Oregon Fishing Report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Lower Willamette water temperatures are in the mid-40s with visibility less than two feet. Sturgeon fishing is expected to be worthwhile while winter steelhead continue to chug across in double digits with the year-to-date total approaching 1,700.

Sturgeon anglers were catching some legal fish in the Bonneville Pool over the weekend.

The McKenzie will fall into shape and achieve good color this week to provide decent winter trout fishing on nymphs.

There are no plans to clear the slide below Barton Bridge on the Clackamas which is easily navigable by drift boats but may cause problems later in the year. Although recently the steelheading has been deemed fair, overall, anglers in the Clackamas are calling it a great season. Good numbers of winter fish will continue to enter the river into early April with a mix of wild, broodstock and a rare summer steelhead throughout the next 2 months.

The Sandy has been consistent for winter steelhead with the run improved over seasons past. Gravel is beginning to accumulate in some of the more popular drifts where previously, silt had inundated the lower reaches. Broodstock fish will become more plentiful in the coming weeks.

Sheridan Pond is scheduled to be stocked with hatchery trout.

Northwest - Steelheaders finally got their opportunity late last week when larger river systems finally came into shape after a long period of high water. The Wilson River produced good catches on Thursday and Friday with boat traffic really ramping up over the weekend. A slight rise in river levels dampened effort over the weekend but fishing picked back up again early in the week. A mix of hatchery broodstock steelhead and wild fish were available with reports of some fish nearing 20-pounds already. Most fish were taken side-drifting eggs and yarn.

Smaller streams like the popular North Fork Nehalem dropped off as the water cleared but fish were still being taken daily near the hatchery. The Necanicum, North Fork Nehalem, Three Rivers and Highway 30 streams will contain mostly spawned out fish for the next several weeks. Wild fish will make a showing later in February but effort will dramatically drop off as only catch and release is allowed.

The Nestucca fished fair over the weekend but has since dropped off according to recent reports. The river is expected to remain in fair shape through the weekend although another system may force anglers upstream by Saturday. Like the Wilson, broodstock fish should be available into April but adult returns seem to be a bit down in recent years.

The mainstem Nehalem should start to get fish but it fishes best when most other north coast streams are too low to successfully fish.

Sturgeon fishers are taking advantage of good tides this week on Tillamook Bay. Weather conditions were favorable and recent reports indicate there are fair numbers of fish available. Peak fishing tides will sink past sunset by the weekend but another series should produce results the following weekend.

Crabbing picked up in Netarts Bay recently but the larger estuaries remain challenging with high volumes of fresh water still inundating them. The ocean forecast remains too rough for saltwater recreation.

Southwest - The tide will be incoming at sunrise but look for minus tides after the sun goes down along the southwest coast.

Steelheaders on the Umpqua have been hooking good numbers of winter steelhead but a fin-clipped adult has been rare due to low hatchery returns.

Tenmile Creek should be a good bet for winter steelhead this week as the water is not expected to get too high.

Waters of the North Fork Coquille will drop and clear quickly this week and should provide good winter steelheading. The South Fork Coquille and Millicoma have been productive when the rivers have been in decent shape.

The lower Rogue was productive for plunkers last week but the latest freshet will cause the waters to peak at mid week, dropping thereafter. It should fish by the coming weekend. The middle river has been fishing fair to good. On the upper Rogue, where nearly 2,800 winter steelhead have crossed Gold Ray Dam, action should pick up in the coming weeks.

The Chetco was fishing well, producing a few 20-pounders right up until rain last Sunday pushed the flow to 9,200 cfs. It is expected to fish well by mid-week. Plunkers using Spin 'n' Glos with bait will score from gravel bars as conditions improve. Drift boaters may get a shot in the coming weekend. Another rough weekend is forecast offshore but there may be a window of opportunity on Sunday, January 31st. Check last-minute conditions.

High winds have plagued Elk River steelheaders recently. Water conditions were excellent Sunday then blown out on Monday this week. It'll drop and clear quickly and offer good fishing.

Eastern - Deschutes fly fishers endured cold, snowy and sometimes windy weather over the past weekend to experience fair results nymphing for redsides around Maupin on the Deschutes.

Steelheading has been slow on the Umatilla although a few are being taken in lower than normal flows.

The Grande Ronde remains a good option if night time temperatures don't cause ice formations in the river. Last week, steelheaders averaged a fish for every 2.3 hours of fishing. The Wallowa, Imnaha and Grande Ronde Rivers now enjoy a 5 fin-clipped fish per day limit and it is attainable for the persistent angler.