Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (3/13/17)

Spring is springing in the Gorge!

Double Rainbow!! All the way!

With daily high air temps predicted in the 50s all week, it sure feels like Old Man winter is closing down shop, which is a sigh of relief for most of us here in the northwest.

The blast of serious rain over the past week as definitely got the winter steelhead moving. The counts haven't been great, but the fish that are around have been much happier lately. Many of the rivers around here needed a good gully washer to scour things out a bit and get fish moving. I imagine we will see some good steady fishing over the next couple of weeks. The Sandy should be primetime, so if you are looking for a great day floating the river give Sam Sickles a call at Steelhead Outfitters 541-400-0855. He will treat you to an excellent day on the water, no doubt.

The birthday boy putting the Echo Glass 7129 to work!

I got a chance to fish some new water in SW Washington last week with my bud Jeremy. We found some good stuff, the water was high but fishable. We got snowed on with those giant leaf sized flakes in between pouring rain; true winter steelheading! We felt like a grab would happen at any time, which is a huge part of the battle with winter steelhead fishing on the swing. So much of the game is having confidence in where and how you are fishing.

Late winter trout fishing can be absolutely killer in the Deschutes and Yakima. I have seen March browns and the occasional Skwala flying, and the fish are ready and willing for a good meal. Nymphing a stonefly/rubberlegs with a copper john or pheasant tail dropper along the banks and seams is a go-to technique. It would also be a good idea to keep some March browns and Skwala dries ready to rock. Even if you don't see adults, the fish are looking up and willing!

Flows: The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns. Both are invaluable tools.

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
USGS
NOAA

Clackamas:

USGS

NOAA

Deschutes near Madras:

USGS

Deschutes at the mouth:

USGS

NOAA

Columbia River

Bonneville Dam Water Temps
Columbia @ Hood River (The mouth of the Hood backs up at 75 feet)

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime. Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office. 541.386.6977