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Yakima River Fishing Report

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

Washington's blue-ribbon canyon: wild rainbows on a farmland river that fishes like Montana.

3/5

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

Water temp

~54 F est.

Air / High

72 / 75 F

Wind

ENE 3 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12511800, 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.

Yakima River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. Today brings clear skies, wind ENE around 3 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 75. Water sits around 54 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

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 78 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 YAKIMA RIVER AT VAN GIESEN BR NEAR RICHLAND, WA.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp72 F

High / Low75 / 48 F

WindENE 3-5 mph

Pressure1013.6 hPa, steady

Sky / Rain8% cloud, 2%

Sunrise / Sunset06:21 / 19:30

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

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

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 75/48 F, wind 7 mph, rain 2%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Yakima 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

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

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 Yakima River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 16 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 86 F, wind to 9 mph.

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

C&R for all trout, artificials only canyon-wide. Confirm with WDFW.

Access

Canyon pullouts on SR-821; floats Ringer-Umtanum-Roza; shuttle services in Ellensburg.

About this water

Washington's blue-ribbon trout river, Kittitas/Yakima counties: wild rainbows under basalt rims.

Fishing Yakima River: the full guide

The Yak

The Yakima's Lower Canyon runs like transplanted Montana: wild rainbows and cutthroat on hoppers against basalt walls, with flip-flopped flows (high in summer for irrigation) that keep fish on the banks. Fall drops the river into its prime: October caddis and quiet drifts.

Flip-flop flows

Irrigation runs the Yakima backward: high summer flows (fish the banks hard), low September flows (classic riffle-pool). The Lower Canyon (Ringer to Roza) is the marquee: wild rainbows tight to every edge seam. Adjust to the calendar and the river fishes all year.

Hopper season honesty

August-September hopper fishing against the canyon walls is Washington's best dry-fly stretch: foam patterns tight to grass banks, twitched once, eaten with intent. Cloudy days add October caddis: the season's exclamation point.

Flip-flop flows, explained

The Yakima runs backwards: irrigation demand keeps summer flows high and cold (big-water streamer and hopper floats), then September's 'flip-flop' drops the river to a wadeable autumn stream overnight. That switch triggers the year's best dry-fly stretch: October caddis and BWOs over resettled trout. Winter offers midday midges in the Lower Canyon: Washington's only blue-ribbon trout river fishes all four seasons by design.

Common questions

Why are summer flows so high?

Irrigation deliveries downstream: the river runs bank-full July-August. Fish don't mind: they slide to the edges: exactly where a hopper lands best.

Should I float or wade the Yakima?

Summer: float (high flows drown wading). After the September flip-flop: wading opens everywhere. The Lower Canyon between Ringer and Roza is the classic drift either way.

Is fishing good at Yakima 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

Potholes Reservoir52 mi Moses Lake60 mi Deschutes River91 mi Grande Ronde River93 mi Klickitat River98 mi Columbia River103 mi

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