Pharaoh Creek

River
5.25 km
Mapped channels
3.9 m
Median channel width
8.05%
Median gradient
0.2 m³/s
Mean annual flow estimate
Pharaoh Creek is a small, steep tributary of Toby Creek in the upper Columbia Valley, in the same coldwater family as Stark Creek and Jumbo Creek on the Purcell side of the drainage near Panorama. No fish survey has recorded an observation on the creek itself, so treat any bull trout, westslope cutthroat or Dolly Varden here as a family signal, not a confirmed population.
No live gauge
No gauge readings are available for this water.
Season
Driving directions

Region 4 Regulations — guide reviewed 2026-07-08

No Pharaoh Creek-specific exception is listed in the checked Region 4 extraction, and the same check found none for the wider Toby Creek family (Toby, Jumbo, Stark and other named tributaries). Default Region 4 stream rules apply: closed Apr 1 to Jun 14, trout and char catch-and-release Nov 1 to Mar 31, single barbless hook year-round. Confirm the current synopsis and any in-season notice before you fish.

The water

The creek's mouth sits at 50.31477, -116.49025, feeding Toby Creek on its way to the Columbia River. It runs stream order 4 (mid-range in the network, on a scale that runs from 1 for a headwater trickle up to 6 or more for a full river), with a median channel width of roughly 3.9 m (narrow) and a median gradient of about 8.05% (steep) across 32 surveyed segments. Peak mean-annual discharge on record is a low 0.2 m³/s. That geometry points to tight, technical pocket water rather than an open wading creek, consistent with the flashy, low-productivity character the government fisheries appendix describes for the wider upper Toby system.

The fishing

Local fish-inventory data has no recorded observations on Pharaoh Creek itself, positive or negative. The wider Toby Creek family holds bull trout throughout the mainstem, westslope cutthroat concentrated in Jumbo Creek's middle and lower reaches, and Dolly Varden scattered through the smaller tributaries, so a similar mix is plausible here. Until a survey confirms it, treat Pharaoh Creek as an unconfirmed water: carry the same small mountain-stream box as Toby and Jumbo, but don't plan a trip around it.
If you do explore it, match the rest of the Toby family: a Stimulator or Royal Wulff on top, an Elk Hair Caddis through the afternoon, and a Hare's Ear, Prince Nymph or Pheasant Tail to probe the deeper pockets. Small, dark streamer patterns cover the chance of a char.

An unconfirmed water: keep it conservative

Nothing on record confirms a fish population on Pharaoh Creek, and the surrounding Toby family is flashy, glacially fed water with limited winter habitat in its steeper reaches. If you find fish here, handle them gently, keep them wet, and consider releasing everything you catch.

Conditions

•
Navigability: median width ~3.9 m (narrow), gradient ~8.05% (steep), peak mean-annual discharge ~0.2 m³/s (very low flow) across 32 surveyed segments, all consistent with a small, technical headwater tributary rather than a fishable open creek.
•
Stocking: no stocking record. Any fish present would be wild.

Access and the rules

No named trailhead, parking area or public access point has been documented for Pharaoh Creek. Reaching it means travelling into the upper Toby Creek drainage above Panorama, and current road conditions have not been confirmed, so check before you plan a trip.

Before you fish

Pharaoh Creek and the wider Toby Creek family carry no water-specific exception in the Region 4 synopsis. Default Region 4 stream rules apply: closed Apr 1 to Jun 14, trout and char catch-and-release Nov 1 to Mar 31, single barbless hook year-round. Confirm the current Region 4 synopsis before you go.
Page reviewed 2026-07-08