OLPNW-FIE™

The Fishability
Index Engine

One score, 0 to 100, that answers a single question: is this trip worth taking? Built on the factors that actually decide a day on the water — and honest about the ones it can't see.

The scale0 — 100

0–40Wait

40–55Watch

55–70Prepare

70–85Go

85–100Outside Edge

A worked example — Potholes Reservoir · walleye · calm morning. Every score breaks down into the factors behind it, so you can see why before you load the truck.

See how it scores

Move something and watch the verdict change.

You set the conditions. The engine shows every step — nine modules, three class subtotals, and any override that fires, with the reasoning behind each one.

This is the machinery. Real trip sheets are scored against live weather, tide and regulations, and go out one at a time.

Start from a real trip

How you're fishing

Is the trip worth taking?Fish availabilityAre they there right now?17/20Catch historyDoes this water produce?17/20Run timingRight time of year?8/10Weather outlookWhat's it about to do?7/10

Can you actually fish it?Elbow roomHow crowded will it be?7/10Launch conditionsCan you get on the water?8/10Ease of the dayHow hard on you and the boat?4/5

Is it worth it to you?Your kind of tripSpecies and style you want.8/10Worth the dayBetter options elsewhere?4/5

Conditions & confidenceForecast confidenceHow much do you trust it?85%Don't-miss factorA window that won't come again soon4/10Air qualityWildfire smoke pushes this up35 AQIConditions are genuinely dangerousAdvisory, high wind on open water, lightning

The verdictscoring…

0/100

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Trip request

Want a sheet for your next trip?

I score trips by hand — any water in Washington State, one at a time. Tell me where and when, and you’ll get back conditions, timing, technique, and the regulations that actually apply to that trip.

Free while I’m testing this. I’ll reply within a couple of days, and I’ll say so plainly if it’s water I can’t do justice to.

How a score is built

Four passes, in order.

Score the opportunity

Fish availability, catch history, run timing, and the weather outlook are weighed together — 60 of the 100 points.

Check you can execute

Crowding, launch conditions, and how hard the retrieve will be. Worth 25 points, because a bite you can't reach isn't a bite.

Make it yours

Your species and preferences, and what you'd give up by choosing this day. The last 15 points.

Apply the overrides

Hazardous air quality or genuinely dangerous conditions force a Wait, regardless of the score. Safety is never a tiebreaker — it's a veto.

What it doesn't know yet

The engine is honest about its blind spots. It doesn't currently model river flow, water temperature, or dam generation schedules — all of which can make or break a day. Where those matter, the score says so rather than pretending otherwise.

See it used on real trips

The FishabilityIndex Engine