It has been a crazy January and into February so far. Sixty degrees in January? Probably not good for the ol' snow pack but it has created some unseasonably great fishing. We've had some crazy reports of good fishing for Skwala stones already and even on dries! It is super early for that but sounds great!
Also, some lakes are already staring to fish well in the local area and those lakes that open on March 1st may be off to a hot start.
Steelhead & Salmon
It is such a shame we're unable to have a Catch & Release season on the Skagit/Sauk this year due to WA state not allocating funding to monitor angler activity. Feel robbed and unappreciated as a sport angler in WA? Yes, we agree. At least we're not seeing new tax increases.... Oh, wait a minute...
Despite our inability to fish our local rivers, there are still good winter steelhead opportunities and the fish seem to be returning in good numbers this year. The Cowlitz is certainly an option and not too far. It typically gets hammered pretty good by the gear chuckers, but there is some good fly water up high and not much competition. A float trip is a good way to go and will provide plenty of good swing water.
The rivers of the Olympic Peninsula are off to a very good winter steelhead season. February marks the beginning of what will be a flood of anglers heading westward to the famous OP rivers like the Bogacheil, Hoh, Sol Duc, and Queets, among others. There are lots of folks for a reason, however. The OP rivers produce some of the most exciting winter steelhead fishing in the world. A combination of big fish potential, beautiful scenery, and water that seems like it was custom-made for swinging the fly, are all part of the draw that makes any trip to the Olympic Peninsula a special one.
A chromer hen comes to hand during a fun couple days for Michael on the Olympic Peninsula during a February trip.
Each river on the Peninsula has its own characteristics, but all of those mentioned are worthy of a trip over. Using two-handed rods with sink-tip lines is the normal approach but single-handed rods will do fine in most water. Fish medium to large steelhead flies like the Dirty Hoh, the Exasperator, Hartwick's Hoser, or the Hoh Bo Spey in colors such as black/blue, pink/orange, and black/purple. Keep your leaders short and stout... like an Umpqua Freshwater Shorty leader in 16lb.
Trout
Rivers – Man, the Yakima seems to be getting better every year and for larger fish. During those warm days at the end of January and into February, we heard some amazing reports for this time of year. Good numbers and big fish. We even had guys having great dry fly action with hatching Skwalas, which usually happens more into March and certainly not January/Early Feb.
Some good flies to take on a February Yakima trip would include Dave's Neo Twenty Incher, the Little Olive Sloan, the Micro-Stone - Dark, the Morrish Anato May - Olive, the Mini Loop Sculpin, and a few dries like the Rogue Foam Skwala, Baetis Parachute, and maybe the Griffith's Gnat in case you encounter some midge sippers. Also, don’t forget to take a few Gummy Worms, especially if you're there during a shot of rain.
Rocky Ford is a great place to fish in February. This unique trout fishery regularly produces giant trout in the 18 to 24 inch range. Fish over 20-inches won't even turn heads on Rocky Ford. Some days the fishing can be really easy. Other days it can be seriously tough. Since Rocky Ford is a spring creek, the water temperatures are fairly stable and the fish will feed all year long. This time of year, plan to fish either streamers or small nymphs and scuds. A good fly box this time of year might include flies like the Coffee's Sparkle Minnow in Pearl, Swede's Rabbit Leech - Black, Jon's Hot Spot Czech Scud - Pink, the Jujubee Midge - Zebra, RIO's Scud - Tan, and the Tungsten Zebra Midge - Red.
Lakes – A number of lakes in Washington are open all year long. Two of the most popular lakes in the Puget Sound portion of the state, Lone Lake and Pass Lake, are open year-round and have already started to pick up with the warmer weather we've seen to start February.
Pass Lake – Pass Lake will usually fish well in February. A good primary plan for fishing the lake would be to use full-sinking lines with leech patterns like the Hale Bopp Leech – Brown or the Ruby Eyed Leech in Canadian Olive. Fish the fly in deeper water and keep it close to the bottom with small strips. The take can be very subtle this time of year so set the hook with a long strip-set on any indication of weight on the end of the line.
Another great cold water technique is the balanced leech. Fish balanced leeches under an indicator like we do with chironomids. Some recently successful balanced leech patterns include the Balanced Leech - Bruised and the Balanced Squirrel Leech - Brown.
Towards the end of February we will probably see the surface temperature on Pass Lake getting to the 50-degree mark. When that happens, get ready with your chironomid setup because this is when many chironomids begin to REALLY hatch and the trout will be ready to intercept them on their way from the bottom of the lake all the way up to the surface where they will hatch. The exact size/color of chironomid hatches is tough to forecast, but some good chironomid flies to have along would be the Yankee Buzzer in Black and Red, Chan's Chironomid Bomber in Black/Red, the Buzzer in Olive and Black, and the Hangin' With My Chromies in either Black or Red. You will probably need to fish these fairly deep so we recommend using Quick Release Chironomid Indicators and fluorocarbon tippet around 5X in size. Watch this video for more information on rigging your chironomid setup.
One of western Washington's few fly fishing only lakes, Pass Lake can get busy in the spring but February often offers good fishing and a fraction of the crowds. Here, lots of anglers ply the waters for Pass Lake's rainbows and browns, but there are usually plenty of fish for anglers that have put in the time to get to know the lake.
Dry Falls, Lenice and Nunally Lakes – These Eastern Washington aren't open in February but put them on your radar for March 1st when they do open. They are exceptional fisheries and many anglers don't realize they open as early as they do. Always keep in mind that they could be covered in ice when they open March 1st but that seems very unlikely at this point for 2026.
All of the lakes mentioned here are best fished from a float tube, pontoon boat, or some other kind of small boat. Shore access is limited or non-existent on most of these lakes. Lenice and Nunnally require a walk to get into them so be prepared for that. A wheel system is highly recommended if you are planning to take your pontoon boat into these two lakes. Unfortunately, you're on your own to find a wheel system that works for your boat. We no longer have them available to sell.
Puget Sound Saltwater
Sea-run cutthroat trout fly fishing in Puget Sound can be good all year long and February is no exception as long as the wind stays down. Usually in February, the southern portion of the Sound is a better bet. On the central and northern portions of the Sound, cutthroat can still be caught, but the fishing in these areas usually gets better in the summer and fall. To partake in the action, baitfish patterns fished on an intermediate sinking line with a 5- to 6-weight rod will have you in the game.
Resident silver salmon are also often caught while fly fishing from the beach for sea-run cutts. For both fish, remember to pinch your barbs down to aid in releasing the fish unharmed.
Summary
Give us a call if we can help with further advice or equipment, flies, etc. Hope you get out and take advantage of Washington's year-round fly fishing season and remember to check back for the March report.
-- Michael
Pacific Fly Fishers
Ph: 425-742-2402
Email: Info@PacificFlyFishers.com