Updated: May 6, 2025
April was so sunny and warm it feels like we skipped May and are already into June. Some of the fly fishing conditions feel that way as well. With warm temperatures comes bug hatches and feeding fish. There are already early hatches of salmonflies on the Yakima, lakes are cranking out trout, and sea-run cutthroat anglers are producing great reports on Puget Sound beaches.
Lakes - Trout
May is one of the best months for fly fishing the many trout lakes throughout the state. Almost all lakes are open in May and important food items like chironomids and damselflies are in full swing. The trout are taking full advantage of these food items and the fishing can be as good as it gets. Lakes you usually like to fish in early June might be experiencing the conditions you like right now because of the warm trend we've been having.
Lakes with Selective Gear regulations are the most popular with fly anglers because there is usually less fishing pressure, there are usually higher populations of trout, and there are usually larger trout.
The following list of Selective Gear lakes are all great bets in May:
- Lone Lake (south end of Whidbey Island)
- Dry Falls Lake (north of Ephrata, WA)
- Lenice and Nunnally Lakes (near Beverly, WA)
- Chopaka Lake (near Loomis, WA) Make sure snow/ice isn't an issue.
- Pass Lake (near Deception Pass, WA)
- Omak Lake in north central Washington
- Some other good ideas on the westside of WA would be Chain Lake (near Monroe, WA), Martha Lake (near Warm Beach, WA), Rattlesnake Lake (near North Bend, WA), Vogler Lake (near Concrete, WA), and lots more. We are certainly blessed with endless choices when it comes to great trout lake opportunities in Washington.
Lenice and Nunnally require about a half mile walk to get into them so trekking your float tube or boat is part of the experience on these lakes. Also, motors are not allowed on most of these lakes and catch and release is either required or recommended. Check the regulations before you go if you are not familiar with them.
Washington also has tons of lakes that are not regulated as Selective Gear lakes. These lakes often open right around the end of April and are great for anglers who wish to keep some trout. These lakes are typically planted for fish prior to the opener and are usually fishing great as good as they will all year in the month of May. For a list of trout stocking reports in local lakes, click here.
Nearly all lakes are best fished from a float tube, pontoon boat, or some other kind of pram or small boat. Shore access is limited or non-existent on most of these lakes so consider a float tube or other boat to get you in the game. There are some lakes with viable shoreline access but being productive can be tough from shore on most lakes.
In May, just a few fishing techniques will usually get you into plenty of fish on these lakes. Take a floating line and a full-sinking line with a sink rate of type 3 to type 5. Use the floating line for fishing chironomid pupa, balanced leeches, and for any dry fly opportunities that might come up. Use the full-sinking line for fishing regular leeches or damsel nymphs.
Rivers - Trout & Bass
May is also an excellent time for fly fishing a couple of our most popular trout rivers in Washington. The Yakima is certainly Washington's big name trout river and May brings some exciting fishing. Reports from the Yakima so far this year have been really good again. The average fish size has simply gotten larger over the years. Watch river levels this time of year but the Yak has had very stable flows most of this year so far. Remember, however, that warm weather can raise the river as much as rainy weather. Ideal water levels should be around 2000 cfs to 4000 cfs for May through about August.
The main hatches in May include the Mother's Day caddis hatch, salmonflies, and Blue Wing Olive mayflies. If the weather continues to stay warm, there will likely be some PMD mayflies by the end of the month as well. Nymphing and dry fly opportunities are both available and have your streamer rod handy for fishing salmon smolt streamers as well. The Yakima is a good place to take a switch or trout Spey rod and dedicate your day to swinging streamers. A high percentage of the larger fish taken throughout the year will be caught this way.
May can also be a great time to fish the lower parts of the Yakima for smallmouth bass. For a guided trip or to get the low-down on this fishery, contact our friends at Worley-Bugger fly shop in Ellensburg and checkout their informative write-up on this underutilized fishery.
Rocky Ford is another great trout river option in May. This spring creek is easy to walk and fish the bank. It fishes well much of the year but May is one of the better months. Fish scuds, damsel nymphs, Callibaetis mayflies, midges, and Blue Wing Olives in May. Again, keep the streamer rod on hand and Rocky Ford's giant trout love streamers in white or black. Wading is illegal on Rocky Ford so walking along the edge of the bank is how it's done. It is also a place where a long-handle net is very useful and much nicer on the fish than trying to land them without a net.
Barbless hooks and no weight on the leader are also rules to keep in mind at Rocky Ford. For getting your nymphs down, use a fast sinking fly like a Tungsten Zebra Midge or Jon's Hot Spot Scud. Use it by itself or to on a dropper to get another nymph down.
A final river to mention is the Deschutes River in Oregon. May is a key month for salmonflies and even goldens to begin hatching. The Deschutes is an endless opportunity for both trout and steelhead and is nearly a year-around fishery. Steelhead won't be there for a couple more months, but May is a great time to take a Deschutes trout trip whether you are floating the river or walking and wading, which you can do for miles and miles and miles on the Deschutes.
Puget Sound Saltwater
Sea-run cutthroat trout are always available in Puget Sound for fly fishing anglers fishing the beaches. Traditionally, May can be a tougher month, but new PFF employee, Maveryke has been having some of the best days of his life over the last couple weeks in the central portion of Puget Sound.
Baitfish patterns fished on an intermediate sinking line with a 5- to 6-weight rod will have you in the game. Try Manchester State Park, Olalla, or Penrose Point State Park for good cutthroat water.
Another saltwater option is on the unique side of things for a fly angler but a lot of fun. Lingcod season is open May 1st thru June 15th and these fish take flies quite well. Anglers will need a heavy rod, preferably in the 10-weight to 12-weight range. Fishing the fastest sinking lines on the market is important because you will need to fish 20- to 40-feet deep and close to the bottom. Flies don't seem to matter too much but they should be big. As big as you can cast comfortably is probably a good rule to have in mind. Also, some kind of boat will be necessary to get into the action.
Bass & Panfish
May might be the best month for numerous bass and panfish opportunities in Washington. Fly fishing for these warmwater species is underrated and is available all over the state. Just about all small lakes and ponds have bass and panfish in them. Grab your float tube, pontoon boat, or other boat and hit the water this month. Most of the smaller lakes and ponds have mostly largemouth and panfish. Many of the larger lakes have smallmouth as well as largemouth and panfish. Eastern Washington abounds with these opportunities. Western Washington has gobs as well but Western Washington lakes may not have as dense of populations. Either way, take a 7- or 8-weight rod for bass and a 3- or 4-weight for panfish. As a general rule, cover lots of water and look for wood structure in shallow water for largemouth and rocky structure in deeper water for smallmouth. In May, however, look for smallmouth to be shallow and relating to docks and structure in 5 to 15 feet deep. Largemouth may be in just a foot of water but structure like docks, laydown trees or dense weeds in 3-4 feet of water is a good starting pattern.
Fishing docks can be a great approach for both smallmouth and largemouth in the month of May on most lakes that have them. Position your boat and make your casts as close to the dock edges as possible. On sunny days, pay particular attention to the shady side of the dock. An intermediate sinking to medium sinking (type 2 or 3) is usually best for fishing around docks. Fish leaders around 12-pound and flies with an enticingly slow fall like the Sheila's Sculpin can be super effective. Strip the fly a few feet and then let it fall. Then strip again and let it fall. Remember to keep the line just tight enough that you can feel a fish picks up the fly on the fall.
Looking for something different? Grab a a 9- to 11-weight and the largest flies you can cast and head to one of the numerous lakes in Washington that have Tiger Muskie. Most anglers use intermediate sinking lines or something close to that. Heavy fluorocarbon shock tippet is necessary for these toothy critters. Also, get ready to make lots of casts while trying to locate the elusive Tiger. Once you hook one, though, you'll never forget it. In the meantime, there are usually plenty of fish to see and watch follow your fly to keep things interesting. Great fun and some lakes to try close to the Seattle area would be Lake Tapps and Mayfield Lake.
Steelhead & Salmon
May is the quiet month for steelhead and salmon for fly anglers in our area. Most rivers are closed for outgoing smolt migration or spawning steelhead. A few rivers are open, like the Cowlitz or some rivers in Oregon, but most fly anglers take advantage of other opportunities during May. If you have to get your swing on, you can also try the Skagit or the Sol Duc on the Olympic Peninsula for Chinook. Sometimes we hear some pretty compelling stories this time of year...
Summary
We hope that gives you some exciting ideas for some fly fishing in May in the state of Washington and other nearby places. Give us a call if we can help with further advice or information and don't forget you friends at PFF when it's time to gear up with some new leaders, flies or that rod you've been thinking about.
-- Michael
Pacific Fly Fishers
Ph: 425-742-2402
Email: Info@PacificFlyFishers.com