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[Darko]

I visited the Skagit for the first time on Sunday and it was beautiful. Even got to see some deer. Fishing was slow though. For a catch and release trophy fishery I expected more. Only five hookups on the spinner and lost them all. All were maybe  7-12 inches. The river also seemed very low. Is this normal for this time of year? Is late september/october better? I fished by summalo grove and along a couple spots on the highway. Thanks

[canucksfan233]

I've also been there once, but if I'm not mistaken I think the lower is better fishing than the upper?
I fished it in late July last year, didn't even get a bite haha.

[RalphH]

I take it you went to the  Sumallo Grove access? I have never heard of the Skagit described as a "trophy fishery". For the most part in my experience, it's more a location for fly fishing not hardware though the bulltrout will take spoons etc. The trout also spend most of their life cycle in Ross Lake coming into the river in late spring then moving back down into the lake by lake fall. The fish start leaving the upper river in late summer - it varies from year to year.

Over the years the fishery has changed and many people have talked about the decline of the trout population and an increase in the bulltrout. Invasive fish have made their way into Ross Lake and seem to have upset the balance that was established after the dam was competed - Ross lake is a hydro impoundment. I fished the  Sumallo Grove access a lot many years back. In my experience one has to walk down the trail quite a distance to reach the better fishing.

Have a look at this map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-7608de7

You can see the trail bends away from the river just downstream of the confluence of the Sumallo and Skagit. In my experience the fishing wasn't particularly good from mid-summer on unless one walked an hour or so down the trail to where the trail got close to the river again. From there one can fish to and down past Delacy camp. I think it is a dozen km and a days walk to 26 mile bridge which is the first access from the Silver Skagit road access.  The fish are usually out of the Sumallo very soon after the river opens July 1st. In the past, once the water gets low enough it was possible to wade the river all the way from the confluence to Delacy camp.

With the river currently inaccessible from the silver skagit road I hear there is a lot more pressure on the water below Sumallo grove ...that may impact the fishing.

Hope this helps

[Darko]

I take it you went to the  Sumallo Grove access? I have never heard of the Skagit described as a "trophy fishery". For the most part in my experience, it's more a location for fly fishing not hardware though the bulltrout will take spoons etc. The trout are also spend most of their life cycle in Ross Lake coming into the river in late spring then moving back down into the lake by lake fall. The fish start leaving the upper river in late summer - it varies from year to year.

Over the years the fishery has changed and many people have talked about the decline of the trout population and an increase in the bulltrout. Invasive fish have made their way into Ross Lake and seem to have upset the balance that was established after the dam was competed - Ross lake is a hydro impoundment. I fished the  Sumallo Grove access a lot many years back. In my experience one has to walk down the trail quite a distance to reach the better fishing.

Have a look at this map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-7608de7

You can see the trail bends away from the river just downstream of the confluence of the Sumallo and Skagit. In my experience the fishing wasn't particularly good from mid-summer on unless one walked an hour or so down the trail to where the trail got close to the river again. From there one can fish to and down past Delacy camp. I think it is a dozen km and a days walk to 26 mile bridge which is the first access from the Silver Skagit road access.  The fish are usually out of the Sumallo very soon after the river opens July 1st. In the past, once the water gets low enough it was possible to wade the river all the way from the confluence to Delacy camp.

With the river currently inaccessible from the silver skagit road I hear there is a lot more pressure on the water below Sumallo grove ...that may impact the fishing.

Hope this helps

thanks Ralph, yea that really helps! I'll keep that in mind next time

[Lunk Louie]

My experience of Sumallo and downriver is same as Ralph....I explored it only once in the 80"s and encountered very skinny water and very small fish for maybe a few KMs and that's as far as I went as I wasn't too keen on going further for what I was encountering...I guess things may have changed over the decades since we've heard some positive things past few years ?
....The good ole internet makes things so nice n easy 

[Wiseguy]

The fishing in the lake has gotten worse and worse over the years imo. The limit has been reduced as well.  There is a infestation of red sided shiners in the lake now. I find fishing better on the American side so I go over there and fish further out in deeper water. The limit on that side is better as well. I purchase a Washington state fishing license to do so.

[GENERAL-SHERMAN]

The fishing early on is always better . Late season you gotta get crafty and think outside the box as far as patterns /hooks size / leader diameter and length. Give them somthing they haven’t seen so much of . sometimes that doesn’t even work. They get really pricked up the first month of the season . Moving slower and quieter as well as approaching runs from behind and not letting the fish know your there works a bunch too . It becomes a game of not how much good water u cover like in the early season but how much good water you cover well .

[RalphH]

hitting good hatches is always a winner. Never forget hitting the green drake hatch on Sept 11 1986. Big #10 mayfly duns came off in clouds and I caught quite a number of 12 to 17 inch trout. it was so good that while I was playing one fish i would be checking out rises to select my next target! That started in late morning and  went into the late afternoon.

[Darko]

hitting good hatches is always a winner. Never forget hitting the green drake hatch on Sept 11 1986. Big #10 mayfly duns came off in clouds and I caught quite a number of 12 to 17 inch trout. it was so good that while I was playing one fish i would be checking out rises to select my next target! That started in late morning and  went into the late afternoon.

amazing how you can remember that from all the way back. Hopefully one day I'll be telling similar stories.