-Overview by WDFW
- Current Conditions - Graph format of flow rates of the Snoqualmie near Snoqualmie from the USGS
- Current Conditions - Graph format of flow rates of the Snoqualmie River near Carnation from the USGS
- Current Conditions - Graph format of the Snohomish River Basin from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Middle Fork - Jul. 23, 2000
Thanks to: Robert Hill
Hit the middle at about 9:30a this morning. There were a lot of campers all along the river so
I headed up to about 1/8 mile below the closed bridge. From there I hiked into the rapids and started catching trout right away. There was a lot of walking and wading to do in order to find some water that you could set a fly on, but the fishing was worth it. I caught 9-10 trout in about 3 hours. All were in the pocket water just above or to the sides of the whitewater. The average fish was about 7" but I landed one that was 11" and another that was about 13". The tan and olive Elkhair caddis was what caught them all. There were a lot of tiny flies on the water and I almost tried a BWO but the caddis was working too well. A #14 is your best bet. C & R :)
South Fork - July 21, 2000
Thanks to: Zach Delisi
River was in good shape. Fished off exit 42 and downstream. There were some fish jumping but I
didn't get a lot of bites until about 11:00am. The trout started taking a #14 olive elkhair caddis. I caught two in the big hole below the I-90 bridge and 4 more on the right side of the island just below it. 5 of the trout were rainbows all between 8-12 inches. Did land one cutt, about 6 1/2 inches. The weather was nice and there were no other anglers that I saw. Good day overall.
South Fork - June 17, 2000
Thanks to: John Goodleaf
River was high and fast, but relatively clear; not carrying too much sediment. Too fast for fishing in most stretches in this area. No sign of fish in lower area of park. However, on the large pool at the first bend below the falls, a great many active trout were feeding near bottom. Most were between 6-10 inches. One significantly larger fish (well, 14-16 inches...We are talking about the upper Snoqualmie.) feeding on the bottom near the head of the pool. Ignored me. Landed one eight incher and hooked three others that were lost due to tactical difficulties and rustiness on my part. All flies were ignored except a Kaufmann's brown stone (size 4), which raised all four trout. Drag the bottom...
North Fork - May 20, 2000
Thanks to: John Anderson
I ran up to the North Fork with my brother this weekend to check out some early season cut action. The river was in great shape, Gin-clear with managable volume, but cold. Far too cold for those little guys to be doing much more than laying on the bottom praying for July. I did, amazingly, get a couple of grabs and one LDR on a typically small, fiesty, alpine cut. I was dredging the holes under the banks with #14 gray caddis nymphs. I also drowned a #12 little brown stone, with no success. Both of these flies represented species that I found along the banks when I first arrived. Around 3pm a small hatch of mayflies came off, but I didn't see any taken on the surface. All in all it was a beautiful day. I introduced my brother (a long time worm killer) to the art of fly fishing. He spent his day retrieving his flies from brush and logs, but had a great time anyway. (do you remember those days?) I can't wait until mid-summer, when the fish are active, the hatches are thick, and the sun is shining on these beautiful canyons.
Middle Fork - Nov. 2, 1999
Thanks to: Tom Lukas
Arrived late and fished the middle fork of the Snoqualmie off Lake Dorothy road. Wonderful fall day and the river was looking great. Fished a nice big hole rich with insects, flying and in the surface film. Tried numerous patterns and fished went wild for for orange stimulator and red humpy. Had numerous strikes (one while my head was turned watching a car pass on the road) but only landed two fish. No lunkers, just two beautiful 8 inch rainbows which were promptly let on their way.
South Fork - Oct. 21, 1999
Thanks to: andy cooley
Fished out of the twin falls parking lot. Worked up the trail about 10 minute walk. Sunny day, 65 degrees and lots of bugs out, including lots of moths on the water. My 7x leader was too light for the larger fish in this section, and I kept breaking off tippet. Fish struck on royal wulff, elk hair caddis and large stimulator. River is in good shape, clear, cool and still high enough. Biggest was an 8" rainbow, which is ok sized for this river.
Middle Fork - Oct. 10, 1999
Thanks to: Maurice Paquette
I fished the MF Snoqualmie about one mile into the dirt section of Lake Dorothy Road. I was very surprised by the rivers poor visibility, however, the river flow was down considerably. I saw some rising fish in a deep hole, but no bites on nymphs or drys. I spent 2 hours working on my fly casting technique and then went home.
Middle Fork - Aug. 18, 1999
Thanks to: FlyDan
Hit the Middle Fork upstream about 5:30 pm and fished until 8:45pm and it really started getting dark. Caught 2 nice little trout, one cuttbow and one rainbow on an Adams dry fly and a Pheasant Tail Nymph. Had about 5 takes including my strike indicator. Fly fishing on this river is really fun! Hey, even though the fish aren't anything to brag about, they roll like crazy and they really take the popular flies. Recommend fly anglers use about a size 12 fly for this stream. It's very productive. Tight fly lines and leaders to you all This stream is in very good shape right now, so get out when you have the chance!
Middle Fork - July 21, 1999
Thanks to: Rob Painter
Swung out to the Snoq to catch the evening bite. Ended up on the Middle Fork about 8 miles on the gravel section of Lk Dorothy Rd. After about 15 minutes of laying a 'stimulator' out there I landed a 10" rainbow. Caught a couple of other less important fish, but had tight lines nonetheless. Lots of different bugs out, but all they seemed to want was the stimulator. One of my buddies also reeled in a minnow, but no lunkers today...The river is still running pretty fast and not that clear, so we'll see what happens in a couple of weeks. It may also prove worthwhile to move a little further up the river. Put 'em back and catch 'em again!
Middle Fork - May 22, 1999
Thanks to: Matt B.
Fished the Middle Fork as far up-river as I could get from the Middle Fork/Lk. Dorothy rd (the gate at the end). There were a lot of families and campers out, and it was difficult to find a place where there weren't too many people. The weather, however, was extremely cooperative -- with temps in the mid 70's at least, and very little wind, I was blessed with some early-season dry-fly fishing.
The river was still fairly high, so I fished pools and eddys along the bank, and caught 2 nice native cutthroat, each about 7-8 inches long on elk-hair caddis. I also saw three other fish, and got two of them to strike, but no hookup.
As I was leaving, I spoke to another fly-fisherman who was out for a little afternoon fishing with his dog, and I showed him the pool where I had caught the 2 cutts. He seemed excited about the possibilities, and was getting ready to head out as I started my drive home.
June 27, 1998
Thanks to: Richard Ro
I went up flyfishing for the first up at Snoqualmie. We fished below the hatchery for trout.
We used a small mips, Craneflies, and P.M.D we were out on the river at 4PM didn't start
catching fish untill the Sun went down. I fished mips and produced a bunch of small trout.
A guy next to me fished a Royal Coachmen and caught a 13" or so Rainbow.
Feb. 8, 1998
Thanks to: Jeff Hale
Today I took Jere Crosby down the river in my boat, giving him an opportunity to fish
instead of row (which he rarely gets being a guide himself). Today was Crosby's day;
he hooked himself a chrome bright, 8 lb hen on his 9 weight sage flyrod and his new head
system. Nailed the fish on a scissor wing marabou tied in hot orange and red on a #2
hook. The fish fought hard and Jere had a blast. He played the fish expertly and had
the fish subdued and ready to be released in good shape. Crosby's a first rate flyfisherman
and I learn something new everytime we fish together. Always seems I'm learning. That's
what makes it fun.
Feb. 19, 1998
Thanks to Jere Crosby for the following report:
I had the day off and spent most of it in Creekside Angler in Issaquah
talkin fishin instead of doin it! The weather was terrible when I got up,
but turned nice when I headed home to Fall City. As I turned at the Fall
City Bridge I saw a fellow playing a fish and quickly pulled off and ran
over the bank to watch him land it. He had it in the shallows and then
like most natives off it went and goodby. He told me it was a "nice big native,
and by the way, do you have to let them go?" When I told him "yes" and
numerous reasons why, he told me it was a good thing it came unbuttoned,
because he wasn't going to release it!
I raced home and grabbed my flyrod and gear and returned to the scene of the near crime.
Bango, and I was hooked up. After quite a fight, and no more room to follow, a plunker
helped me land it, a native of about 10 lbs. Another fellow told me he'd floated the
Sky the day before and saw two flyfishermen land fish below Sultan and at the takeout
at Ben Howard, 8 boats had caught 6 fish. It's beginning to pick up. For info on
our service or more info on a new, great pattern that I tied to catch the above
mentioned fish. call (425) 222-7556 or checkout our site on this pg.
Jere Crosby, Crosby Tackle Co.
Feb 17, 1998
Thanks to Brett Wedeking for the following report:
This is my fish report for all the fish that weren't caught, by anyone. I
fished today at the Tolt/Snoqualmie confluence and didn't hit a thing, and
neither did anyone else down there. Later I headed downriver near
Carnation Farms but didn't do anything except practice my casting. I
talked to one guy down there but he hadn't seen anything either. It was
raining then so I packed up early and went home. Maybe people on the Sky
had better luck?
February l2, 1998
Thanks to Jere Crosby for the following report:
I fished a fly fisherman from Detroit today. He had but a half day to fish
and had never flyfished for Steelhead before. I armed him with a 13ft. high
D sink-tip and off to the Big T, down where the Tolt comes into the
Snoqualmie. This area is one of the main spawning areas for Steelhead on
the Snoqualmie. With lots of rain lately I was surprised that the river has
held up so well; good color and not much wind. This area often is calm when
the Fall City area is windy.
Fishin a flourescent red Marabou fly on a #2 red Gamakatsu hook we managed
to snag one sucker during the first hour. Fighting sideways, we were sure
we had a steelhead until the lack of a major run tipped us off. Ahead lay
my "leaning tree" hot spot that has produced over time and today did not
disappoint. I picked up the anchor and "boondogged" his fly through the
spot to get it down good and when the line swung upriver he reefed and out
of the water came a small, bright hen that put up an incredible fight. We
did everything we could to lose it; under the boat, in and out of the net;
finally I put the net away and rowed cross river where we could get out and
we beached it. We got a good picture and he got his first steelhead on a
fly.
Prospects look good for native returns. Flyfishin's Crosby's specialty and
anyone interested in learning to flyfish, we'll be having 5 flyfishing
schools beginning May 1, or booking a trip can contact my at:
jcrosby@premier1.net and our site is www.premier1.net/~jcrosby
February 7, 1998
Thanks to Jere Crosby for the following report:
Drove around, talked to fishermen, surveyed a few boats, and did a somewhat accurate
fish check before loading up my pram and heading to a local, year round open,
trout lake. Not much happening until I stopped at Tokul Creek. I stood and watched
the guys fishing the Big Eddy for awhile and a fellow that had been there before me
said nothing had been caught; then I stood on the bridge at Tokul Creek. I watched a
young fellow tell his dad that he just had a strike. Thinking "sure buddy" the guy
immediately below him got a hook-up and landed a pretty nice fish. Then the guy
across creek from him hooked and landed a fish and then another guy; all nice fish.
A number of fishermen just standing around and watching headed for their rigs and
their equipment. A late run had to come in. I saw a number of guys that don't
normally fish the Creek breakin' out the gear. Today was the first day of reopening
the hatchery area and the word got around fast; there were quite a few fishermen
out.
Jere Crosby
Crosby Tackle Co.
Email jcrosby@premier1.net
http://www.premier1.net/~jcrosby
July 13, 1997
Thanks to Chad Keller for the following report:
I finally ventured out to try some fly fishing on some of my favorite spots on the upper branches of the Snoqualmie. Unfortunately the river is flowing at a volume that I am more used to seeing in early June. There are still more kayakers than fishermen up there still. The visibility was decent and exceptional above the Pratt river confluence. The water temperature was was still very cold in the middle fork and seemed to be warming up on the South Fork. The action was very slow wherever I went. I am really hoping that we have a long fall season!
January 10-11, 1997
Thanks to Palo Tung for the following report:
Fished the Snoqualmie at Carnation and at Fall City (flyfishing from bank) several times during the January 10-11 weekend, and a couple of afternoons during the week. The water was falling and still a bit cloudy and the fish were there, though only a couple of anglers had any success. Generally, those that had success were the ones who knew what parts of the pools/runs to fish in high water. Later in the week, when the water cleared, the fish seemed to have moved up river. Thankfully so, since the bait fisherman who had the most success was in the habit of slitting the fishes' gills and letting them thrash on the bank until suffocated or bloodless or both.
