Freestone · Glacial · Washington

Klickitat River

Wide view of the Klickitat River gorge with highway and railroad bridges crossing near its mouth on the Columbia River, Washington
Good · Steelhead
Green Butt Skunk · 12–16
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
River high but settled. Match the colour and fish the seams.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.27 mLast reading 13h ago
  • Water temp15.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Green Butt Skunk
Green Butt Skunk12–16
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.27 m
Last reading 13h ago
Water temp15.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather25°C
WindW 17 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Warm — slow
15.1°Cideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Summer into autumn; best on the clear morning water before afternoon glacial melt.
Where
The Klickitat is the Columbia Gorge's own summer-steelhead river — a glacial stream tumbling off Mount Adams through a basalt canyon to meet the big river…
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 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
Steelhead fly box
CC
Coal Car
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
SM
Steelhead Muddler
8–10 · Streamer
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
SH
Silver Hilton
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Local fly shops: Gorge Fly Shop·Red's Fly Shop
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Retain hatchery steelhead, release wild (ESA-listed Mid-Columbia DPS)
  • Yakama co-management; verify WDFW and tribal rules.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide view of the Klickitat River gorge with highway and railroad bridges crossing near its mouth on the Columbia River, Washington
    The Klickitat River near its confluence with the Columbia, Washington
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Klickitat steelhead belong to the ESA-listed Mid-Columbia River DPS (threatened). There is a legal fishery — retain fin-clipped hatchery fish, release wild steelhead in the water. We read shape and run timing, never a harvest score on wild fish. The river is co-managed with the Yakama Nation; respect tribal fisheries and closures. Chinook and coho present by season.

Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'KLICKITAT RIVER' (WA17070106000007_001_001), 2018 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Temperature, Oxygen Depletion. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · WA17070106000007_001_001

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature5928% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time8513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity5912% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts