Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- After a slow-down in spring chinook fishing on the Columbia in the Portland area, catches picked up on Tuesday. Winter run-off has been high, likely due to low elevation snow melt, causing fish to not respond as well as they normally would for late March. If flows continue to moderate, the last stretch of the Columbia season should produce good catches.

Although fishery managers haven’t been forthcoming for where the sport fleet is on the Columbia quota, optimistic anglers are hopeful for additional time downstream of Rooster Rock. April 4th is the proposed spring chinook closure for metro anglers.

Flows at Willamette Falls are moderating and catches should improve by the weekend. Summer steelhead passage is ramping up as winter counts drop off. Clarity of the lower Willamette is fair, springer fishing is slow. It will be crowded after the Columbia closes April 4th.

Steelhead catches have picked up although only a few are scoring on the Clackamas. The level is high but the color is good. Experienced anglers are noting the action isn’t as good as it was last year but the broodstock keepers to wild fish ratio is improving.

Although high, the Sandy River came into good color over the past weekend and has been dropping since. Fishing was good last weekend and if water levels remain stable, action should continue to improve.

Northwest – After weeks of less than ideal conditions, north coast streams are in prime shape and producing good numbers of steelhead. Peak season is now and consistent catches are coming from nearly every north coast stream and river.

The Wilson has been producing well throughout the system but as flows drop, the lower sections will get the freshest fish. Bank anglers should have access to good numbers downstream of Lee’s Camp. Anglers may have to drop down in size and color by the weekend as the water clears.

The Nestucca has been producing as well. With both broodstock and wild fish available, anglers have seen some of the best action of the season this week. By the weekend however, catches will likely slow but fish should remain available on the lower reaches.

Smaller streams such as the Necanicum fished well late last week and over the weekend. Those systems are clear now with fish only likely to bite at first light. Many smaller coastal rivers close to steelhead on March 31st so check regulations before heading out.

Spring chinook opens in the Tillamook district on April 1st. The first fish really won’t show until at least mid-April with the peak later in May. After a good season last year, anticipation is running high.

Sturgeon effort was increasing over spring break but fishing was fair at best. Bay clam diggers took more interest in the minus tide series with options running into the weekend. Tillamook Bay diggers were taking limits of cockles on Tuesday.

Razor clam diggers in Oregon haven’t been doing as well as Long Beach Washington diggers. Success is sure to slow by the weekend. Crabbing in the lower Columbia remains good but strong tides will limit success until next week.

Southwest – Charters were able to get out of central Oregon ports over the past weekend to take limits or near-limits of rockfish and excellent catches of large ling cod from deeper water. The ocean closes for bottom fishing outside the 40-fathom line on April 1st. Ocean chinook fishing is open through April 30th with the summer season to be set at a later date.

All-depth halibut will open May 12th for select Thursday through Saturday retention periods from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain. Details will follow as the opener nears.

Surf perch fishing has improved and is good on south coast beaches when the ocean isn't too rough.

The sturgeon bite in Winchester Bay has yet to turn on. Crabbing is fair. The Umpqua system has settled down with little change in flows expected during the coming week although water color should improve.

Crabbing in Coos Bay is slow to fair.

The Elk River was marginally fishable late last week with the winter steelhead season wrapping up. Early this week, the level was 5.5 feet and the water was clear.

Level and flow are dropping on the lower Rogue. Early spring chinook results were good so prospects are positive as conditions improve this week. Drift boats on the middle Rogue have a decent shot at end-of-season winter steelhead when water conditions cooperate with side-drifting most productive. Winter steelhead catches will continue to improve on the upper Rogue.

Tsunami damage remains evident in the Port of Brookings. Rough offshore conditions are in the forecast. If accurate, ocean fishing will not be an option through the coming weekend. Prospects are fair for late-run winters this coming weekend.

Eastern – Wallowa Reservoir is producing limits of larger-than-average kokanee to anglers using bright-colored jigs.

Kokanee fishing has been slow at Green Peter with the water level very low. Water temperature is in the low to mid-40s.

Trollers are taking good numbers of kokanee along with a few bull trout at Lake Billy Chinook.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- After several slow days of spring chinook fishing, the bite has picked up in recent days for Davis Bar anglers. Trolled green label herring is producing the best results but unusually high flows this time of year is keeping anglers from fully realizing their potential. It doesn’t look like flows will subside anytime either.

With the Willamette high and muddy, the mainstem Columbia above the mouth of the Willamette may be the best bet. Anglers were reporting good catches of Chinook on Monday and Tuesday and action should continue to be steady as more fish come in. Gillnets remained dockside last week. Test netting revealed a high presence of wild steelhead and chinook in the catches. A higher portion of hatchery fish should begin showing soon.

The lower Willamette River will be on the rise and muddy this week. Spring chinook fishing will be difficult in these conditions but won't hamper catch-and-release sturgeon efforts now that retention season has closed. Summer and winter steelhead are crossing at the Falls in fair numbers. Middle Willamette trout fishing is good on bead-head nymphs.

Expect to find McKenzie flows to be in the 5,000 cfs range at Vida over the coming weekend. Nymphs will draw strikes until trout key on the recent March Brown hatches.

High but dropping water is predicted for the Clackamas this week as broodstock steelhead mingle with wild fish. Good fishing should come through April with summer steelhead beginning to show later into April.

Sandy levels are fishable but clarity is contingent upon freezing level on this glacial river. Quality broodstock fish should begin to make a stronger showing in the coming weeks.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is stocking many lakes and ponds in preparation for spring break. See http://tinyurl.com/4c3avxg for details.

Northwest – Most north coast tributaries remained too high for good fishing, despite healthy sighs indicating a good return. Smaller streams, namely the Kilchis and Necanicum, produced fair results up until March 17th. Another surge of rain rose rivers again but main systems should be fishing again by the weekend. Wild steelhead will dominate the catches on these systems.

The Wilson will top the districts most popular watershed but the Nestucca should also have good numbers of hatchery fish as well as wild steelhead available. Upper stretches should produce the best early and fish should be well distributed throughout the systems with the prolonged period of high water we are coming off of.

The Trask should also be a fair option although this system is primarily managed for wild fish but a few Wilson strays are checked here every year. Like other systems, the upper reaches should produce the best catches. The Trask stays productive through the majority of April.

More rough weather kept anglers from fishing sturgeon on Tillamook Bay. Effort will remain on the rivers as rough seas are once again predicted through the weekend. Crabbing on the lower Columbia should become more challenging with the tides and rainfall though the weekend.

Southwest – Depoe Bay suffered damage to Dock One from tidal surges as a result of the tsunami. Deep water bottom fishing will continue through the month of March contingent upon offshore conditions.

Winchester Bay has been fair for crabbing. The North Umpqua is a good place to catch-and-release wild steelhead while the South Umpqua holds the best chance for hatchery fish as the system recovers from the current freshet.

High and muddy earlier this week, the lower Rogue is forecast to begin dropping and clearing into the coming weekend although it may not be fishable until sometime next week. A similar scenario is predicted for fishing on the middle Rogue. With winter steelheading wrapped up here, target spring chinook as the river recovers. Springer catches will continue to improve into April. Winter steelhead are into the upper river but fishing has been slow.

Expect the Elk and Sixes to produce winter steelhead whenever these rivers drop into shape although catches will be winding down through the remainder of March.

While some boats sunk and docks were damaged or worse, the Port of Brookings is recovering from tsunami damage. As the Chetco River drops back into shape over the coming weekend, high water will limit efforts to plunking. Steelheading will be slow to spotty this late in the season for primarily spawned-out fish.

Eastern – Mid-day has been most productive for redsides on the lower Deschutes. Blue-Winged-Olives are predominant although March Browns are appearing in greater number. Nymph fishing has produced consistent results in the absence of hatches.

Bull trout fishing was been good for trollers over the past weekend at Lake Billy Chinook.

Fishing is slow to fair for lake trout at Crescent Lake. Deep trolling is required and snow on the ground has periodically required four-wheel-drive launch vehicles.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Salmon fishing effort is picking up on the lower Columbia where boats fishing above the influence of the Willamette River are intercepting fair numbers of fish for this early in the season. Larger, 5-year old fish make up a significant portion of the catch this time of year with a few fish over 20 pounds reported recently. As water temperatures warm, so should the bite. Effort will likely intensify as well as the season is forecasted to only last through April 4th.

Just as the waters of the lower Willamette had started to clear early this week, additional rainfall will roil it yet again. Good for sturgeon fishing but not so much for springers. An alternate quarry might be catfish, however, as a 30 pound channel cat was landed last week.

Sturgeon anglers on the lower Willamette tallied 137 keepers in the last 3-day retention period. Approximately another 500 keepers remain before the 2,550 guideline is reached. It likely won’t last into April.

Willamette Valley rivers will be on the rise this week, the least desirable situation for steelheading. This is a good time to prepare tackle, sharpen hooks and hone a good game plan to implement when the local waters begin to clear. With such a prolonged period of high water, fishing should be fantastic when systems do drop.

The 2011 Northwest Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo will take place March 11th & 12th at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, Oregon.

High water is a good time to take the kids (or yourself) trout fishing. St. Paul Ponds are producing limits and Henry Hagg Lake opened for the season on Saturday, March 5th.

Also scheduled for stocking this week are Alton Baker Canal, Cottage Grove Reservoir and Creswell Pond.

Northwest – Wilson River anglers experienced epic fishing on Saturday with many boats posting double-digit results for late run steelhead. It was the first opportunity in several days for anglers to fish ideal conditions when the run is in its peak.

The Nestucca also fished well early in the week but another round of rain is expected to take these two most productive hatchery steelhead streams out of commission in the coming days. They may fish again by the weekend, barring any large amounts of precipitation.

Wild fish catches on smaller streams should produce fair results until the larger systems come into shape. The mainstem Nehalem should be peaking this month as well but given the immense size of the watershed, it’s been running silty with little exception.

Sturgeon effort remains light on Tillamook Bay but fair morning tides may produce some catches in the West Channel and at Bay City.

Reports of good crabbing are still coming from the lower Columbia River. A soft afternoon incoming tide should produce good catches through the weekend.

Combined seas will likely keep ocean going vessels in port through the weekend. Bottomfishing should be good when conditions allow.

Southwest – South coast beaches are producing fair to good surf perch numbers with catches improving through March.

Offshore bottom fishers are not restricted by depth limits through March but restrictions will begin once again on April 1st.

Crabbing is fair to good in Winchester Bay. Spring chinook will soon be in catches here. The best chance for winter steelhead will be on the South Umpqua although the predicted stellar returns of hatchery fish have yet to materialize.

While the Coquille has been crowded at times this season, winter steelhead catches have made the effort worthwhile. Look for this one to continue producing when the water drops and clears.

Pro guide Curtis Palmer (541-870-9451) reports the Coquille as having provided and excellent fishery this season.

The Elk and Sixes rivers have been productive whenever levels are falling and water is sufficiently clear for steelhead to see offerings.

Plug-pullers have taken fair catches of winter steelhead on the lower Rogue in marginal water conditions. Four spring chinook were confirmed over the past week. The middle river has been most consistent but storms moving through will create challenging conditions. The upper river is slow.

Nearshore fishing out of the Port of Brookings is producing good catches of rockfish and ling cod. Forecasts for the coming week look too rough for crossing the bar, however. The Chetco level is forecast to be fluctuating over the coming week, a less than optimum situation for fishing success. Plunkers will do best as it drops between storm fronts.

Dave Pitts (Salmon Trout and Steelhead.com) reports, "Once again it held true, within five weeks of the Blue Backs showing the Chetco season is slowly coming to an end.

Eastern – Pro Guide Mac Huff (800-940-3688) reports, "The cold and ice have cleared out of the Grande Ronde River, the water level has stabilized this week and steelhead fishing is excellent.”

While the Deschutes is producing redsides all day long, mid-day remains most productive. Results are fair with caddis and Blue-Winged-Olives the patterns of note but March Browns will start appearing soon.

Late season steelheading on the Umatilla, Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers has been good lately. Anglers also averaged 4.1 hours per steelhead on the Wallowa River over the weekend.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- With the Willamette River blown out, motivated anglers will take to the mainstem Columbia upstream of the influence of the Willamette River at Kelly Point Park. Davis Bar and the I-5 area should continue to produce some catches of spring chinook. Gillnets will take the week off as test netting yielded more wild steelhead than spring chinook. These quality steelhead are likely destined for the Sandy and Clackamas systems.

Willamette flow continued to moderate through the end of February as winter steelhead counts tapered off. Results from last week’s sturgeon retention fishery indicated lighter catch and effort but shakers kept anglers busy throughout the day. The fishery will continue Thursday through Saturday until a 2,550 fish quota is attained.

After a fair February on the Willamette for river conditions and action, spring chinook catches have tapered recently with the muddy water influence of the Clackamas River and tributaries above Willamette Falls. It may be weeks before good action returns to trollers seeking success.

Rising water levels this week will put the McKenzie out of shape for the coming weekend.

The North Santiam is fishable but that will change as snowmelt begins and rain continues this week. The first Learn the River trip will occur on Saturday, March 5th. Call 503-897-3301 for information.

Expect the Clackamas to be rising this week with prospects for winter steelhead improving as the rain moderates and water levels drop. Wild fish and broodstock keepers should begin to show in better numbers.

Sandy steelheaders have experienced slow to spotty results recently. Most of the hookups have been with wild fish although hatchery broodstock steelhead are also entering.

Northwest – Low flows challenged anglers for much of the weekend but recent precipitation has brought several systems back into fishable shape. With snow falling at relatively low elevations, some watersheds remain fishable, particularly the smaller rivers such as the Necanicum and the Kilchis. Expect mostly wild fish on these systems.

Anglers were still tallying an occasional broodstock steelhead as well as some wild fish on the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers over the weekend. River levels will fluctuate throughout the week and weekend but these two signature streams should fish well when flows permit.

With the prolonged period of high water, steelhead will be well distributed throughout north coast river systems. March is peak month for wild steelhead and the few broodstock steelhead programs on the Wilson, Nestucca, Alsea and Siletz Rivers. Use big baits and bright colors in higher flows and fish the river edges where migrating fish will take advantage of slower flows during high water periods.

Poor tides and inclement weather will keep anglers from recreating on any open bodies of water. Good bottomfishing waits for anglers when calm seas return. Crabbing remains fair in the lower Columbia when weather allows.

Southwest – Storms have been keeping boats off the ocean this week but when offshore trips have been possible, limits of rockfish have been common off the Oregon coast. Fishing for large ling cod has been excellent when conditions have allowed and will continue through March.

An eight-hour boating safety education course conducted by the U.S Coast Guard Auxiliary in Charleston on Saturday, March 12, will cost only $15. Call 541-267-6152 for information or to register.

Rain is expected to put a damper on crabbing this week at Winchester Bay. Steelheading has been fair to good on the South Umpqua but high water will postpone efforts for a while.

Bait has been outfishing lures on the Coquille River where steelheading is expected to be worthwhile as the river drops and clears.

Low and clear at the end of February, rain this week will improve conditions and prospects for steelhead on the Elk and Sixes river.

An 18-pound Chinook taken at Rainie Falls by Jim Mauie on Friday, February 25th is the first reported Rogue springer of 2011. Water levels on the Rogue River are predicted to be rising through the coming weekend. Steelhead returns have been promising for this time of year, so hit the river as it recovers for fresh, bright winters. Fishing has been slow on the upper river. Surf perch fishing has been good on area beaches when the ocean has calmed down.

Over the past week, Chetco steelheaders have taken decent numbers of hatchery fish. This is a pleasant surprise as it is considered late in the season for this system. Unfortunately, the Chetco is forecast to be blown out for the coming weekend but results over the past week give reason for hope as the river drops.

Eastern – The lower Deschutes has been in good condition and is providing fair to god fishing for redsides. Results on the middle Deschutes will improve over the coming weeks.

While snow remains on the banks of Fall River, anglers using nymphs are hooking fish and as the weather improves, caddis will be hatching.

The Metolius usually fishes very well in the month of March.