Coastal Rain River · Granite · British Columbia

Cowichan River

Cowichan River fishing venue photo
Poor · Rainbow Trout
Black Beetle · 12-14
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
Low and clear — careful approach country. A morning for the obvious fish only.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.22 mLast reading 7h ago
  • Water temp22.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Black Beetle
Black Beetle12-14
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.22 m
Last reading 7h ago
Water temp22.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather22°C
WindNE 5 km/h
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead1.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 22.1°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 7am

Hatch predictions

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2
American March BrownHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Reach-specific gear/closure rules; wild steelhead C&R
  • Verify current BC regs (Region 1).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 3
  1. Venue photo
  2. Venue photo
  3. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Wild rainbow and sea-run cutthroat trout, a famous introduced brown-trout fishery, and wild winter steelhead (catch-and-release). Salmon (chinook/coho/chum) run in season, separately regulated. Bull trout/Dolly Varden protected. Clean-Drain-Dry.

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 90%
How the 15 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature10 × 28%2.8
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time45 × 13%5.9
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity48 × 12%5.8
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.1°C) is outside Rainbow Trout's preferred range (10–18°C)= 53
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–18 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts