Chinook Salmon Arriving at Tumwater Falls

BriGuy · Sep 20, 2023

If you are in the South Sound area over the next two weeks, you can see the Chinook salmon in the Deschutes river and Tumwater Falls hatchery. I stopped by today and saw several staged in the river and quite a few in the hatchery holding tanks. I spoke to the hatchery manager who said that they processed about 2000 fish so far and that the peak should be in the next week or so.

The Tumwater hatchery has really good viewing opportunities and a nice trail along the river to spot them. If you want to see some salmon, stop by.

Sorry, no good pictures. Too much glare on the water surface.

Bambooflyguy · Sep 20, 2023

Did you get any on the indicator Brian??

BriGuy · Sep 20, 2023

Bambooflyguy said:
Did you get any on the indicator Brian??

I sure thought about it. Might be the only chance I have to hook one of those things.

JACKspASS · Sep 20, 2023

What flies would you recommend for the Deschutes? The wife has been asking me to take her fly fishing for salmon, just not humpies. She said they taste like cardboard..lol Would an 8wt be suitable or should we go with a 9/10wt? Not looking for anyone's honey holes, just some general info on what gear to pack

BriGuy · Sep 20, 2023

JACKspASS said:
What flies would you recommend for the Deschutes? The wife has been asking me to take her fly fishing for salmon, just not humpies. She said they taste like cardboard..lol Would an 8wt be suitable or should we go with a 9/10wt? Not looking for anyone's honey holes, just some general info on what gear to pack

You're not allowed to fish for them below the hatchery, and the hatchery no longer sends any upstream. The hatchery is their final stop. Besides, by the time they get there, they are very dark and beat up. You wouldn't want to eat them anyway.

Years ago, they used to send some upstream. They stopped doing that because their smolts would return to the sound unclipped and appear to be native fish. There was never a historical native run in that river because the fish could not get over the falls.

I wish there was some good fly fishing opportunities in the rivers way down here.

Divad · Sep 20, 2023

BriGuy said:
I wish there was some good fly fishing opportunities in the rivers way down here.

Agree! I’d love for the salmon transplant above the falls to return. They said angling will be allowed in the estuary project of capital lake. Hopefully they allow a good swath to be fished up to the playground at least.

Will have to checkout the falls next week after the rain, thank you for the heads up.

BriGuy · Sep 20, 2023

Divad said:
Agree! I’d love for the salmon transplant above the falls to return. They said angling will be allowed in the estuary project of capital lake. Hopefully they allow a good swath to be fished up to the playground at least.

Will have to checkout the falls next week after the rain, thank you for the heads up.

Forget angling. I just wish they'd let adults play on that cool new playground equipment.