March 2026 fishing report
Yakima River: Reports out of Cle Elum/Ellensburg have been great prior to our recent rainfall, with consistent fishing almost daily! The dry flies have emerged, leading to many trout anglers favorite time of the year, active trout looking for surface bugs! With the onset of the Skwala's fish have adjusted their likely habitat, shifting into shallow (think 1-3' deep!) shelves, inside seamlines, and structured troughs of 3'+ of depth. They have begun to stage in slightly faster water.
Flows are currently high, but with the cooler weather forecast over the weekend we should see flows begin to recede. Keep your eyes on the weather forecasts, and plan accordingly! Otherwise so long as there is about 2' of clarity, the fish will still be feeding! For wading access, look for flows below 4-500 cfs for Easton to Cle Elum, below 1000-1500 cfs for Cle Elum to Teanaway, and below 1500 cfs for the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. Otherwise so long as there is about 2' of clarity, the fish will still be feeding! The warmer weather has allowed fish to become more active and feed before spawn. The only concern in the river is below the State (East Cle Elum; Hwy 10) boat launch, where the main channel has an impassable logjam.
Nymphing has been quite consistent as well with the bugs consisting of; Skwalas and larger stoneflies (#6 Black or Coffee/Black), #12-18 Mayfly imitations (BWO's and March Browns), and San Juan Worms (especially in dirty water). Morning hours the nymphing has been the go to, and you will most likely find more fish in the afternoon on nymphs as well. It has been quite difficult to pass up throwing dry flies when the trout have been looking up! Streamer fishing has been ok to good, with smaller Sculpin patterns being the preferred pattern to target fish.
Snoqualmie Forks: The Forks have maintained high flows over the past week, with recession in flows during the cooler days. It has still been tough fishing on our local blue lines, due to the varied daily flows and water temperatures. When flows stabilize the fishing should only get better, with fish coming off spawn and looking to feed in the warmer water temperatures in the near future. We will most likely see the main techniques remain strictly sub-surface. Nymphing Stonefly nymphs, San Juan Worms,, and Perdigon style jig nymphs will be good to fish under an indicator. Smaller streamers resembling sculpin and baitfish should be considered if you enjoy swinging streamers! When the snow consistently falls in the mountains, this fishery tends to slow down, so find a good day to get out when the flows are low enough and the weather warms.
Steelhead: We still have some coastal rivers open for fishing, with many Southwest rivers closing February 15th and other Olympic Coastal rivers closing March 31st. While the weather has been wild on the coast, the fish have been present and encountered, especially when conditions align! There has been ample water , ensuring the fish have plenty of habitat and conditions to target them. There's not much time left to try your luck at encountering a Steelhead of a lifetime! The Puget Sound rivers have all closed to protect the spawning Wild Steelhead. We will see most re-open Memorial Day weekend. You can find the emergency regulations here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/emergency-rules.
Saltwater: The Puget Sound is a great alternative to target trout versus their fluvial counterparts this time of year when the river flows can be marginal and the water temperatures cold. In the Sound the water temperatures stay pretty regulated, allowing trout to remain active through the Winter months. Keep an eye on tides, particularly avoiding slack tides at the apex or trough of the tidal swing. As well it is imperative to fish the best habitat, which will include rocky structure, oyster beds, and points that can create currents and rips that tend to trap baitfish, ensure to look for seams and current lines on the surface! All that is necessary is a 5-6wt rod, floating or intermediate fly line, waders, and ideally a stripping basket though not necessary. Soon enough, generally around April, we will see Chum Fry and other salmonid species out-migrate to the salt water, providing a favorite food source for our Sea-Run Cutthroat trout during Spring.
Flies to consider in the saltwater arena are Clouser Minnows, Sand Eel's, small shrimp and squid patterns, and Flatwing style baitfish patterns. when we see the small salmon make their way to the saltwater, baitfish to mimic the Chum Fry will be imperative to have! Get out to the Puget Sound and target some feeding cutthroat!
Stillwater: Eastside lakes are open and have been fishing good the first couple weeks, though there has been a lot of rain on the eastside of the Cascades. We had good reports out of Lenice and Nunnally from opening weekend, with recent reports from Dry Falls entailing good sized trout and much better fishing compared to years past! Trolling leeches and buggers is always a good technique to prospect for fish, with chironomids being a great way to change your techniques and find fish eating bugs. Find your depth, suspend your presentations close to the bottom, and hold on! If Brown Trout or Tiger Trout are present, baitifsh flies can be employed to entice the more carnivorous critters.
Look out for the upcoming warmer weather, and plan a day to target some fiesty trout in our Eastside Lakes! While April 1st marks the westside general lake opener, local options are available including Beaver and Pine Lakes, Rattlesnake, and even Lake Sammamish (with a boat) has been producing trout! Trolling buggers and leeches, chironomids under and indicator, or cast and retrieving baitfish to target larger trout are techniques that should all be considered! Stop by the shop to see our updated streamer selection, and to get some input on our local still-water fisheries.
