Similkameen River: Eastern Washington Fishing Report
Fish are present and taking on the Similkameen.
Feeling fidgety when you look at your two-handed rods? Just waiting for summer to end so you can target fall-run fish? Well, the Similkameen salmon fishery could help you scratch that itch, right now. Reports are trickling in that early hatchery kings have reached the terminal fishery in Oroville, and anglers are hooking up.
Check out our selection of steelhead flies.
My preferred rig for tangling with an “upriver bright” in midsummer flows would be an 8-weight Spey rod. I'd go with Beulah’s Platinum Spey or Loop’s Opti NXT, balanced with a Loop Classic reel. Lines should be able to dig deep, where kings are the grabbiest, and turn over large streamers, #1/0 and up. That means you may have to throw heavy tips to get a fly down. My favorite fly colors for this unique king fishery are combinations of black and red. But anything goes when trying to figure out chinook when they’re running upstream. Always, it’s a good bet to carry chartreuse, which is effective on kings from Oregon to Alaska—so, basically wherever they swim.
Need to stock up on your fly tying materials?
Look for these fish holding in five-to 15-feet deep in holes and other slower water. T8 to T-20 tips may be needed to get a fly down them. A moderately weighted fly helps to get down, too. Work a hole over thoroughly, and change flies before moving on to the next option. If you find these fish you’ll have a fight on your hands—they range between 10 and 30 pounds.
Water levels in the Similkameen are dropping and clarity is good. With temperatures also dropping there are some fresh fish squirting upstream, leaving the pack at the mouth of the Okanogan River at the Brewster Pool. Those fish should be there when the Brewster Derby starts during the first week of August.
Have you seen these fly lines?
As always, check your regulations just before fishing the Similkameen, in case any emergency rules have gone into effect. At last check, this fishery opened July 1 and is slated to close September 15. There are various rules to honor, including the release of all wild adult chinook. And remember, you can’t even lift a wild fish from the water. See page 67 of the current Washington Sport Fishing Rules for more details, and best of luck!