The flip flop is on! Water levels are dropping fast and the days of battling big, pushy flows are behind us. Wading access is opening up nicely, and right now you’ve got options. You can hop in a boat and use it as a taxi to jump between prime runs, or go full “ground ’n pound” from the road and cover water on foot. Either way, conditions are shifting in the angler’s favor.
That said, the water is still warm, and we’re rarely guiding afternoons. Expect Hoot Owl hours to stick around at least another week or so, and honestly, that’s just fine—mornings are when the river feels alive anyway. As for the bug life? Late summer into early fall is always the low point for hatches, so don’t expect blizzards of insects. If you’re having tough luck, try being creative with a Joe’s Mini Craw, a small streamer, or even a terrestrial. Trout are looking for a meal, but it might not be the one you were planning on.
It’s also time to lighten up on your tippet. 5X is no longer “light” but really the standard for nymphs, and anything heavier than 4X to your dries is probably too much. The fish are picky in these conditions, and a little finesse goes a long way.
Looking ahead, we’ve got a few things on the calendar worth your attention. On September 27th, join us and the local TU chapter for a Yakima River Litter Pickup—meet at Big Pines at 9 a.m., divide and conquer trash for a couple hours, then dump it, have a cold drink, and sneak in some afternoon fishing. We’ve also posted a bunch of dedicated dates with our guide gals, so if you want to book a women’s adventure specifically with Shannon or Ashtyn, now’s your chance—just make sure to confirm by phone when you book.
And if you haven’t tuned in yet, give our new show a listen: The MEND Fly Fishing Podcast, hosted by Joe Rotter. We’ve been dropping some really solid episodes lately. Spotify missed a couple uploads (tech gremlins…), but you can always find the full lineup on our podcast page or stream it on Apple and Podbean.
The good news? Cooler nights are coming, flows are stabilizing, and fall fishing is just around the corner. Once those water temps dip a little more, we’ll be into one of the best stretches of the year on the Yak.
Steelhead on the Klickitat? Yup.
We're starting to see some encouraging early signs on the Klickitat River. Steelhead season is shaping up, and we’ve still got a few prime dates left at the Steelhead Lodge this fall. If you’re even thinking about it—book now. Don’t wait for someone else to plan your fishing trip. Let’s go swing for glory.
Vehicle Shuttle Service
We move cars, not bodies. Just choose your float, leave us a key and we will valet your rig from the launch point to take-out.
While the chart is only a "prediction", it is based on historical data, weather forecasts, current weather, current snow-pack etc. You can use this to get a rough idea of how the river is going to react to predicted rainfall, run-off, etc.
