Friday, February 26, 2010

Oregon Fishing Report

Oregon Fisheries Update:

Willamette Valley/Metro - More consistent action is being recorded on the mainstem Columbia with some boats reporting multiple opportunities downstream of the mouth of the Willamette and the lower Multnomah Channel. Good catch rates this early in the run indicate the record prediction is likely to materialize.

Fishery managers set salmon and sturgeon seasons last week. They are complicated and can be studied from a recent press release here: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2010/index.asp. Boat anglers will not be allowed to fish above the I-205 bridge to Bonneville Dam.

Spring Chinook are being hooked by trollers in the lower Willamette at Sellwood. Double digit days were recorded recently with the catch comprised mostly of larger 5-year old adults. Herring is the bait to use. Sturgeon fishing is fair and smallmouth bass are starting to bite.

While Blue-Winged Olives are hatching on the lower McKenzie, nymphs remain most effective for trout.

Drift bait or fish jigs on the North Santiam for a shot at wild winter steelhead. Take a camera & release the fish.

Clackamas steelheading is slow. There are winters in Eagle Creek but they have become spooky in low water. Rain this week may help.

Crowds are at Cedar Creek along with the winter steelhead which have become available in fair number at the mouth of this Sandy tributary. Broodstock steelhead are due in larger numbers in the coming weeks and should provide fair opportunity through March.

Scheduled for planting with hatchery trout are Alton Baker Canal, Cottage Grove Pond, Cottage Grove Reservoir, E. E. Wilson Pond, Junction City Pond, Walling Pond and Walter Wirth Lake.

Northwest - Steelheaders were reporting fair results in the larger north coast streams this week with low, clear water conditions to work with. The Wilson was producing the best but the next rain freshet should provide better results.

The mainstem Nehalem began to fish fair as well but may blow out again with the current weather pattern.

The Nestucca has been producing a few fish but will likely improve into March. Broodstock steelhead are available here as well but the river hasn't produced as good at it did in the earlier years of the program. Anglers are still encouraged to take part in the wild broodstock collection program by registering with ODF&W in Tillamook at (503) 842-2741. Help is needed on the Wilson too.

Anglers pursued rockfish offshore in the calm seas over the weekend scoring easy limits of seabass on the south jetty out of the mouth of the Columbia and nearshore reefs on the north coast. Delicious lingcod were also in the creel as adults near the shoreline to begin the spring spawn.

Crabbing was surprisingly poor in both the ocean and north coast estuaries this weekend. Commercial crabbers fared exceptionally well this winter season with predictions of an even better year next season.

Good razor clam tides are currently underway with the beaches north of Seaside likely to produce well through the weekend although a rough ocean may keep clams from feeding near the surface where diggers have access to them.

Southwest - Minus tides late in the day this coming weekend will provide clamming opportunities for those prepared to seek them after dark.

Umpqua steelheaders continue to pick up a few here and there but most of the fish available here are wild which requires release.

Tenmile Creek once again picked up, producing good catches of winter steelhead as the water dropped over the past week. Bass in Tenmile Lake are starting to come out of their winter lethargy and move to shallower water.

As the Coos and Coquille water conditions improved, steelheaders have enjoyed decent catches. The freshet this week is expected to bring additional fresh winters into these systems. Crabbing has been good in Coos Bay.

Elk and Sixes steelheaders have been taking fish but rain this week is needed to improve water conditions. These rivers are producing the highest percentage of hatchery fish.
Steelheading has been slow on the lower Rogue, fair on the Grant Pass stretch and above for a mix of wild and hatchery fish.

Just as the Chetco was approaching low and clear status earlier this week with steelhead catches slowing, rain arrived to alleviate the situation. It is predicted to crest on Friday this week and drop through the weekend which should provide some steelhead opportunities. The winter run is winding down on this system. Assessments of returns this season indicate numbers have been lower than previous years.

Catch the Lower Umpqua Fly Casters Expo in Reedsport this coming weekend during which local guide Frank Moore will be inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, located in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Eastern - Green Peter has continued to deliver fair catches to trollers, which is quite good for this early in the season.

John Day sturgeon anglers will move to catch and release regulations beginning March 1st. Steelhead catches in the John Day Pool remain good for trollers.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Oregon fihsing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - After a flurry of spring chinook action, fishing success for early run fish has tapered. Effort remains high with the good weather but anglers likely won't see significant catches until mid-March, even with a record run predicted to return.
Managers are finally expected to set the salmon and sturgeon seasons this Thursday at Oregon City but public testimony is not likely to be taken.

Lower Willamette water temperature is gradually increasing which should improve sturgeon prospects for those who aren't targeting early spring chinook. Springer fishing will remain open seven days a week for a daily bag limit of two hatchery fish.

The McKenzie is low but trout fishing is fair on nymphs. Most steelhead available are runbacks.

North Santiam steelheading has been slow with the steady flows at Minto and Packsaddle offering the most promise.

Jigs nave been hooking a few steelhead on the Clackamas as have drifted eggs. The river will be dropping and clearing this week. Eagle Creek put out some winter steelhead over the past weekend to hardware and fly fishers.

Bait has been most effective on the Sandy where fishing is fair to good for a mix of wild and hatchery steelhead.

Scheduled to be stocked with trout are Mt Hood Pond, West Salish Pond and Creswell Pond.

Northwest - After a long period of low water conditions, steelheaders welcomed the recent rain freshet just prior to the weekend. Boaters reported good action on larger streams like the Wilson and Trask with only fair action reported for the Nestucca system.

Despite persistently good conditions on Sunday, action had slowed significantly. Anglers are catching a mix of wild and broodstock steelhead with an occasional spawned out fish still present. River levels will once again drop to low levels by the weekend and a poor tide series will cause success rates to continue to drop. Most systems see a temporary downturn in activity in mid-February but better prospects will come around again by early March.

Smaller systems like the North Fork Nehalem, Three Rivers and the Necanicum River will remain poor prospects until a few wild fish enter on the next significant rain event. Spawning cutthroat trout will readily take bait this time of year but must be released unharmed.

Sturgeon fishing has dried up on Tillamook Bay and a poor set of tides will put this option further out of reach.

Crabbers took to north coast estuaries this weekend with mixed reports coming in. Most crabbers did only fair with the ocean being the best option, just too rough to access last weekend. The East wind forecasted for this week typically knocks down nearshore swells making crabbing and inshore reef fishing a good option. Watch the weather closely before heading out and be prepared to turn around and cancel the trip pending bar crossing conditions.

Alder Lake, Big Creek Reservoirs 1 & 2, Cleawox Lake, Dune Lake, Munsel Lake and Olalla Creek Reservoir are scheduled to be planted with hatchery trout.

Southwest - Steelheaders have continued to take fish on the mainstem and North Umpqua. The venerable pink worm has been effective over the past week.

Productive for several weeks, steelhead action on the Coquille has cooled.

Coos Bay has been fair to good for crabbing and should only improve this week. Steelheading on the Coos River has been a challenge but drifted bait put some fish on the bank recently.

Expect water conditions and steelhead fishing to be fair to good on the Elk through the weekend.

Anchor fishers have been running plugs with consistent success in the lower Rogue as conditions have improved. The middle Rogue has been producing multiple hookups on winters bound for the Applegate River. Springers are due in March.

Just over 4,000 cfs on Tuesday this week, the lower Chetco is forecast to be around 3,000 cfs by the coming weekend and continue to drop into the coming week. Bank and boat anglers will find success in these conditions. Long, skinny steelhead are returning to the ocean after spawning and should be released. They're not worthwhile table fare.

While ocean conditions are predicted to be marginal in the coming weekend, boats should be able to make early morning forays for rockfish and ling cod before the seas get too rough. Limits are the rule and crabbing has been good.

Lake Selmac is scheduled to be planted with hatchery trout.

Eastern - The Deschutes has been fishing fairly well as redsides are responding to March Brown dry patterns fished tight to the bank.
Sturgeon anglers fishing the Columbia River reservoirs east of Bonneville Dam continue to eat away at their respective quotas. Fair weather will likely result in fair catches this weekend with the Bonneville Pool scheduled to close on February 21st with the increased quota of 1,400 keepers expected to be reached.