Freestone · Glacial · Washington, US

Queets River

Queets river scenic

The Queets is the wild, remote one — a big glacial river running off the flanks of Mount Olympus through deep rainforest, much of it inside Olympic National Park, and co-managed with the Quinault Nation.

Tomorrow · About as good as it gets
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Tomorrow
About as good as it gets
On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Steady
2.18 m
Water temp9.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather10°C
WindN 14 km/h
Pressure1023 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 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
10°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
December–April, on the slow drop as the glacial color clears. Be patient — it clears slower than the rain-fed rivers.
Where
The Queets is the wild, remote one — a big glacial river running off the flanks of Mount Olympus through deep rainforest, much of it inside Olympic National…
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 6pm

12pm(now) — Mahogany Dun

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 74%
Also:Black Midge45%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost5 food groups active

Peak activity at 6pm — October Caddis (October Caddis, Weather boost)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

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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
Steelhead fly box
MT
Marabou Tube
8–10 · Salmon fly
Swing it through the holding lie at a steady pace.
RS
Rabbit-strip Leech
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
BP
Bright Prawn/Shrimp pattern
8–10 · Salmon fly
Swing it through the holding lie at a steady pace.
Local fly shops: Red's Fly Shop·Gorge Fly Shop
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • WDFW coastal steelhead rules plus Olympic National Park and Quinault tribal jurisdiction on much of the river — rules/access vary by authority and reach
  • Release wild steelhead, no removal from water
  • Verify which authority governs your reach before fishing.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 3
Hoh River
31 km
87
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Bogachiel River
40 km
85
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Sol Duc River
50 km
83
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Queets river scenic
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Queets is the wild, remote one — a big glacial river running off the flanks of Mount Olympus through deep rainforest, much of it inside Olympic National Park, and co-managed with the Quinault Nation. It holds some of the strongest wild winter-steelhead genetics left on the coast, and it asks for commitment: long drives, gravel roads, big pushy water and few people. Because it's glacier-fed it behaves like the Hoh — it blows out on the rain and then clears slowly through that milky glacial gray, so patience on the drop is the whole game. There's no hatchery crutch here in the way there is on the Bogey; these are wild fish, and the regulations and access reflect how seriously they're taken — Park rules and tribal co-management mean the first question is genuinely whether you're allowed to fish the reach at all. Swing big flies on heavy tips when it finally comes into shape, tread lightly, and treat the place and its fish with the respect they're owed.

  • Glacial
Conservation note

Olympic Peninsula wild steelhead are NOT ESA-listed (NOAA 'not warranted', Jan 2026) but are managed conservation-first. The Queets is strongly tribal- and Park-managed: the Quinault co-manage the fishery and much of the lower river sits within Olympic National Park. Respect tribal fisheries, Park rules and closures; this is a venue where 'is it open and who governs it' comes before 'is it fishing'. Release wild steelhead in the water, single barbless where required, off the redds. Chinook, coho and sea-run cutthroat present by season.

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

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'QUEETS RIVER' (WA17100102000192_002_004), 2018 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Temperature. 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) · WA17100102000192_002_004

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time4513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6112% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts