Hoh River Fishing Report Updated 04/01/24
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Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Steelhead (Native and Hatchery)
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Bull Trout (protected)
Resident Cutthroat Trout
Size
Medium, about 39 miles of water
from the Glacier to the Ocean
Location
Olympic Peninsula
Nearest Towns
LaPush
Port Angeles
Season
Seasons are species specific, Check
current regulations
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Washington
Weather
National Weather Service Link
USGS Stream Flow Data:
Hoh River near Hwy 101
Seasons:
Be sure and check the current year
regulations for seasons which are species specific.
Spring:
April continues the winter steelhead season
Summer:
Summertime is the least productive time of the year. Fall:
Salmon fishing starts about the second week of October when the river levels start rising from the fall rains. Steelhead fishing begins about mid November.
Winter:
January to April is the best winter
steelhead fishing
Recommended Tackle & Gear
For Steelhead and Salmon
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate typerod, sinking, sinking tip and floating
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths
Tippets:
10# and 12#
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand rods
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Fly Fishing The Hoh River Washington
The Hoh River is located on the Olympic Peninsula. It begins at the Hoh Glacier on Mount Olympus and flows through the Olympic Mountains of the Olympic National Park and the Olympic National Forest. After exiting the forest, it flows through the foothills of a broad valley and into its final destination, the Pacific Ocean at the Hoh Indian Reservation. The scenery along the river is breathtaking and unusual. For example, the National Park section has some of the largest trees in the World. The river also passes through the Hoh Rain Forest.
There are three branches that make up the Hoh River. The North Fork, Tom and Glacier Creeks referred to as the Middle Fork, and the South Fork. The North Fork of the Hoh is fed by the Mt. Tom Glacier and the South Fork is fed by Humes Glacier. There are several other smaller tributaries along its route.
The large native winter steelhead the Hoh River is famous for are supplemented by hatchery planted fish by the state of Washington and the Hoh tribe. The hatchery fish begin to show in the river in November along with a few returning native steelhead. In late January the hatchery run starts to slow down and the large natives start to show in larger numbers. Although this is the prime time, Steelhead are in the Hoh River every month of the year. Most of the time there’s enough water in the river to keep the steelhead on the move making it possible for one to catch a steelhead just about anytime of the year. .
By far the best method of fly fishing the Hoh River is to fish it from a drift boat. The Upper Hoh River has three boat ramps and three basic sections to drift. The first one is just inside the park; the next one at Morgan’s Crossing; and the lower ramp is at the Oxbow Campground. There are also several places on the Upper Hoh River where you can wade or fish from the banks and catch steelhead and salmon.
Many anglers prefer to fish the Lower Hoh River and of course, they are the first ones to have a shot at the fish entering the river. It’s wider and usually runs a little slower and smoother than the Upper Hoh. There are two boat launch areas on the Lower Hoh. The Cottonwood Camp launch area can be reached by Oil City Road. Farther downstream the Nolan Creek Bar can be reached from highway #101.
The Hoh River has a very large Silver Salmon run. The fish average about ten pounds with some going up to twenty. King Salmon enter the Hoh during the Fall. These large salmon can weight up to fifty pounds or more.
You may also want to consider fishing the South Fork of the Hoh River. It’s a tributary stream that enters the Hoh River near the National Park boundary. It sees far, fewer anglers than the main stem of the Hoh. It’s best described as small stream steelhead fly fishing.
Hoh River Fishing Report:
02/24/2020 Stream levels are up to a normal
level and fish are being caught in good
numbers by our customers. Conditions
should remain good this coming week.
06/02/20 Summer steelhead, sea run cutts
and spring chinook. Steelhead will be better
later this month.
09/18/20 Now is the time to get your gear and
flies ready for the fall king and coho run. It is
usually the first to the middle of October when
it starts.
11/29/20 Hatchery steelhead should be
showing up. We expect to get some good
reports very soon.
12/18/20 We are getting good reports on
steelhead from customers. Our swinging,
nymping and egg patters are working.
12/28/20 More reports from customers
catching a few steelhead, and sea-run cutts.
01/11/21 We were getting good reports on
steelhead but water levels are up over 5000
cfs. Normal is around 2500 cfs. Fish when it
drops back down.
01/30/21 Stream levels are just a little below
normal level and in good shape. It is cold
water and you need to fish deep and slow
using our steelhead nymphs.
02/25/21 The stream is flowing at near a normal
level. Steelhead are being caught in good
numbers. Swinging, nymphing and eggs are
working.
05/05/21 The river is closed to fishing.
05/17/21 The stream levels are near normal and the river in good shape but the river is closed to fishing. It will probably be the first of June before it will be opened.
06/01/21 The river is open to trout fishing and salmon certain days each week. We don’t have any reports yet, but trout fishing should be good.
07/28/21 Trout are being caught by our customers. The stream levels are low. There are good hatches taking place.
08/05/21 The water is low and clear in the upper sections but there’s some stain in the lower section. We are getting some good reports from customers but there are many fish yet to come into the river.
08/27/21 The river is closed from the National Park boundary until September 16th.
09/06/21 Cutthroat trout fishing is very good. We received two good reports from customers this past week.
09/30/21 King and Coho salmon should start coming into the river anytime now. Now is the time to get your flies and gear ready.
10/15/21 Kings and Coho are entering the lower river. We should start getting some reports soon.
10/27/21 Stream levels are high but bringing in more fish. We have been getting good king and coho reports from customers. This should just get better. Hatchery steelhead should start entering the river.
11/03/21 Stream levels are down to near normal levels and in good shape. We are still getting good reports from customers catching salmon.
11/11/21 Stream levels are just barely above normal level in good shape. We are getting good reports from customers catching Coho salmon.
11/21/21 The stream level is down to a normal level and the river in good shape. Coho are still being caught in good numbers. We received on report on steelhead.
11/29/21 The river is very high right now due to lots of rain. Give it some time to fall and hit it soon as it does. There are lots of Coho and Chinook in the river.
12/07/21 Stream levels are down to near normal levels and the river in good shape. You should be able to catch plenty fish.
12/14/21 There are still a few coho left and there are some early wild steelhead showing up.
12/23/21 The stream levels are down near normal and the river is good shape. Let us hear from you.
12/31/21 The stream is down below normal level but in okay shape. We received one good report from a customer catching steelhead.
01/08/22 We received one more good report from a customer catching steelhead. Stream levels are back down to normal levels.
01/16/22 We received another good report from a customer this past week. There is rain forecast every day this coming week with highs in the mid forties and lows high thirties.
01/24/22 We received two good reports from the lower hoh from customers catching steelhead this past week.
02/06/22 We received four good reports from the Hoh this past week. Steelhead are being caught in good numbers. Water levels are in okay shape.
03/02/22 The stream is closed to fishing until May 1st.
04/29/22 The season opens two days from now, or the first of May. Fly fishing for cutthroat trout will be the prime option.
06/29/22 Summer steelhead, sea run cutts, spring chinook and trout are being caught in the various sections of the river.
07/06/22 Good catches of summer runs are still being reported. Some sea-run cuts and Chinook are also being caught.
07/21/22 Stream levels are normal and the water clear. We received two good reports from customers fishing for trout and summer runs. Good hatches are taking place.
08/04/22 We are getting good catch reports on trout. Stream levels are a little below normal. There are good hatches taking place.
09/10/22 This is the time to get your gear and flies ready for the fall king and coho run. It is usually the first to the middle of October when
it starts.
11/01/22 Stream levels are on the way up bringing in more fish. We have been getting good king and coho reports from customers. This should just get better. Hatchery steelhead should start entering the river soon.
11/17/22 Good reports on King and Coho salmon continue to come in. The water is a little low but okay.
12/15/22 Wild steelhead are starting t enter the river in decent numbers. We received two good reports recently.
02/12/22 Sorry for the missed reports. We should be able to keep them up to date now. We are getting some good reports on the large winter steelhead. Our nymphs and swinging our steelhead streamers are working.
02/26/23 The stream is still flowing near a normal level. Steelhead are being caught in good numbers. Swinging our steelhead streamers, nymphing and eggs are working.
05/15/23 Closed until June 1st, 2023. Now is the time to get your flies and gear ready.
06/12/23 You should be able to catch Summer steelhead, Sea run cutts, Spring chinook and Trout in the various sections of the river.
06/29/23 We received a couple of good reports from customers fishing for Summer run cutts this past week.
07/10/23 Still getting some good reports on sea run cutts.
08/07/23 Trout are being caught in okay numbers. Good hatches are taking place. There are a few summer steelhead in the river but we don’t have any catch reports.
08/17/23 The stream is still in good shape and turning out some good numbers of cutthroat trout.
08/24/23 Cutthroat trout fishing is still good.
08/31/23 Steelhead are spread throughout the river, Chinnok are in the deeper pools and Coho are coming into the stream. Cutthroat trout fishing is still good.
09/07/23 The stream is still got a lot of fish in it but the stream levels are quite low. You have to use caution to keep from spooking the fish.
09/14/23 The stream levels came up a little during last week but are back down very low again.
09/21/23 Stream levels are still low and rain needed to bring more fish in.
09/28/23 The river has plenty salmon and steelhead in it. It is just tough to catch them in low water.
10/05/23 We are getting reports of Coho salmon being caught. Low stream levels still exist.
10/12/23 The stream level is up thanks to rain. This should really bring a good pulse of fish in the river. Now is the time to get your gear and flies ready for steelhead. Let us help you do that.
10/27/23 Stream levels are still below normal. There are lots of Coho salmon in the river and being caught.
11/12/23 King and Coho salmon are still being caught. Conditions are good even though the water is high.
11/19/23 More good catch reports have come in on KIng and Coho. Get ready for steelhead as they start showing up in November. Check out our spey rods for value per cost, and also our Steelhead fly selections.
12/02/23 Steelhead, Kings and Coho salmon and sea run cutthroats are in the river. Stream levels have been mostly high but we are still getting a few reports of fish being caught.
12/14/23 We are getting good reports on steelhead from customers. Our swinging, nympthing methods are working and our egg and steelhead egg sucking leech patters are working.
01/08/24 We continue to get good reports from customers. Stream levels are just a little below normal level and the water clear. Steelhead are being caught mostly on our egg sucking leech and black stonefly steelhead nymphs.
01/16/24 We continue to get good catch reports on steelhead.
01/27/24 The stream is still high and highly stained. It should drop and clear soon. We have been getting good catch reports when the levels are okay.
02/18/24 The stream is flowing a little below a normal level and clear. The river has plenty fish in it and our customers report that they are catching them swinging our steelhead streamers and on our steelhead nymphs.
02/25/24 The stream is flowing just a little below a normal level and with clear water. Steelhead are still being caught in okay numbers.
03/04/24 The stream is still high and dirty but falling. The steelhead are there in good numbers. You should be able to catch them is you fish it right.
03/11/24 The stream got down to near a normal level three days ago but it is back up high again. You should still be able to catch steelhead.
04/01/24 There are steelhead still in the river. Stream levels are near normal and the water mostly clear.
Click Here to see our Steelhead Flies: Click Here to see our Salmon Flies.
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly and gear recommendations.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh