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Skagit River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Northwest's mother river: Puget Sound's biggest steelhead-and-salmon system, eagle winters and the birthplace of the modern spey.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
6,510 cfs
Air / High
65 / 68 F
Wind
NW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12200500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Skagit River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 6,510 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings a mixed sky, wind NW around 8 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 68. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutGood

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadSlow

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 69 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Skagit River near Mount Vernon.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 12200500.

6,6907,0257,3606,510 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp65 F
High / Low68 / 49 F
WindNW 8-9 mph
Pressure1014.0 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain26% cloud, 17%
Sunrise / Sunset06:31 / 19:45
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 68/49 F, wind 8 mph, rain 17%

Fair or better. A 8 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Skagit River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Skagit River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Skagit River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Washington requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Washington license + salmon/steelhead cards. Seasons highly regulated: check WDFW emergency rules always.

Access

Marblemount, Rockport, Concrete, Sedro-Woolley accesses: Howard Miller Steelhead Park the time-honored base.

About this water

150 miles from the North Cascades to Puget Sound, WA. The Sound's great river and spey fishing's home water.

Fishing Skagit River: the full guide

The big green river

The Skagit drains the North Cascades into Puget Sound: the Sound's largest river and its most storied: all five salmon species, native steelhead runs, bull trout, and the winter eagle gatherings that made Rockport famous. The modern Pacific spey tradition: Ed Ward's intruders, the Skagit lines that carry the name: was invented on these winter runs.

The steelhead question

Wild winter steelhead made the Skagit legend: seasons now open only when runs allow (the spring catch-and-release window returns in strong years: check WDFW annually). When open, February-April swings through the Marblemount-to-Rockport runs are the Northwest's premier wild-fish experience: when closed, respect the reason: this river is the recovery's flagship.

Salmon calendar

Pinks stack the river in odd years (August-September: the everyman's bonanza), coho follow in fall, chums fill the lower river for the fly crowd's tug-of-war, and sockeye run to Baker Lake's program (a unique dipped-in fishery by permit). Kings are protected: release and count yourself blessed. Each run carries its own rules: the Skagit demands regulation literacy.

Working the system

The upper river (Marblemount to Concrete) runs wild and green under the peaks: the lower valley braids through farmland with bank access at the bridges. Winter flows swing hard with rain: our Mount Vernon gauge is the trip-decider: and the Sauk: the Skagit's wild twin: doubles the system's water when conditions align. Eagle season (December-January) makes even fishless drifts unforgettable.

Common questions

Is the Skagit open for steelhead?

Only in years the wild run forecasts allow: WDFW announces the spring catch-and-release season annually. When it opens, it is the Northwest's bucket-list swing: when closed, the pinks, coho and chums keep the river generous.

When do pink salmon run the Skagit?

Odd-numbered years, August-September: millions of humpies and the region's most democratic fishery. Small pink jigs and flies: bring patience for company and a cooler for the fresh ones.

Is fishing good at Skagit River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Baker Lake36 miSkykomish River50 miLake Washington59 miLake Sammamish61 miElwha River61 miIcicle Creek97 mi
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