Upper Yakima River a trout-fishing destination

I sometimes forget what a jewel of a fishery we have flowing right through our backyard. Actually, the Yakima River provides several fisheries in one, and now is a great time to be spending time on this fantastic stream.

After a short afternoon drift trip on the upper Yakima below Ellensburg last week with Northwest fishing icon Buzz Ramsey, I was reminded of what a great trout fishing river we have so close to us. I used to fish that stretch of the river a bunch, but in the past couple of years, I don’t think I have fished it more than four or five times.

As we drifted down, catching one beautiful rainbow after another, I kept wondering why it had been so long since I enjoyed this fantastic fishery, especially since it is so close to home.

I probably wouldn’t have fished it last week either, but I had a chance to take Ramsey up there and show him one of the very few rivers in the Northwest he has never fished. As we pitched single-hooked Rooster Tails into the shorelines, Ramsey kept commenting on the beauty of the river. It was then I realized I probably take the river for granted.

I have been drifting and fishing the Yakima for more than 35 years but when you get a chance to show, someone the river for the first time, it is like seeing it in a fresh new light. Then, when you think about the other fishing opportunities the river offers, especially this time of year, a person has to think about just how lucky we are to live so close to this beautiful river.

Besides the year-round trout fishing the Yakima provides above the Rosa Dam, on some years it also provides some decent salmon fishing. It looks like this is going to be one of those years. Right now spring chinook are making their way up the Columbia, and up the Yakima and reports of the first spring chinook being caught below the Rosa Dam came in last week.

As more and more fish arrive, the fishing will obviously get better.

Biologists are expecting some 15,000 spring salmon up the Yakima, and with a good percentage of those being hatchery-origin fish, sports anglers will have ample opportunity to catch one or two of these fantastic fish during the days and weeks ahead.

The Yakima is open for spring salmon fishing from just below the Roza Dam, down to Union Gap. It is also open in the lower portion of the river, down near West Richland, but the bulk of the fish will be caught in the river near Yakima.

Anglers working the river — from the bank and from boat — will catch the salmon on a variety of lures and baits, but last year the best fishing came for anglers working the upper portion of the Yakima using floats and bait.

Other good holes near Yakima include the stretch of the river just above and below the Terrace Heights Bridge.

Although this year the fish seem to be a little earlier than last year, if 2009 is any indicator, the salmon fishing should be good clear to the end of the season, which for right now is set for the end of June.

If warm water fish species are more your style, the Yakima River provides some great fishing for some of them as well. And again, right now is a great time to be fishing for them.

The lower Yakima River offers some excellent smallmouth bass fishing during the spring. During this time of the year the bass move up into the mouth of the Yakima to spawn, so there are plenty of fish to fish for, and some of the biggest bass of the year are caught right now.

Again, working from a boat or from the bank in the river from Benton City on down, anglers throwing grubs, spinners and even crankbaits, have a good chance of catching plenty of bass. The feisty fish will run anywhere from six inches to six pounds with the bulk of them being 12 to 15 inches in size.

We are lucky to live so close to some great fishing. The Yakima River offers some wonderful fishing opportunities for several kinds of fish, and right now is the very best time of the year to be fishing for them.

• Rob Phillips is a freelance outdoor writer and partner in the advertising firm of Smith, Phillips & DiPietro. He can be reached at rwphillips@spdadvertising.com.