep or fishing small streamer patterns on a down and across swing. I would recommend a small pine squirrel leech or smaller bugger pattern on a light sink tip. You can cover a lot of water using this method and it can produce some decent quality fish

10/16/2024: The Forks of the Snoqualmie are still fishing! They are starting to wind down a little bit, but we still have at least a few more weeks where those fish will be eating good. We have heard of some Cranefly hatches coming off so make sure to have a few of those handy. Most attractor dries will work well right now; small stimulators, mini chubby Chernobyl, humpy, parachute adams, or purple haze to name a few. It isn’t a bad idea to twitch and move your standard dry flies right now, as the fish can key in on the motion produced by craneflies as they fly and skitter across the water. When the temperatures really start to drop, we would recommend trying nymphing out as well.

8/26/2024: The Snoqualmie Forks are starting to slow down. The North and South forks are a little on the low side to be ideal but there are still a few fish being caught, though the middle fork has the most water and will yield the best results. Still be looking for fish in small pocket water, behind rocks, and small faster seams. Most of the fish in this system have been caught before, making them smart fish for their size. This is a great stream to really dial in your techniques and work on your good drag free drifts. Expect these fish to want to come up to a dry fly, but only if presented correctly. Any good attractor patterns in sizes #12-16.

Favorite Flies: Royal Wulff, Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Humpy, Mini Chubby Chernobyl, Small Stimulator, Elk Hair Caddis, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hares Ear Nymph, lightning Bug, Copper John

8/12/2024: The Forks are fishing well! Expect fishing to continue for at least another few weeks until the water just gets too low. Look for fish in small pocket water, behind rocks, and small fast seams. Most of the fish in this system have been caught before, making them smart fish for their size. This is a great stream to really dial in your techniques and work on your good drag free drifts. Expect these fish to want to come up to a dry fly, but only if presented correctly. Any good attractor patterns in sizes #12-16.

Favorite Flies: Royal Wulff, Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Humpy, Mini Chubby Chernobyl, Small Stimulator, Elk Hair Caddis, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hares Ear Nymph, lightning Bug, Copper John

7/18/2024: Fishing all three forks above the falls is RED HOT! Trout are egar for small dry flies in the pocket water. Keep the casts short and the fly floating drag-free. Purple parachutes, small stimulators, and classic attractors are all working.

4/22/2024: Still a bit early for the Snoqualmie forks. Fishing will improve in late June, when the water levels drop and the fish are more prone to eat your dry fly.

8/23/2023: Make sure to check regulations, entire river is closed below the falls, some closures above. The Forks of the Snoqualmie River have been open and fishing ok in the last few weeks. With lower water levels and slightly elevated temperatures, it’s a good idea to arrive to the river early and try to be off the water by the time the weather is warming up. Expect to find more fish in your faster moving and better oxygenated water rather than your slower pools and soft water. Fishing dry flies is the name of the game out on the Snoqualmie. Youll find the fish aren’t too picky on exact fly patterns, as long as it floats and looks buggy it will work. We find our best luck on general attractor dries sizes #12-#16. You may find luck fishing dropper nymphs under your dries as well. The nymphs don’t have to be too heavy as the water you will be fishing will be fairly shallow.

Suggested Gear: 7’-9’ 2,3, or 4 weight fly rods, matching reel, floating line with a 7.5’ 4x Tapered Leader

Suggested Flies: Dries; Humpy, Mini Chubby Chernobyls, Elk Hair Caddis, Royal Wulff or Royal Coachman, Cutter Caddis, Stimulators, Parachute Adams, Parachute Purple Haze

Nymphs; Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph, Hares Ear, Copper John, Rainbow Warrior, Lightning Bug

7/19/2023: This is the time! The North, South, and Middle forks abobe the falls are prime trout habitat. Grab your 3wt and cast some dry flies in the pocket water. Wet wading is refreshing this time of year so this is a good bet if you don't have waders (although felt-soled boots would improve your footing). We have a large stock of wading socks to make your next trip more comfortable. Catching wild trout just 30 minutes from Seattle is a Northwest miracle. Get after 'em!

8/01/2022: August through October are favorite months to fish the upper forks. The flows are wadeable and the fish are eager to take attractor dries. Drift small Stimulators, Parachute Adams, or bee patterns through the pocket water or take a trip back in time and knot on a Yellow Humpy. Wet wading is a good option in the summer temps but bring your wading boots, those granite rocks are slippery. Now is the time to grab your favorite 3-weight and head for North Bend, Seattle’s beautiful back yard.

Download the WDFW app or visit website to receive email updates on rule changes.

Above Snoqualmie Falls - Rainbow and Cutthroat trout. Check with the shop for details on wadeable river levels, hatches, classes and guided trips on the Snoqualmie River. About Snoqualmie River

Ballinger Lake
Spring 2022 on Lake Ballinger

Skagit River

2/26/2025: The Skagit and Sauk rivers will remain open until April 15^th. The run has been good this season and we are seeing photos of some beautiful fish. This is the best time of year to swing up a legend! The rivers can be crowded at this time of year so pack your patience along with your favorite flies.

1/22/2025: The Skagit and Sauk are heating up! We are starting to hear of a few fish being caught and there should be many more to come! The forecasted run numbers are looking solid this year, so expect good fishing all the way through the end of the season. The river below concrete is closing the end of January, so these next few days are a great time to go explore some of the water and look for fresh fish near Hamilton or Birdsview before it closes. With the colder daytime temps we have been experiencing, it’s not a bad idea to sleep in and fish in the afternoon, as that slight increase in water temperature can get these cold, tight lipped fish to turn on. As with most winter steelhead fisheries in our state, a Spey rod will be an important tool to your success, though you can find a few spots to fish with a single hand rod as well. These two handed rods make casting sink tips and larger flies a breeze with little to no back cast room, which sums up the majority of the Steelhead water in the Skagit. If you are confined to fishing with a single handed rod, look for the big gravel bars that are up and down the skagit, to allow for some backcast room. With either style of rod, make sure you take a variety of sink tips to help you get your flies down in the zone, as winter steelhead don’t like to chase a fly as much as their summer brethren. If you have any questions regarding spey casting or getting into the sport let us know we’re more than happy to help you along your way.

1/2/2025: The Skagit has produced good numbers of salmon and trout this season and we’re excited for the winter steelhead season. There are already some beautiful fish being caught. The Skagit is a legendary river and it is always a treat to fish it. Try swinging your confidence fly through your favorite run. No takes? Try it again. This is big water and fresh fish are always moving up.

12/10/2024: We eagerly await the steelhead returns and have our fingers crossed for an extended season. The Skagit River is beautiful and always worth a trip. Try swinging something with black marabou and see what bites!

11/14/2024: The Skagit river has still been fishing well for salmon as well as bull trout. There are a mix of coho in the river right now, though were seeing more and more B-run coho in the last week or so, which are notoriously larger and more aggressive fish than their earlier A-run siblings, which are still kicking around in the system. These fish don’t take as well to a swung fly so we tend to find ourselves fishing more single handed rods with floating lines and a long leader to a heavily weighted fly. When fishing with the floating lines the heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action from the fly. Good flies to start with would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. These fish can get very fly picky, so make sure to have a good assortment of flies for your best chance at a good day. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 15lb tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! Make sure to use a heavier tippet material because there are chum salmon in the system right now, and you will encounter them as a bycatch. Chum salmon numbers in the Puget sound have been down in recent history, so make sure to treat these fish with respect and send them on their way to make more!

10/16/2024: The Skagit river has been fishing well for Coho Salmon, Sea Run Cutthroat and Bull Trout/Dolly Varden. The Coho runs this year have been larger than average and the fish size has been good too! We have heard of many fish in the lower teens being caught throughout most of the Puget Sound rivers as well as out on the Coast and Columbia basin fisheries as well. The Rain coming this week should make for even better fishing in the weeks to come. Make sure you have a good selection of flies in varying sizes and colors to make the best of your fishing trip. Coho can be notoriously tight lipped once they hit freshwater, and having some small flies can turn a slow day into a good one! While you absolutely can swing flies on your spey or switch rods, we tend to fish more single hand rods with floating lines and long leaders in the river. When fishing with the floating lines a heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action. A good place to start would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 0-1x tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! Sea run cutthroat can be an amazing fishery to focus on in the rivers. Look for these critters hanging in back eddies, slower seems, and anywhere you have some structure, like wood or rocks to break up the current. They often will hold with coho as well! Single hand 9’ 5 or 6 weight rods are perfect for this matched with a dry line or light sink tip. Small dark leech patterns work very well for these fish and the classic reverse spider would be a welcome addition to any freshwater sea run cutthroat box. Bull trout right now are going to be dropping down from the upper rivers after spawning and looking for easy meals to put weight back on. This time of year the bull trout feed heavily on drifting flesh and eggs from decomposing Chinook and Coho salmon as well as multiple different species of baitfish and potentially some bugs as well. We would recommend starting with a flesh fly or something in that general color palate, Pink, orange, white and peach are all great options right now. Look for these bull trout hanging out down river from spawning chinook or coho, or in your traditional walking speed steelhead water.

4/22/2024: The Skagit steelhead season has closed. We look forward to a strong run next season!

1/31/2024: The Skagit River steelhead season if a go! The river is open Saturdays through Wednesdays starting February 3^rd and continuing through April 17^th. They are forecasting 5,215 wild steelhead to return to the Skagit system in 2024, meaning this is a good opportunity to get out and swing steelhead close to home. The bulk of the steelhead migrate into the Skagit river in February, March, and April and the fishing should just get better as the season progresses. As with all steelheading, a good assortment of sink tips and flies will greatly improve your odds in encountering one of these special critters. Change your sink tips and flies if your feeling like you aren’t getting down in front of those fish, its very important to get four flies down this time of year. This is a great fishery for not only the boating angler but those walking in as well, with lots of access and nice big runs that can hold multiple fish. Make sure to check www.wdfw.wa.gov for regulations and updates to our 2024 fishing seasons.

12/14/2023: The Skagit River should be fishing well in the coming months. There should be some wild steelhead returning here shortly. Expect to see these fish start trickling in mid-December and to continue to migrate all then way through the spring. Check back for updates on an early spring season again on the Skagit and Sauk systems. Bull trout and dolly varden will be catchable throughout the winter as well and can offer some fun in between steelhead encounters.

We should start seeing some winter steelhead here toward January but the Sauk River should be fishing ok for bull trout through the next couple of months. Make sure to check out the flows as the sauk can run a bit on the dirty side.

8/23/2023: The Lowest two sections of the Skagit River (From the Mouth of the Skagit to the Mouth of Gilligan Creek) Is now open for pink salmon! Fishing has been on the slower side with a lot of pinks still moving throughout the Puget Sound, though it will heat up in the coming weeks. We’ve had a few reports of some pinks being caught though its still not red hot. Look for slower water or travel lanes to target these fish as they make their way back upriver to spawn. Anglers can choose to fish single hand rods or spey rods making this a fun fishery to dial in your two handed casting game before winter steelhead season! These fish have softer mouths as well so take your time playing them and your landing ratio will go up.

Recommended Gear: 9’-10’ 6 or 7 weight single hand rod or 11’-13’ or a 5, 6, or 7 weight spey or switch rod, matching reels with floating and/or sink tip lines (skagit head for spey) , 10’ of T-8 or equivalent tip, 9’ 15lb tapered leader on single hand floating, or 6’ 15lb on sink tip or spey.

Recommended Flies: Pink Turd, Starlight Leech, Salmon Deep 6, Egg Sucking Leech, Pink Commet, Pink Wooly Bugger, Pink Dolly Llama, Flash Fly, Handlebar Fly, Pink and White Clouser Minnow

The majority of the rest of the river is open to target bull trout right now as well. The fishing has been off and on, with a few nice fish being encountered. Look for these fish in your classic steelhead water and on softer seams with some depth to them. Swinging streamers is the most productive way to target these special fish, though they can be nymphed as well. As the pink salmon run continues, and there’s an influx of salmon flesh and eggs floating in the river, the bull trout fishing will pick up as well. Expect to fish mostly sculpin and baitfish imitations in the mean time, and more flesh flies and flies in pink, orange, or even red once the salmon run progresses.

Recommended Gear: 9’-10’ 7 weight single hand rod or 11’-13’ 6 or 7 weight spey or switch rod, matching reels with sinking tip lines (skagit head for spey), 10’ of T-8 or T-11 or equivalent tip, 6’ 12-15lb leader for both spey and singlehand

Recommended Flies: Sculpzilla, Dolly Llama, Sheila Sculpin, Mini Sculpin, Wounded Sculpin, Skiddish Smolt, Wooly Buggers, Zonker Flies, Near Nuff Sculpin, Sparkle Minnow, Flesh Fly, Twofer, Deep Six Flesh, Lady Flesh, Pink Hobo Spey

5/3/2023: The Skagit and Sauk rivers have closed for the season. We look forward to our next visit there.

4/20/2023: The Skagit and Sauk have been fishing consistently and has been putting out some nice steelhead. Folks have been finding fish in both the Skagit as well as the Sauk though the Sauk has been receiving the most angling pressure. Anglers have been doing well swinging a variety of patterns, though the most consistent patterns have been something on the smaller side in red, orange, or black. Think about fishing something like a Hobo Spey. Make sure to take a variety of sink tips with you as the river conditions change day to day. Make sure to bring at the very least a 10’ section of T-11 and T-14 to cover your basis. Make sure to double check regulations as this fisher is only open Saturday through Wednesday through the end of April. Fly Patters: Hobo Spey, Guide Intruder, Fish Taco, Reverse Marabou, other medium size steelhead streamers.

Species: Steelhead, salmon, sea-run cutthroat. Typically open June through January. Seasons may change at any time. Check the WDFW website to receive email updates on rule changes. About the Skagit River

Skykomish River

1/22/2025: Go get the steelhead while its still open! The majority of the Skykomish river closes at the end of January, though there is a small stretch near the Reiter Ponds Hatchery that stays open through February 15^th. This can be a great time of year to target steelhead in this system, as there are still a few hatchery fish around as well as some later wild fish trickling in. We have heard of some fish being caught as of late, so go get them while you can! As with most winter steelhead fisheries in our state, a Spey rod will be an important tool to your success, though you can find a few spots to fish with a single hand rod as well. These two handed rods make casting sink tips and larger flies a breeze with little to no back cast room, which sums up the majority of the Steelhead water in the Skykomish. If you are confined to fishing with a single handed rod, look for the big gravel bars that are up and down the Skykomish, to allow for some backcast room. With either style of rod, make sure you take a variety of sink tips to help you get your flies down in the zone, as winter steelhead don’t like to chase a fly as much as their summer brethren. If you have any questions regarding spey casting or getting into the sport let us know we’re more than happy to help you along your way.

1/2/2025: It’s a new year and the fish are in! Nothing is guaranteed in regards to winter steelheading but this would be a good time to stack the deck in your favor. The river is in fishable shape when the flow is below 9’ at Gold Bar. Swinging flies on Skagit tips may not always be the most efficient way to catch winter fish, but it is the most rewarding. Keep the faith and make it happen!

12/11/2024: The Skykomish river is open, giving Seattleites a closer option for steelhead. Recent rains have brought in some fresh fish. Swinging your favorite run is a great day to start the day. Knot on a Hoh Bo Spey, enjoy the fresh air, and maybe catch an early Xmas gift (something shiny and bright!)

10/16/2024: The Skykomish River is set to open up on November 1^st, which is prime time to start looking for some early winter steelhead pushing up the river. The Snohomish River has been open for a few weeks now, and there have been some decent coho being caught. Overall the Snohomish has been a little slower than the Skagit, but its not a bad option for a quick morning trip or if you want to stay a little closer to Seattle. The Rain coming this week should make for even better fishing in the weeks to come, and is setting us up nicely for the November 1^st opener. Make sure you have a good selection of flies in varying sizes and colors to make the best of your fishing trip. Coho can be notoriously tight lipped once they hit freshwater, and having some small flies can turn a slow day into a good one! While you absolutely can swing flies on your spey or switch rods, we tend to fish more single hand rods with floating lines and long leaders in the river. When fishing with the floating lines a heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action. A good place to start would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. Another solid bet in the Snohomish is to fish a larger bright pink fly and strip as fast as possible! We’re not sure why it works well in this system, but historically it has accounted for some very nice fish. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 0-1x tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! Sea run cutthroat can be an amazing fishery to focus on in the rivers. Look for these critters hanging in back eddies, slower seems, and anywhere you have some structure, like wood or rocks to break up the current. They often will hold with coho as well! Single hand 9’ 5 or 6 weight rods are perfect for this matched with a dry line or light sink tip. Small dark leech patterns work very well for these fish and the classic reverse spider would be a welcome addition to any freshwater sea run cutthroat box.

8/12/2024: The Skykomish river and tributaries are all closed to fishing until further notice. Check WDFW’s Website for regulations.

12/14/2023: The Skykomish is open and is dropping nicely after last week’s floods. December is a great month for fishing the Sky. Hatchery fish numbers will increase throughout the month and we should see a few wild fish pushing in soon. Swinging a couple of your favorite runs is a wonderful way to fight cabin fever and potentially connect with one of these special fish!

8/23/2023: The Skykomish is still closed due to low wild Chinook returns. Check back for more infomation.

2/8/2023: The Skykomish is closed for the season. We look forward to revisiting our old friend when it reopens in late May.

Species: Steelhead, salmon, sea-run cutthroat. Typically open June through January. Seasons may change at any time. About the Skykomish River

Spey casting practice at the lake - November, 2023

Stillaguamish River

1/22/2025: The Stillaguamish is fishing ok for steelhead. We haven’t had any stellar reports this year but we have heard of a few fish caught. Most of the river is open through the end of January, though some of it is open through the middle of February. Expect there to be fish in the river the rest of the time its open, its just up to you to go find em!

10/16/2024: The Stillaguamish river is Mostly open as of today. The lower sections have been open for a few weeks and have been putting out some nice fish. Sea Run Cutthroat, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, and Bull trout are all swimming around in the Stillaguamish as your reading this. Overall the fishing has been very up and down, with some days yielding great results and others being very tough. There are lots of Coho salmon pushing through this system right now, but finding biters has been tough. Make sure to keep covering water and presenting your fly to new fish, even if there are fish rolling in the run you are fishing. Make sure you have a good selection of flies in varying sizes and colors to make the best of your fishing trip. Coho can be notoriously tight lipped once they hit freshwater, and having some small flies can turn a slow day into a good one! While you absolutely can swing flies on your spey or switch rods, we tend to fish more single hand rods with floating lines and long leaders in the river. When fishing with the floating lines a heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action. A good place to start would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 0-1x tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! Sea run cutthroat can be an amazing fishery to focus on in the rivers. Look for these critters hanging in back eddies, slower seems, and anywhere you have some structure, like wood or rocks to break up the current. They often will hold with coho as well! Single hand 9’ 5 or 6 weight rods are perfect for this matched with a dry line or light sink tip. Small dark leech patterns work very well for these fish and the classic reverse spider would be a welcome addition to any freshwater sea run cutthroat box. Summer run steelhead are a great fish to go chase this time of year as well. This is a great river to skate dries or fish small traditional wet flies for steelhead right now. The steelhead fishing will continue atleast for another month or so. If I had to pick a small assortment of steelhead flies for the Stillaguamish I wouldn’t leave home without black wooly buggers, steelhead coachman, silver Hilton, black hobo spey, or muddler patterns as well as varying skaters.

12/13/2022: Species: Steelhead, salmon, sea-run cutthroat. Typically open June through January. Seasons may change at any time. Check the WDFW website to receive email updates on rule changes. About the Stillaguamish River

Sauk River

10/16/2024: The Sauk river has been fishing okay, with a few anglers catching coho salmon as well as bull trout and Cutthroat. Though this river doesn’t get a hatchery return of salmon, the wild coho in this system are very grabby and like to eat flies. Take a smaller selection of rabbit fur streamers, egg sucking leeches, and starlight leeches and you should be in the game. ! While you absolutely can swing flies on your spey or switch rods, we tend to fish more single hand rods with floating lines and long leaders in the river. When fishing with the floating lines a heavier weighted fly is necessary to get good depth and action. A good place to start would be various egg sucking leeches, starlight leeches, wooly buggers, Clouser minnows, and Solitudes Deep Six. As far as the leader goes, a standard 9’ 0x leader with the addition of 3-5 feet of 0-1x tippet on the end is a great place to start. It doesn’t cast pretty but it sure works! Sea run cutthroat can be an amazing fishery to focus on in the rivers. Look for these critters hanging in back eddies, slower seems, and anywhere you have some structure, like wood or rocks to break up the current. They often will hold with coho as well! Single hand 9’ 5 or 6 weight rods are perfect for this matched with a dry line or light sink tip. Small dark leech patterns work very well for these fish and the classic reverse spider would be a welcome addition to any freshwater sea run cutthroat box. Bull trout right now are going to be dropping down from the upper rivers after spawning and looking for easy meals to put weight back on. This time of year the bull trout feed heavily on drifting flesh and eggs from decomposing Chinook and Coho salmon as well as multiple different species of baitfish and potentially some bugs as well. We would recommend starting with a flesh fly or something in that general color palate, Pink, orange, white and peach are all great options right now. Look for these bull trout hanging out down river from spawning chinook or coho, or in your traditional walking speed steelhead water.

1/31/2024: The Sauk River steelhead season is a go! The river is open Saturdays through Wednesdays starting February 3^rd and continuing through April 17^th. They are forecasting 5,215 wild steelhead to return to the Skagit system in 2024, meaning this is a good opportunity to get out and swing steelhead close to home. The Sauk is the major tributary to the Skagit we focus our fishing pressure on. The water tends to be on the colored side, as a good portion of the Sauk’s water comes from glacier melt, so make sure you take some larger and/or brighter flies along that will get noticed in the dirty water. When the river is lowering and clearing you can fish your standard steelhead flies and sink tips with good success. Make sure to take a variety of sink tips and gear with you to make the most of a day out on this beautiful steelhead river. Make sure to check www.wdfw.wa.gov for regulations and updates to our 2024 fishing seasons.

2/8/2023: The Sauk is currently closed. Check in later this month to see if it reopens for the catch and release season.

See the above report on the skagit.

Cedar River

10/16/2024: The cedar river is CLOSED FOR THE YEAR! Check in next spring to find out more info.

8/26/2024: The Cedar River is picking back up again! It would be a good idea to go fish this river once of twice more before it closes at the end of the month. These colder nights have turned the bite back on again and it would be worth fishing this system before it closes at the end of the month. Most of the fish we’ve been hearing of have been caught have been taken in deeper moving water and on nymphs or small streamers. The dry fly fishing has been ok in the last few hours of light, but a little slower throughout the day. We have had a few very good reports from folks Euro or High Stick Nymphing the cedar lately as well, so the fish are definitely on the feed.

Suggested Flies: Dries; Humpy, Mini Chubby Chernobyls, Elk Hair Caddis, Royal Wulff or Royal Coachman, Cutter Caddis, Stimulators, Parachute Adams, Parachute Purple Haze, Parachute Ant, Bionic Ant

Nymphs; Pats Rubber Leg, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hares Ear Nymph, Lightning Bug, Duracell Jig, Frenchies, Prince Nymph, Rainbow Warrior, TJ Hooker, Kaufman Stonefly

Streamers; Sculpzilla, Wounded Sculpin, Mini Sculpin, Near-Nuff Sculpin, Wooly Buggers, Zonkers, Muddler Minnow

8/12/2024: The Cedar River has been fishing slower and slower each week. Water temps are starting to climb making for tougher and tougher fishing. If you wanted to get out and give this river a go before it closes, we would highly recommend fishing it late in the evening for the best odds. Evening time on the cedar means the fish will be looking up wanting to feed on the surface, which leads to some excellent dry fly fishing. Any good attractor patterns in sizes #12-16 will work well to raise fish.

Favorite Flies: Royal Wulff, Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Humpy, Mini Chubby Chernobyl, Small Stimulator, Elk Hair Caddis, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hares Ear Nymph, lightning Bug, Copper John

8/23/2023: Cedar River has been fishing ok on a day-to-day basis. We’ve gotten some very good reports and some very slow report depending on the day. Those who have been finding fish have been fishing early in the morning or the last few hours of light as the water temps have been on the rise. Expect to find better fishing in the moving water and pocket water where there’s more dissolved oxygen for the trout to thrive. Most of the fish we’ve been hearing of have been caught have been taken in deeper moving water and on nymphs or small streamers. The dry fly fishing has been ok in the last few hours of light.

Suggested Gear: 7’-9’ 3, 4, or 5 weight fly rods, matching reel, floating line with a 7.5’ or 9’ 2x-4x tapered leader.

Suggested Flies: Dries; Humpy, Mini Chubby Chernobyls, Elk Hair Caddis, Royal Wulff or Royal Coachman, Cutter Caddis, Stimulators, Parachute Adams, Parachute Purple Haze, Parachute Ant, Bionic Ant

Nymphs; Pats Rubber Leg, Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hares Ear Nymph, Lightning Bug, Duracell Jig, Frenchies, Prince Nymph, Rainbow Warrior, TJ Hooker, Kaufman Stonefly

Streamers; Sculpzilla, Wounded Sculpin, Mini Sculpin, Near-Nuff Sculpin, Wooly Buggers, Zonkers, Muddler Minnow

OPENS last weekend in May

Open June through August for trout. This fishery is in the city! Hard fighting rainbow and cutthroat inhabit this urban fishery read about it here: . Ample access along Maple Valley highway above and below Hwy 18. The Cedar is closed to fishing above the Landsburg Bridge. Streamers and very effective, along with nymphing and dryflies. The shop can show you where to access and what bugs are working best.About the Cedar River

Rainbow release. British Columbia stillwater.

Lone/Pass Lakes

2/26/2025: Pass Lake should be a good option. Access has been limited lately due to ice forming around its edges. Warmer temps should keep it open and activate the fish. Try stripping streamers or dunking a chironomid.

1/22/2025: Pass lake is back open and fishing great! We’ve had numerous great reports from folks fishing a variety of techniques. Hanging balanced leeches and chironomids have been the mainstay, though we have heard of fish being taken on a variety of streamers and baitfish patters fished deep, as well as fishing boobies on a full sinking lines.

1/2/2025: If I absolutely had to catch a fish in January, I would head to Pass Lake. The trout stay active through the winter and can be caught on streamers. Once you find them, chironomids suspended under an indicator can bring fast action. The typical trip yields 2 – 6 trout but twenty plus days are common. Those are good odds for winter fly fishing.

12/11/2024: Pass Lake is open again! Fishing has been good using indicators with balanced leeches and blood worms. Lone lake has been consistently productive all season. It’s a serene location and always a pleasant place to fish.

10/16/2024: Last we heard Pass Lake is still closed due to toxic Blue Green Algae blooms. Keep checking in on https://www.nwtoxicalgae.org/ to see when the lake opens back up. Historically this is an amazing time of year to fish Pass lake, and we anticipate good fishing once it is back open. Small minnow and baitfish patterns stripped quickly out from the bank on a floating or intermediate line can produce some exciting action this time of year. Also keep an eye out for evening dry fly fishing, as we have heard of some decent hatched down on Lone Lake.

We have had some excellent reports from Lone Lake this last few weeks. Multiple folks have been having good luck fishing balanced leeches and chironomid patterns earlier in the day and we have heard of good dry fly fishing in the evenings. Having a few different sizes and colors of dries this time of year on the lakes can be crucial, these fish can get picky! With the cooling weather coming up the lakes should continue to fish well.

4/22/2024: Fishing has been off and on at Pass lake. Chironomids are popular offerings but try stripping a big streamer to tempt one of the lake's bigger brown trout. Lone Lake has been fishing well. Chironomids and Carey Specials have been producing good numbers.

1/31/2024: Pass lake has been fishing very consistent with the warmer water temperatures and putting out some very nice fish. We’ve been hearing of a good number of fish being hooked shallow on streamers and various leeches. If the weather stays warmer and sunnier the fishing should continue like this for the near future. If the weather gets colder however, expect the fishing to slow down a little and the fish to move back out deep as well. In the event it cools down be prepared with various balanced leeches and chironomid pupa and bloodworms. The resident nesting pair of bald eagles are still out and harassing those who hook fish, so fight the fish with a low rod angle and use heavier tippet to facilitate a smooth landing.

12/13/2023: Pass is back! After months of closure due to blue-green algae levels, the lake has reopened for fishing. The trout have been unpressured so the bite should be good. Bloodworms and leeches should be the name of the game (sounds like a vampire script). Suspend a Bionic Worm below an indicator or troll a bugger on a sinking line. The Pass Lake fish are strong and worth the winter effort.

8/23/2023: Pass Lake is closed due to a toxic algae bloom. Check back for more updates and information.

5/5/2023: Lone lake has been fishing great and has been putting out some very nice fish. There have been some sparse Chironomid hatches but the chironomid fishing has been good. We have heard reports of folks catching some really sizeable fish hanging a variety of Chironomid Pupa under an indicator. Be on the lookout for big chironomids, we have heard some rumors of some big (Size 12) spring time bombers coming off. Also be on the lookout in these coming few weeks for Callibaetis to start moving around and come prepared with a few patterns incase those fish start looking up for those Stillwater mayflies.

Pass Lake has been fishing ok, we have been receiving a variety of reports varying from dead slow to red hot. Folks fishing chironomid pupa under an indicator has been finding the majority of the fish. Like with Lone Lake, come prepared with some much larger chironomid patterns incase you see some of the large Spring time bombers coming off. Those who don’t want to stare at an indicator can also cast and strip a variety of leech and streamer patterns toward the shore line and weed edges and expect to find a few fish.

4/20/2023: Pass lake has been fair as of lately with anglers catching fish on a variety of tactics. There have been notable Chironomid hatches in the afternoon making for good fishing. Expect to fish Chrionomid pupa under chironomids in the morning and be on the lookout for fish sipping emerging bugs in the afternoon. Those who don’t want to sit and watch an indicator will have no problem finding fish stripping or trolling leech patterns and buggers. If you want to find a brown trout I would recommend fishing afternoons and fish streamer patterns up shallow. Fly Patterns: An assortment of Chironomid Pupa (Chromie, Ice Cream Cone, Zebra Midge, Bloodworm Patterns, Collaborator), Wooly Buggers, Small Streamers, Zonkers, Griffiths gnat.

Lone Lake has also been fishing very well, with good chironomid hatches coming off as well. I would use the same advice posted above under the Pass Lake Report.

02/23/2023: Pass Lake is still fishing good! People fishing a slower sinking line and smaller streamers tight to the banks have been doing good and finding fish. We have also heard solid reports of fish caught on Boobie patterns fished near the bottom in around 10 feet of water. I have not heard a report from any chironomid guys but I’m sure they're finding some fish as there should be some hatches starting. As always make sure to play the fish quickly and keep your rod tip low to avoid the eagles from stealing your trout!

01/20/2023: The Pass Lake launch ramp is open and the fishing has been good. Try stripping streamers or hanging a chironomid below an indicator. Beware of the nesting eagles who will steal your trout if you play it too long.

04/25/2022: Lone Lake has been on the slow side, as anglers put lots of pressure on this shallow lake in the winter and early spring. Try micro leeches stripped very slow in olive and brown. Chironomids under and indicator roughly 6 feet down can be effective as well. Pass Lake has been fishing well (see note below for access issues). Try trolling classic woolly buggers in black, but also in white. Chironomids in tan are always a good option, as that is the dominant species in the lake. And don't forget about the abundant crawfish in the lake; make sure to fish large olive/brown streamers to imitate this large meal.

Pass Lake is still suffering from the lack of a parking lot. Very limited roadside parking, and bring the tube or frame-less boat, as you cannot launch a trailer at this point..

Tsiu River 2022

August '22 SE Alaska - Coho Salmon

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