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All Washington reports
Hoh River
Generated artwork: BlueStreamFly · Regional illustration; not the exact location.
Should I go fishing?
Go with caution.
No single best way to fish. Wading, Bank fishing, and Floating have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Check first: Water temperature is unconfirmed. Use a stream thermometer before fishing.
Fishing rating68
Rating updatedRiver local time:
Why this recommendation?
USGS shows 473 cfs. The flow has been falling about 11% over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1961-2025, 65 readings) show a median near 848 cfs and a low-water marker near 524 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Available live dataHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Confidence in this recommendationMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Usually checks again about every 45 minutes
If you go
- Check first
- Olympic National Park's boating guidance says fishing from a boat is allowed downstream from the launch site near the South Fork confluence, which helps define the lower-river access picture.
- Try
- Fish lower-river inside edges and tailouts thoroughly before you even think about stepping deeper.
- Leave when
- Skip when the graph is rising, water is hard glacial gray or brown, park or WDFW rules are unclear, or a run requires a crossing you would not want to reverse.
Flow and weather
Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
- Flow
- 473 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air forecast
- 61°F
- Next 24h high
- 69.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 2%
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Mostly Cloudy
- Wind
- 0 mph
- Weather checked
More forecast and source details
Mostly Cloudy
National Weather Service
Hoh River near Forks, Washington
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Hoh River at US Highway 101 near Forks
Flies for this time of year
Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.
See flies for every season
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
Winter
What to look forSparse midges, stonefly nymph activity, egg windows around salmon and steelhead water
Spring
What to look forSkwala-style stoneflies, March browns, caddis, streamer windows in dropping flow
Summer
What to look forCaddis, small mayflies, terrestrials on softer edges and side channels
Flies to try
Also try hopper-dropper
FallThis season
What to look forCaddis, October caddis, eggs, and baitfish-style streamer windows around salmon traffic
Flies to try
Also try October caddis dry, flesh fly
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
More fishing tips
Methods, fish species and trip notes
How to fish Hoh River today.
The Hoh is at its best when flows are green and stable, bars are not disappearing under you, and you have a lower-river plan that does not require heroic wading. If it is still rising or carrying hard glacial color, you are better off waiting or choosing a smaller system.
Green medium flow
Best all-around condition for legal fishing and reasonable bar access.
High glacial push
Avoid ambitious wading and treat the day as a bank-only or no-go plan.
Low clear water
Fish quietly, focus on softer travel lanes, and expect educated fish on obvious bars.
Rising rain event
A poor time to commit because return routes can disappear faster than expected.
Wading, bank fishing or floating?
Access choicesNo single best option
Wading, Bank fishing, and Floating have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Wading68/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Bank fishing68/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
Floating68/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Full river report
Is Hoh River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Washington before you go.
The Hoh is one of the Olympic Peninsula's signature rivers, but the useful trips are built on discipline, not mythology. Use RiverReports for the quick chart, keep USGS 12041200 open for the official backstop, and read both Washington and Olympic National Park rules before you decide whether you are planning for steelhead, salmon, or simply a safe scouting day.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Tailout
- A tailout is the shallow, slower water at the lower end of a pool.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Confluence
- A confluence is the place where two streams or rivers meet.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
- Soft hackle
- A soft-hackle fly has moving fibers that can look like an insect rising through the water.
- Streamer
- A streamer is a fly that looks like a small fish, leech, or other swimming food.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 473 cfs. The flow has been falling about 11% over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1961-2025, 65 readings) show a median near 848 cfs and a low-water marker near 524 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Best mode nowUse caution
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
SeasonHelps
Fall: Salmon timing and rain events make precision and rule checks critical.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 61F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 69F. Mostly Cloudy.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use the Highway 101 gauge with recent rain and color. Green, stable, or falling water is the best Hoh signal.
Skip when the graph is rising, water is hard glacial gray or brown, park or WDFW rules are unclear, or a run requires a crossing you would not want to reverse.
Base near Forks, check current rules and the 101 trend, then decide whether a short lower-river bar session, boat-supported lower reach, or no fishing is the right call.
Compare Bogachiel for easier Forks-area access or Quinault for a broader valley plan when the Hoh is high, closed, or too colored.
Hoh River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter.
Before you go
Check Washington sport fishing rules, current emergency rule changes, and Olympic National Park rules before fishing the Hoh, especially for salmon, steelhead, selective gear, and boat-legal sections.
Where to access the river
Lower Hoh public access near Highway 101
Best orientation point for day trips that start with flow and road reality.
Park-boundary launch area near the South Fork confluence
Relevant for boat-permitted lower-river planning.
Hoh Rain Forest developed area
Useful for valley orientation and public visitor services, not a free pass to fish every reach.
- The Hoh can look flat enough to cross until it is too late. Stay on bars and inside shelves you can retreat from safely.
- Boat access exists in specific lower-river contexts, but that does not make the whole river a casual float.
- Park rules and lower-valley access need to be treated as two separate checks, not one.
Sources and report details
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 10 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report starts with official regulation, access, flow, weather, and public-land sources, then adds practical planning guidance for fly anglers.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Quick questions
What gauge should I check for the Hoh River?
Use RiverReports for the quick chart and keep USGS 12041200 at Highway 101 open as the official backstop for deciding whether the lower river is safely fishable.
Can I fish the Hoh from a boat?
Olympic National Park says fishing from a boat is permitted on the Hoh downstream from the launch site near the South Fork confluence, so boat use needs to stay tied to those specific lower-river rules.
Is the Hoh a good wading river?
Only in selected lower-water or stable-flow conditions on obvious inside edges. It is a big wet west-side river that punishes casual crossing attempts.