Klickitat River, Washington
Columbia Gorge — Wild steelhead in one of Washington's finest undiscovered canyon rivers
The Klickitat River flows south through Klickitat County from the Yakama Indian Reservation boundary to the Columbia River — a dramatic canyon river that is genuinely unknown to most Pacific Northwest fly fishers despite holding one of Washington's finest remaining wild steelhead populations. The Klickitat is managed almost entirely as a wild fish river through most of its accessible length, and the lack of major hatchery supplementation has protected the wild fish genetics while limiting the fishery's visibility to general audiences.
Wild summer steelhead arrive in the Klickitat from July through October — fish averaging 6–10 pounds that have migrated from the Columbia through the Gorge and into the canyon. The river's moderate size and the canyon's pool-riffle-run structure create classic swinging conditions for two-handed rod fishing that produces the same kind of intimate wild steelhead encounters that make the North Umpqua famous. The Klickitat without the crowds.
Wild cutthroat and resident rainbow provide summer fishing in the upper sections above the steelhead zone, and the river's canyon setting — basalt walls rising above the clear green water — is genuinely spectacular in a way that photographs cannot adequately capture. The Klickitat Canyon is one of southern Washington's finest natural landscapes and deserves far more attention than it currently receives.
The Yakama Nation manages significant portions of the upper Klickitat watershed, and the tribal fishing traditions and cultural connections to the river's salmon and steelhead runs give the fishery a depth of human meaning that enriches the fishing experience.
Pitt — Lower Canyon Access
Access from the Pitt area via Hwy 142. Prime wild steelhead water in the lower canyon. Multiple roadside pulloffs with walk-wade access.
Klickitat — Town Access
The small town of Klickitat provides multiple river access points. Good transition zone between upper cutthroat water and lower steelhead zones.
Glenwood Area — Upper River
Upper Klickitat above the main canyon. Summer trout fishing with minimal pressure. Forest road access to headwater sections.
Summer Steelhead
Wild fish averaging 6–10 pounds, July through October. One of Washington's finest wild steelhead populations. Traditional swinging wet flies in canyon runs.
Rainbow Trout
Wild resident fish in upper sections. Averaging 10–14 inches. Good summer dry fly fishing.
Westslope Cutthroat
Present in upper canyon sections. Cooperative attractor dry fly feeders.
The Klickitat is genuinely underfished for its steelhead quality — the lack of hatchery fish means fewer anglers and more wild fish encounters per day.
Respect the Yakama Nation's cultural connection to this river — the tribal fishing traditions here stretch back thousands of years.
October Caddis on the Klickitat in September-October combined with fall steelhead provides exceptional surface fishing opportunities.
The canyon's southern exposure means earlier seasons than the Skykomish — the Klickitat can fish well when western slope rivers are still running high.
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