Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Satsop River Washington
The Satsop River major tributaries all originate in the
Olympic Mountains and their southern foothills. The
uppermost tributaries extend into Olympic National
Forest but not quite to the Olympic National Park. The
river has three main tributary forks, the East Fork,
West Fork, and the Middle Fork Satsop Rivers. The main
three tributaries represent the major part of the Satop
River. The main stem Satsop River is formed by the
West and East Forks. The Middle Fork is an East Fork
tributary stream. The main stem of the Satsop River only
flows for a few miles before reaching the Chehalis River.
The West Fork Satsop has two major tributaries, the
Canyon River and Little River. Decker Creek is a
tributary of the East Fork Satsop River. You would think
all of this watershed would produce some fantastic
steelhead fishing but unfortunately, this isn't the case.
The Fall salmon fishing is the main feature of the
Satsop. The winter steelhead run only produces a few
fish each year. In years past, the Satsop River produced
some large catches of big steelhead, but not currently.
Chum Salmon come into the river from late October to
January. The are all wild fish. Anglers catch boat loads
of the chum, most of which come from the East Fork
Satsop. It can and usually brings big crowds of anglers
or more specifically, chunkers. The river does produce
some good Coho fishing with many of the fish running a
large size. Some Chinook Salmon are wild but most are
return to the Bingham Creek Fish Hatchery.
Steelhead, a mixture of wild and hatchery fish, show up
in December and remain in the river until it is closed at
the end of March. The steelhead are few and far
between and run on the small side. January and
February offers the best fishing opportunities.
Seasons:
Varies by species
Summer:
Cutthoat, native and sea-run can be taken in the late
Summer months.
Fall:
Chum Salmon run from late October into the winter.
Chinook Salmon fishing peaks in the middle of October.
Silver Salmon or Coho Salmon, enter the river in late
October.
Winter:
Chum salmon are in the river through December.
Steelhead are in the river from December through March
when the season is closed.
The Satsop River major tributaries all originate in the
Olympic Mountains and their southern foothills. The
uppermost tributaries extend into Olympic National
Forest but not quite to the Olympic National Park. The
river has three main tributary forks, the East Fork,
West Fork, and the Middle Fork Satsop Rivers. The main
three tributaries represent the major part of the Satop
River. The main stem Satsop River is formed by the
West and East Forks. The Middle Fork is an East Fork
tributary stream. The main stem of the Satsop River only
flows for a few miles before reaching the Chehalis River.
The West Fork Satsop has two major tributaries, the
Canyon River and Little River. Decker Creek is a
tributary of the East Fork Satsop River. You would think
all of this watershed would produce some fantastic
steelhead fishing but unfortunately, this isn't the case.
The Fall salmon fishing is the main feature of the
Satsop. The winter steelhead run only produces a few
fish each year. In years past, the Satsop River produced
some large catches of big steelhead, but not currently.
Chum Salmon come into the river from late October to
January. The are all wild fish. Anglers catch boat loads
of the chum, most of which come from the East Fork
Satsop. It can and usually brings big crowds of anglers
or more specifically, chunkers. The river does produce
some good Coho fishing with many of the fish running a
large size. Some Chinook Salmon are wild but most are
return to the Bingham Creek Fish Hatchery.
Steelhead, a mixture of wild and hatchery fish, show up
in December and remain in the river until it is closed at
the end of March. The steelhead are few and far
between and run on the small side. January and
February offers the best fishing opportunities.
Seasons:
Varies by species
Summer:
Cutthoat, native and sea-run can be taken in the late
Summer months.
Fall:
Chum Salmon run from late October into the winter.
Chinook Salmon fishing peaks in the middle of October.
Silver Salmon or Coho Salmon, enter the river in late
October.
Winter:
Chum salmon are in the river through December.
Steelhead are in the river from December through March
when the season is closed.
| Type of Stream Freestone Species Steelhead (small winter run) Coho Salmon Chinook Salmon Chum Salmon Sea-run Cutthroat Size Medium Location Central Coastal Washington Nearest Towns Satsop Elma Season Varies by species - Make sure you see the current regulations Access: Good Non-Resident License State of Washington Weather National Weather Service Link Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Flies |
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Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate type
rod, sinking, sinking tip and floating,
floating 5 or 6 weight fly line for cutts
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths, 0X-5X in
71/2 to 9 foot lengths for cutts.
Tippets:
10# and 12# / 0X to 5X for cutts
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand
rods, and 5 or 6 weight rods for cutts
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines, or for 4 to 5
weight lines for cutts
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate type
rod, sinking, sinking tip and floating,
floating 5 or 6 weight fly line for cutts
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths, 0X-5X in
71/2 to 9 foot lengths for cutts.
Tippets:
10# and 12# / 0X to 5X for cutts
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand
rods, and 5 or 6 weight rods for cutts
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines, or for 4 to 5
weight lines for cutts
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Satsop River Fishing Report:
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
| Options For Selecting Flies: 1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. 2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need. 3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com) with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip. All orders are shipped free in the U. S. Orders over $50 are shipped via Priority Mail. |