Fishing Reports & Predictions

Yak Bow take in March on a Skwala Dry - Credit Bryan Lacoma

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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

4/2/2025: The Olympic Peninsula Steelhead season is officially over! We heard of some good fishing this year and got to see some amazing photos from customers of their trophies! There are a few lakes that are open and should be fishing well on the peninsula. You could also start poking around for sea run cutthroat on some of the Kitsap area beaches. Ocean bottom fish seasons have opened as well, and fishing has been great so far for black rockfish and lingcod. This can be a fun fishery on a fly rod, and one rarely tackled by the fly angler. Give us a call if you are interested in this fishery, it can be a blast.

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.

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

Dandy of a Yakima River Bow

5/6/2025: The Yakima River has been fishing great lately! We have been hearing of Salmon fly hatches up and down the river. These large bugs make for some entertaining fishing. There are still good BWO and March brown hatches in the afternoon as well as an abundance of the Mother’s Day Caddis. Come prepared with a variety of flies this time of year for your best odds at a good day. Keep an eye out on the water flows, as we are due to see the state releasing water and salmon smolt. This can make for tough conditions for dry flies, though the streamer fishing can be fantastic as those trout are on the hunt for smolt. Come into the shop and check out a few new fly patterns perfect for these hatches.

4/22/25: River flows are fluctuaing but fishing should be good from a boat. March Brown mayflies and small caddis could provide decent dry fly action. Perdigon and stonefly nymphs would also be good bets.

4/2/2025: The Yakima River has been fishing well the last few weeks. The water is up right now so fishing has been slow the last few days, though it should be great once this water drops. The Skwala Stoneflies should be at thier peak numbers right now, with the hatch starting to slow down in the next few weeks. Keep your eyes out for March Browns starting to come off in the coming weeks as well. Baetis hatches have been happening almost daily with the conditions permitting, so make sure to carry an assortment of baetis dries and nymphs to make the most out of your fishing trip. If you are headed out when the water is still up make sure to pack some streamers and some San Juan or Squirmy worms to turn around the potentially slow day. As usual, we would recommend nymphing earlier in the day and switching to dries as the day progresses and the hatches develop.

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!

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

5/6/2025: Rocky Ford is still fishing good. This time of year can bring on some good hatches and the best dry fly fishing of the year. Expect these fish to be on the lookout for a variety of dries. Small BWO, Midge, Pmd, Mahoganys, March Browns, and Callibaetis are all on the menu right now. Look for the bulk of your hatch to occur in the early afternoon so come prepared to fish nymphs in the morning. As always, scuds are an important part of these fishes diets so don’t leave home without a few in your box. Streamers can work well depending on the day. Some customers like to fish smaller bugger and leech patterns while others like to fish large chunks of meat like a Dolli Llama. Both of these will work, it just depends on the day. Dry Falls is still fishing well. We are just starting to hear of Callibaetis and damselfly nymph activity, and this should just get better in the coming weeks. Chironomid anglers have still been finding their fair share of fish as well as those fishing leeches or buggers. Make sure to bring a variety of different fly patterns as the fish can easily key in on one hatch or another on a particular day. We are freshly re-stocked on balanced leeches and chironomids so come on in and get some new flies for that lake box!

4/2/2025: Dry Falls has been fishing well since the opener! We have had numerous customers headed over there and we’ve gotten back some stellar reports! It sounds like the Chironomid hatches have been prolific this year and they should continue as such. We spoke to one customer who has been fishing booby patterns as well as various leeches and finding his fair share of fish as well. Rocky Ford has been fishing well. This exciting spring creek fishery offers a good opportunity at hooking some of the largest trout in the state. This time of year on rocky ford can bring a good variety of hatches. With the warming weather, we will start to see some baetis hatches as well as callibaetis and other mayflies. There are still the other always present food items in this creek, such as midge, leeches, and scuds, that should stock the rocky ford anglers fly box. Make sure to watch out for rattlesnakes and ticks as the weather warms. We recommend wearing your waders for an extra layer of pretection, just remember there is no wading allowed in this creek.

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.

Call the shop for a more refined report.

South Puget Sound

Wet fall day out hunting for Sea Run Cutthroat

5/6/2025: The south Puget sound is still fishing good for sea run cutthroat, and we have heard of a few resident silvers being caught lately as well. Chum fry are still hanging around on the beaches, waiting to make their big migration to the ocean, which has made for good fishing. Much like up north, there has been a good amount of other bait swimming around as well, so keep a few extra patterns on hand just in case. Herring, Sand Lance, and Shiner Perch are all on the menu as well as the chum fry. The upcoming tides are looking very good, with large tidal swings guaranteed to move some bait around.

4/2/2025: The south Puget sound has been hot! There are lots of chum fry that are starting their migration out to the ocean, and the cutthroat are out chasing them around. While the primary forage for Sea Run Cutthroat are chum fry right now, we would recommend still carrying a few staple patterns just in case. Small Sand Lance imitations, Small Herring patterns, as well as surface flies and some krill should be brought along in case they don’t want your chum fry offerings. There are some strong tidal currents this time of year that can make for fun fishing. With the massive tide changes in the near future, this is also a fun time to scout your local beaches on these super low tides and figure out what structure is sitting out there! As always, we have some great locally tied chum fry patterns in the shop to make your day a success!

3/18/2025: 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.

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

5/6/2025: The North Puget sound is fishing well lately. The Chum salmon smolt are still hanging around on the beaches, though we would expect them to start migrating out to the ocean any time soon. There has been an abundance of other bait so far this year as well. Lots of herring, sand lance, and shiner perch have all been seen swimming around the beaches as well. The tides are perfect in the coming weeks to explore new beaches and possibly catch that trophy SRC off the Puget sound beaches. Every beach fishes a bit differently, but I would recommend starting fishing an hour or so before low slack tide and fish until a few hours after. We still have some local and custom tied chum fry patterns in the shop to help you find these special fish.

4/2/2025: The seattle are beaches are starting to fish decent and will just keep getting better in the coming weeks! There are large amounts of chum fry exiting our Puget Sound Rivers this year, which will make for exciting fishing. While the primary forage for Sea Run Cutthroat are chum fry right now, we would recommend still carrying a few staple patterns just in case. Small Sand Lance imitations, Small Herring patterns, as well as surface flies and some krill should be brought along in case they don’t want your chum fry offerings. With the massive tide changes in the near future, this is also a fun time to scout your local beaches on these super low tides and figure out what structure is sitting out there! As always, we have some great locally tied chum fry patterns in the shop to make your day a success!

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.

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

Guide Dante with a nice Puget Sound Chinook taken on a fly

5/6/2025: The Kitsap Area beaches are fishing red hot right now! We’ve heard multiple great reports lately and have seen some beautiful fish pictures! The bulk of the Chum fry are moving outward toward the ocean and the Kitsap beaches are right along their travel route. This can make for some of the best sea run cutthroat fishing in the state. Make sure to have a few different sizes of chum fry as the Sea runs can be size picky. It isn’t a bad idea to have some other baitfish patterns as well, as these chum fry could start moving any time now. Your box should have a few herring patterns, sand lance, and a few euphasid or krill flies as well. Be on the lookout for these upcoming tides in the next few weeks, as the larger than usual tide swings can make for productive fishing.

4/2/2025: Kitsap area beaches are producing some nice fish right now! The bulk of the outgoing chum fry have to pass many of the Kitsap beaches on their way out to the ocean, making these beaches a great area to look for these opportunistic cutthroat waiting to ambush their pray. While the primary forage for Sea Run Cutthroat are chum fry right now, we would recommend still carrying a few staple patterns just in case. Small Sand Lance imitations, Small Herring patterns, as well as surface flies and some krill should be brought along in case they don’t want your chum fry offerings. With the massive tide changes in the near future, this is also a fun time to scout your local beaches on these super low tides and figure out what structure is sitting out there! As always, we have some great locally tied chum fry patterns in the shop to make your day a success!

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.

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

5/6/2025: The Basin lakes have continued to fish well the past few weeks. We are starting to hear of some Callibaetis hatching! The usual bugs are also out in prevalence, primarily chironomids, damselflies, dragonflies, leeches and baitfish. This time of year it is very important to have a good variety of fly patterns, as the trout can key in on very specific bugs on different days. Streamer fishing is another good option, most of these lakes have an abundance of smaller baitfish, sculpin, and crawfish that the trout will opportunistically feed on.

4/21/2025: Basin lakes continue to produce good numbers of trout. Chironomids and buggers are a good combination at Lake Lenice. The average fish size is smaller this season but action is consistent.

4/2/2025: This is the time to be on the Basin Lakes! The fishing has been fantastic so far this year on many of the eastern Washington lakes. Chironomid hatches seem to be quite large this year making for good fishing as well as some nice sized fish! Make sure to take a large assortment of chironomids with you as the fly can make quite the difference in a fishery like this! We would recommend bringing along leech patterns and various small streamers as well. It sounds like the afternoon and evening dry fly fishing has been outstanding as well, and we expect this to continue through the coming weeks. Come by and see all the new Stillwater gadgets we have! We have been boosting up our Stillwater supplies throughout the past years as the lake fishing has been on the rise!

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!

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

Trout like this are all over in our local creeks. This ones got a mouth full of feathers!

5/6/2025: The Middle Fork Snoqualmie is fishing so so. If you can time your trip between the snow melt you can find a good fishing day close to the city. If the water is up, we would recommend nymphing or fishing small streamers. There are no major hatches this time of year though these fish are very opportunistic and will eat a variety of different attractor flies. If you luck out and find yourself on the river while the water is on the lower side, most attractor dries sizes 12-16 will work well. The creeks should start fishing more consistent once the snow melt slows down, hopefully sometime in early to mid-June.

4/2/2025: The Snoqualmie river downstream from the forks is closed to fishing until later in April, though the upper forks can offer some decent trout fishing this time of year. Make sure to check the water levels as snow melt can drastically effect the fishing. There might be a few fish poking around looking for dry flies, though the bulk of your success will still be on nymph patterns or small streamers.

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.

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

5/6/2025: The lower reaches of the Skagit River are open for Spring Chinook right now and fishing has been so so. These Spring Chinook are notoriously tricky to get to bite, though there are a few lucky people a year who tie into these magnificent fish. The river is only open until May 14^th, from the highway 536 bridge up to the mouth of Gilligan Creek. These fish can be tempted by large chartreuse, purple, or black flies. Feel free to ring us if you have any more questions about this unique fishery.

4/2/2025: Theres still almost two weeks to go catch a steelhead on the Skagit! These recent rains and the start of snow melt have brought more fish in the river. These final days of the season are definitely not to be slept on. We have heard of some nice fish being caught and anticipate that to continue through the season. As the fish start to sit in freshwater longer, remember they can start to revert back to their trouty taste. This is a good time to think about mixing up the colors of your flies. More natural and drab colors can fish very well later in the season like this. Remember to treat these fish with respect and care and make sure they stay wet and swim away strong.

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!

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

4/2/2025: The Skykomish is currently closed for fishing.

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.

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

4/2/2025: The Stillaguamish is closed for fishing currently, check back later for updates!

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.

Sauk River

4/2/2025: The Sauk River is fishing well and should continue to for the rest of the season. As with the Skagit, these recent bumps in water have definitely brought in more fresh fish. Expect to see more fish trickling in through the rest of the season. These final days of the season are definitely not to be slept on . As the fish start to sit in freshwater longer, remember they can start to revert to their trouty side. This is a good time to think about mixing up the colors of your flies. More natural and drab colors can fish very well later in the season like this. Remember to treat these fish with respect and care and make sure they stay wet and swim away strong.

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.

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

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

5/6/2025: Lone Lake has been fishing great! We have heard of good dry fly fishing in the evenings, as well as good chironomid and leech fishing during the day. Expect to see some Callibaetis starting to move around soon as well as damselfly and dragonfly nymphs. This is a great time of year to fish our local lakes and soak up some sunshine. Pass lake has still been hit or miss. We have had a few customers come in and report productive days, though most have been having a harder go at it. Much like lone lake, most of the fish have been being caught on chironomids, though there have been some nice fish on streamers and damselfly nymphs as well. Look for fish starting to cruise around the shorelines eating dries or emergers in the weed edges, as this can be a clue there are some callibaetis coming off and produce some exciting fishing. Ask us about our favorite callibaetis patterns, as there can be a lot of variation in these bugs from lake to lake.

4/2/2025: We have had great reports as of lately from both lone lake and pass lake. There have been large amounts of chironomids coming off daily that are making for some great fishing. Make sure to bring a good assortment of chironomid patterns, as the fly can make quite a difference in this fishery. Those who have been fishing buggers and leeches have also been able to find their fare share of fish in the past weeks. Expect the fish to be in a variety of different depths and locations as the water is warming up. We have been hearing the most luck being had in the 10-14 foot range though there have been fish being taken closer to shorelines and drop-offs as well. The Chironomid hatches should continue for the foreseeable future, though be on the lookout for damselfly nymph, dragonfly nymphs, and callibaetis nymphs in the coming weeks. As always with Pass Lake, it’s a good idea to take a streamer set up and fish tight to the banks with a larger baitfish pattern and strip back fast. This can produce not only quality rainbows, but you might be surprised with a nice brown trout! This is a great time of year to go enjoy the Stillwater fishing this state has to offer!

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.

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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