Freestone · Glacial · Washington

Klickitat River

Klickitat River venue image
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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 near Lyle, and a genuine piece of Pacific Northwest swung-fly identity.

Species

About as good as it gets

Low and clear — careful approach country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for steelhead
Ideal
10°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity4712% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.9°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
22°C
Wind
W 24 km/h
Moderate breeze
Pressure
1017 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

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

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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June 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
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2

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

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
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.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

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 near Lyle, and a genuine piece of Pacific Northwest swung-fly identity. It carries summer steelhead that come willingly to the floating line and the sparse fly, which is the whole appeal, but it has a glacial temperament you have to fish around: on warm summer days the melt off Adams clouds the water by afternoon, so the trick is to be on it early, in the clean light, before the day's melt grays it out. It's a river with deep roots — it runs through Yakama Nation ceded lands and is co-managed with the tribe, so the rules and access reflect that and deserve respect. The Mid-Columbia steelhead here are ESA-listed, so it's hatchery-retention-and-wild-release water. Swing a fly through the canyon runs on a clear morning and you're fishing one of the Gorge's true classics.

  • Glacial
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December