Winter Fishing Opportunities around Gig Harbor

Got Cabin Fever? Well, there are still plenty of fishing opportunities out there if you need to get out of the house.

Sea Run Cutthroat & Resident Coho on Puget Sound:

As the winter season progresses, Cutthroat move towards the estuaries to spawn. However, this doesn't happen all at once so their are always opportunities available. Productive area beaches this time of year include Purdy and Olalla, the closer the beach to an estuary the better.

 Resident Coho are found in areas such as Tacoma Narrows as well as deeper into the south sound. Their diet along with many of the SRC's switches to smaller stuff such as amphipods and euphasids. So small flies fished very slow become the most effective way to catch these fish although there are still fish caught on clousers and other standard patterns.

Yakima Trout


Love the cold? Well this might be for you. Yes the east side is chilly this time of year, but its also sunny! Look for warming trends to increase fish activity. Small nymph patterns will be your go to here, but streamers can also bring the biggest fish out of hiding. Warm sunny afternoons may produce hatches of baetis and midges, and great dry fly action. February and March will bring hatches of Skwala Stoneflies and some great days of nymphing and dry fly action.

Winter Steelhead


The focus for many of us switches to winter steelhead this time of year, and for some of us this is what we wait for all year. Why? Because the biggest, baddest, chromest, awesomest fish that lives in the PNW will be heading up the rivers to spawn from now through April. Areas such as the Olympic Peninsula will be your best shot, but Puget Sound rivers will likely be open through January, and the Cowlitz produces more steelhead than any other river. Be sure to check the regs before heading to any new water to make sure its open. Winter steelhead is a game not of numbers of fish but of perserverence. Braving the extremes in weather knowing that the next cast could be the fish of a lifetime. If you are fortunate enough to catch one, please remember to handle these fish with extreme care, keep them in the water (required by law), take a quick photo, and let them go!




Dressing for Winter


Dressing properly is the key to not just surviving but being able to enjoy a great day on the water in the winter. Here are the keys:

Layering: Layering is key because it not only allows you to adjust to changing conditions but it forms pockets of air that warm to your body temp and help in insulating.

 Layers of Capilene and Merino Wool form our base layers. Most of us at the shop like to cover these up with a down or synthetic insulating layer such as the Nano Puff.
For bottoms, I like the Shelled Insulator Pants over a layer of Capilene or Merino. A couple layers of fleece pants will do the trick as well.

For socks, I'll usually wear two pairs. One thin pair of wool and one heavy. We just started carrying Smartwool, for those of you who haven't tried them, you should!

If its real cold, on my head I like a wool beanie and then maybe even a merino wool buff around my neck.

Over this stuff we have our breathable waders and then a good quality rain jacket. It does rain a bit around here, doesn't it?

Other keys to staying Warm:

Make sure your wading boots don't fit too snug! Having a little extra toe room prevents your circulation from getting cut off plus allows warm air to insulate your feet. Some people even get an extra pair of boots in a bigger size just for winter fishing.

Cotton Kills! Never wear cotton as part of your insulation, it retains moisture and keeps you damp and cold.

Hot coffee in a thermos!