Good rivers for brown trout?

[Parasite]

I know Washington does not have much in the way of brown trout, so what are some of the closer rivers in other states to go to? Its been awhile and I need to get my fix. Looking for some quality fisheries that I can wade or walk the bank.

[Stein]

Take a week and fish the Missouri, many of the MT rivers that were hit with whirling disease have a great population of browns now and you don't have to sort through as many rainbows.

[SeaRun1]

I could be wrong but I do not think we have a single stream in this state with Brown Trout.  Definitely not on the west side.  Our high gradient streams on the western slope of the Cascades do not support much stream life so everything mostly goes anadromous.

The OP rivers have good flyfishing in the summer and fall for SRC’s and the Cowlitz and a few other streams in the southwest might be worth looking in to.

There is good flyfishing just across the border in Idaho.

SR1

[Parasite]

I'd like to take a week off, so that might work. I just need to see how long that river is and where the best stretches are.

[ne kid]

I have fished most most Montana rivers. Never caught bigger browns than out of the Colville River. You can catch bigger browns without buying an out of state license. Check the Colville River and the one that runs out of Rock Lake. Also check out the Colville tributaries little pend oreille and mill creek.

[Stein]

I'd like to take a week off, so that might work. I just need to see how long that river is and where the best stretches are.

Anywhere around Craig, incredible scenery.  Best way is to float it, but there is bank access as well.

I haven't fished for trout much in WA, could be good places here as well as mentioned above.

[pcal]

 

I have fished most most Montana rivers. Never caught bigger browns than out of the Colville River. You can catch bigger browns without buying an out of state license. Check the Colville River and the one that runs out of Rock Lake. Also check out the Colville tributaries little pend oreille and mill creek.

I caught some nice browns on Sulivan creek Metaline Falls a few yrs ago,too.

[bigdave]

I was going to say the Colville river as well. Fished there as a boy and they had some big ones in certain deep pools.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

Upper Deschutes, I mean Upper-Upper head waters in Central Oregon... Big Rainbows, Big Browns, and Big Brook Trout. Best week of fishing you could ever take, I do it every year. I'm going in three weeks ... fly fishing... maybe selective gear rules? I fly fish so have never looked to close to the regs for other means of fishing but best fishery for all three species minutes apart.

Wickiup Reservoir up to Crane Prairie Reservoir = Big Browns
Crane Prairie Reservoir and just up river = Big Rainbows
Below Lava lakes = Big Brookies
Hosmer Lake = Big Brookies and Atlantic Salmon

Different area, hard fishery but excellent big fish is the Metolius River. Have caught both big Native Browns and Bulls, not to mention Redbands

Not going to blast the details of how to fish them but if you are going to go fish one of these I can tell you how I have been successful.

Most covenant Brown Trout fishery is the Owyhee River in Oregon. I don't know if there is a better brown trout fishery West of the Mississippi.

Expensive to get there because of Ferry Fees but the Cowichan River on Vancouver Island has the biggest Browns I know about. 10# browns are not common but they are not rare.

[10Key]

There are some spots in SE Washington that have browns...

[AL WORRELLS KID]

EASTERN WASHINGTON’S FISHING SECRET: ...... CRAB CREEK

 Crab Creek, has a healthy population of Big Brown and Wild Redband Trout.  It’s one of Eastern Washington’s best kept secrets. At our first look into the stream, we saw moving shadows on the bottom.
What we first thought to be Large Carp turned out to be Big Hungry Brown's.
 Now even when the water is flowing, the creek in places is sometimes just a few feet wide.  But the fish can survive dry times thanks to the cold water springs that feed the Creek.
The Upper Creek flows through the Channeled Scablands, (created by catastrophic floods during the last ice age.)
 Now beautiful wide, steep-sided valleys.  It’s a harsh land with only a few cattle ranches to be found near the Upper Creek, so there's not too many Folks around to bother you.
If you like secluded fishing, in a dry land that comes to life with a flowing Creek at your feet, teaming with Brown Trout.....well, this Crab's for you!
Growing up to and exceeding 20 inches long, the secret to the Big Fish is Crab Creek’s namesake, Crayfish and lots of them. Making for some nice plump Trout. ( Also you may want to throw a few "Mudbug Traps" into the Creek, for some extra tasty eating!) 
Doug

[Bushcraft]

I have fished most most Montana rivers. Never caught bigger browns than out of the Colville River. You can catch bigger browns without buying an out of state license. Check the Colville River and the one that runs out of Rock Lake. Also check out the Colville tributaries little pend oreille and mill creek.

It will be interesting to see how the trout fishery has been affected with the removal of the dam on Mill Pond and subsequent "restoration" efforts. I've pulled some giant brown trout out of there (slow trolling a canoe with a sinking flyline while occassionally popping a flashy weighted muddler minnow) and Sullivan Lake's Outlet Creek with a variety of gear (lots of which was lost in log jams) , as well as Sullivan Lake (trolling the south end) back in the early 80's and again in the mid-90's.  You can't fish it now, but man oh man, that pool below the damn after they opened the Sullivan Lake dam up was EPIC for a kid with fishing pole. The Kokanee run was ridiculous sometimes.!

Dry Falls was okay in terms of catch rate, but the brownies were like reeling in some half-dead slugs.  No fight in 'em for some reason. Meh.

[nwwanderer]

The Spokane below the city can produce some special browns