Coastal Rainforest · Granite · British Columbia

Squamish & Cheakamus Rivers

Squamish & Cheakamus Rivers — Brakendale Winter
Poor · Cutthroat Trout
Black Beetle · 12-14
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River dropping into shape after a lift. Not much stacked in your favour today. Worth an hour if you are nearby, not worth the special trip.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level4.97 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp18.0°C
  • ClarityUnfishableColouring up
Today's fly
BB
Black Beetle12-14
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
4.97 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp18.0°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather17°C
WindS 6 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent2.5 mm
Rain · ahead11.7 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Cutthroat Trout
Warm — slow
18°C est.ideal 9–15°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Cutthroat Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 18°C — above the cutthroat trout caution line (16°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 7am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July 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
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2
American March BrownHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Cutthroat Trout fly box
BB
Black BeetleTop
12-14 · Pattern
High-confidence seasonal pick
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
Water here around 18°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
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.

The full read · show the working · for Cutthroat Trout · confidence 80%
How the 20 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature39 × 28%10.9
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity10 × 18%1.8
Feeding Time85 × 13%11.1
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity43 × 12%5.2
Limiting factor: Water is unfishable — too coloured for Cutthroat Trout= 52
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 9–15 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
A drop and clear would lift the flow and clarity scores.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts