Willamette Valley/Metro - Anglers continue to do best at Bonneville Dam. A surprising jump in adult chinook crossing at Bonneville last week spurred improved catches, especially for backtrollers. Some anglers continue to pursue chinook using wobblers downstream of the Columbia River Gorge. Success rates are falling but anglers pursuing coho near tributary mouths are intercepting fair numbers of fish.
Sturgeon fishing reopens upstream of the Wauna Powerlines beginning Friday, October 1st, with the 3-day per week openers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The most recent check indicated a poor showing of keeper sized fish but increased effort will tell the real story. October is typically a good time to sturgeon fish in the gorge, especially for bank anglers fishing near the deadline.
Hundreds of coho are streaming over Willamette Falls daily. While the cumulative total is lagging behind several days, the total is undoubtedly well over 10,000 so far this season.
The McKenzie is fishing well for trout. The two-fly tournament over the past weekend was declared a success.
North Santiam level and flow will be stable through the coming weekend. Fishermen's Bend has been producing steelhead.
Clackamas flows are 750 to 950 cfs which is low for coho fishing. Coho fishing is slow.
Coho are being caught in the Sandy River with fish scattered. Mornings have been the most productive. Cedar Creek is producing fish and is getting very crowded as it does every year during coho season.
Northwest - Tillamook Bay continues to be the highlight on the North Coast. Although catches are far from consistent, fair numbers of chinook are being taken daily. The lower bay will produce the best on the current tide series. The Bubble fishery has not been an option due to rough seas but conditions are forecasted to change for the weekend.
Good numbers of coho are present in the west channel of Tillamook Bay but the vast majority are wild and must be released unharmed. Crabbing in Tillamook Bay is fair at best and good in Netarts Bay.
Large numbers of hatchery coho showed up at the Trask Hatchery last week. Although only a few fell to bank anglers, the next rain freshet should flood the Trask with quality chinook.
Prospects for safe ocean recreation for nearshore salmon, bottomfish and especially crab should improve this weekend with the low tide exchange and a taming swell. Ocean crabbing remains open through October 15th.
Some chinook are present in the Nehalem system and the bay below Nehalem Bay State Park opens on October 1st. Fishing should be decent but only a modest return is expected. Hatchery coho are present in the North Fork and some fair but inconsistent fishing has taken place at the hatchery.
Only a small section of the Nestucca tidewater remains open for chinook and the catch is light but so is effort.
Both bank and boat anglers continue to take chinook in the Salmon River Estuary. Boat anglers will have the advantage this weekend with the soft tide series but this fishery is past its peak.
Southwest - While the 20-fathom bottomfishing restriction has historically been lifted on October 1st in the past, due to concerns over endangered yelloweye catches, anglers must remain in less than 120 feet of water this year.
Most coastal rivers have sea run cutthroat in abundance now. These feisty fish can be found in tidewater and the lower portions of rivers and will respond well to colorful flies. Fishing for sea-run cuts will be good well into fall but the season closes on October 31st.
Chinook and coho are in Winchester Bay and upriver 20 miles with anglers scoring in the Glide stretch.
Coos Bay is giving up some nice-sized chinook to trollers along with smaller coho.
The bite in Rogue Bay turned on this past Sunday and has held up early into this week. Most chinook are in the 30 to 40-pound range although a 50-pounder was landed Sunday. Catches of coho are good in the estuary as well. Ocean crabbing closes October 16th but is expected to be very rewarding until that date. A calm ocean allowed boats to chase bottomfish where ling cod were found in good number. Chinook fishing has been fair in the Grants Pass stretch.
As Chinook numbers improve in Chetco Bay, anglers are looking forward to the ocean 'bubble' fishery opening October 1st. Boats launching out of the Port of Brookings have been taking limits of a colorful variety of rockfish. Calm seas lure anglers out in search of late-season albacore and they were not disappointed. Some boats returned to port with over 20 tuna.
Eastern - Summer steelhead counts have continued to climb at Sherars Falls on the Deschutes with about two-thirds of those fish of hatchery origin. Water fluctuation has created challenging conditions over the past week.
The Grande Ronde, Wallowa and Imnaha Rivers should produce fine steelhead catches in the coming weeks. With great numbers of adults passing Columbia River dams, it should be another good season until the cold weather hits.
The Umatilla is an option for both steelhead and coho salmon.
SW Washington - District streams such as the Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers should begin to see the second wave of coho in the coming weeks. Spinner casters will be the first to intercept quality sized adults, targeting them at the rivers mouth when tides improve.
Chinook regulations vary by watershed but fish are beginning to deteriorate, making them poor tablefare.
The Klickitat and White Salmon Rivers should continue to produce a mix of chinook, coho and steelhead in the weeks ahead but fish should begin to show color as the run begins to taper.
