Question about Skagit/Sauk river

My time in WA is ending soon, so would like to explore Skagit/Sauk river.

I am looking for the boat launches since it looks easy to access. Could you please recommend me some well-known accesses? (not secret place anymore) I'm considering to book a guided trip also.

Thanks in advance
 

BDD

Steelhead
There's a boat launch under the bridge at Marblemount, Rockport, and Concrete (okay, not exactly under the bridge but nearby) on the Skagit. As for the Sauk, you are on your own.
 
Yesterday I was driving along Sauk/Skagit river. The water was too high/milky so I couldn't fish, just watched flow. The gauge at Marblemount showed about 5.2 foot level. Could you please let me know the fishable water level at Skagit??
 

Old Man

Just a useless Old Man.
Forum Legend
Yesterday I was driving along Sauk/Skagit river. The water was too high/milky so I couldn't fish, just watched flow. The gauge at Marblemount showed about 5.2 foot level. Could you please let me know the fishable water level at Skagit??
The Skagit and the Sauk a two different rivers. I I'd start out above the Campground above the N/F of the Sauk. I always liked to fish the Sauk in the summer time. Lots of bank access above the N/F. But if any of you do be sure to read the regs, Some parts of the S/F close early.
 

BDD

Steelhead
Yesterday I was driving along Sauk/Skagit river. The water was too high/milky so I couldn't fish, just watched flow. The gauge at Marblemount showed about 5.2 foot level. Could you please let me know the fishable water level at Skagit??
It sounds like you missed out on a great opportunity to answer your own question. When exploring a new river, it helps to fish it at different levels and clarity as it helps you answer those questions for yourself as everyone is different opinion of what they would consider "high" or "fishable". You might be confusing fishability with flow. There are times, especially with a dam-controlled river, where the water may be high, making fishing difficult because of wadable access, but it might fish just fine because of the water clarity. You might find substantially different water color at Concrete compared to upstream of Rockport, because of the Sauk River entering just downstream of Rockport. Next time, check the levels, and rather just viewing the river from the road, get out and make a few casts and see for yourself what is acceptable and not. Keep a record of the gauge height and after a while, you'll start to put the puzzle pieces together that suit your needs.
 

Dave Westburg

Fish the classics
Forum Supporter
My two cents. The lower Sauk will be cloudy for much of the summer due to glacial melt coming through the Suiattle, a tributary which hits the river a little ways below Darrington. It will be this way until the glaciers lock up with cold weather in the fall. The Sauk will also color the Skagit below the two river's confluence.

One other thing about the Sauk. It is not an easy beginners float. If I rated rivers (1 easy to 10 difficult) on floating difficulty, the lower skagit (below rockport) and skykomish (below Sultan) and cowlitz would be a 3 and the Sauk would be a 7 or 8.

Dec Hogan says this about floating the Sauk in Steelhead River Journal, "The Sauk is NOT for the inexperienced boater. Large exposed boulders, log jams, sweepers, braided channels and swift tumultuous flows make the Sauk a very technical and dangerous river."
 

Old Man

Just a useless Old Man.
Forum Legend
The White Chuck also adds to the milky color of the Sauk. It stays white all summer long. The is also a small slide on the S/F of the Stilly that seems to bleed all the time. It clouds the river below Gold Basin CG. It's a clay slide.

You can fish the WC, but you have no visibility beyond the top of the Skinny water. It's a hit and a miss river.
 

Salmo_g

Legend
Forum Supporter
Yesterday I was driving along Sauk/Skagit river. The water was too high/milky so I couldn't fish, just watched flow. The gauge at Marblemount showed about 5.2 foot level. Could you please let me know the fishable water level at Skagit??
A friend fished the Skagit and Sauk last Friday. Both were on the high side, but visibility was 3' and fishable. Only certain runs fish well at those heights. As a general rule of thumb, most runs on the Skagit fish well when the Concrete gage is below 19'. Above that and you'll have to search to find water that fishes well. Interestingly, the Sauk used to fish well when the gage dropped to 4.6'. However, the Sauk riverbed has changed or moved over the years, and I think it now fishes well when the gage drops below 6'. And in the spring and summer, when the weather warms to 80*, the Sauk goes out of shape due to glacial melt. And once Chocolate glacier on the Suiattle begins sending mud down the river, it will stay turbid for quite a while even after the weather cools down some. I have no formula for predicting that.

Floating the Sauk and Skagit is reasonably safe provided you know what you're doing. If not, then they are deceptively dangerous.
 
@BDD @Old Man @Dave Westburg @Salmo_g many thanks for the kind replies! I can't do floating game since don't have a boat. This month is my last time in WA, so wanted to find some places where wading is ok. At the first glance it looked dangerous for wading, so I just tried the upper Sauk only.

If I can have more chance to get there before leaving, will try anyway as @Dave Westburg said. I should be there last winter but couldn't make time... Hope I can visit WA again in future!
 

Dave Westburg

Fish the classics
Forum Supporter
Floating the Sauk and Skagit is reasonably safe provided you know what you're doing. If not, then they are deceptively dangerous.
I've felt comfortable floating the Sauk in the past. But the last Sauk river high water pushed almost all the river into the very narrow right channel along 530 between the second and third bridges. The channel is extremely narrow and fast. At one point the entire channel wants to slide right into some sweepers against the highway bank. Scared the wits out of me this winter in my Maxxon.
 

Paige

Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
I've felt comfortable floating the Sauk in the past. But the last Sauk river high water pushed almost all the river into the very narrow right channel along 530 between the second and third bridges. The channel is extremely narrow and fast. At one point the entire channel wants to slide right into some sweepers against the highway bank. Scared the wits out of me this winter in my Maxxon.


And left one of the most famous runs desolate except certain flows😭
 
By the way I am curious about the floating. If your boat doesn't have any motor, how do you get back to the launch site? It seems like that two vehicles are needed :)
 

Paige

Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
By the way I am curious about the floating. If your boat doesn't have any motor, how do you get back to the launch site? It seems like that two vehicles are needed :)

2 vehicles or a shuttle service, which doesn't happen up there, and jet sleds are not welcom on the upper or middle Sauk, the old timers rule in a time forgoten, apparently, was no sleds above government bridge the lowest bridge on the Sauk.

A self proclaimed jedi had all of one side of his vehicle and trailers tires slashed for breaking that unwritten code. But I guess moving to Oregon excuses one in their mind, but being he used to guide there you'd think he would've remembered that!

The locals have always taken care of it up there, not great idea to fuck with the Tarheels, great hardbworking folks, but it's a best practice to not poke the bear!
 

Aleforme

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
Curious if anyone has had any success on the Sauk further south along the Mountain Loop Highway? I know it splits at some point into the South Fork Sauk. I've never really fish that area and not asking for spots but just curious if it's worth the time? I love exploring and doing recon on rivers so I'd love to spend a day or two checking it out. But, if it's not fishable, good to know ahead of time.
 

Salmo_g

Legend
Forum Supporter
Always wanted to try but never made it there, the upper North Fork Sauk and Sloan Creek are said to have healthy populations of rainbow trout. They probably don't grow very large that far upstream, but if it's like other tributaries, they are probably abundant and pretty easy to catch. I think Old Man Jim tried it once years ago and noted that Sloan Creek is very cold.
 

Old Man

Just a useless Old Man.
Forum Legend
Always wanted to try but never made it there, the upper North Fork Sauk and Sloan Creek are said to have healthy populations of rainbow trout. They probably don't grow very large that far upstream, but if it's like other tributaries, they are probably abundant and pretty easy to catch. I think Old Man Jim tried it once years ago and noted that Sloan Creek is very cold.
Those fish are very wary. And the water is cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey. Plus the mosquitoes are thick and will get you the minute you step out of your vehicle. The North Fork doesn't have much fishable access. That means you have to keep your eyes open and see where everybody parks. I found a few places. There are some that the river gets close to the road(FSR 49). Not very many

I always enjoyed myself going up there. The jets from Oak Harbor use that area to scare the hell out of anybody in there. When they fly over it seems like they are trying to land in the trees. I have been known to duck when they fly overhead.

A 6"fish is a monster. Lots of deep holes and a lot of snags.

You could use Google maps, but with the road covered(Lots of trees) would make it hard to spot any access.
 

Aleforme

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
Always wanted to try but never made it there, the upper North Fork Sauk and Sloan Creek are said to have healthy populations of rainbow trout. They probably don't grow very large that far upstream, but if it's like other tributaries, they are probably abundant and pretty easy to catch. I think Old Man Jim tried it once years ago and noted that Sloan Creek is very cold.
Jim and I spoke a while back so I've got some good starting points. Really appreciate his willingness to lend some of his knowledge. I'm going to give it a go as soon as I can get up there. Got a couple trips ahead of it.
 
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