As the largest river flowing into Puget Sound, the Skagit stretches about 150 miles from British Columbia through the North Cascades to Skagit Bay near Mount Vernon. The lower river is only an hour north of Seattle, and the wild upper valley near Concrete, Rockport and Marblemount is just a bit farther via the North Cascades Highway.
Seattle Fishing Company’s guide walks through a varied calendar. A short hatchery spring Chinook season opens in late April, and summer brings a rare sockeye fishery on the mainstem and at Baker Lake. Odd years deliver massive pink salmon runs, and coho provide action through September and October. Winter is reserved for the river’s legendary wild steelhead, though that fishery is tightly managed and may run catch-and-release or not open at all, depending on forecasts.
The guide highlights access from Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley up to Concrete, Rockport and Marblemount, plus nearby Sauk and Cascade river options. Tackle tips range from plunking spin-n-glos for sockeye to twitching jigs, spinners and plugs for coho, and swung spoons for steelhead. With tribal co-management and changing rules, checking current regulations before every trip is a must.
Read the full post here: Fishing the Skagit River
Our complete guide to fishing the Humptulips River
