Oregon fishing report

Oregon Fishing Update

Willamette Valley/Metro - Fishery managers will meet today to decide how leftover keepers from the 2006 fishery will provide opportunity to anglers from the Wauna Powerlines to Bonneville Dam. Recreational fishery advisors favored increasing the retention days per week to four from three.

As the flows continue to moderate, winter steelhead are streaming over Willamette Falls. Counts as of the 21st topped 1,150. The water temperature is gradually increasing with the visibility up to 2.5 feet. Sturgeon fishing has been spotty in the still-cold water of the lower Willamette, but a few keepers have been taken by those willing to move around in order to locate larger fish.
With rumors of earlier arriving spring chinook, a 20 pounder was actually caught by an angler plunking a Spin 'n' Glo off Meldrum Bar the morning of Saturday, January 20th. It was weighed at Fisherman's Marine in Oregon City.

Fishing low and slow in the cold Clackamas River has produced a few steelhead recently with sidedrifted baits producing the best results.

Eagle Creek is extremely low and clear. Expect to encounter plenty of other anglers on weekends.

It's still too early for the Sandy to have sufficient numbers of steelhead to make it worthwhile but a few fish are being taken.

The North Santiam has come down a bit and while still a little high, will fish this weekend. With strong numbers across the falls, the native winter steelhead population will increase proportionately.

Northwest – Excited steelheaders came into a reality check this week as catches slowed on most north coast streams. Although some quality fish are still coming from the larger systems like the Wilson and Nestucca, anglers are playing the tides in the lower reaches instead of river levels. An occasional bright chinook still shows in the catches and these fish must be released. Steelheaders are once again hoping for rain.

Although smaller streams aren't the best option for steelhead, the North Fork Nehalem, Necanicum and Three Rivers are putting out a few steelhead.

Good tides over the weekend will favor Tillamook Bay sturgeon anglers and crabbers can put out pots late in the tide, catching the last trickle of outgoing and the first part of incoming tide. Netarts Bay however has slowed significantly.

A large ocean swell is forecasted over the weekend making bottomfishing on the north coast a poor option.

Clam diggers will have good opportunity in the afternoons this weekend but Clatsop Beaches are not producing results like years past.

Siletz steelheaders experienced fair to good winter steelheading action over the weekend but success significantly slowed early in the week.

Crabbing has slowed on Yaquina Bay with a day's effort yielding keepers in the low single digits.
Alsea steelheaders went fishless late last week with the river low, clear and cold. Steelhead are more challenging to catch in these conditions. The broodstock collection program is getting underway. To participate, call the Alsea hatchery at 541-487-7240.

Southwest – Mild tides over the coming weekend favors crabbing bit it's been slow in most bays and estuaries.

Many South coast streams and rivers are low and clear. Rain would improve prospects.
Pro guide Bill Kremers (541 754 6411) reports the Alsea to be low, clear and dropping but a few steelhead are being taken.

Umpqua steelheaders are enjoying the good numbers of fish present with most getting a number of hookups daily. Expect to release a number of unclipped fish but finding a hatchery fish or two shouldn't be a problem now.
Coos and East Fork Millicoma steelheaders were experiencing fair to good fishing over the weekend.

The Rogue has dropped two feet at Agness over the last week which has slowed incoming steelhead. Fishing in the lower river has been spotty. It's been fair in the Grants Pass stretch.
The Chetco River has delivered some great steelheading this year. While it's not over, the level and flow is far too low this week to be productive. Try this one following the next round of precipitation when it's on the drop.

Eastern – Trollers are taking a few quality bull trout at Lake Billy Chinook with the warming trend.

Pro guide Rick Arnold (541-480-1570) reports Bull trout are being taken at Lake Billy Chinook.
The Grande Ronde and Umatilla Rivers should experience a jump in steelhead success with the warming trend taking place in this region according to Pro Guide Mac Huff (800-940-3688). Summer run fish don't run large in these systems but good numbers provide excellent opportunity this time of year.

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Oregon fishing update

Oregon Fishing Update

Willamette Valley/Metro- Columbia River sturgeon anglers are focusing their efforts downstream of the I-5 Bridge. Some anglers favor the higher flows and fish have historically congregated near the mouth of the Cowlitz in anticipation of arriving smelt runs. Anglers fishing near the mouth of the Willamette are witnessing the best action with an occasional keeper, but lots of shakers falling to frozen smelt.

Anglers are taking good numbers of sturgeon from the lower Willamette but the vast majority have been too small to keep. St Johns has been productive at times as has Multnomah Channel. The flats seem to be more productive than deep water with sand shrimp a top bait. Meldrum Bar was jammed with rigs as plunkers celebrated New Years and an improving steelhead bite.

Clackamas steelheaders experienced a very slow weekend with many anglers going all day without a bump. Action picked up slightly earlier this week. The occasional winter steelhead and late summer has been taken on Eagle Creek in crowded conditions.

A few steelhead are being taken on the Sandy by anglers anxious for the run to get underway. The water level and clarity were good early this week, but rain is likely to put it out of shape.

With water from Detroit once again being released into the North Santiam, river levels are expected to remain high for the next week or two. A catch-and-release fishery for wild winter steelhead will start up here when run numbers improve.

The ODFW plants rainbow brood trout in local lakes and ponds over the winter months every year. These fish run from 12 to 22 pounds and can be quite a thrill from the smaller waters. This week, 25 brood trout will be planted at Walling Pond, 65 at Walter Wirth Lake and 60 at Junction City Pond.

Northwest – Anglers targeting steelhead on the north coast are not having the success witnessed in years past. Action is fair with best hatchery opportunities coming from the Wilson, Kilchis, North Fork Nehalem and Necanicum Rivers. Pro guide Jesse Zalonis (503-392-5808) reports, "Nestucca anglers were doing fair while those targeting hatchery fish on Three Rivers continue to come up disappointed. Rising rivers will put most larger streams out of action until the middle of next week." More debris will create navigational hazards for boaters when rivers recede.

Tillamook Bay sturgeon anglers that waited out the last of the outgoing tide over the weekend did good at Bay City. Most fish were undersized but a few quality keepers were taken. Bay crabbing has been good at Lyster's corner but slow in other favored areas.

The ocean has been too rough for recreational vessels to cross but the new years bottomfish quota is waiting to be tapped. The new ling-cod minimum size for 2007 is 22 inches- down from 24 inches in years past. Action should be good when the large ocean swell subsides which isn't forecasted until at least next week.

Siletz anglers are experiencing fair to good results pulling plugs although about half of the fish taken early this week were natives.

Pro guide Bill Kremers (541-754-6411) reports, "With the mainstem Alsea River still too high to fish, crowds of anglers jammed the North Fork over the weekend. With numbers of steelhead still low early in the run, catches were sparse."

Southwest – Most rivers in Southwest Oregon dropped and cleared over the long holiday weekend, providing anglers in a number of locations with improved conditions and catches. Rain started on late Tuesday this week and is forecasted to continue through the week causing south coast rivers to rise again.

The North and mainstem Umpqua delivered quality steelhead although catches were spotty. It's slow to fair on the South Umpqua.

The Coos dropped into fishable shape Saturday, rewarding anglers with fresh, bright steelhead.

Restricted primarily to boat fishing, the Elk produced steelhead earlier this week along with a few bright, late-running Fall Chinook reports pro guide Jeff Jackson (541-268-6944). Use caution here as floodwaters made some major changes in the river.

Rogue River steelheaders were allowed a window of opportunity over the New Years weekend. A strong winter steelhead return is expected on the Rogue which will provide fishing opportunities through March.

Chetco anglers were rewarded with fishable conditions over the long weekend but river levels are on the rise and will put anglers on the bank through the weekend.

Eastern – The Grande Ronde River is expected to stay in fishable condition and will continue to provide excellent opportunity for summer run steelhead this month reports pro guide Mac Huff (800-940-3688). Anglers often average several opportunities a day this time of year.

The Guide's Forecast