Oregon Fishing Report

Oregon Fishing Update

Willamette Valley/Metro- With salmon season on the mainstem on the way out, sturgeon fishing is the best option for metro anglers. Pro guide Kevin Newell (360-430-2521) reports taking some quality sized keepers during the catch and release days. Smelt and shrimp were producing the best results and he found the faster flow towards the deadline was best. Tanner Creek was not putting out the numbers of sturgeon it was a week ago but oversized fish are still present in the area.

Sturgeon fishing is very slow on the lower Willamette but will show gradual improvement as the temperature difference between the Willamette and the cooler Columbia widens. Bank fishers are hopeful in the stretch around Meldrum Bar with steelhead expected to show shortly.
The Clackamas has turned muddy with the sunny weather and is seeing very little pressure with coastal rivers offering a far better chance for action.

The Sandy River remains closed to chinook and coho angling. Summer steelheading is over. Expect winter steelhead to be delivered around Christmas. Until then, seek another location for piscatorial pleasure. Respectable numbers of coho did return to the Cedar Creek Hatchery this year. This is hopefully a sign of good things to come.

Mid Columbia/Deschutes River - The steelhead fishery in the John Day Pool and John Day Arm is entering its peak. Boats fishing the area recorded catches of two fish per boat and one fish for every three bank anglers. The wild to hatchery fish ratio remains very close to 50/50.
North Coast - After an excellent week of Chinook fishing, the action should slow down. On Tuesday however, great catches of fresh Chinook were witnessed in the Ghost Hole and the lower Wilson River. Herring are still the bait of choice for later returning Chinook in the bay while tidewater anglers are splitting the catch between plugs and backbounced eggs. As the river levels drop, river action will switch to bay action but the tidewater bobber bite may take off in the Kilchis and Wilson. Chum salmon have entered the Kilchis and Miami in high numbers but this target fishery closed on November 15th.

The Trask is still putting out good catches but it won't hold the same numbers of late returning Chinook that neighboring systems have.

Pro guide Jesse Zalonis (503-392-5808) reports, "The Nestucca is in beautiful shape. Fish are spread through the entire river and have been responding well to all different kinds of gear. We have been doing well on Kwikfish, yes! I have been pulling plugs. And we have been doing well on bobbers and bait, jigs, and drift gear."

On all North Coast streams, as flows drop, fresher fish will be found in the lower sections of these rivers. Female Chinook will begin to lose their quality despite the fact they are nickel bright.

Crabbing was only fair on the lower Columbia with the recent fresh water intrusion but should pick up as river systems flush. Clamming was great on the early part of the minus tide series as the surf subsided. Success will likely drop over the weekend.

Mid-Coast - Yaquina Bay was still producing limits of crab to some following the heavy rain that many feared would push Dungeness out to the ocean. Waldport has slowed.

Chinook fishing on the Alsea was fair prior to the rains, but the freshet drew the fish upstream above deadline. Try elsewhere.

The recent tide series and rain freshet drew ample numbers of wild coho into Tahkenitch and Siltcoos Lakes. Trollers will take quality fish using plugs close to tributary mouths. Regulations are complicated for this fishery- even with a limit of one adult wild coho, so check before you fish.

South Coast - North Umpqua anglers continue to score good catches of summer steelhead in the flies-only stretch of the North Umpqua.

The Sixes produced some bright chinook late last week and into the weekend. Anglers using anchovy or cured salmon eggs fared the best. Without rain, this fishery will taper off quickly until the next freshet. It's currently low and clear.

South Coast Rivers are on the drop. The Coquille fishery is on its way out while the Elk and Sixes Rivers are about to enter their prime. Although fish were present on the sister rivers late last week, the bulk of the fish return the second half of November and the first week of December. Much more action is scheduled to come. The Chetco produced some good results over the weekend but the dry spell should keep action in check until the next rain.

The Rogue River fishery is done for salmon and south coast anglers are anxiously awaiting winter steelhead. This run is due to queue by early December.

Eastern Oregon - Oregon's tire chain law went into effect on Tuesday, November 15th. On mountain pass roads, chains must be carried even when it's not required to put them on. Driver's caught chainless are subject to a fine.

Only a few lakes remain viable options to fish for trout and action should be decent as fish begin to prepare for low food availability through the winter months.

Trout fishing- Green Peter has been producing trout and a few keeper kokanee for trollers recently.

That's about it for the regular stocking this year anywhere this year, but watch this space for winter plants of trophy trout, broodstock and excess steelhead during the winter months in valley lakes and ponds.

The Guide's Forecast
http://www.TheGuidesForecast.com Helping people catch more fish.

http://www.NorthwestGuides.com/OregonFishing/ Guided Oregon fishing trips the easy way!

http://www.NorthwestGuides.com/fishing/Bob Rees - Oregon fishing guide and Editor of The Guide's Forecast

Oregon Fishing Report

Oregon Fishing Update

Coastal streams are fishing so prepare yourself by getting all the professional knowledge you can from The Guide's Forecast complete series of Technical reports. You can simply log onto: http://www.theguidesforecast.com/techrpt.shtml and order the reports that have the most application for you. Tech reports 8, 9, 11, 12 and 18 all serve the North Coast angler that likes to bank fish or driftboat fish for salmon and steelhead.

Willamette Valley/Metro - The gorge sturgeon fishery remains good to excellent for boat and bank anglers. Some quality keepers are coming from this fishery as pressure drops due to hunting seasons and poor weather. Sand shrimp for bait is producing consistent results but the bait seems hard to get. Smelt is a good back-up however but that is also in short supply. Checks indicate a fish for every 11 boats in the Portland to Longview stretch while gorge anglers checked The river from Beacon Rock upstream is closed to angling from a floating device leaving ample opportunity for bank anglers to take advantage of salmon above the deadline. Bank anglers tallied near limits of Chinook near Tanner Creek but these fish are of poor quality and most anglers are practicing catch and release.

The Willamette River typically begins to pick up for sturgeon fishing this time of year. Pressure remains light for this fishery although some boats are beginning to target sturgeon in the industrial area upstream to Milwaukie. The difference in water temperatures is only 3 to 5 degrees but that is significant enough to make a difference in success.

The Sandy remained high and opaque at this writing but with the weather moderating may provide some possibilities by this weekend.

There's little pressure on the Clackamas with nothing going on to attract anglers.
Mid Columbia/Deschutes River - The John Day fishery is beginning to gain momentum for both catch and effort. Almost a fish per boat was tallied with a close 50/50 ratio of wild to hatchery fish. Bank anglers were doing fair as well near the mouth of the John Day.

The Deschutes is winding down for the year although steelhead are still available. Unpredictable weather and uncertain clarity due to the White River will put only the most avid anglers in pursuit of the remaining run.

North Coast - The conditions anglers have been waiting for hit the north coast at mid-week when the major tributaries cleared and dropped enough for the river fishing. The smaller streams like the Kilchis and Necanicum fished well on Sunday and Monday but the Wilson was white hot on Tuesday with numerous anglers taking limits of bright chinook from Mills Bridge to the mouth. Backbounced eggs seemed to be the preferred method but as flows drop, fish will be more responsive to plugs. Chum salmon have entered the Kilchis, Miami and Wilson Rivers but the target fishery ends on November 15th. It is only open to catch and release fishing for chum.
As a result of ripening fish, bay fishing slowed down with the exception of an early morning bite at the Ghost Hole and Bay City. Fish will continue to pour into the river systems while flows are favorable making river fishing a better option than the estuary.

With the fresh water intrusion, recreational crabbing is likely to slow despite the favorable time of the year.

Mid-Coast - A few chinook may be found in upper tidewater on the Siletz, but other locations are cranking up as this one winds down.

Fall Chinook are traveling upstream occasionally providing fair fishing periodically on the Yaquina River downstream from Elk City. Trollers seem to be intercepting the greatest share of them.

With the rain last week, there should be a few winter steelhead available in the Alsea below Fall Creek. It's closed to metalheads upstream of that tributary.

South Coast - Recent rains brought good numbers of wild coho into Siltcoos Lake and trollers dragging spinners are seeing catch rates improve as a result. Wild coho are also being taken from Tahkenitch Lake to a lesser degree. The quotas are still a long way from filling at either of these locations where this opportunity to take unclipped silvers is allowed.

Fall chinook fishery is fair in the tide water stretches of the Siuslaw River. A few are being taken by bank fishermen above tidewater. Chinook fishing should hold up here for another week or two.

The flies only section of the North Umpqua continues to produce summer steelhead this week.
Recent precipitation should have stimulated the salmon run on the Elk and Sixes Rivers. The Elk in particular needs a significant rain freshet to breach the river mouth and get the migration underway. Small streams like the Elk fish better in high water while it takes the Sixes a bit longer to clear. Fresh Chinook will run in these rivers through mid-December.

Summer steelhead fishing was decent on the upper Rogue prior to the last rainfall which occurred Monday, November 7th. It should have recovered by now and will fish well barring another storm passing through. Bait is allowed above Shady Cove but it's artificials only below that point. The coho present are not cooperating with anglers.

Eastern Oregon - The Grande Ronde River is coming into its prime for steelhead. Flows remained stable even after the weather systems that came through. Reports indicate an average to good year for steelhead on the Grande Ronde and Imnaha River systems.

Angling for panfish is also reported good to excellent for perch, bluegill and crappie in Snake River reservoirs. Fish become more active as air temperatures meet water temperatures in Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs.

Trout fishing - Green Peter is producing good catches of trout along with a few kokanee.
No trout planting will take place this week in the Willamette Valley.


The Guide's Forecast
http://www.TheGuidesForecast.com
Helping people catch more fish.
http://www.NorthwestGuides.com/OregonFishing/
Guided Oregon fishing trips the easy way!
http://www.NorthwestGuides.com/fishing/
Bob Rees - Oregon fishing guide and Editor of The Guide's Forecast

Oregon fishing guides and Oregon fishing trip charters

Oregon fishing guides and Oregon fishing trip charters

Oregon Fishing Report

Oregon Fishing Update

Willamette Valley/Metro- The Columbia River is kicking out quality keeper sturgeon to anglers fishing the gorge. Persistent anglers are taking limits and even the shaker sized fish are of good size. Oversize fish are also present, feeding on spawning salmon eggs near the mouth of Tanner Creek. Although the keeper sturgeon fishery is still going strong, it has tapered from the 10/1 opener.

Salmon season remains open on the mainstem but the quality of fish available is poor. Action remains consistent for Chinook in the Bonneville area for anglers back-bouncing eggs or backtrolling plugs. Bag limits differ depending on the area anglers fish so check regulations carefully when fishing around Bonneville Dam.

As one storm front follows another this week, all the valley rivers will certainly be blown out well into next week. The Willamette should improve for sturgeon when things settle down a bit, possibly by the weekend. High, colored water seem to find favor with Willamette sturgeon.
While the Clackamas has been a disappointment for summer steelhead and coho, with fresh water pushing the level up by several feet, it won't be long until winter steelhead are on the angling menu. Keep in mind however that early hatchery winter steelhead plants aren't what they used to be.

With the Sandy River closed to salmon fishing, it's a waiting game for the winter run here as well.

The North Santiam, running high and swift, will offer little to tempt anglers until the winter steelhead arrive later in the spring.

Mid Columbia/Deschutes River - Deschutes River anglers are finding good success with the fly. Wind can be an issue this time of year however, making angling challenging. Precipitation may affect the White River causing further disdain to fishers. This fishery is winding down quickly and opportunity may switch to the mainstem Columbia for eastern Oregon and Idaho bound steelhead.

This is the time of year when John Day River and John Day Pool steelheading becomes a viable option. Anglers targeting fish in the John Day River itself must employ low water techniques in the low flows. Columbia trollers target steelhead just above the dam using wiggle warts in assorted colors.

North Coast - The top news story is the fact that our fall rains are here! This will temporarily put the Tillamook Bay fishery on hold as high water and wood debris will clog the bay. The current weather pattern coupled with the forecast has caused the cancellation of the North Coast Rendezvous. River forecasts are predicted to fluctuate between high and un-fishable into the weekend making opportunities uncertain for the next several days. When the rivers do stabilize, the North Coast streams will be excellent fishing. The Wilson is a good gauge and you can view updated river levels and forecasts at: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?TLMO3. The smaller North Coast streams like the Necanicum and Kilchis will be the first rivers to fish.

Tillamook Bay fishing did improve as east bay migrating Kilchis and Wilson fish have entered the estuary. Bay City and the Ghost Hole have been producing good numbers of Chinook in the 20 pound range. A sea-lion showed was credited with landing several of anglers salmon on Friday and Saturday but disappeared for the Sunday bite. It may be the start of a dangerous trend.

Nehalem Bay slowed this week and with the precipitation the coast is experiencing, this fishery is likely done for the season.

Bay crabbing was also very good prior to the rains. The freshwater influx will damper catches for a bit of time. Netarts may be the exception as only a few feeder streams have little effect on bay salinities.

The upcoming minus tide series would give Clatsop Beach clammers ample opportunity to claim their limit of razor clams however, a large ocean surf may pound clams down and make beaches unsafe to clam.

Mid-Coast - It's late in the season for the Siletz to turn on from the freshet. It's been slow, but the place to try is the top of tidewater.

Fresh water may get fish moving, but it'll put the skids to the crabbing, driving Dungeness back to the ocean.

Tahkenitch has started producing decent catches in the limited wild coho fishery. Siltcoos is also open for unclipped coho which run through the lake.

South Coast - Coastal rivers will blow out during this week of heavy precipitation. Opportunities following will occur initially on the smaller streams which will be the first to recover. Some of the South coast rivers are seeing fresh fish enter, a welcome sight in what has been a mediocre Fall chinook season at many locations.

Bank and boat anglers are taking the occasional chinook from the Cove at Winchester Bay as the season winds down here.

About 80% of the chinook in the Coos and Coquille Rivers are dark, although the occasional 40 pound keeper has been landed. Soon the Elk and Sixes will turn on, giving salmon hopefuls a decent shot at fresh, late-season chromers.

Bright Fall chinook entered the Chetco on Halloween day, mixing with the mostly-darkening salmon already present and providing anglers with many opportunities to score.

The Rogue River could use a shot of fresh chinook, but that occurrence is unlikely. Steelheading is best around Grants Pass, which is fair at best. Many of the metalheads present are wild and must be released.

Many South coast lakes closed to trout fishing as of November 1st. Check the regulations.
Eastern Oregon - The Grande Ronde River is forecasted to have a slight rise in river levels through the weekend. This should stimulate steelhead action as this fishery is coming into its peak period.

Pro guide Rick Arnold (541-480-1570) reports, "With the regular season coming to a close as of Oct. 31, the opportunities to fish some of our lakes are limited to just a few including; Prineville Res., Crescent Lake, Suttle Lake and Billy Chinook. These lakes are open year round and would only be restricted by weather conditions.

Trout fishing- This week the ODFW planted eight, 10 and 12 inch rainbows at Walling Pond and Walter Wirth Lake. Ana River in the Deschutes watershed received several hundred 12 inch fish.

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