Fly Fishing in Washington

A regional note specific to this state: the trout fishery here is built on a series of tailwaters and a handful of high-country lakes, and the state agency has invested heavily in those waters, which is why the catch rate is consistently high and the average fish size is larger than the national average. Washington trout fishing is the most diverse in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from the trophy steelhead and trout fisheries of the Yakima to the wild cutthroat streams of the Olympic Peninsula. The state has more than 7,000 miles of fishable trout water, including the famous Yakima, the Skykomish, the Methow, the Klickitat, and dozens more. The most famous trout river is the Yakima, a freestone that runs through the high country of central Washington and produces wild rainbows averaging 14 to 18 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the agency stocks the put-and-take lakes and rivers while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and special regulations. A regular Washington fishing license is required, and the cost is $32 for residents and $85 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 5 trout combined in most waters with special regulations on the wild trout water. The unique regional quirk is that Washington requires a special combined angling license to fish for both trout and salmon, and the daily limit is 2 trout in the special regulation water.