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[mko72]

Been fishing the various rivers in Squamish a few times, always close to rain and always low visibility.

I'm still trying to learn how clarity affects fishing. 

If the forecast is for rain in Squamish for the next few days, will that make the rivers mostly unfishable?

(except for the snaggers )

[Noahs Arc]

The lower Squamish will run dirty until the mountains tighten up.
Dirty water means fish are less spooked and sit closer to shore. It also means you need to cover the water more thoroughly.

[mko72]

Does it also mean larger presentations?  Bigger spoons and/or spinners?

[nickredway]

Its basically mud right now after the rain. Yes the fish will be close to shore, as will all the rotten half dead spawners and it will be very hard to avoid snagging them; also with the extended pink opening the snag show is going to be in effect until it closes. Cheakamus is stuffed with spawning pinks also and one of the creeks further up has been spewing muddy water in for the last month so the vis is terrible. Mamquam is also stuffed with pinks and should be avoided. I am working in Squamish during the week at the moment and will not be bothering to fish.  Hopefully we get some more rain soon and the Fraser Valley fishing will pick up, chrome Pinks around now and Coho and Chinooks around the corner!

[marrington03]

was there today, the mud from the squamish was running right down to the mouth.

not a chrome fish to be found all day, lots of dead and or dying fish everywhere.

the mamquam was shoulder to shoulder as there was not much shore access anywhere else.

[Dogbreath]

was there today, the mud from the squamish was running right down to the mouth.not a chrome fish to be found all day, lots of dead and or dying fish everywhere....

Ditto the Cheakamus-all kinds of dying fish wallowing in chocolate milk-the tour group I had enjoyed it though.

[Magz]

i fished a sqaumish trib during the heavy rain the other day. chocolate milk water everywhere. so we went for a drive and found some perfect water. no mud at all. just got to go explore .i thought the long drive up there was all for nothing. but it turned out to b an awsome day wth lots off pinks hitting the fly .even got a nice jack spring on my gear rod.!!!

[Dogbreath]

As of yesterday it was more like Vichyssoise-colourwise anyway.

[mko72]

Being new to this fishery, are the Squamish/Mam/Chek often silty/muddy until it gets cold enough to snow?

Does it impact coho, spring and chum fishing? Or does it weed out the beeks and leave room for more experienced anglers?

[Dogbreath]

Being new to this fishery, are the Squamish/Mam/Chek often silty/muddy until it gets cold enough to snow?

Yes but not this bad-this is the worst I've seen in 20+ years I've fished that system.

Does it impact coho, spring and chum fishing?

Not enough Springs to bother with for a long time now can't remember the last time I hooked one-and Coho are rare as popesh!t.

If the Chum run doesn't fail like it did in 20009, 2010 and 2011 visibility won't make much difference it's pretty much a snaggery anyway.

Or does it weed out the beeks and leave room for more experienced anglers?

What keeps the idiots away is Non Retention as soon as they hear they can keep a boot they start coming out of the woodwork.

[bigblue]

Yes but not this bad-this is the worst I've seen in 20+ years I've fished that system.

I fished the Squamish River several times this year and turbidity has been marginal even on the best of days. I heard from a long time resident before the pink season started that some big project (development) up river was releasing a lot of mud and silt into the river. I didn't realize how bad it was until the pink season started.  Visibility was so bad every time I went that only practical method were fly or float fish, swinging a spoon was out of the question.

[Matt]

There are many factors that can lead to silt/ mud in the Squamish watershed.  Its a gamble every time you go basically as there is no way to tell without seeing the water.  I've gone up and realized the river are too dirty to fish more times than I can remember.  Unpredictable water conditions are part of the game there.

[bkk]

I heard from a long time resident before the pink season started that some big project (development) up river was releasing a lot of mud and silt into the river.

That statement is totally untrue. No large upstream developments effecting water turbidity. What your seeing is melt water from the glaciers that is clouding the rivers. This happens every year but is much worse this year due to record dry periods with hot weather and several severe thunderstorms with intense periods of rain. The big sources of this sediment are from the headwaters of the Squamish (42 Mile area), Culliton and Chekeye Creeks on the Cheakamus and Ring Creek on the Mamquam. Most likely will not clear until the alpine country starts to freeze up slowing the runoff.

[Dogbreath]

Never seen the Cheekeye pumping out as much mud as today it made chocolate milk look like glass (!)

Still lots of Pinks up @ the Bailey Bridge but they are dying off fast.

[Dogbreath]

Never seen the Cheekeye pumping out as much mud as today it made chocolate milk look like glass (!)

Cheekeye still doing it's thing but the rest of the river is in good shape excellent visibility.

Still lots of Pinks up @ the Bailey Bridge but they are dying off fast.

Spoke too soon those that were dying are rapidly replaced by new candidates never seen so many Pinks in the Cheakamus this late in their season.

Spotted no Coho.