Fishing seems to have tapered off locally in most rivers and lakes. North Sound rivers, such as the Skykomish, are producing good catches of coho. The Olympic Peninsula rivers near Forks are good steelhead options.
RIVERS
Green: Fishing has been mixed with some people catching chum. The action might improve now that water levels have come back down.
Humptulips: Angling has been fair for coho and chinook. Coho fishing should continue this month, and winter-run steelhead will begin to show up as well, said Phil Stephens of Mystical Legends Guide Service.
Minter: The method doesn’t seem to matter, just get your gear in front of a chum willing to bite. Online reports say the action remains excellent, but expect lots of other anglers.
North Sound: The Reiter Pond area of the Skykomish was producing limits of steelhead earlier this week. People were using jigs under a float. The Snoqualmie also is producing good catches of steelhead, as well as a few chum.
Olympic Coast: Steelhead fishing has been fair to good in most of the rivers. The Hoh is just coming into shape this weekend, so it would be a good option. Drift-fishing or using jigs tipped with sand shrimp are good techniques right now.
Puyallup: There are few reports from the river right now, but flows have returned to levels typical for this time of year.
Satsop: There remain plenty of coho in the river, but you have to put back a lot of wild fish before boating a hatchery fish.
Yakima: Cold overnight temperatures might lead to some ice buildup that has slowed the fishing. Folks who are heading out are using small flies, like size 20 brassies or black WD-40s, said a staffer at Red’s Fly Shop.
LAKES
American: Few people have been fishing lately, said David Anderson at Bill’s Boathouse, so he had nothing to report.
Beaver: This Issaquah-area lake is worth the drive. Fly anglers are fishing leech patterns on full sink lines for rainbow trout.
Offut: People are catching rainbow trout measuring 16-18 inches, said Becky Pogue at Offut Lake Resort. Green and orange Power Bait with a worm fished midmorning has been best.
Spencer: This Mason County lake and others nearby have been slow.
SALT WATER
Fly-fishing: Resident coho are being caught from beaches along the Tacoma Narrows. Olive and white Miniceivers fished on an intermediate line are working well, said Anil Srivastava at Puget Sound Fly Co.
Hoodsport: Chum fishing has been fair to good at the hatchery. Most anglers are floating a whole anchovy on a double hook setup 4-5 feet under a bobber. Others are using chartreuse corkies and yarn, said Ron Adams at Verle’s Sports Center
North Sound: Some steelhead are being caught from the western beaches of Whidbey Island, said Mike Chamberlain of Ted’s Sports Center.
Tacoma: Salmon fishing has shown some improvement. People are trolling a flasher with a spoon or hoochie on the bottom in water 150 feet deep. Hit the area from the slag pile to Point Defiance, said a staffer at Point Defiance Boathouse.
Crab fishing in the area has been pretty good, said Tom Pollack at Sportco. He brought in some large crab – some over 8 inches – in several pots recently. Squid fishing has improved in recent days.
Jeffrey P. Mayor, staff writer jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.