Northwest Fishing Reports

As fishing has for the most part mellowed down now I was just thinking to myself what I could/should be fishing for right now and then I got to thinking if I could make myself a year round fishing schedule for WA what would it be like. I was curious as to what everyone's year long schedule would look like?

Jan-March... year round lakes for rainbows, some salt water beach fishing.
March-Sept. Bass fishing, fly fishing rivers and lakes. Beach fishing salt water. Salmon fishing in the salt during summer, Mackinaw fishing, Kokanee when available, Lahontin cutthroat via Omak lake, surf perch fishing at the coast.

Sept-Dec. Fall fly fishing trout and whitefish fishing in streams/Central cascades.

hawkoath wrote:As fishing has for the most part mellowed down now I was just thinking to myself what I could/should be fishing for right now and then I got to thinking if I could make myself a year round fishing schedule for WA what would it be like. I was curious as to what everyone's year long schedule would look like?

Don't think too much of it as winding down. Just think of it as this is the time of year when there are less pleasure boaters out there disturbing you, less anglers for the most part. But look at weekends like we just had. You have beautiful blue sky and calm waters to almost yourself. There are so many waters that are open outside of the traditional April-Oct season.

Fishin' never stops. Fall/winter lake Roosevelt trout/triploids and the occasional kokanee. Spring walleye at Roosevelt and trout/German browns at inland lakse. Kokanee in Idaho. Bass, perch and crappie as the water warms. Summer night fishing Loon kokanee. Early fall king salmon and sockeye in the Columbia. Whew....so many fish so little time! Rather wear out than rust out.

Throw in the surprise winter kokanee fishery on Chelan (and Merwin). Usually April is when I start on the kokanee, maybe a little bass fishing in the spring, a saltwater bottom fishing trip is always in order. summer kokanee/bass/ and come July sockeye gearing up on Baker and now we've added Lake Wenatchee to our must go list. August early will be pinks in the salt, following them into the rivers. Silvers in the Sound September. Hmmm, Chinook on the Columbia mid-September, then coho in the rivers October, and into November now that I've re-discovered the Satsop (and Chelalis system). Late Nov/Dec some kind of steelheading - if there's any left in WA. :-( Can always go back to the Clearwater in ID, where the state embraces hatcheries and the 10-15 pound fish that they produce over there.

Throw in a few late summer/fall Alpine hikes...

Too many options!

Mid March thru mid Oct., almost daily, from 3 to 7 days in a row, even daily for a couple weeks in a row. Last year it was 39 days in a row in July, Aug., and Sept. Bass: Largies and Smallies.

Mid Oct. to mid March, with a day or 2 off between a day or 2 in a row of fishing-for Bass of course. Bass: Smallies and Largies.

my fishing season on Washington is from april 1- march 31, something, somewhere is biting,

Mine's not to different from others:

Dec-March: Steelhead whenever possible, trout/perch in lakes when not
April-August: kokanee, kokanee and more kokanee, perch/trout when the kokanee fishing is slow
August-Dec: still some kokanee but switching to salmon more and more, fall trout when rivers are out of shape and of course the lowly perch, love those tasty critters

Going to try for summer steel more hopefully but it's not something I focus on currently.

There is always something to fish for year round. Each season has it's pleasures and inconveniences, part of the fun.

Good thread.

January- Steelhead in the Puget Sound area and cold water Walleye and Steelhead over east
February- Normally Im fishing Blackmouth and chasing Steelhead on the coast. But this year has been Mack's and Kokanee in Chelan.
March & April- Chelan Kokanee and starting to fish Lake Stevens more and more. Heading down to the big C to fish Springers.
May- Full blown Kokanee mayhem in American and Lake Stevens
June- Summer Steelhead and Kings on the Sky, Sockeye on the Skagit, Kings in the Salt
July- The month of so many choices. I start off the month on the Lower Columbia for Sockeye and Steelhead, head to Baker Lake for the opener, Back to Brewster for Sockeye and Chinook. Up to Wenatchee to finish off the month.
August- Finishing up my Sockeye fishing over east and starting to fish the Salt for Salmon
September- HUMPIES! Coho in the Salt and in the river later in the month. And fishing pre-spawn Kokanee.
October & November- Coho on the "S" rivers
December- Fix the boat and get all the fishing gear ready to rock and roll, maybe a Steelhead or two

Dang, thanks for the reminder. Walleye in the fall at potholes, my new "must do" yearly fishery.

Nice list. I think I would add Shad season (haven't fished it yet but want to try this year) and bottomfish.

hawkoath wrote:Nice list. I think I would add Shad season (haven't fished it yet but want to try this year) and bottomfish.

Shad are fun to catch. The thing I remember most about shad was the strong odor under the dam, whew!

Mine changes from time to time but it's mostly:

January Winter Steelhead On the Coast
February & March I don't really fish, maybe Native Steelhead once or twice or a Lake
April & May Lake Leland Rainbows
June and July Summer Runs
August and September Quilcene Coho
October & November Dungeness Coho
December Winter Runs on the Coast


That's typically my fishing season every year. The only time I fish every day is in October and November, and then for the rest of the year whenever I can. I try to make it out at least once a week when I can though.

Awesome thread here, seeing as I very much endorse the idea of year round fishing as well. I have come to the conclusion so far that some months are simply a lot harder than others, but that there are always fish that are willing to bite. What I have listed here are many things I have done personally, and many things that I want to add into my circuit after having built up some info on them. So many fish, so little time....

January: Winter Steel (Sky, Wallace)
February: Winter Steel (Sky, Skook)
March: Winter Steel (Skook); Trout (lakes); Cutts (salt)
April: Trout (lakes); Lahontan Cutts (Omak); Cutts (salt); Springers (Cow); LMBs and SMBs
May: Springers (Cow); Trout (lakes); LMBs and SMBs; Cutts (salt); Lings
June: Summer Steel (Sky); Chinook (Sky); Trout (rivers)
July: Summer Steel (Sky); Sockeye (Skagit); Sockeye (Baker); Trout (rivers, alpine lakes)
August: Pinks (salt); Chinook (Skoke); Panfish (lakes); Trout (rivers, alpine lakes)
September: Pinks (rivers); Coho (salt); Chinook (Samish); Trout (rivers, lakes)
October: Coho (rivers); Trout (rivers, lakes)
November: Coho (rivers); Chum (Whatcom, Green, Skoke); Trout (rivers, lakes)
December: Winter Steel (Sky, Wallace)