Nooksack River Fly Fishing - Steelhead, Salmon and Trout

The Nooksack River is a special treasure located in the far Pacific Northwest by Bellingham, Washington; Nookack River Fly Fishing presents a fantastic opportunity to chase a variety of our resident and anadromous fish species. The Nooksack River consists of approximately 140 river miles as it winds its way from headwaters to Bellingham Bay. The three forks of the Nooksack River and their tributaries are quite diverse and offer a variety of flyfishing opportunities. You’ll find yourself surrounded by stunning scenery and abundant wildlife as well.

The Nooksack watershed is unique for a number of reasons. Foremost in my mind, it is one of the few rivers in Washington that has all five species of salmon including King, Chum, Coho, Pink and Sockeye. Rainbow Trout, Hatchery and Wild Steelhead, Sea Run Cutthroat Trout and Dolly Varden/Bull Trout also call this vast ecosystem home.

From big water on the mainstem to small stream-style, steep canyon walls on the forks, Flyfishing the Nooksack river is an awesome experience. The Nooksack River drainage is open for fishing about 8 months a year. River closure occurs to protect spawning fish from mid to late February through the end of May.

Salmon begin returning to the Nooksack beginning in March with various species arriving through December. Good numbers of Coho or Silver salmon begin to arrive mid August with the bulk returning to the North and South Forks of the Nooksack in September and October. In odd number years, there are typically strong runs of Pink Salmon as well. Pink Salmon are a great deal of fun and will readily take a fly.

Hatchery Steelhead begin arriving in mid-November. We also see Sea-run Cutthroat Trout returning in late September through mid-November.

Our wild and native Winter Steelhead being their return to the Nooksack in mid to late December. The run continues well into the Spring; however, to protect these precious stocks, the river closes sometime between the middle and end of February. The challenges posed by cold moving waters and inclement weather combined with beautiful scenery offer a "chance of a lifetime experience” in quest for this amazing, powerful anadromous fish.

Dolly Varden/Bull Trout are seen virtually year round; however, they are protected and cannot be targeted directly. That being said, they are definitely a pleasant by-catch. One reason these are such special fish is that there has never been hatchery production of Bull Trout; so, they are a genetically pure, truly native stock.

A number of tributaries of the Nooksack offer small stream and creek style fly fishing opportunities. These are typically small rainbow, cutthroat and/or brook trout which will usually take a dry fly. Many of these creeks are set deep in the heart of Whatcom County and often not another person is seen.

Nooksack has two primary translations, "fern-eating people” and "mountain people” referring to the earliest settlers in the area, the Nooksacks.

A common misnomer is that the headwaters of the North Fork of the Nooksack originate on Mt. Baker. The North Fork headwaters actually begin at East Nooksack Glacier on Mt. Shuksan although Wells Creek offers substantial contribution from Mt. Baker, especially during snow and glacial melt.

The Middle Fork of the Nooksack River comes directly off Mt. Baker at the Deming Glacier. The Middle Fork houses the steepest gradient on the Nooksack with a loss of elevation of 156 feet per mile. To give that phenomenon some perspective, in 3 miles loss of elevation is roughly equivalent to a 45 story building. It is indeed a gorgeous stretch of water which can most certainly be flyfished; however, access can be a bit of a challenge.

The South Fork of the Nooksack River originates in North Skagit County on the East side of Twin Sisters Mountain. The South Fork valley is a pretty neat place. While she does not always give up her fish easily, there is the opportunity at certain times of year to hook a very special fish.