RIVERS
Olympic Coast: The rivers are in good shape and should be that way through early next week. The Hoh and Sol Duc would be good options for this weekend, although the Hoh will likely draw a crowd. The Bogachiel and Calawah are not fishing quite as well.
Skookumchuck: Fishing has been fair, with anglers reporting they need patience as well as eggs, jigs and floats, or corkies and yarn, to hook a steelhead.
Wynoochee: The river is still producing some steelhead, but the action has slowed down compared with recent weeks. Casting spoons is producing some strikes.
Yakima: Fishing has been fair to good. For the most part, people are drifting nymphs like a 20 Incher and Skwalas in sizes 6-10. Brassies, WD-40s and Flashback Pheasant Tails also are effective.
SALT WATER
Beaches: A razor clam dig continues through Monday on some beaches. Here are the openings and low tide times: today, 4:50 p.m., minus-0.2 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks; Sunday, 6:33 p.m., minus-0.2 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks; and Monday, 7:12 p.m., 0 feet, Twin Harbors.
Fly-fishing: Anglers are starting to see more sea-run cutthroat trout along local beaches, but fewer resident coho. Trout are focusing on baitfish, like sand lances and firecracker-size herring. Rules require the sea-runs to be released.
Hood Canal: People are catching some nice blackmouth off Misery Point. Try trolling a Silver Horde Tailwagger spoon right on the bottom in water about 110 feet deep.
North Sound: The weather has made fishing difficult, but people are still landing limits of blackmouth. Many people are trolling with a Silver Horde spoon behind a flasher. Hat Island, Foulweather Bluff and Marrowstone Island have been productive spots.
South Sound: A few more blackmouth are being caught in the waters off Tacoma, but the action is still far from good.
LAKES
Eastside: Fly anglers are having luck fishing chironomids under an indicator or slowly trolling with leech and Woolly Bugger patterns on a full-sink or intermediate-sink line. The Seep Lakes, Quincy Lakes and Dusty are producing good catches of rainbows.
Lone: People are catching trout using white Woolly Buggers or chironomids. Anglers also are reporting an afternoon midge hatch is bringing some fish to the surface.
Offut: Fishing has been good to very good. The lake was stocked last week with 1,200-1,500 cutthroat trout weighing 11/2-2 pound each. Trolling with a Wedding Ring has been the best way to hook a cutthroat.
Potholes: Fishing for rainbow trout has been good, with some limits coming in. The Blythe Point Boat Launch and Frenchman’s Wasteway, where it enters the reservoir, have been good spots. Walleye fishing is still on the slow side, but some large fish (10-pounders) are being caught.
Rattlesnake: Trout fishing has been good. Brown and olive leeches fished on a fast-sinking line has been the go-to pattern.
Spanaway: People are catching rainbow and brown trout, some topping 4 pounds. Trolling a rainbow-colored deep diving Rapala 4-5 inches long is effective. Fly-fishermen are having success with bloodworms fished near the lake bottom. Or try still-fishing with PowerBait or a worm and marshmallow on the south end.
Washington: Cutthroat trout fishing has been good to very good. Look for the fish holding near dropoffs in 35-70 feet of water. They are biting on herring and trolled lures.
Contributors: Mike Meseberg at MarDon Resort, Tom Pollack at Sportco, The Evening Hatch, Dave Steinbaugh at Waters West, gamefishin.com, Anil Srivastava at Puget Sound Fly Co., state Department of Fish and Wildlife, washingtonlakes.com, Bud Herlitzka at Spanaway Park Boathouse and Offut Lake Resort. Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
