Fishing Report, Spokane River June 10th 2025

Walking back from Riverfront Park the other week, crossing Washington Street Bridge, I glanced down from the walkway and my eyes caught sight of a spot in the river. I stopped and watched. From underneath the bridge, the water rushed out thick and fast. It rolled and tumbled downstream and flowed under tree branches outstretched across the river. Some of the river's current swirled in towards the bank and re-circulated back upstream towards the bridge. In the large eddy, bubbles, foam, little leaves, and a plastic cup collected in the seams where the conflicted currents met. Beneath the eddy, several feet below the glare, collections of large boulders, rocks, and broken concrete dotted the bottom giving nooks and crannies for creatures like crayfish and aquatic insects. Above the water, fluttering and bobbing up and down in the air, were small bugs, caddis, newly hatched.

Rushing water, a swirling eddy, seams, and bubbles and bugs and boulders, concrete and a plastic cup. It all synced up. This was trout holding water. And if not trout then maybe some other fish—a whitefish, pikeminnow, goldfish, whatever—might be down there. If it had fins that was good enough for me. I was dropping a line in.

I hustled off the bridge, crossed the Centennial Trail, and laid my fly rod down atop a rock retaining wall that was blocking access to the river. With fifteen years of rock climbing experience getting over the wall was a V0, not even a warm up—I've shredded clothing on barbed wire to fish spots in remote places that were far less appealing than what was in front of me.

On the other side of the wall, the slope was steep and layered with gravel. My shoes slid with every other step and, in my excitement, I had to slow myself down to make sure I didn't end up tumbling into the water. And here's the point in the story in which some of you might be wondering, "Are you allowed to fish that stretch of river?" Yes. However, between the Division Street and Monroe Street Bridges, getting into the water and wading is not allowed (see here, Spokane Municipal Code). But just because you can't get into the water doesn't mean you can't fish from the bank. And early in the season, when the river still has enough flow that pushes fish close to the shore, it would be completely unnecessary to get in the water anyways.

Back to the fishing story. I'm now on a boulder balancing and watching the flow of water just beyond my toes. The overhead view from the bridge gave me insights that could now be applied as I stood eye-level with the river. With two perspectives in my head, I picked a lane of water to try first. The water was deep and swift. The surface was quiet, no rising fish. So getting a bite most likely meant presenting one or two flies several feet beneath the water's surface where the fish were likely feeding. A set of two heavy flies tethered to thin monofilament could be enough to quickly plunge the flies through the thick current and into the strike zone.

Rigged up, ready to go. No poetic casting, just heave ho.

After the forward cast, I held my arm out straight. The flies struck the water and the line drew tight as they drifted down deep. Rod tip high, gently leading the tensioned line, any soft takes would show before felt. And in my other hand I gathered the slack with a twist of my fingers. Simple. Fly fishing in its purest.

The first drift was a dud. The speed of the flies looked good—walking pace—but maybe more depth on the second pass was needed. So I re-casted, lowered the rod tip letting the flies to dive deeper, then slowly raised the rod tip and settled into the drift. The line moved along and edged towards the eddy. As it hit the swirling eddy the line jumped down. I set the hook by sending the rod tip low across the water and downstream. The rod stopped solidly. Rock? Twitch, twitch, twitch. A fish.

The fish zipped around in the circulating eddy, tried to make a run for the main channel of the river, and then spun back around back towards the bank. The fish appears for a moment, and it's a trout darting around the sunken boulders. And then, fiddling with a GoPro strapped against my chest to record the show, the line goes limp. Empty net, but there's fish here.

On the next pass, a second fish, a small, opportunistic trout, takes the upper heavy nymph and promptly twists and twirls out of the water and spits the hook.

I check my phone, the parking meter says thirty minutes. Enough time for a couple more casts in this spot and then a quick scout along the riverbank for other likely trout-holding water.

The third trout was lying in wait along the rocks against the shoreline. It wasn't until I started twitching the flies up and down through the eddy that the fish bolted out from the shadows and attacked. A decently sized trout. The flies were downstream of where I was standing which gave the trout an immediate advantage with a poor hook set. Balancing on the boulder, I had limited leverage and was hoping the trout wouldn't start making any aggressive head shakes, which it did. And then I hoped the trout would swim upstream as I tried to delicately force it away from the main channel of the river, which it didn't. It bolted, the rod tip strained and lowered, and the line quickly snapped.

20 minutes left on the meter. Enough time to keep exploring.

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The Spokane River has been fishing well these past couple of weeks. Caddis mating flights have been heavy in the evenings and I've seen rising fish beneath tree limbs outstretched over choppy water. If you are hoping to catch a trout on a dry fly, get out early or fish last light. Keep an eye out for caddis swarming and bouncing on the surface. Splashy rises are the tiny trout, but larger trout might also be close by.

For those looking to catch a fish—any fish whether it's a trout, mountain whitefish, northern pikeminnow—nymphing the rougher water and rapids is paying off. The river flow (while low for this time of the year) is still high enough to making wading most runs a challenge. But you might not have to wade very far out into the water, or at all, since the current is still pushing strongly into the banks. And don't overlook channels of water that split and flow between islands where there's enough water to hold fish. Explore, walk around, fish new areas, the river changes daily.

Favorite flies for this week have been heavy jig-streamers (olive, black, or rusty brown), heavy nymphs (size 12 to 14, dark bodies or something flashy), and dry flies (buoyant caddis patterns, size 12-14).

Speaking of low water—we’re already staring down a summer of skinny flows and bone-dry riverbanks. The fish in the Spokane River depend on the aquifer beneath us to keep the water cold and clean. But we pull from that same aquifer to keep our lawns green—an enormous amount, especially in the hotter months. That water doesn’t go back to the river. It doesn’t help the fish. It just evaporates.

Replacing your lawn isn’t easy. It’s not cheap, and doing it yourself takes a lot of time and sweat to get anything established. I’ve been on that path the past few summers—letting the grass die off, planting sagebrush, ponderosa pine, and other species that actually stand a chance in this heat. And the whole time, I’ve kept wondering: what the hell were the builders thinking in 1949 when they wrapped this house in a lawn big enough to feed a herd of cattle?

But here’s the thing: every patch of grass I let go of—no matter how much of a hassle it is—feels like one more fish back in the river.

If you're interested in doing the same, I'd recommend starting with resources provided at the SpokaneScape website and checking out local plant nurseries like Floralia.

Upcoming Community Events

Become a Spokane River Fly Fishing Mentor, July to September

Are you passionate about the Spokane River and interested in becoming a mentor to help others discover the joys of fly fishing and local river ecology? I'm excited to launch a free mentorship program for Spokane-area residents interested in fly fishing and river advocacy. Open to just six participants, the program requires no prior fishing experience or gear and will run from July through September, with six sessions focusing on fly fishing skills, river ecology, and teaching fly fishing techniques.

Each 2-hour session is designed to help participants grow into confident mentors who can volunteer (on their own initiative and based on personal availability) at public fishing events hosted by groups like Spokane Riverkeeper, Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited, Spokane Women on the Fly, and Spokane Fly Fishers. As interest in fly fishing continues to grow, this program aims to build a stronger network of local mentors and river stewards dedicated to protecting and sharing the Spokane River.

For more info about the program, click here. To sign up for the program email me (Marc) at Info@FlyFishSpokane.com

Hang Out and Fish, Thursday June 19th 5:30 to 7:30pm Riverfront Park

I'll be hosting another Hang Out and Fish event, a free event to come fish, meet other anglers, and learn about fishing the Spokane. This event is open to everyone, no prior fishing experience required (newbie friendly). Bring whatever fishing gear you have. If you would like to try out fly fishing, please send me (Marc) an email (Info@FlyFishSpokane.com) ahead of time so I know how many extra fly rods to bring.

This is a family friendly event. No waders required either. I'll meet people at the Clocktower at Riverfront Park at 5:30pm and then we'll fish around the park for a couple hours so if you show up later just walk around the park until you see some people fly fishing.

Summer Kick Off Public Clean Up Event with the Spokane Riverkeeper, Saturday June 21st 10:00am to 1:00pm

Location: Meet at 820 E Spokane Falls Blvd (UW School of Medicine parking lot)

There is no better way to start the summer than volunteering for a clean river! Join the Spokane Riverkeeper for a day of community action and river care. Help keep the Spokane River beautiful by volunteering to remove litter and debris from the downtown river corridor. This is a great opportunity to give back to the river that gives us so much — and to connect with fellow river stewards.

What to Expect: ✔️ All cleanup supplies provided (trash bags, gloves, grabbers) ✔️ Light refreshments and water ✔️ Family-friendly and group-friendly ✔️ Volunteer hours available

For more info and to sign up, click here.

Riverkeeper Cleanup Ambassador Training, Thursday June 26th 5:30 to 6:30pm

Location: Redband Park

Would you like to lead volunteer river cleanups along the Spokane River and our local waterways? Volunteer leads will guide groups with cleanup supplies along the shoreline of the river, providing guidance and safety while removing trash. This is a great way to support a healthy river and get some exercise while you’re at it!

The Spokane Riverkeeper is excited to offer an in person training that will go over river cleanup procedures, safety, and logistics. All supplies will be provided.

For more info and to sign up, click here.