Willamette Valley/Metro- Although salmon fishing remains open on the mainstem Columbia, the section from Beacon Rock to Bonneville Dam closes to fishing from a floating device. This is the most productive stretch below Bonneville this time of year but fish are beginning to turn dark, making poor tablefare.
Sturgeon fishing has slowed somewhat in the gorge but remains open 7 days per week though the end of the year. Keepers are becoming more challenging to find but both bank and boat anglers are taking them daily.
The coho run across Willamette Falls has been winding down most of October. The water is a chilly 50 degrees and sturgeon, which may be retained seven days a week, remains the best fishing option in the lower Willamette. Multnomah Channel has been providing catch-and-release action for good numbers of smaller sturgeon.
Water level and flow on the North Santiam will be variable for weeks to come. Some decent steelhead are available but fishing is spotty.
Fishing on the Clackamas has stalled. Hundreds of coho may be seen holding in holes on Eagle Creek but they are all dark fish.
There's very little pressure on the Sandy and very few fish are being caught.
The upper McKenzie has recovered from the past rain and is providing fair trout fishing to fly anglers.
Walling Pond and Walter Wirth Lake are scheduled to be planted with legal-sized and larger trout.
Northwest – Tillamook Bay continues to be the bright spot for anglers seeking chinook on the north coast. Although catches dropped in recent days, fish are well dispersed in the lower bay with the jaws, Ghost Hole and the west channel all producing a few fish. Softer tides over the weekend should stimulate better fishing in a time period when action is usually peaking.
The ocean is closed to salmon fishing outside of the Tillamook Bay Terminal area. The “bubble” will remain open until November 15th and commercial trollers will be taking advantage of a 15-day season beginning November 1st. The weekend ocean forecast does not look favorable for recreational vessels.
The Wilson tidewater that is usually producing good catches is reported as poor. Bobber fishers are usually tallying good numbers by now but many potential biters migrated upstream on the last rain freshet. Those fish are dark now.
All north coast streams are low and clear now and returning fish will anxiously await the next significant fall rain.
Crabbing is good in Netarts and Nestucca estuaries and excellent in the lower Columbia. Softer morning tides give crabbers a strong advantage this weekend.
Southwest – Most streams and rivers on the south coast have dropped and are in need of rain. With no precipitation in long-range forecast, anglers will need to be resourceful.
Steelheading on the North Umpqua has been slow all season with low run numbers. It's about over now as steelhead are heading up tributaries where fishing is not allowed.
Crabbing has been slow to fair in Winchester Bay.
Coos Bay has been delivering limits of Dungeness with crabbing expected to get even better into November. Both numbers and size of crab will improve.
It appears it will be a while before rain falls so it'll be some time before the Elk and Sixes are fishable. They are currently very low and clear with no fish present.
While Chinook and coho are few and far between, steelhead fishing on the Rogue has been decent at times around Agness, The flies-only stretch of the upper Rogue is expected to deliver fair to good results this week. This is a catch and release affair as most of the steelhead will not be of hatchery origin.
Chetco chinook anglers experienced some very good fishing early last week but action diminished as the river dropped. Now low and clear, the next rains will re-invigorate this fishery. Traditionally, the Chetco provides very large Chinook at this time of year when water conditions are conducive.
Eastern – Nymphing has produced good catches of trout on the lower Deschutes, but steelheading was very slow over the past weekend and earlier this week. The Deschutes is now closed to trout fishing from the north end of Warm Springs to Pelton Dam.
Steelheading is improving on the Grande Ronde with some nice, bright, hatchery fish being taken.
