OLYMPIC PENINSULA FISHING

Daily River Reports

FEBRUARY 12, 2005

THE RIVERS ARE IN GREAT SHAPE. THE BOGACHIEL ,SOL DUC AND HOH RIVERS ARE BOOTING OUT SOME NICE STEELHEAD. LOAD THE BOAT AND HEAD FOR THE PENINSULA.

 

RIVER SUMMARY'S OF THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA

THESE RIVER SUMMARY'S ARE ONLY A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF RIVERS ON THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA. LIVING IN FORKS MY HOLE LIFE AND FLOATING ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPE SECTIONS AND CLASS TYPE WATERS HAS ONLY TAUGHT ME ONE THING. WHEN THE WATER CONDITIONS ARE LOW AND CLEAR THIS IS WHEN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.

ALWAYS CHECK THE REGULATION PAMPHLET FROM THE WASHINGTON STATE GAME DEPARTMENT FOR RULE CHANGES AND CLOSERS BEFORE FISHING THE PENINSULA.  YOU CAN E-MAIL ME FOR ANY OF MY OWN ADVICE ON ANY OF THESE SECTION OR RULES BEFORE FISHING.

E-MAIL

RIVER SUMMARY

 

Bogachiel River

SUMMARY

THE BOGACHIEL RIVER IS A SLOWER MOVING RIVER HAVING THE UPPER SECTIONS (ABOVE HIGHWAY 101 BRIDGE) BEING CLASS 2 & 3 WHITE WATER. FROM THE UPPER MOST BOAT RAMP TO THE MOUTH AT LYN DECKER PARK THIS RIVER IS HAS 17 MILES OF RIVER TO FISH. THE UPPER SECTION FROM HIGHWAY 101 UP STREAM IS CLOSE FOR RETENTION OF WILD STEELHEAD AND SALMON AND ALSO HAS A NO BAIT NO BARB HOOK RESTRICTION. THE TOP SECTIONS IS GREAT FOR BIG NATIVE FISH IN THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL 15TH. THE SECTION FROM THE STATE GAME DEPARTMENT HATCHERY TO THE MOUTH (LYN DECKER PARK) ALSO GREAT THE SAME TIME FRAME BUT IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY IS RED HOT FOR HATCHERY STEELHEAD. THESE HATCHERY FISH ARE  HEADING FOR THE STATE HATCHERY TO THE FISH TRAP FOR NEXTS YEARS BROOD STOCK. THESE HATCHERY STEELHEAD ARE TWO YEARS OLDS THAT HAVE BEEN LET GO IN MID APRIL SPENDING TWO YEARS A SEA TO MAKE THEIR WAY BACK TO THE CREEK (BOGACHIEL STATE HATCHERY CREEK) THAT THEY WERE HATCHED IN. THESE FISH RANGE IN WEIGHT OF 6 TO 8 POUNDS. THE FAMOUS HOLES ARE THE FORKS HOLE, (CONFLUENCE OF THE BOGACHIEL AND CALAWAH), TALL TIMBERS, ICE BOX. CATCHING 10TO 15 OF THESE FISH A DAY CAN MAKE YOU WANT TO DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Sol Duc River

SUMMARY

THE SOL DUC RIVER MEANING (SPARKLING WATER) IN INDIAN IS TRUE TO ITS WORD. THE RIVER IS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR RIVERS IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. BEING CLASS 2, 3 AND 4 WHITE WATER IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE TO THE BEST OARSMAN.  THE CAN OPENER RAPID, SAW DUST RAPID TO NAME A FEW CAN TAKE DOWN ANY EXPERIENCED OARSMAN. THIS RIVER HAS OVER 20 MILES TO FISH BY BOAT HAVING SOME SECTION (BEAR CREEK) CLASS 4 WHITE WATER. FROM THE STATE SALMON HATCHERY UP STREAM BEING A NO BAIT NO BARB HOOK RESTRICTION AND A NATIVE RELEASE. YOU CAN KEEP STEELHEAD THAT ARE THE SNIDER CREEK HATCHERY PROGRAM BUT THE LEFT VENTRAL MUST BE CLIPPED IF NOT ITS A NATIVE AND MUST BE LET GO. THIS RIVER DOES HAVE A HATCHERY BUT ITS BEEN BUILT AND MAINTAINED BY SPORTSMAN NOT  BY ANY STATE GAME DEPARTMENT PERSONAL. IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY LOCAL FISHERMAN AND CLIENTS OF GUIDES PRACTICE IN A NATIVE BROOD STOCK PROGRAM (SNIDER CREEK) WHICH IN TAILS CATCHING NATIVE STEELHEAD AND SPAWNING THEM TO KEEP A NATIVE BLOOD LINE. THESE FISH COME BACK AS THREE YEAR OLDS AND CAN WEIGHT UPWARDS TO 20 POUNDS AND HAVE THE SPRITE OF A TRUE NATIVE STEELHEAD TO CATCH. FROM THE STATE SALMON HATCHERY DOWN STREAM TO THE MOUTH (LYN DECKER PARK) IS OPEN TO RETAIN ONE NATIVE STEELHEAD A DAY PER ANGLER, TOTAL OF FIVE A YEAR ON THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA STREAMS. THE BEST TIMES ARE IN FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL 15TH FOR THE GIANT NATIVE STEELHEAD RANGING IN WEIGHT TO 30 POUNDS, ITS A WORLD CLASS STREAM THAT CAN PRODUCE TROPHY'S EVERYDAY.

 

Calawah River

SUMMARY

BEWARE

THE CALAWAH RIVER TO ALL IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST RIVERS TO ROW. HAVING SOME OF THE REAL PRO GUIDES NOT DARE TO TACKLE THIS RIVER WHEN THE RIVER IS LOW. SUICIDE RAPIDS, SUCKER RAPIDS WILL MAKE YOU SHAKE WHEN THE RIVERS DROPS. THE MOST EXPERIENCED OARS SHOULD TACKLE THIS RIVER. THIS LITTLE GEM IS ONE OF THE MOST PRISTINE RIVER ON THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA. HAVING NO PRESSURE DUE TO THE EXTREME RAPIDS THAT ADORE THIS LITTLE RIVER. IT CAN PRODUCE STEELHEAD THAT SEEM TO ALWAYS GET AWAY. THIS IS WHAT MAKES YOU COME BACK TO THIS PRIZE OF A STREAM. THIS RIVER HAS 13 MILES OF ACCESS TO BOATER'S. UPSTREAM FROM HIGHWAY 101 IS A NO NATIVE RETENTION, NO BAIT, NO BARB HOOK REGULATIONS. THIS RIVER UP STREAM HAS A FORK IN THE RIVER. THE NORTH FORK IS ALWAYS CLOSED AND THE SOUTH FORK CLOSES FEBRUARY 28TH. ALSO BEWARE THE SOUTH FORK LOOKS TAME BUT HAS A RAPID CALLED HELL'S HALF MILE, PURE HELL TO SAY THE LEAST. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN TRYING THIS SECTION OF THE CALAWAH RIVER. FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL IS THE BEST TIME FOR GIANT NATIVE STEELHEAD THAT CAN TIP THE SCALE UP TO 30 POUNDS!  

 

Hoh River

SUMMARY

THE HOH RIVER IS THE ONLY GLACIER FEED STREAM ON THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. IT HAS 480 MILES OF RIVER DRAINAGE THAT FEEDS THIS BIG RIVER SYSTEM. THE HOH RIVER MEANING (MIGHTY RIVER) IN INDIAN AND IS TRUE TO ITS WORD. THE NORMAL FISHING HEIGHT RUNS ABOUT 2000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND, AFTER HEAVY RAINS THAT COME THROUGH THIS SPECTACULAR VALLEY (200 INCHES) IT HAS REACHED 60,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND WHICH MEANS (MIGHTY) IT CAN CHANGE RIVER DIRECTION IN A HEART BEAT. TAKING 10FT DIAMETER TREES, PRIVATE AND STATE PROPERTY EVERY YEAR ALWAYS ACCRUE. THE HOH RIVER RAIN FOREST IS THE HEAD WATERS OF THIS RIVER HAVING MT. OLYMPUS PACKED WITH THE GLACIER. THIS RIVER IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR RIVER FOR THE SPORTSMAN TO FISH. THE BEST TIMES ARE IN DECEMBER FOR THE HATCHERY FISH. THEY PLANTED AND RELEASED THERE. AND FOR THE BIG NATIVE FISH  FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL. THIS RIVER ALSO HAS REGULATIONS. ABOVE THE HIGHWAY 101 BRIDGE ITS CLOSED FOR RETAINING NATIVE FISH BUT CAN KEEP HATCHERY FISH WITH A DORSAL HEIGHT REQUIREMENT (CHECK OUT THE REGULATION) BEFORE FISHING ON THE PROPER HEIGHT. THE NATIVE FISH CAN ONLY BE CAUGHT BELOW THE HIGHWAY BRIDGE AND ITS A ONE NATIVE FISH PER DAY PER ANGLER TWO NATIVE STEELHEAD A YEAR.

Quileute River

SUMMARY

THIS RIVER IS THE GRAND DADDY OF ALL RIVERS. THE BOGACHIEL, CALAWAH SOL DUC AND DICKEY RIVERS MAKE THIS RIVER. BEING THE SHORTEST RIVER ON THE PENINSULA (4 MILES). THE FISH THAT SWIM UP THE PENINSULA RIVERS MUST COME THROUGH THIS RIVER FIRST. THIS RIVER IS KNOW FOR BANK FISHING, ITS BIG AND WIDE, PLUNKING IS THE METHOD MOST COMMONLY USED. THROWING OUT A 3OZ WEIGHT, SPIN GLOW, EGGS OR SHRIMP SEEM TO WORK FOR THE BEST. AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER IS THE QUILEUTE INDIAN RESERVATION (LAPUSH) THIS IS WHERE THE NATIVE AMERICANS DO ALL THEIR NETTING. DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR AND FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF FISH (STEELHEAD & SALMON) IS WHAT PREDICTS THE AMOUNT OF DAYS THEY NET. STARTING IN DECEMBER THEY NET MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND AS EACH MONTH ENDS THEY LOSE A DAY OF NETTING. THIS SEEM TO WORK AS THEY TARGET THE HATCHERY FISH AND LEAVE THE NATIVE FISH TO SPAWN TO INSURE A STRONG RETURN OF NATIVE FISH. THE NATIVE AMERICANS ARE DOING THEIR PART IN FISH RESTORATION & HABITAT. 

 

Copyright © 2000-2004 All rights reserved

None of the contents on this site may be used for any reason without expressed and
written permission by
Jim Mansfield

Created and administered by Olympic Peninsula Fishing. Com
963 5th Ave., Forks Washington 98331