08/26/2026
2026 summer Sockeye season review post: (Long read but worth it!)
Last week I wrapped up my sockeye season at Baker. First off, I wanted to start by thanking those that booked with me. Lake Wenatchee not opening definitely threw a wrench in things. Typically I start at Baker for a few weeks and then move over to Wenatchee when that opens. Both of those fisheries are in polar opposites of each other on a map, so I had to cancel or reschedule many of those trips. Several of you decided to swap over to Baker though and I really appreciate that!
The fishing was pretty good. Although that first week and a half after the opener was a grind some days. We still got into fish everyday though! They were a lot more finicky this year, even for an already finicky fish😆. Constant gear changes, bait swaps, some days they wanted it slow, some days faster. However, the rest of the season was pretty dang good all things considering. Fishing pressure dropped and we got things dialed in a little more. Most days we were averaging 2 to 3 fish per person with some limit days mixed in.
The size on some of the fish this year were massive! We had several fish 7 to 9 pounds on the boat. I even heard of some larger ones hooked or caught but none quite broke the state record of 10.6lbs. There were also quite a few 3 year old Jack Sockeye, which bodes well for next year's return!
All in all it was a good season and it was nice staying close to home this summer. Despite fishing this fishery since 2011, I learned A LOT this season. As anglers and guides it's paramount that we continue to sharpen our skills and yearn for knowledge. My grandfather would always ask me at the end of every fishing trip, "so, what did you learn today?".
Next year, I predict great Sockeye runs all the way around including a Lake Wenatchee Sockeye fishery. But if not, than we will smash them at Baker!!
NEXT UP COHO!: Sockeye are done but fishing season is just ramping up! I'll be running Coho (Silvers) trips staring in late September in the Skagit and Stillaguamish rivers. The Skagit is forecast to get over 200,000 fish alone so don't miss out! I also have some fall Kokanee options now through early October. They've been growing all summer and are aggressive!
If you read this far you are awesome!! Keep checking my page in the coming weeks and months. Going to be a great fall season!!
Here are some pics from the last 2 months at Baker:
