Blue Wing Olives
September-April: Best to fish when the weather is bad. Afternoon hatches on cold, overcast days.
Washington, Wild Steelhead Stronghold
Salt, Desert, Mountains, FISH!
We have to call Washington one of the fishiest states. I mean, the variety of quality fishing opportunities is unrivaled. It is still the best place in the world to catch a huge wild winter steelhead.
There are wild trout everywhere from the saltwater to the tiniest desert spring creeks to the slopes of Mt Rainier and everywhere in between. Central and eastern WA have some of the best lake fishing in the country. Hundreds of productive lakes fill the landscape, and the trout grow big and strong in a hurry.
Other great fisheries include the 6+ million Columbia River Shad run along with a seriously world-class smallmouth fishery in the Columbia, Snake and Yakima rivers.
Throw in spring and fall salmon fishing, spooky desert spring creeks, the occasional muskie adventure, maybe some saltwater rockfish and you have a huge variety of fisheries in a small package.
You can, within the state, experience a completely different fishing scenario every weekend of the year without repeat. What a state!
Current Conditions and Reports:
Washington Lakes,
Yakima River,
Fish and Wildlife Weekender Report
Further Readings:
Columbia Basin Redband,
Cowlitz River,
Sauk-Skagit Steelheading
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Flies By Species - Washington
Popular Trout Hatches/Patterns in Washington
Chironomids
Washington lakes are very well known for their massive spring chironomid hatches. Very few places on earth see size 12 chironomids that grab the attention of every trout in the lake.
Pale Morning Duns
PMDs are the classic Western Mayfly. Dependable and delicious, trout love them.
March Browns
April-May: These bugs love riffles in the late afternoon!
Caddis
April-October, Washington has consistent, large caddis hatches on many popular trout streams.
Terrestrials
July-September; Hoppers, Crickets, Beetles, Ants. Fish these patterns!
Washington Hatch Charts
Chopaka Lake
Its SOOOO far from a city, or a town, or a store or anything else.... but the trout grow big in a hurry and love to eat callibaetis all summer long!
Rocky Ford Creek
This was once the epicenter of fly fishing in Washington. The juicy spring creek hosts a hatchery and tons of big, feisty trout that can be super picky. This is the type of place that will hone your skills like a whetstone.
Seeps Lakes / Columbia Basin Lakes
This hatch chart should cover many of the Columbia River Basin Lakes, including those in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge Quail Lake and other Seeps Lakes. T his should also cover Nunally, Merry, Bobby Lake, Lenice Lake, Lenore Lake, Dry Falls Lake, Dusty Lake, Amber Lake, Potholes, and countless others in the Columbia Basin.
Snoqualmie River
The upper forks of the Snoqualmie river are intimate, fun little trout streams. Most folks fish the middle or south forks. Not a ton of bug life, but tons of eager fish that love dry flies.
Yakima River
In a state known for steelhead and salmon, the Yakima River in Central Washington is the state’s premier wild trout stream. Eighty five miles of water upstream of Roza Dam holds wild rainbow, and insect hatches that feed them heartily.