The Cedar River is the primary tributary to Lake Washington, just southeast of downtown Seattle about 20 minutes. This little known river in the middle of this sprawling urban setting is a west side gem for fly anglers. One of the few rivers in the state with strict regulations regarding how you can fish.
Closed completely to fishing about 10 years ago to protect the steelhead and salmon spawning runs in the river, it was reopened in 2004 for 3 months, June through August. The success of the river as a trout fishery quickly caught notice of local anglers and the community has fought to keep it a catch and release fishery with single barbless hooks.
There are basically 21 miles of fishable water, from the mouth in Renton to Landsburg Dam. To say the river doesn't get fished hard would be a lie, but at the same time, most anglers are not willing to walk too far to fish. With low water levels during the summer months, the Cedar is easly waded almost its entire length, fishing as you go. This gets you away from the easy access points and into where there are some big trout.
Because this river was closed for so long, some of the trout in this river have grown to extremely large size, over 24 inches. While there are smaller trout in this stream, there are other places less inhabited by humans to catch small fish. This should be considered a trophy trout fishery and one should not expect to be catching fish of this caliber every 5-10 minutes, more like a few a day.
Both rainbow and cutthroat call the Cedar home, for at least part of the year. With Lake Washington so close, it is belived that many of these fish will head into the lake during winter months to find food and be in more stable environment. As the salmon fry begin to leave the river, the mouth can "the" place to be for a fly angler.
These fish are all native and some also belive that some of the rainbow in the river are of steelhead descent. As hard as these fish fight, do not come with wimpy rods as some of us learned the hard way last year, come prepared for a fight!
Trip Details
Duration
1/2 Day, Full Day
Location
Maple Valley
Season
June - August
Trip Type
Freshwater Fly Fishing
Nearest City
Seattle, Bellevue, Renton
Physical Condition Required
Good
Destination(s)
Washington, United States
Years of Experience
5 Years
Guest Capacity
2 Per Guide
Species of Fish Caught
Native Rainbow and Coastal Cutthroat trout
Wildlife Observed
Bald Eagle, Deer, Kingfisher, Merganzer, Otter, Beaver, Blue Heron
Fishing Equipment & Bait Provided
All fly rods/reels as well as waders/boots, all flies, leaders and tippet are provided and lunch (on full day trips) as well as transportation from Seattle.
Dining
The EWA staff prepares some pretty amazing lunches for full day trips. EWA was featured on the Bobby Flay show on Food Network four years ago. Sample menus include:
Option 1: Fish (Featured on the Bobby Flay Show on Food Network)
Lemon & Garlic Wild Salmon
Tomato & Herbed Couscous
Fresh Grilled Zucchini
Beverage of choice (non alcoholic)
Option 2: Steak
BBQ Marinated Steak
Grilled Red Potatoes and Mushrooms
Green Salad
Beverage of choice (non alcoholic)
Option 3: Chicken
BBQ Marinated Breast of Chicken
Tomato & Herbed Couscous
Fresh Grilled Asparagus
Beverage of choice (non alcoholic)
Option 4: Sandwich Buffet
Turkey, Roast Beef and Ham
Sweet Dark, Wheat, Light Rye breads
Provolone, Swiss and Sharp Cheddar cheese
Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Avocado
Gourmet Chips or Crackers with complimentary cheese selection
Assortment of fresh fruit
Beverage of choice (non alcoholic)
Accommodations
None, we can recommend and work with some very nice B&B's, hotels and boutique properties.
Rates
$162.00 - $425.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
Additional Rate Info
All trips are based on a per guide rate, price being the same for 1 or 2 anglers. Some trips can have 3 anglers and some can't. For the 3rd angler on a trip, it is $50 additional for a half day and $75 for a full day.
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