Willamette Valley/Metro- Anglers fishing Bonneville had some great fishing last week and action remains fair in water that traditionally doesn’t produce good catches for another few weeks. Fishing should improve, even as passage is likely to slow. Anglers anchored with plugs seem to be producing the best results.
Anchor anglers using wobblers are still producing chinook from Portland to Warrior Rock but peak action is winding down. Anglers will begin to focus on coho near tributary mouths in the coming weeks.
The lower Willamette will remain closed for sturgeon retention through 2011. Middle Fork anglers are taking a few steelhead while trout fishing is fair on the North Fork.
Expect to see October Caddis start to appear on the McKenzie any day now. Steelhead fishing is fair.
A few coho have joined steelhead in the Santiams but overall, fishing is slow. Flow at Mehema will increase to over 3,000 cfs next week.
Sandy fishers are seeing coho in the lower river but hooking these finicky fish has been a challenge.
Coho fishing is underway in the Clackamas although catches are spotty. Spinners or drifted, cured eggs are getting hits.
Northwest – Action at Buoy 10 finally skid to a halt following the coastal deluge over the weekend. Hatchery coho should remain available but limits seem unlikely until the later returning “B” run arrives in October.
Crabbing in the lower Columbia is good.
Tillamook Bay anglers continue to get rewarded with good chinook fishing. Soft tides had most guides focused on the lower bay and ocean but the ocean won’t be a good option if the offshore forecast comes to fruition.
Another large halibut nearing 70 pounds was taken near the green can just outside of Tillamook Bay on Tuesday. The nearshore season remains open.
Tillamook Bay fishing has only been fair with seaweed and eelgrass hampering success. Some wild coho are beginning to get caught with prospects improving later this month. Sturgeon are present in Tillamook Bay but until fresh water inundates the estuary, you’re likely to be feeding juvenile crab with your offerings.
Ocean crabbing is awesome but rough seas will keep most bar options closed. Bay crabbing is good in most estuaries with Tillamook offering up limits for those willing to put in their time.
Nehalem Bay fishing has been good with chinook and coho in the mix. Stronger tides over the weekend should produce better results in the upper bay for spinner and herring trollers. The bobber bite should also pick up.
The Nestucca, Salmon, Alsea and Siletz Rivers all produced fair to good results on the current tide series. Although a significant amount of rain fell over the weekend, river levels did not rise significantly in any of the coastal basins but it did get fish moving.
Southwest – Boats launching off the central Oregon coast have taken fairly easy limits of rockfish inside the 20-fathom line although lingcod have been off the bite. Ocean crabbing remains worthwhile and nearshore halibut remains open as of Tuesday this week. Albacore are an option whenever ocean conditions allow.
Winchester Bay has been good for chinook while the wild coho fishery which started the 15th has been spotty but will improve. North Umpqua steelheading is slow.
While chinook fishing has been fair in the lower Coquille with catches steady, Coos Bay has been somewhat better with hookups common over the past week.
Despite good numbers of chinook in Rogue Bay, fishing has been slow. It has been much better outside in the ocean when boats have been able to cross the bar. Chinook catches are also good below Grants Pass for plug-pullers and back-bouncers. The upper Rogue is a reliable fishery for anglers tempting steelhead with egg patterns fished below spawning chinook.
Salmon fishing is underway in the lower Chetco. Jacks are being caught as they are generally the first to arrive but adults are also coming over the gunwales.
Good news came in over the past week for halibut fishers south of Humbug Mountain with no early closure as rumored and halibut catches continuing through October.
Trout fishing was reported as slow over the past weekend at Diamond Lake although Greg Juber of McMinnville, Oregon caught the largest trout taken since ridding the lake of tui chub in 2006; a 26 1/2 inch rainbow weighing 7.10-pounds.
Eastern – Steelheading has been good on the Deschutes below Maupin. Trout fishing is fair to good at times with October Caddis amongst the hatches.
Trout catches have eclipsed those of bass at Davis Lake. Fishing is best when the wind is light.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Oregon fishing report
Willamette Valley/Metro- Anchor fishing from Longview to Bonneville Dam is ramping up with wobbler anglers reporting good success, although inconsistent from 30 to 45 foot of water. Anglers must be cognizant of where they anchor as ship traffic has the right-of-way. The next two weeks should be peak fishing in the Portland to Longview stretch.
Bonneville counts are impressive now. It would be worth your time to take kids to the fish-viewing window just to see the magnitude of this run. Summer steelhead numbers are dropping but mid-river action, especially near the mouth of the Deschutes should continually be improving. Sturgeon retention in the Bonneville stretch won’t open for another month.
Fall chinook and coho are crossing Willamette Falls in modest number. Bass fishing is good on the Willamette and will only get better as fall approaches.
The McKenzie remains in decent shape thanks to a wet spring and good snow pack. Trout and steelhead are being caught.
Santiam flows should remain steady until fall rains. Fishing is slow on the North Santiam, fair on the South Santiam.
A few steelhead have been caught on the Clackamas. Remaining spring chinook are dark. Coho should start showing up in fair numbers this week but often are reluctant biters.
Jigs & spinners are taking the occasional steelhead on the murky Sandy River but overall it's slow. Coho will be the target here soon.
Northwest – Hatchery coho showed in force on the Washington side just above the Astoria Bridge on Labor Day. Although limits are not consistent, it is the best hatchery coho fishing of the season. Coinciding with this fishery, the Tongue Point chinook bite turned on the next day. Chinook limits were common on Tuesday and Wednesday with many jacks legally retained as well. This fishery closes after September 9th but will remain open above Warrior Rock near St. Helens and increase to a two chinook bag limit until further notice.
Ocean fishers out of the Columbia are still catching coho and chinook but river action is much better.
The all-salmon ocean fishery closed to wild and hatchery coho salmon last night. Higher than anticipated angler effort and very successful catch rates allowed anglers to attain the quota faster than what was modeled. The ocean will remain open to chinook salmon however and action should pick up near estuary mouths, particularly Tillamook Bay.
The Tillamook, Nestucca, Salmon River, Siletz River and Alsea River estuaries should all be good options for lower bay herring trolling this weekend. Estuary mouths can be a dangerous place to fish so be sure your safety equipment is in good working order. Soft tides this weekend should produce fair catches for this early in the season.
Tuna anglers are struggling to find consistent success but they are averaging large right now. Interest is waning with most enthusiasts already looking forward to next summer.
Ocean crabbing is picking up and should stay good with the extended recreational fishery lasting through mid-October.
Southwest – The ocean coho fishery which allows retention of either wild or hatchery fish, closed Wednesday night. This section of the ocean will remain open to chinook however.
Tuna fishing has been hit or miss off the central coast but decent for those who locate schools of albacore and use live bait or jigs. Keeping one fish hooked up at all times keeps the school of fish interested.
Crabbing is fair to good at Winchester Bay. Smallmouth catches are excellent on the South Umpqua while steelheading on the North Umpqua has been slow.
Chinook fishing was fair to good on Coos Bay over the Labor Day weekend with very heavy boat traffic.
Boats launching out of Port Orford have done well for albacore over the past week.
Charters out of Gold Beach have been doing well for bottom fish despite the 20-fathom depth restriction. Limits of rockfish were taken recently along with good catches of lingcod to 30 pounds or better. Offshore salmon fishing also improved over the past week. Trollers using anchovies have continued to take chinook in Rogue Bay. Wrapped Kwikfish are taking fair to good numbers of chinook on the middle Rogue. Steelheading is good on the upper Rogue, which is flies-only through October.
Eastern – With the waters of the Deschutes markedly cooler than the Columbia, summer steelhead are entering in good numbers now, creating a fishery described by some as the best in 20 years.
Green Peter is producing good catches of kokanee averaging 14 inches.
Paulina has been very slow while nearby East Lake is producing good numbers of smallish kokanee
Fishing has been slow at Crane Prairie over the past week.
Bonneville counts are impressive now. It would be worth your time to take kids to the fish-viewing window just to see the magnitude of this run. Summer steelhead numbers are dropping but mid-river action, especially near the mouth of the Deschutes should continually be improving. Sturgeon retention in the Bonneville stretch won’t open for another month.
Fall chinook and coho are crossing Willamette Falls in modest number. Bass fishing is good on the Willamette and will only get better as fall approaches.
The McKenzie remains in decent shape thanks to a wet spring and good snow pack. Trout and steelhead are being caught.
Santiam flows should remain steady until fall rains. Fishing is slow on the North Santiam, fair on the South Santiam.
A few steelhead have been caught on the Clackamas. Remaining spring chinook are dark. Coho should start showing up in fair numbers this week but often are reluctant biters.
Jigs & spinners are taking the occasional steelhead on the murky Sandy River but overall it's slow. Coho will be the target here soon.
Northwest – Hatchery coho showed in force on the Washington side just above the Astoria Bridge on Labor Day. Although limits are not consistent, it is the best hatchery coho fishing of the season. Coinciding with this fishery, the Tongue Point chinook bite turned on the next day. Chinook limits were common on Tuesday and Wednesday with many jacks legally retained as well. This fishery closes after September 9th but will remain open above Warrior Rock near St. Helens and increase to a two chinook bag limit until further notice.
Ocean fishers out of the Columbia are still catching coho and chinook but river action is much better.
The all-salmon ocean fishery closed to wild and hatchery coho salmon last night. Higher than anticipated angler effort and very successful catch rates allowed anglers to attain the quota faster than what was modeled. The ocean will remain open to chinook salmon however and action should pick up near estuary mouths, particularly Tillamook Bay.
The Tillamook, Nestucca, Salmon River, Siletz River and Alsea River estuaries should all be good options for lower bay herring trolling this weekend. Estuary mouths can be a dangerous place to fish so be sure your safety equipment is in good working order. Soft tides this weekend should produce fair catches for this early in the season.
Tuna anglers are struggling to find consistent success but they are averaging large right now. Interest is waning with most enthusiasts already looking forward to next summer.
Ocean crabbing is picking up and should stay good with the extended recreational fishery lasting through mid-October.
Southwest – The ocean coho fishery which allows retention of either wild or hatchery fish, closed Wednesday night. This section of the ocean will remain open to chinook however.
Tuna fishing has been hit or miss off the central coast but decent for those who locate schools of albacore and use live bait or jigs. Keeping one fish hooked up at all times keeps the school of fish interested.
Crabbing is fair to good at Winchester Bay. Smallmouth catches are excellent on the South Umpqua while steelheading on the North Umpqua has been slow.
Chinook fishing was fair to good on Coos Bay over the Labor Day weekend with very heavy boat traffic.
Boats launching out of Port Orford have done well for albacore over the past week.
Charters out of Gold Beach have been doing well for bottom fish despite the 20-fathom depth restriction. Limits of rockfish were taken recently along with good catches of lingcod to 30 pounds or better. Offshore salmon fishing also improved over the past week. Trollers using anchovies have continued to take chinook in Rogue Bay. Wrapped Kwikfish are taking fair to good numbers of chinook on the middle Rogue. Steelheading is good on the upper Rogue, which is flies-only through October.
Eastern – With the waters of the Deschutes markedly cooler than the Columbia, summer steelhead are entering in good numbers now, creating a fishery described by some as the best in 20 years.
Green Peter is producing good catches of kokanee averaging 14 inches.
Paulina has been very slow while nearby East Lake is producing good numbers of smallish kokanee
Fishing has been slow at Crane Prairie over the past week.
Saturday, September 03, 2011
Oregon fishing report
Willamette Valley/Metro- Although inconsistent day to day, the wobbler fishery around Portland is underway. The best fishing is taking place from Portland to Longview with some hoglines consistently out-producing others. Veteran anglers expected better results on the current tide series but better action is likely to happen next week. Action is reported as good at the mouth of the Cowlitz.
The gorge is predictably slow for salmon, even though thousands are pouring over the dam daily. Summer steelhead counts are beginning to slow and so is the action. Larger, “B” run fish will begin to make a showing but warmer water temperatures keep these quality fish from biting on the mainstem.
Water temperatures at Willamette Falls is approaching 72 degrees. Fish upriver for bass which is good; trout success is only fair.
Trout fishing is worthwhile on the McKenzie with Caddis the primary hatch. Summer steelhead are available but most springers are dark.
Despite indications otherwise, North Santiam flows will increase starting September 1st. Salmon are due to spawn.
The Clackamas is low, clear and very slow for fishing. Coho may begin to show at the mouth and lower drifts although Clackamas coho are notoriously known for not biting all that well this far up the system.
A few steelhead are being taken from the milky waters of the Sandy where most chinook are past their prime. Coho should begin to show with the peak likely in early October. Returning numbers are not forecasted to be large however.
Northwest – Effort in the Buoy 10 fishery plummeted when chinook season closed on Sunday. Anglers are enjoying sparser effort but catches of hatchery coho are slim. Anglers are still tangling with fair numbers of chinook however, indicating more good fishing ahead for upriver anglers. Gail Aylor of Sisters, Oregon released an estimated 35-pounder in front of Hammond on Tuesday, the fish took a small spinner at 18 feet. Weaker tides should stimulate a good chinook bite above Tongue Point for the holiday weekend.
There are still coho available in the north of Cape Falcon ocean fishery but windy weather will keep most anglers in-river over the weekend. You’ll still have to weed through lots of wild fish to take a hatchery limit.
South of Cape Falcon, anglers will get to experience a rare opportunity beginning September 1st. Two salmon of any species, whether from a hatchery or of wild origin may be retained as long as it meets minimum length requirements. The short season begins on September 1st and lasts through September 10th or until a quota of 5,900 fish are retained. Seas are predicted to be rough so participation is likely to be low in the early part of the season.
Tillamook Bay saw its first chinook of the season last week as strong tides drew Trask and Tillamook River fish into the upper estuary. The weaker tide series will be more conducive to lower bay herring trolling. Coho are largely absent from the bay but a wild coho fishery on many coastal basins begins on September 15th. Check regulations carefully before participating in this fishery.
The Nehalem has been producing some chinook catches in open waters. Coho are oddly absent but should make a strong showing soon.
Southwest – Ocean coho fishing opens September 1st. During this non-selective opportunity, two fish may be kept, fin-clipped or not. Chinook may also be taken through September 30th.
Chinook fishing has improved for those trolling or mooching Winchester Bay. Typical of fall chinook, some days are better than others but fish over 30 pounds have been landed.
Rockfish and lingcod catches are good out of central Oregon ports. Tuna fishing remains worthwhile whenever offshore conditions allow. Ocean crabbing is excellent. Nearshore halibut remained open at this writing.
Tuna Charters out of Charleston have been doing well. Coos and Coquille chinook catches have been fair but steady. Action is expected to improve in the next couple of weeks.
Offshore bottom fishing has been very good out of Gold Beach. Fall chinook trolling in Rogue Bay has been hot or cold over the past week with best results coming late afternoons and evenings. Fortunately, it was good for the Sea Lion Patrol Salmon Derby on Saturday, August 27th. Chinook are moving upstream during cool, foggy mornings. Summer steelheading is good on the upper Rogue in higher-than-normal flows.
Mild offshore conditions over the last week allowed boats easy ocean access out of the Port of Brookings. Limits of rockfish were the rule, many limited on lingcod and several Pacific Halibut weighing 40 pounds or better were landed. Fair numbers of chinook have been landed with albacore taken further offshore.
Eastern – Steelheading has continued to improve on the lower Deschutes while hot weather has slowed trout results.
With trout moving into the channels, Crane Prairie results are improving.
East Lake is producing limits of kokanee with the fish starting to show signs of the upcoming spawning season.
Kokanee fishing is poor at Paulina.
SW Washington – The mouth of the Cowlitz is producing a mix of chinook, coho and a few steelhead. This will be a coveted hot-spot over the next several weeks as migrating chinook enjoy a cool reprieve from the warm waters of the mainstem. Wobblers and spinners will take the majority of the fish.
The Lewis does have some summer steelhead available but most anglers will wait for the late arriving coho.
Boat anglers at Drano Lake are still faring well for steelhead with chinook catches likely to improve in the coming days.
The mouth of the White Salmon River should also produce nicely for the next several weeks with chinook early and coho a bit later.
The gorge is predictably slow for salmon, even though thousands are pouring over the dam daily. Summer steelhead counts are beginning to slow and so is the action. Larger, “B” run fish will begin to make a showing but warmer water temperatures keep these quality fish from biting on the mainstem.
Water temperatures at Willamette Falls is approaching 72 degrees. Fish upriver for bass which is good; trout success is only fair.
Trout fishing is worthwhile on the McKenzie with Caddis the primary hatch. Summer steelhead are available but most springers are dark.
Despite indications otherwise, North Santiam flows will increase starting September 1st. Salmon are due to spawn.
The Clackamas is low, clear and very slow for fishing. Coho may begin to show at the mouth and lower drifts although Clackamas coho are notoriously known for not biting all that well this far up the system.
A few steelhead are being taken from the milky waters of the Sandy where most chinook are past their prime. Coho should begin to show with the peak likely in early October. Returning numbers are not forecasted to be large however.
Northwest – Effort in the Buoy 10 fishery plummeted when chinook season closed on Sunday. Anglers are enjoying sparser effort but catches of hatchery coho are slim. Anglers are still tangling with fair numbers of chinook however, indicating more good fishing ahead for upriver anglers. Gail Aylor of Sisters, Oregon released an estimated 35-pounder in front of Hammond on Tuesday, the fish took a small spinner at 18 feet. Weaker tides should stimulate a good chinook bite above Tongue Point for the holiday weekend.
There are still coho available in the north of Cape Falcon ocean fishery but windy weather will keep most anglers in-river over the weekend. You’ll still have to weed through lots of wild fish to take a hatchery limit.
South of Cape Falcon, anglers will get to experience a rare opportunity beginning September 1st. Two salmon of any species, whether from a hatchery or of wild origin may be retained as long as it meets minimum length requirements. The short season begins on September 1st and lasts through September 10th or until a quota of 5,900 fish are retained. Seas are predicted to be rough so participation is likely to be low in the early part of the season.
Tillamook Bay saw its first chinook of the season last week as strong tides drew Trask and Tillamook River fish into the upper estuary. The weaker tide series will be more conducive to lower bay herring trolling. Coho are largely absent from the bay but a wild coho fishery on many coastal basins begins on September 15th. Check regulations carefully before participating in this fishery.
The Nehalem has been producing some chinook catches in open waters. Coho are oddly absent but should make a strong showing soon.
Southwest – Ocean coho fishing opens September 1st. During this non-selective opportunity, two fish may be kept, fin-clipped or not. Chinook may also be taken through September 30th.
Chinook fishing has improved for those trolling or mooching Winchester Bay. Typical of fall chinook, some days are better than others but fish over 30 pounds have been landed.
Rockfish and lingcod catches are good out of central Oregon ports. Tuna fishing remains worthwhile whenever offshore conditions allow. Ocean crabbing is excellent. Nearshore halibut remained open at this writing.
Tuna Charters out of Charleston have been doing well. Coos and Coquille chinook catches have been fair but steady. Action is expected to improve in the next couple of weeks.
Offshore bottom fishing has been very good out of Gold Beach. Fall chinook trolling in Rogue Bay has been hot or cold over the past week with best results coming late afternoons and evenings. Fortunately, it was good for the Sea Lion Patrol Salmon Derby on Saturday, August 27th. Chinook are moving upstream during cool, foggy mornings. Summer steelheading is good on the upper Rogue in higher-than-normal flows.
Mild offshore conditions over the last week allowed boats easy ocean access out of the Port of Brookings. Limits of rockfish were the rule, many limited on lingcod and several Pacific Halibut weighing 40 pounds or better were landed. Fair numbers of chinook have been landed with albacore taken further offshore.
Eastern – Steelheading has continued to improve on the lower Deschutes while hot weather has slowed trout results.
With trout moving into the channels, Crane Prairie results are improving.
East Lake is producing limits of kokanee with the fish starting to show signs of the upcoming spawning season.
Kokanee fishing is poor at Paulina.
SW Washington – The mouth of the Cowlitz is producing a mix of chinook, coho and a few steelhead. This will be a coveted hot-spot over the next several weeks as migrating chinook enjoy a cool reprieve from the warm waters of the mainstem. Wobblers and spinners will take the majority of the fish.
The Lewis does have some summer steelhead available but most anglers will wait for the late arriving coho.
Boat anglers at Drano Lake are still faring well for steelhead with chinook catches likely to improve in the coming days.
The mouth of the White Salmon River should also produce nicely for the next several weeks with chinook early and coho a bit later.
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