Fishing Reports & Predictions

 

Spey casting practice at the lake - November, 2023

 

Greetings!

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

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.

2/20/2023Fishing 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

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

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

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

1/31/2024: 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

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 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;  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

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 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 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

Basin Lakes

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

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!

OPENS last weekend in May below Snoqualmie Falls. Open year-round above the falls.
08/01/2022; 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

1/31/2024: The Skagit River steelhead season if a go! The river is open Saturdays through Wednesdays starting February 3rd and continuing through April 17th. 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

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

Stillaguamish River

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

1/31/2024: The Sauk River steelhead season is a go! The river is open Saturdays through Wednesdays starting February 3rd and continuing through April 17th. 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.

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 Sauk River

Cedar River

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

Kitsap Peninsula/Whidbey Island

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 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, Flatwings, Deceivers

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.

Lone/Pass Lakes

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