I like to fish. My wife mostly doesn't. My wife does like Lake Quinault Lodge. So, I'm wondering if there is some way I can combine a "family" vacation with a fishing vacation by staying at Lake Quinault Lodge and doing some nearby fishing.

I don't have a boat, but I'm willing to hike for bank access.

I know that you can fish the lower river with a tribal guide.

I'm wondering what type of fishing options there are either (a) fishing the lake from a rented kayak or something, (b) fishing the river above the lake from the bank, or (c) doing a guided trip on the upper river.

I've seen pictures online of people catching dollies in the upper river (north fork I think). Does the upper river get a decent steelhead return in Feb/March?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

If you can take the car and escape for a few hours the Queets is about 30 minutes away. It can be worth fishing in Feb/March. Good luck.

Go to the Queets. There's nothing in the Quinault.

+1
also i think the lake is closed to all fishing

Thanks for the point to the Queets. Does anyone know about trout (or steelhead) fishing in the upper Quinault river? Not necessarily in the next couple months, but at all?

not worth it you would have better luck on the Queets

Interesting, the currents Olympic National Park regs say fishing for bull trout/dollies is prohibited. In other words, not only is retention prohibited, but targeting them is prohibited (although I'm not sure how to determine if someone is specifically targeting dollies).

Pretty much agree. . .not many fish in the upper Quinault. You can fish the Queets if it comes back in shape sometime in the year 2011,

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Or just hire a tribal guide and float the lower Quinault from Amanda Park.
Some biggins in there and you will likely have the whole thing to yourself.
Get on it if you want to hit the winter run.

I think that you can buy a tribal permit and fish the lake without a guide. I'm not up on the species, though.

yeah right, the upper quinault has some really nice big fish up there here real soon, as well as some good trout fishing. and the fishing can be good too if you dont mind hiking. some of these guys dont say anything good about any river. cause thats where they are... good luck

ugh..

Who doesn't know there are big fish in both systems in the next couple months.The news and info is out there if ya put a little time in.No the queets will be blown out for the next few months puking large spruce and grey clay.Good luck,
SZ

Isn't it time to go Springer fishing?

Does anybody know if the Lower Quinalt is even fishable? Letty hasn't updated her site in a while, I think the lake turned over during the flood....Rod

If you wait for letty to update her reports page before you go you are usually going to be a too late and everyone will say "shoulda been here last week"

Its really sad whats happened to the upper quinault. 15 yrs ago it was nothing to go catch 8 or 10 fish a piece, now your lucky to find one. There used to be a nice hole where the upper river forked and you could always see at least a 100 fish in it, then year by year that number got smaller and smaller. The last year that hole was there I never saw more than a dozen in there, hole has been gone for a few years now. It is a good place for some solitude.

this brings more attention than anything........

and so does this......

+1

They should be in the tribs already.

since this one has been done. best thing to do on post like these are just to not respond. let them fade.saying no fish not worth your time or of days old. just bring more attention to them.or leads someone to call it out. esspecially on OP. like SZ said it isn't a secret.