Oregon Fishing Update
Willamette Valley/Metro - Willamette Falls was more like a short drop than a waterfall upon observation on Monday, January 2nd. Logs and debris in the water at that time made for extremely hazardous boating. Fishing was not an option as of the following morning, either, but action will improve with moderating weather. Although opportunity may still be a week away, steelhead should begin to show in fair numbers when turbid waters begin to clear.
As of January 1st, the Willamette River was one degree warmer then the Columbia. When the waters recede a bit and logs have washed downstream, sturgeon fishing on the lower Willamette should be worthwhile. Debris is not as much of a problem downstream of the St. Johns Bridge and a few keepers are beginning to fall to smelt.
Columbia River sturgeon anglers continue to be greeted with cold east winds. Although this mostly effects gorge anglers, the east wind is keeping keepers from biting in the mainstem. Shakers were the rule in last weeks creel checks with the best action reported from Troutdale area boats. The river around the mouth of the Willamette will provide the best opportunity for keeper sturgeon.
Gillnetters took several hundred pounds of smelt last week in the lower Columbia. Fresh smelt will be very hard to find but for the few anglers that have it, results should be good. Smelt are frequently caught this early in the season but often times, it is just a pilot run. The smelt outlook is not optimistic but this species can certainly be a wildcard to predict. Starting Jan. 7, the popular fishery on the Cowlitz is scheduled to run from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each Saturday through March 31, with a daily catch limit of 10 pounds per person.
Visibility on the Sandy River was passable on Monday, January 2nd and the level was dropping. The best odds for steelhead will be to start high on the system. Bait or scented lures are most effective in turbid water.
Clackamas steelheaders have reported high, dirty water here. Eagle Creek has fallen into shape and produced a few winter fish earlier this week.
If the rivers remain un-fishable for the weekend, try the Portland Boat Show at the Expo Center. It runs from Saturday, January 7th through Sunday, January 15th.
The 2006 rounds of trout stocking start on Monday, January 9th. These plants include "catchable-sized" trout of eight to ten inches plus some foot-longs at many valley locations. Look for a fresh fish infusion of State-raised rainbows at Junction City Pond, Walling Pond, Walter Wirth Lake and Huddleston Pond in the Willamette Zone. Cleawox Lake, Dune Lake and Munsel Lake will be stocked in the Northwest Zone.
Mid Columbia - Although sturgeon fishing is open from the Bonneville Pool upstream to McNary Dam, east winds kept many anglers tied up since the opener. The weather is forecasted to moderate which may give anglers the best opportunity in months to pursue keepers in these pools.
Heavy rain put the John Day River out of shape chasing most steelheaders into the mainstem. Trollers averaged about a steelhead for every 2 boats in the Columbia while bank anglers landed 3 hatchery fish for 17 rods over the weekend.
Northwest - Smaller streams like the Kilchis, Necanicum and North Fork Nehalem fished well on Tuesday, January 3rd and river levels are expected to maintain themselves to where steelheaders should have good opportunity into the weekend. As river levels drop, plugs will become more effective.
Larger river systems like the Wilson and Trask will also fall into shape by the weekend giving anglers the best opportunity in weeks for coastal chrome. Some fresh Chinook may be in the catch but anglers need to remember that the Chinook season closed on the last day of December. With flows still high, fish will be on the move so higher stretches of the coastal drainages will fish better. Bank anglers also have access to hatchery fish along Highway 6 as steelhead have already been recycled from the South Fork of the Wilson- high in the watershed.
Pro guide Jesse Zalonis (503-392-5808) reports, "The Nestucca has fallen victim to a few mudslides and therefore may take longer than other North Coast rivers to clear. When it does, fishing will be viable throughout the system but hatchery fish will be most available from Three Rivers downstream. Three Rivers itself is kicking into action with most fish being taken at the deadline."
Poor weather conditions kept most people off the bay this week. Tides were right for sturgeon fishing at mid-week although not many took advantage of them. Crabbers wishing to take advantage of weekend afternoon tides may find some reward on Tillamook and Netarts Bays. Safety is emphasized as Tillamook Bay claimed the lives of 2 people in 3 days just before New Years day.
Pro guide Bill Kremers (541 754 6411) Debris and logs were reported earlier this week at the Alsea River. A couple of boathouses were seen drifting downstream as well. With decreasing precipitation, the Alsea should fish this weekend if slides upstream don't cause muddy water.
Huge seas should keep anxious bottomfishers in the harbor. New bag limits apply for bottomfish so be sure to check the regulations before you depart. Bottomfishing and ocean crabbing should be good when seas subside.
Clammers fared poorly on the last tide- likely due to heavy surf that often keeps razors from feeding near the surface. The next minus tide series is the middle of next week but high surf is predicted to continue.
Southwest - The lower Umpqua was still running high and brown. With a moderation in the weather, sturgeon fishing should turn on here.
Like most South coast streams, the Coos and Coquille rivers are high and off-color. Following this flushing, winter steelhead fishing is expected to be good.
The Rogue River crested at just over flood stage on New Years Eve but has been dropping steadily since.
Eastern - Pro guide Mac Huff (800-940-3688) reports, "weather conditions are turning back to normal for steelheaders eager to fish the Grande Ronde River. Heavy rains have turned back to snow in the higher elevations and the area rivers could fish again by the weekend."
Oregon Fishing Reports
Oregon Fishing Guides
