Trout Fishing Tips

While many Washington anglers will be out fishing this Memorial Day weekend, some have chosen to wait until June 1st - when rivers and streams generally open for trout fishing.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife generally waits until spawning season is over before opening many rivers and streams for trout fishing. This is part of an ongoing effort to protect wild trout.

Cedar River will be among the rivers open June 1 for trout fishing. The fishery has selective gear rules, and is catch and release only.

Other rivers to try on the June 1 opener for steelhead are the Stillaguamish North Fork (fly-fishing only), Snoqualmie (no bait allowed), Soleduck, Hoh, Bogachiel, Green, Skykomish, Satsop, Elochoman, Skagit, Calawah and Chehalis.

You might want to keep in mind that you're not allowed to keep and possess bull trout on the Skagit river.

Also until further notice the Cowlitz River is closed to all fishing. This closure will assist the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery which serves to release large numbers of hatchery smolts and also traps hatchery adult broodstock.

The fly fishermen at Lone and Pass lakes are doing quite well on trout. Other trout lakes worth checking out are Meridian, Jameson, Warden, Cassidy, Roesiger, Green, Martha, Pine, Lone, Cottage, Mayfield, Rattlesnake, Langlois, McMurray, Wilderness, Bosworth, Spanaway, Angle, Wapato, Spectacle, Deer and Tanwax.

If you don't have a fishing license yet, you might want to mark June 9th and 10th on your calendar! These days have been designated free fishing days (meaning, that no license is required for residents or non-residents). However, a catch record card is still required to fish for or retain Dungeness crab, steelhead, salmon, sturgeon and halibut in most waters.

Want to know which trout streams are under fished in Washington? Click here.

Good luck!

Labels: bull trout, Cowlitz River, Skagit River, Steelhead, Trout Fishing in Washington

According to guide Sam Ingram, steelhead trout have been displaying an array of rare acrobatics these days on the Skagit River in Washington State.

Ingram reported that fishing has been really good for a couple of weeks now, since water releases have dropped and stabilized to a degree on the big river. His clients have been hooking 3-4 trout a day, with many of them in the 14-20 pound range! And the season remains open through the end of the month.

If the Sauk is relatively clean, folks might want to give the Rockport-to-Concrete drift a try. But if it's blownout, the Marblemount-Rockport stretch can be productive.

Ingram says the big, aggressive natives are suckers for a properly presented plug. He says he'll trollback a Hot Shot in 35 size in clear water, but then jump to a larger Tadpolly (or it's replacement Clattertrap) when visibility drops. Pink, cop car, and blues have been productive color patterns recently. But any good angler knows it's best to be prepared to change colors if something isn't working.

Steelhead expert Bill Herzog prefers using spoons when fishing for the big steelhead trout - especially in low visibility conditions. He's written a book called,Spoon Fishing for Steelhead
exposing all of his secrets! It's a bit advanced, but full of great information.

Be sure to read the regs first - as this is a special trout fishery which requires single, barbless hooks, no bait or scent, and knotless nets.

Dolly Varden and sea-run cutthroat trout are also available for catching on the Skagit River right now - especially below the forks on the lower end.

On the Olympic Penisula, the Sol Duc remains open to steelheading through the end of the month. This is one of those rivers where anglers may legally keep one wild-stock steelhead per season - although most anglers release their catch.

For more information on Washington Trout Fishing, visit www.wdfw.wa.gov.

For information on drift-fishing for steelhead trout, click here.

Labels: Skagit River, Steelhead fishing, Steelhead Trout, Washington Trout Fishing