Coastal Rainforest · Granite · British Columbia, CA

Squamish & Cheakamus Rivers

Squamish & Cheakamus Rivers — Brakendale Winter
Prime · Steelhead
Fry/minnow pattern · 8–10
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River high but settled. Coloured water — fish bigger and deeper, confident takes down the seams.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.81 mLast reading 5h ago
  • Water temp8.2°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
FM
Fry/minnow pattern8–10
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.81 m
Last reading 5h ago
Water temp8.2°C
ClarityClear
Weather6°C
WindN 4 km/h
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent8.8 mm
Rain · ahead4.3 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Ideal
8°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Autumn through spring (clear cold water); avoid the glacial summer melt.
Where
The Squamish and Cheakamus in the Sea-to-Sky corridor are glacial coastal rivers best fished in the clear, cold months — bull trout (Dolly Varden) chasing…
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 21 Uhr

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 7 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Steelhead
FM
Fry/minnow patternTop
8–10 · Streamer
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Dolly Varden protected/C&R; wild steelhead C&R; salmon DFO-regulated
  • Verify current BC regs (Region 2) and DFO notices.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 1
Capilano River
47 km
85
Steelhead · Coho salmon · Chinook salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Squamish & Cheakamus Rivers — Brakendale Winter
    Brakendale Winter
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Bull trout / Dolly Varden (char, protected, catch-and-release) following salmon fry and eggs, winter steelhead (wild C&R), cutthroat, and big salmon runs (DFO-regulated). Clean-Drain-Dry.

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time7513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6112% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts