Yakima River Fishing Reports / 2005

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River Levels  Hatch Chart  Caddis  Mayflies  Stoneflies

Reports are posted as frequently as time and changing conditions dictate.   We concentrate on the river from  Gladmar to Roza, which generally has the largest and most consistent hatches and most consistent fishing.  So our reports are heavily weighted towards this stretch.  

 

 

New This Year: In response to requests for more detailed info on what's happening on the Yakima, we'll post results from personal trips (As often as we can get out there)
 
10/20/05  650 cfs at Umtanum.  Good BWO hatches, mainly size 20, mixed with a few 16s.  Mahogany Duns, a few Cahills, October Caddis, fall Caddis and midges.
10/2/05  The river is at fall levels, aprox 1000 cfs currently at Umtanum.  BWOs are beginning to show is good numbers.  A few fall Caddis, October Caddis, Craneflies and terrestrials.
8/22/05  Lots of hot weather in July and August, with corresponding water temps.  Best fishing morning and evening.  Hoppers and other terrestrials, Summer Stones and a few Yellow Sallys, Caddis, PEDs, BWOS and Yellow Mays.  Bring in fish quickly and leave them in the water while unhooking and releasing.
7/5/05  The Yakima is in great shape.  Flows at Umtanum are aprox. 3000 cfs, a bit low for July.  Mostly nymphing the last few weeks, with some dry fly morning and evening.  Summer Stones have been inconsistent, but warmer weather this week should jump start the emergence.  Current hatches:  Summer Stones, Yellow Sallys, Caddis, Crane flies, PMDs, PEDs, BWOs, and Terrestrials, all mostly light. 
5/27/05  The Yak is rising due to reservoir releases for irrigation.  Water temps reached 65 degrees at Umtanum yesterday, this should cool things down.  Fishing could slow for a few days, but should rebound quickly.   
5/23/05  Caddis activity has been minimal for the last week or so, but Mayfly emergences have been very good.  Cloudy days have produced strong hatches of Mahogany Duns, PMDs, PEDs, Big Yellow Mays and size 24 BWOs.  Mahoganies and PMDs are by far the heavies hatches, but BYMays and BWOs can be important as well.  Although Caddis activity has been light, Grannom, Hydropsyche and Cheumatopsyche are still emerging.  The forecast for this week is sunny and much warmer.  This will probably jump start Caddis and slow Mayflies.  Complex spring hatches require lots of patterns, so come prepared.  Nymphing has been good as well.
5/10/05  Heavy rains yesterday have blown out the Yakima.  We've had a few good days on the Yak under these conditions, but generally fishing is poor until the river begins to drop and clear.  Check levels here.  Grannom, Hydropsyche, PMDs and BWOs are the predominant bugs.  Bug activity and timing varies from day to day due to water temps and weather conditions, particularly Caddis emergence and egg laying.
4/29/05  Partly cloudy.  Bev, Bruce and Jeff.  Lower Canyon.  3:30 to 8:30.  47 trout.  8 to 18 inches. Bev was top rod today, she rows next trip.  Grannom and Hydropsyche.  Excellent fishing.  We missed it, but reports indicate that fishing was good earlier as well.  Conditions have been ideal over the past few days for Hydropsyche (Spotted Sedge).    
4/28/05  Mostly cloudy until 3 or so.  Fair PMD and BWO emergences, but not many fish up on them.  Bruce and Jeff.  Lower Canyon.  1 to 8.  23 trout, 8 to 16 inches.  The fish were looking for Caddis today.  Grannom and Hydropsyche .
4/26/05  The Yakima has stabilized over the last couple days after rising aprox. 700 cfs between the 21st and 25th.   Flows are currently 1600 cfs at Umtanum and color is good.   Sunny and warm.  Bruce.  Lower Canyon.  12 to 8.  21 trout. 8 to 17 inches.  Big Grannom flight between 1 and 3.  Lots of Caddis, but not many rising fish until 4, since the Caddis were in the air, not on the water.  Good Grannom and Hydropsyche emergence after 4.  There may have been a  Grannom emergence in the morning but I missed that portion of the day.   Projected cooler temps the rest of the week may slow the Caddis down.      
4/15/05 Cloudy and very little wind.  Jeff and Bruce.  Lower Canyon.  12 to 6.  27 trout.  8 to 17 inches.  Huge BWO hatch from 1 to 3:30.  With so many bugs to choose from, the catching was a little more technical.  The key was a perfect presentation.  No drag and a drift through the trout's window that matched its feeding rhythm.  Takes were more consistent as the hatch waned.  Great fishing.
4/13/05  Windy and partly cloudy.  Bruce.  Lower Canyon.  1 to 5.  14 trout.  8 to 16 inches.  Small BWO hatch.  No March Browns.  Pressure was very light. 
4/11/05  A variable mix of clouds, sun and wind over the past few days.  Fishing was variable as well.   BWOs were fair to good and March Browns were poor to good.  Traffic has been reasonably light in the Lower Canyon and very heavy in the Irene Rinehart to Big Horn section.  Above Irene Rinehart, pressure has been light. The river has some color, but is in good condition.  Skwala are done for the year.  Granon should begin in earnest when water temps reach 52 to 54 degrees.        
4/7/05  Cold, wet and windy.  The Yakima rose 200 cfs on the 6th and 7th due to rain and warm weather.  Water temps were up approx. 4 degrees today as well.  Fish were rising when we got on the water at 1 (BWOs and a few March Browns).  Jeff and Bruce.  Lower Canyon.  1 to 5.  17 trout and a few whitefish.  8 to 16 inches.  The hatch started early today and was over for us by 2:30.  Not much happening on top after the hatch.  Poor nymphing.    
4/6/05  Partly cloudy and warm.  Jeff and Bruce.  Ellensburg.  2 to 7.  24 trout and a few whitefish. 10 to 18 inches.  Very sparse BWO and March Brown hatches today.  Nymphing was O.K.  Decent midge fishing.  Nothing on Skwala dries.  
4/5/05  Cool and cloudy.  Bruce.  Ellensburg.  1 to 5.  21 trout. 12 to 5.  Good March Brown and BWO hatches.  Good fishing.
4/1/05  Cool and cloudy.  Bruce and Greg.  Lower Canyon.  12:30 to 5.  38 trout 10 to 17 inches.  Good BWO hatch.  Not many March Browns.  Turned a few fish with Skwala dries after 4. 
3/23/05  Temps have cooled over the last couple days.  BWO action remains good, but Skwalas have definitely slowed.  March Browns have yet to make a big impact on fishing.
3/21/05  Mostly cloudy and cool.  Bruce.  Lower Canyon. 1 to 6.  41 trout.  8 to 16 inches.  Very good BWO hatch till 3 or so.  Great dry Skwala action until 5:30.  Exceptional fishing.
3/19/05  Partly Cloudy and cool.  Greg and Bruce.  Ellensburg.  12:30 to 6.  17 trout 10 to 17 inches and 1 24 inch plus hog (Greg). Saw a fairly sparse BWO hatch today with a corresponding rise.   Slow nymphing.  Did pretty well on Skwala dries after the BWO hatch.  
3/15/05  Sunny and windy.  Bruce. Ellensburg.  2 to 6:30.  Got on the river late today, a few BWOs and no March Browns.  Threw Skwala Dries all day.  14 trout 8 to 17 inches.  Lost 1 very big Bow.  Slow early.  Good 4:30 to 6:30
3/14/05  Slow to fair fishing.  Anglers were out in force this weekend.  Sparse BWO hatch.  Slow on dry Skwala.  Fair nymphing. 
3/10/05  Another warm and mostly sunny day.  Bruce.  Lower Canyon.  1 to 5:30.  25 trout 8 to 16 inches.  Small BWO hatch between 1 and 3.  Threw Skwala dries the rest of the day.   Good fishing. 
3/7/05  Fair to good fishing.  Very heavy pressure in the Lower Canyon this weekend.   Mostly nymphing in the morning: Skwala, BWO and Caddis nymphs.  BWO hatch between 12:30 and 2.  Dry Skwala till dark.
3/4/05  Warm, some clouds.  Bruce and Jeff.  Thorp.  1:30 to 5:30.  15 trout. 12 to 17".   Dry Skwala.  Average fishing.
3/3/05  Warm and sunny.  Bruce.  Farmlands.  1 to 5:30.  27 trout.  10 to 16".  Dry Skwala all day.  Very Good fishing. 
3/1/05  Warm and cloudy.  Bruce and Greg.  Lower Canyon.  1 to 5:45.  30  trout.  10 to 19 1/2".  Lost a bunch more.  Got 'er done today.  Decent BWO hatch. Threw dry Skwala after the BWO hatch.  Water temps reached 43.69 degrees at Umtanum today.  Skwala begin to emerge in numbers at 43 to 44 degrees.  Great day.  
2/27/05  Another spectacular sunny day.  Bruce and Chris.  Cle Elum.  12 to 5.  2 White fish, 2 trout (1 20 1/2 ").  Didn't get 'er done today.  Nothing on dries or streamers. Poor nymphing.
2/25/05  Great weather, so so fishing.  Bruce and Jeff.  Lower Canyon.  12:30 to 4:30.  9 Whitefish, 4 Trout.  Caught fish on 4 or 5 different nymphs, selection didn't seem to matter.  Found a few fish rising to #18 BWOs.  Nothing on Skwala dries.  Nothing on streamers.  Below average nymphing.  Nothing on midges.
2/21/05  A beautiful sunny day.  Bruce, Jason and Rod.  Lower Canyon. 11:30 to 4:30.  13 Whitefish, 14 Trout 8 to 16 inches.  1 20 inch sucker.  Skwala nymphs and small nymphs worked equally well today.  Average nymphing.  Poor Midging.
2/17/05  Sunny and windless today.  Bruce and Gary.  Lower Canyon.  12 to 5.  11 Whitefish, 16 Trout 8 to 16 inches.   Skwala nymphs are on the move again.  Caught fish on a variety of nymphs big and small, but a size 10, soft hackle, rubber legged, bead head, two tone Skwala worked the best.  Average nymphing.  Found midging trout in a few spots.  Average midging.     
2/14/05  Cold and mostly windy today.  Bruce.  Floated Lower Canyon.  11 to 5.  6 Whitefish, 14 Trout 8 to 16 inches.  Below average nymphing.  All trout were caught on top with midge emergers.   Only found rising fish in 3 or 4 spots (slower water with lots of big rocks), but they were very willing to take the fly.  Above average midging. 
2/12/05  Not much happening with Skwala in the Lower Canyon.  Small nymphs have been more productive.  Jeff.  Jeff's' Bar.  27 Whitefish.  3 Trout.  Jeffs Whitefish Special (this does not involve the use of maggots!)  Jeff loves to nymph for Whitefish.
2/9/05  Cold nights have dropped Water temps 3 to 4 degrees over the past few days, slowing the Skwala migration.  Small nymphs were the ticket today.  Size 20 Brassies and size 18 to 14 PTs, Copper Johns, Lightning bugs and caddis larva.  Floated Lower Canyon.  10:30 to 5:30.  Bruce and Jeff.  15 Whitefish, 6 Trout 8 to 16 inches.  Below average fishing.   
2/7/05 Floated Lower Canyon, 11:30 to 5:30.  Bruce.  7 whitefish, 5 trout 8 to 15 inches.  Skwala nymph and #18 BH PT.   Best in Slow to moderate seams, flats and drops and moderate riffles.  Average fishing.
2/5/05  The Yak is in great shape.  Floated Lower Canyon, 12 to 5.  Bruce and Jeff.  16 Whitefish, 9 trout 10 to 16 inches.  Skwala nymph was the most productive fly.  Average fishing. 
1/27/05  The river is still dropping and clearing.  Fishing in the Canyon yesterday was mediocre but should get better over the next few days.
1/19/05  The  Yakima is high and muddy.  The measuring  station at Ellensburg went from 500 cfs yesterday morning to 7000 cfs this morning and is still rising.

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