Willamette Valley/Metro- With the Willamette now closed to catch and keep sturgeon fishing, anglers have little choice for good action unless catch and release on the lower Willamette appeals to anglers. Success in the gorge continues to drop and with falling freezing levels, success will continue to plummet.
As of November 16th, water visibility at Willamette Falls was 3.4 feet. About 150 winter steelhead have been counted. Trout fishing is good on the Middle Fork Willamette and will remain so as long as water levels remain fishable. The coho run is over for the year.
Trout fishing has been fair on the McKenzie. Steelheading efforts continue below Leaburg Dam.
Coho are being hooked on the Santiam with results fair to good at times.
The Clackamas was on the rise earlier this week. Eagle Creek produced a few steelhead over the past weekend.
Thanksgiving traditionalists are expected to hit the Sandy next week despite later-running broodstock steelhead. Catches will likely be spotty.
Northwest - Salmon fishing in the Tillamook district continues to disappoint anglers and the effort defines success rates in recent days. Rivers are producing sub-par results despite excellent conditions. Tillamook Bay is effectively over although persistent anglers still have a fair chance at a late run fall chinook.
The Wilson River should be peaking right now but driftboaters are coming up with poor returns on their investment of time. Dark fish are beginning to show in the catches but it appears that the late run that typically graces the Wilson and Kilchis Rivers will fall short of preseason predictions. Another rain freshet is due today but it is clear by now that chinook destined for these systems are somewhat depressed this season.
The Trask has been a staple for much of the fall but success rates are falling on this system as well. Fish are beginning to turn dark here. A winter steelhead was recently caught however, indicating a decent return may be on the way. Steelhead returns often mimic coho returns and it's likely the wild coho return to the Tillamook basin was under-predicted this season.
The Nestucca has been a late season surprise this year as the pre-season forecast was for a poor return. A limited season is in place with driftboaters allowed from Farmer Creek to the tidewater stretch. Another freshet may put this system out of shape until the weekend but the Nestucca may be a fair option for late weekend boaters. This will likely be the last weekend for bright fish but winter steelhead are soon to follow.
Although still several weeks from peak, bright steelhead should be available on the North Fork Nehalem, Necanicum, Wilson, Kilchis, Nestucca and Three Rivers. The season's first hatchery steelhead has been taken on the North Fork Nehalem where anglers witnessed some of the best catches in years last season. Late run wild coho will also be present so be prepared to properly identify species as all wild coho must be released.
Tillamook Bay has few anglers targeting salmon but some effort still exists in the Ghost Hole and Bay City. Bay anglers may find sturgeon fishing more rewarding as the freshwater influx has pushed crab to the sea. The west channel should be bountiful for sturgeon anglers, especially with the upcoming tide series.
Crabbing remains best in the lower Columbia where limits were the rule over the weekend. Success rates should remain favorable until the commercial season opens in early December. All the other estuaries, with the exception of Netarts Bay will likely produce poorly in the coming weeks.
Southwest - Crabbing has been fair to good in bays and estuaries despite recent rain. Ocean crabbing resumes on December 1st.
Chinook have moved out of Winchester Bay upstream into the Umpqua. South Jetty fishers are catching rockfish and surf perch when ocean conditions allow safe access. Chinook fishing has been fair to good on the Umpqua mainstem.
Chinook catches have slowed on the Coos and Coquille. Crabbing has been good in Coos Bay with some taking limits.
Although boat traffic has been moderate, Chinook catches on the Elk and Sixes Rivers have been very slow. A few were taken on plugs late last week but recent rough seas prevented fishing at the mouth.
Rogue Bay is wrapped up for chinook and lower river fishing is slow while the middle river us producing fair steelhead and coho catches. The upper Rogue continues to offer the better action for late-season summer steelhead. Use caution running a driftboat through the old Gold Ray Dam site where a hazardous rapid has formed.
When ocean conditions have allowed offshore access out of Brookings, most anglers are catching rockfish limits although few lingcod have been taken recently with the 120-foot restriction. Chinook fishing has been good in the Chetco River when water conditions have cooperated.
Eastern - Steelheading is slow on the Deschutes but the occasional fish is being landed. Maupin to Warm Springs has been most productive.
The Grande Ronde is producing fair to good catches of steelhead ranging from chrome to colorful.
Although John Day Pool anglers should be coming into their peak season, catches were mediocre this week. Action may remain fair this week with the ensuing weather pattern in the forecast. Bobber and jig will work in the John Day itself but trollers work the pool above the dam.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Oregon fishing report
Willamette Valley/Metro - With salmon fishing effectively over on the lower Columbia, effort will shift to sturgeon for the remainder of the year. Sturgeon catches continue to taper below Bonneville as fish seemingly move into the lower Willamette this time of year. Anglers are likely to target the mouth of the Willamette as the mainstem Columbia continues to cool.
Catches were good and pressure high at the re-opener of sturgeon retention on the lower Willamette last week. Anglers took 580 keepers which filled the quota, closing the lower Willamette and Multnomah Channel until January 1, 2011. Steelhead remain available on the Middle Fork of the Willamette.
Trout fishing has remained good on the McKenzie when water conditions are conducive where brilliant fall foliage graces the banks.
Steelheading has been fair on the North Santiam but the river is high this week and will remain so through the coming weekend.
Clackamas water levels are up following precipitation over the past weekend and while dropping, fishing remains slow with the coho season about done for the year.
Winter steelhead will be the next fishery on the Sandy but it will be a while as these are broodstock adults with returns delayed until late winter.
Henry Hagg Lake has been fishing well but anglers have only though November 20th, after which it's closed until spring.
Northwest - Wild weather has subdued effort on the north coast, even though fall chinook should be peaking on many river systems. The Wilson and Kilchis River chinook runs aren't materializing like they do most years, this fishery should be peaking now with ideal conditions for driftboaters underway. Some chum are still being caught but anglers can no longer target chum salmon after Monday. Trout fishing closed on October 31st.
The Nestucca River produced some good catches last week even though the run was forecast to be down this season. Plug pullers and backbouncers fared well during the North Coast Salmon Rendezvous last week.
Tillamook Bay continues to challenge anglers but a few bright fish are still being produced in the west channel, Ghost Hole and in the upper bay. Spinners or herring should continue to take fish into early December. Female fish, although bright, sometimes exhibit poor quality flesh this time of year. Bright bucks will provide the best tablefare for the remainder of the season.
Sturgeon should be available in Tillamook Bay as fish continue to exit the lower Columbia and seek better feeding conditions in other estuaries this time of year. With all the recent freshwater, juvenile crabs should not be the problem they typically are for shrimp plunkers. The west channel should be a prime place for interception.
If 2010 steelhead returns come in high, anglers should begin to see chrome returns to the North Fork Nehalem, Necanicum, Kilchis, Wilson, Three Rivers and the Nestucca Rivers within the next 10 days. None have been reported yet.
An excellent tide series over the weekend should produce easy limits for crabbers on the lower Columbia. Expect plenty of competition however.
Southwest - Tidal exchanges this weekend will be mild but offshore conditions may prevent ocean forays.
Trollers are catching fair to good numbers of wild coho at Siltcoos Lake with plugs being most effective this season.
Weekend rainfall relieved low water conditions on the Coos and Coquille. Chinook catches are expected to be
good this week. Crabbing has been good in Coos Bay but too much fresh water will reduce catches.
Chinook catches picked up following rainfall last Sunday on the Elk and Sixes but leaves in the water and high winds have been hampering efforts.
Chetco anglers are taking good numbers of bright chinook with several breaking the 40-pound mark. Bobber and bait fishers, back-bouncers and plug pullers are all taking fish. When ocean conditions have allowed crossing the bar out of Brookings, limits of rockfish were taken and ling cod fishing improved.
The Winchuck River opened for chinook retention over the past weekend. While there was no sign of an early return late last week, rainfall will get this fishery underway and an excellent return is forecast this season.
Eastern - Steelheading has improved on the lower Deschutes with fewer anglers on the river now. With the water cooling, the bite is soft. Most of the steelhead are wild but are running large.
A good late fall and winter fishery, the Crooked River is producing well for fly anglers targeting large rainbows.
The Grande Ronde, Wallowa, Imnaha and Umatilla Rivers are all strong possibilities for late run summer steelhead. Bobbers and bait or jigs should produce nicely for persistent anglers.
Catches were good and pressure high at the re-opener of sturgeon retention on the lower Willamette last week. Anglers took 580 keepers which filled the quota, closing the lower Willamette and Multnomah Channel until January 1, 2011. Steelhead remain available on the Middle Fork of the Willamette.
Trout fishing has remained good on the McKenzie when water conditions are conducive where brilliant fall foliage graces the banks.
Steelheading has been fair on the North Santiam but the river is high this week and will remain so through the coming weekend.
Clackamas water levels are up following precipitation over the past weekend and while dropping, fishing remains slow with the coho season about done for the year.
Winter steelhead will be the next fishery on the Sandy but it will be a while as these are broodstock adults with returns delayed until late winter.
Henry Hagg Lake has been fishing well but anglers have only though November 20th, after which it's closed until spring.
Northwest - Wild weather has subdued effort on the north coast, even though fall chinook should be peaking on many river systems. The Wilson and Kilchis River chinook runs aren't materializing like they do most years, this fishery should be peaking now with ideal conditions for driftboaters underway. Some chum are still being caught but anglers can no longer target chum salmon after Monday. Trout fishing closed on October 31st.
The Nestucca River produced some good catches last week even though the run was forecast to be down this season. Plug pullers and backbouncers fared well during the North Coast Salmon Rendezvous last week.
Tillamook Bay continues to challenge anglers but a few bright fish are still being produced in the west channel, Ghost Hole and in the upper bay. Spinners or herring should continue to take fish into early December. Female fish, although bright, sometimes exhibit poor quality flesh this time of year. Bright bucks will provide the best tablefare for the remainder of the season.
Sturgeon should be available in Tillamook Bay as fish continue to exit the lower Columbia and seek better feeding conditions in other estuaries this time of year. With all the recent freshwater, juvenile crabs should not be the problem they typically are for shrimp plunkers. The west channel should be a prime place for interception.
If 2010 steelhead returns come in high, anglers should begin to see chrome returns to the North Fork Nehalem, Necanicum, Kilchis, Wilson, Three Rivers and the Nestucca Rivers within the next 10 days. None have been reported yet.
An excellent tide series over the weekend should produce easy limits for crabbers on the lower Columbia. Expect plenty of competition however.
Southwest - Tidal exchanges this weekend will be mild but offshore conditions may prevent ocean forays.
Trollers are catching fair to good numbers of wild coho at Siltcoos Lake with plugs being most effective this season.
Weekend rainfall relieved low water conditions on the Coos and Coquille. Chinook catches are expected to be
good this week. Crabbing has been good in Coos Bay but too much fresh water will reduce catches.
Chinook catches picked up following rainfall last Sunday on the Elk and Sixes but leaves in the water and high winds have been hampering efforts.
Chetco anglers are taking good numbers of bright chinook with several breaking the 40-pound mark. Bobber and bait fishers, back-bouncers and plug pullers are all taking fish. When ocean conditions have allowed crossing the bar out of Brookings, limits of rockfish were taken and ling cod fishing improved.
The Winchuck River opened for chinook retention over the past weekend. While there was no sign of an early return late last week, rainfall will get this fishery underway and an excellent return is forecast this season.
Eastern - Steelheading has improved on the lower Deschutes with fewer anglers on the river now. With the water cooling, the bite is soft. Most of the steelhead are wild but are running large.
A good late fall and winter fishery, the Crooked River is producing well for fly anglers targeting large rainbows.
The Grande Ronde, Wallowa, Imnaha and Umatilla Rivers are all strong possibilities for late run summer steelhead. Bobbers and bait or jigs should produce nicely for persistent anglers.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Oregon fishing report
Oregon Fisheries Update:
Willamette Valley/Metro - Salmon fishing in the gorge has slowed dramatically as this fishery winds down for the year. Upstream anglers will continue to watch dam counts above Bonneville to target coho near tributary mouths.
Sturgeon anglers in the gorge are still pursuing keepers with boaters doing best. Fish are well distributed, putting bank anglers at an unusual disadvantage. Success rates will likely taper with a lowering snow level in the coming weeks.
The first retention sturgeon opportunity following the re-opening of the lower Willamette will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Middle Fork will fish well for steelhead when the water drops and clears.
The McKenzie is dropping this week and should provide some late fall fishing for steelhead.
Steelheading has picked up on the Clackamas with the recent freshet.
A few coho have been taken on the Sandy but they're getting dark this late in the season.
Limits are being taken by trollers at Hagg Lake. Trout are scheduled to be planted at Walling Pond and Walter Wirth Lake.
Northwest - Brief flurries of success were witnessed late last week following the last rain freshet. Although the Wilson and Kilchis produced sub-par results, the west channel in Tillamook Bay produced good catches on Wednesday but slowed by the weekend. A new series of storms swelled rivers to a season high over the weekend, which should improve fishing once again for this weekend.
Despite low visibility, trollers working herring in the Bay City area as well as the west channel scored fair numbers of fish on Tuesday. With most rivers still out of shape, the few anglers fishing under sunny skies and 60 degree temperatures fared well on the first part of outgoing tide.
As rivers clear, driftboaters will come out in force with the Wilson and Kilchis primary targets. The Kilchis fished best by midweek but the Wilson and Trask will be primary targets over the weekend pending further bouts of torrential downpours.
Most driftable sections of the Nestucca and Nehalem are off limits to boaters this year but some fish may be available in downstream areas. An early winter steelhead may come from Three Rivers or the North Fork Nehalem or Necanicum Rivers but peak season will be later into December.
Heavy rains should clear out crab from most coastal estuaries, making them viable options for sturgeon seekers, especially on Tillamook Bay. Sport crabbing will remain best on Netarts Bay and the lower Columbia River out of Hammond.
Trout season has closed on north coast streams but some quality fish were taken during the consumptive opener.
Southwest - Offshore forecasts indicate difficult ocean conditions. Bottom fishers have successfully made early morning trips but use caution if doing so.
Trolled plugs are catching coho at Siltcoos Lake but the action is hot one day, cold the next.
Winchester Bay crabbing has continued to improve. Most of the Dungeness are hard now and even those trying from docks are getting them. Chinook and coho fishing has been good in the bay and lower Umpqua.
With the wild coho fishery over on the Coquille, chinook catches have remained good.
Concentrate chinook effort on the South Coos now with trolled herring.
A few chinook have been caught near the mouth of the Elk but more rain is needed to kick-start this fishery.
Rough seas out of Gold Beach coupled with high winds has kept boats off the ocean most of the week. Bottom fishing has yielded limits of rockfish when boats could get out. Chinook fishing is slow in the bay with the season nearly over here. Steelheading is fair in the middle river. Summer steelheading remains good on the upper Rogue. The flies-only restriction was lifted on November 1st.
Rain last week allowed the Chetco River to open a week early for chinook fishing. Catches have been slow to fair with best results at the mouth. Fronts passing through have caused Chetco levels to fluctuate, but the river has rarely been out of the optimal range to fish well. It will fish whenever the flow is 4,000 cfs or less providing the water isn't muddy. Winter steelhead will be available here in late November.
Snow was on the ground for the final weekend for Diamond Lake. Fishing was excellent as it will be in the spring next year.
Eastern - Steelheading improved over the past weekend on the lower Deschutes as the water cleared. Catches are mostly native fish, however.
Trollers working the John Day Pool reported good catches but the bulk of the catch were wild, which must be released. This fishery should become more consistent into the month.
Large Mackinaw are being taken by trollers using downriggers in chilly conditions at Crescent Lake.
Willamette Valley/Metro - Salmon fishing in the gorge has slowed dramatically as this fishery winds down for the year. Upstream anglers will continue to watch dam counts above Bonneville to target coho near tributary mouths.
Sturgeon anglers in the gorge are still pursuing keepers with boaters doing best. Fish are well distributed, putting bank anglers at an unusual disadvantage. Success rates will likely taper with a lowering snow level in the coming weeks.
The first retention sturgeon opportunity following the re-opening of the lower Willamette will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Middle Fork will fish well for steelhead when the water drops and clears.
The McKenzie is dropping this week and should provide some late fall fishing for steelhead.
Steelheading has picked up on the Clackamas with the recent freshet.
A few coho have been taken on the Sandy but they're getting dark this late in the season.
Limits are being taken by trollers at Hagg Lake. Trout are scheduled to be planted at Walling Pond and Walter Wirth Lake.
Northwest - Brief flurries of success were witnessed late last week following the last rain freshet. Although the Wilson and Kilchis produced sub-par results, the west channel in Tillamook Bay produced good catches on Wednesday but slowed by the weekend. A new series of storms swelled rivers to a season high over the weekend, which should improve fishing once again for this weekend.
Despite low visibility, trollers working herring in the Bay City area as well as the west channel scored fair numbers of fish on Tuesday. With most rivers still out of shape, the few anglers fishing under sunny skies and 60 degree temperatures fared well on the first part of outgoing tide.
As rivers clear, driftboaters will come out in force with the Wilson and Kilchis primary targets. The Kilchis fished best by midweek but the Wilson and Trask will be primary targets over the weekend pending further bouts of torrential downpours.
Most driftable sections of the Nestucca and Nehalem are off limits to boaters this year but some fish may be available in downstream areas. An early winter steelhead may come from Three Rivers or the North Fork Nehalem or Necanicum Rivers but peak season will be later into December.
Heavy rains should clear out crab from most coastal estuaries, making them viable options for sturgeon seekers, especially on Tillamook Bay. Sport crabbing will remain best on Netarts Bay and the lower Columbia River out of Hammond.
Trout season has closed on north coast streams but some quality fish were taken during the consumptive opener.
Southwest - Offshore forecasts indicate difficult ocean conditions. Bottom fishers have successfully made early morning trips but use caution if doing so.
Trolled plugs are catching coho at Siltcoos Lake but the action is hot one day, cold the next.
Winchester Bay crabbing has continued to improve. Most of the Dungeness are hard now and even those trying from docks are getting them. Chinook and coho fishing has been good in the bay and lower Umpqua.
With the wild coho fishery over on the Coquille, chinook catches have remained good.
Concentrate chinook effort on the South Coos now with trolled herring.
A few chinook have been caught near the mouth of the Elk but more rain is needed to kick-start this fishery.
Rough seas out of Gold Beach coupled with high winds has kept boats off the ocean most of the week. Bottom fishing has yielded limits of rockfish when boats could get out. Chinook fishing is slow in the bay with the season nearly over here. Steelheading is fair in the middle river. Summer steelheading remains good on the upper Rogue. The flies-only restriction was lifted on November 1st.
Rain last week allowed the Chetco River to open a week early for chinook fishing. Catches have been slow to fair with best results at the mouth. Fronts passing through have caused Chetco levels to fluctuate, but the river has rarely been out of the optimal range to fish well. It will fish whenever the flow is 4,000 cfs or less providing the water isn't muddy. Winter steelhead will be available here in late November.
Snow was on the ground for the final weekend for Diamond Lake. Fishing was excellent as it will be in the spring next year.
Eastern - Steelheading improved over the past weekend on the lower Deschutes as the water cleared. Catches are mostly native fish, however.
Trollers working the John Day Pool reported good catches but the bulk of the catch were wild, which must be released. This fishery should become more consistent into the month.
Large Mackinaw are being taken by trollers using downriggers in chilly conditions at Crescent Lake.
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