Northwest Fishing Reports

How To Search the NWFR website for reports, charts, and data.

We've gotten a few questions on how to do this and at some point I'll make a little screen capture video. But for now here is a step by step with pictures. BTW, the mobile works the same way.

The Search feature is key and is what you want. Anywhere you find it you can use it to search. We'll use lake Sammamish as an example:

From the top menu, click "Reports", then select "Lake Reports", then in the Search box to the right fill in the fields: State = Washington, County = King, Search = Sammamish. Hit "Search" and you'll get the results. You'll see two blue boxes. One is for reports, and the other is for lake Charts and Data. Chose whichever one you want to look at. Reports will generate all the reports. Charts and Data will generate maps, charts, etc.

If you chose "Reports", you'll see in this example there are 41 PAGES of fishing reports from lake Sammamish in our data base. You can now use the new Search box in the left corner to further refine your search for species, month, or member User Name.

Think of this - that's 41 pages of reports with 25 reports per page. The vast majority of this information is from members like you and me. Once you take the time to learn how to search (it isn't that hard) you'll be able to learn so much from what fellow anglers have shared that you'll be amazed. We've go well over 50,000 member posted fishing reports from throughout the Pacific NW on lakes, rivers, and marine areas. It really is pretty incredible when you think about it. All choke full of detailed information freely shared to help you improve your success when you go fishing.

The search box does not come up on the right. Search tool should be at the top when the page opens without having to choose any report. This used to be much easier.

I retract my last reply. It is an apple thing. The search works fine on my laptop just not my ipad. My apologies.

no worries, I can speak for Aaron, it's challenging coding across different platforms and operating systems.

I still find the whole search thing kind of cumbersome and awkward to use. It seems counter intuitive to me that you have to go to the "Reports" to look for charts, pics, etc. Plus, when you search the way you describe above, you cant find Hot Spots, or heat maps.

When you start the search from the "Locations" menu, you can find the Hotspots, and heat maps - but - no reports.

I would much prefer if the "Search" option was a menu choice always at the top of EVERY page. I often decide to look up a lake or what ever while reading comments in the Forum, but you cant go straight to search from there - or straight to reports. You have to go to the home page first, then start hunting.

It would be nice if, once you do finally find a Lake or river etc, then ALL the relevant info on that body of water should be linked from the same page.

When I am searching for a Lake or river, I would like to have everything all in one place. I am more likely to use the function and the website, if I dont have to waste a lot of time and get frustrated while trying to find some bit of info.

Dont get me wrong here, I appreciate all the work Arron has done. I Know first hand how difficult it is to do this type of programming, and over all the new site is a big improvement over the old site. Plus, its pretty much impossible to please everyone, and that has to be frustrating for Arron as well, so Im sorry to add to that. This one thing is really my only serious complaint.

However, researching potential bodies of water to fish is the main reason I come here. I think most folks are the same. When it is frustrating or unnecessarily time consuming to do that, I at least am less likely to visit the website.

I know web traffic is what pays the bills, so I figure you would want to know about anything that potentially reduces that traffic.

Also, it is often just easier to do a Google search
of “Lake X fishing reports”
That is what I generally do, and I mean so that I will get sent via Google to a report via NWFR on the lake I want. Then once into the lake you can click on ‘see all reports’ on said lake.

thanks guys, this feedback is very useful and Aaron will review it as he fine tunes the search (and updated) web site.

I know Ive brought this up in person with Aaron, started threads on the same topic etc... Not trying to be rude here! Far from it, just trying to help, but...

The search feature is terrible to use! I agree with most everything Larry posted last month. It is not intuitive to use this site to find lake info.
It used to be fairly straight forward. 75% percent of the people searching here will give up and search elsewhere. Friends have told me they couldn't find info on this site, I had a terrible time this morning fumbling around looking for info on a local lake. I did eventually remember the special method, and find what I was looking for though. As Aaron said when we talked a few months ago, there must be some kind of disconnect between web developer and end user her.

Why cant we select a location, then be brought to a page that has some basic lake information. This page then should have links for reports, bath. maps, hot spots and/or any other info avail for this lake all on this central page for this location?\

Is this not the way it worked so well in the past?

thanks sideburns, I'll bring this up with Aaron again

Thank you for the user-friendly guide that you've shared with us.

This can really be useful.

I would much prefer if the "Search" option was a menu choice always at the top of EVERY page. I often decide to look up a lake or what ever while reading comments in the Forum, but you cant go straight to search from there - or straight to reports. You have to go to the home page first, then start hunting.

Adalgisod6 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:35 am

I would much prefer if the "Search" option was a menu choice always at the top of EVERY page. I often decide to look up a lake or what ever while reading comments in the Forum, but you cant go straight to search from there - or straight to reports. You have to go to the home page first, then start hunting.

It is. Top grey menu bar... "Reports" , Locations, "Maps" "Articles". These each are direct links to the search tool. Also, at the bottom of each report is a direct link to all the reports for that body of water.