Lake Quinault Fishing Guides
A deep glacial lake in the Quinault rain forest, owned and managed by the Quinault Indian Nation, holding the blueback sockeye run and requiring a tribal permit to fish.
Guides on the Lake Quinault
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About the Lake Quinault
Lake Quinault fills a glacial trough in the temperate rain forest on the southwest side of the Olympic Mountains, roughly four miles long and several hundred feet deep, with the Quinault River entering at the upper end and leaving at the lower. The valley around it takes well over a hundred inches of rain a year, and the lake sits in old-growth Sitka spruce and Douglas fir that make it one of the more striking pieces of water in the state. It is also, importantly, not a public lake in the ordinary sense that visiting anglers expect.
The lake bed and the lower river belong to the Quinault Indian Nation, and fishing, boating and access are governed by tribal regulation rather than by state rule. Anglers need a Quinault Indian Nation permit, and the Nation opens and closes the water according to run strength each year. That is worth understanding before planning a trip, because it is the single most common reason a visiting angler arrives at the lake and cannot fish it. The Nation has managed this water carefully for a very long time, and the fishery is healthier for it.
The signature fish is the Quinault blueback, a distinct early-run sockeye that enters through spring and early summer and is one of the most prized salmon runs on the coast. Coho follow in autumn, steelhead run through the winter, and cutthroat and Dolly Varden hold in the lake year-round. This gauge reports lake elevation rather than water temperature, so it tells you where the lake stands against its normal range and how hard the Quinault River is pushing into it, not what the surface temperature is doing. Guided trips generally run out of the lodges along the south shore.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Lake Quinault.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Pool right now
- 24 hours-0.03 ft → steady
Reading taken 1h ago at USGS 12039490, LAKE QUINAULT NR OLD WA 9 RD NR QUINAULT, WA. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Willaby Campground boat launch on the south shore - Forest Service ramp and the main public launching point.
Falls Creek Campground - south-shore access, parking and shoreline fishing.
Lake Quinault Lodge - lodge moorage and the usual base for guided trips.
North Shore Road pull-offs - bank access along the quieter northern side.
Quinault River inlet at the upper end - shallow-water access where the river enters the lake.
Quinault River outlet near Amanda Park - lower-river and lake-outlet access.
Quinault Indian Nation permit office in Taholah - required permits for lake and lower-river fishing.
Seasons
Spring: the blueback sockeye run begins, subject to tribal opening, and the lake is high with snowmelt.
Summer: settled weather, the best boat conditions of the year and continued sockeye through early summer.
Fall: coho enter the system and the rain returns in earnest through October and November.
Winter: steelhead in the river, high lake levels and very limited guided activity.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Lake Quinault?
Anglers target Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Coho Salmon, Dolly Varden, Rainbow Trout, Sockeye Salmon, Steelhead on the Lake Quinault in Washington.
Where can you access the Lake Quinault?
Willaby Campground boat launch on the south shore - Forest Service ramp and the main public launching point. Falls Creek Campground - south-shore access, parking and shoreline fishing. Lake Quinault Lodge - lodge moorage and the usual base for guided trips. North Shore Road pull-offs - bank access along the quieter northern side. Quinault River inlet at the upper end - shallow-water access where the river enters the lake. Quinault River outlet near Amanda Park - lower-river and lake-outlet access. Quinault Indian Nation permit office in Taholah - required permits for lake and lower-river fishi...
When is the best time to fish the Lake Quinault?
Spring: the blueback sockeye run begins, subject to tribal opening, and the lake is high with snowmelt. Summer: settled weather, the best boat conditions of the year and continued sockeye through early summer. Fall: coho enter the system and the rain returns in earnest through October and November. Winter: steelhead in the river, high lake levels and very limited guided activity.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lake Quinault?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Washington agency site: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations