The Nisqually was the best fishing in the state in April. Better than anywhere on the OP, the Skagit, NO PLACE could touch the Nisko. True, we caught a unreal percentage of females. Rarely caught a buck, and not many trophy sized fish, but many days you could hook twenty steelhead floating from tank crossing to handicap. We used to fish an area we called Kahuna a few miles below Yelm. Magnificent. And yes, we killed a great number of natives...it was legal way back in the day.

What happened, and I know most of you don't want to hear this, but way too many female steelhead were killed (by sportsmen) when the river got very popular in the early 80's. You may thank Fishing and Hunting News...surprise..for making the Nisqually so f***ing popular and leading to the crash in native steelies. Sixty boats, every damned day killing their limits of hens. Do the math. Don't blame the Tribes, they rarely fished back in late March/April then.