Northwest Fishing Reports

So predicted for Thursday through this weekend is back to back storms, with gusts passing 50 miles per hour. There is also 6-10 inches of rain forecast through that time. How will this effect the coho and salmon running up the rivers? I know that they will start to move further up stream, but how about after the weather passes? Can we expect good fishing or no fish when it clears? I have not had the experience of fishing after any big storms or rains, as this is my first salmon season. Thanks for the input

branweeds wrote:So predicted for Thursday through this weekend is back to back storms, with gusts passing 50 miles per hour. There is also 6-10 inches of rain forecast through that time. How will this effect the coho and salmon running up the rivers? I know that they will start to move further up stream, but how about after the weather passes? Can we expect good fishing or no fish when it clears? I have not had the experience of fishing after any big storms or rains, as this is my first salmon season. Thanks for the input

Should be good fishing higher up in the systems. Not so good lower in the systems. Anywhere there is a hatchery they will most likely stack up near the hatchery before they shoot up any tube or channel that coincides with that hatchery. What you don't want to see if very high water with bad or no visibility hope this helps

riverhunter wrote: hope this helps

Helps a lot! thanks!

Also keep an eye for rising water levels. What you want to look for is dropping river levels

@Riverhunter - is there any way to know visibility from the water flow charts? I assume, the faster the current (higher CFS number) means the river is going to be dirtier and more silty - thus lower visibility. Is this about accurate?

I'm crossing my fingers for good fishing at Skookum after this front passes through, but thinking it will take at least a couple days for the river to clear up? I know South Fork isn't usually as bad as the North Fork.

Jrodell27 unfortunately there is no way to know water clarity without seeing for yourself. Charts can give you an idea but each system has different types of runoff, some being glacial and full of silt others not so much. Also depending what time of year and what type of surroundings the river is surrounded by. For example big rivers with lots of boulders and not much sand or dirt will stay clear longer then rivers with sandy bottoms and sandy banks. From my experience I simply don't fish rising rivers especially with the kind of storm that we are suppose to recieve

branweeds wrote:So predicted for Thursday through this weekend is back to back storms, with gusts passing 50 miles per hour. There is also 6-10 inches of rain forecast through that time. How will this effect the coho and salmon running up the rivers? I know that they will start to move further up stream, but how about after the weather passes? Can we expect good fishing or no fish when it clears? I have not had the experience of fishing after any big storms or rains, as this is my first salmon season. Thanks for the input

Actually the rising river will bring more Coho in from the sound. The upper river section typically drop back into shape first but the Snohomish should be good on the incoming and slack tide.

branweeds wrote:I'm crossing my fingers for good fishing at Skookum after this front passes through, but thinking it will take at least a couple days for the river to clear up? I know South Fork isn't usually as bad as the North Fork.

Depending on the river and how much ground saturation there already is most rivers will drop as quickly as they went up. I have caught a lot fish when no one else is around because " the river is blown" the fish are just in closer.

@Riverhunter - thank you for the tips and advice. I will have to continue to venture out on the Duwamish/Green and just keep a keen eye on what the water is doing, what color it is, and how fast it's flowing and when - especially in relation to rain and weather like this. Thanks again for the tips as well @strider!

I have a guided trip planned on the Columbia near Woodland Friday. I asked the guide whether or not they would cancel the trip. They're fishing today, and the weather looks to be better Friday (less rain and wind than forecasted for Thurs). Said they'd confirm with me after their trips are done today.

Anyone have any thoughts, comments, suggestions on this? If the trip's not cancelled, and weather is not dangerous, do you think the fishing will be good?

strider43 wrote:

branweeds wrote:So predicted for Thursday through this weekend is back to back storms, with gusts passing 50 miles per hour. There is also 6-10 inches of rain forecast through that time. How will this effect the coho and salmon running up the rivers? I know that they will start to move further up stream, but how about after the weather passes? Can we expect good fishing or no fish when it clears? I have not had the experience of fishing after any big storms or rains, as this is my first salmon season. Thanks for the input

Actually the rising river will bring more Coho in from the sound. The upper river section typically drop back into shape first but the Snohomish should be good on the incoming and slack tide.

While the rains bring more fish in and yes you could catch them as they are closer the problem being that salmon on a river are migratory as in the salt but this doesn't pertain much to saltwater fishing so with more moving water and faster flows they seem to turn off as they will continue on their journey. If you decide to fish remember to look for areas where these fish tend to hold more often. ( hatcheries, barriers etc)

riverhunter wrote:

strider43 wrote:

branweeds wrote:So predicted for Thursday through this weekend is back to back storms, with gusts passing 50 miles per hour. There is also 6-10 inches of rain forecast through that time. How will this effect the coho and salmon running up the rivers? I know that they will start to move further up stream, but how about after the weather passes? Can we expect good fishing or no fish when it clears? I have not had the experience of fishing after any big storms or rains, as this is my first salmon season. Thanks for the input

Actually the rising river will bring more Coho in from the sound. The upper river section typically drop back into shape first but the Snohomish should be good on the incoming and slack tide.

While the rains bring more fish in and yes you could catch them as they are closer the problem being that salmon on a river are migratory as in the salt but this doesn't pertain much to saltwater fishing so with more moving water and faster flows they seem to turn off as they will continue on their journey. If you decide to fish remember to look for areas where these fish tend to hold more often. ( hatcheries, barriers etc)

They often hug the bank as they look for the least path of resistance. Visibility will play a role as well but they can be caught even down low. Not sure what your referring to regarding salt water....places where fish will hold will change as the depth of the river changes. When I started this venture I kept track of where I caught the fish and what the flow was at the time.

I mentioned saltwater as I expected someone to say that salmon are migratory their whole lives. Not actually referring to anything else but the simple fact that they do travel there whole entire life but once in a river just like you said we can predict a little on what they will be doing on given conditions. And yes they do hug banks on faster flows and they always look for fewest resistance. Keep in mind sockeye fishing or steelhead fishing most are caught closer to banks and they choose the least resistance possible

branweeds wrote:I'm crossing my fingers for good fishing at Skookum after this front passes through, but thinking it will take at least a couple days for the river to clear up? I know South Fork isn't usually as bad as the North Fork.

if you haven't been by the river today oh my...... up 4 to 6 feet and still rising... Looked horrible..... There will be new places to fish after this storm, hell yesterday there was a new cut just off the highway in acme....... this river will take a week or so to be fishable.....

And the 'big storm' hasn't even hit yet.

Might be time to go volunteer at a nearby hatchery? "thinkin out loud"

How does one do that? Just give them a call? I would love to go help out

who caught fish today?

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrogra ... gage=nksw1
ahahahaahha jokester..... River has seen flows over 10 of new water from the north....