Oregon fishing report 11/24/11

Willamette Valley/Metro- Anglers fishing the mainstem Columbia have been put off by dropping catch rates and inclement weather. Neither is expected to improve although anglers may find varying degrees of success pursuing catch and release sturgeon opportunities in the Bonneville Pool. Keepers should remain available in the Portland to Longview stretch but will be challenging to come by. Waters adjacent to the mouth of the Willamette are also a fair option. As water temperatures on the Willamette drop to the mid-40s, level and flow will be increasing over the coming week and beyond as it will be slower to react and recover from the storm. The McKenzie River has been fishing well, providing some dry fly action afternoons but as with other valley rivers, it is rapidly rising. Sandy and Clackamas rivers will be unfishable and won't be recovering until sometime next week. There isn’t much to pursue here anyway, until broodstock steelhead begin to make a showing early next year. Travelers are reminded to dial 511 for Oregon travel and road information. Northwest – Prior to the winter storm, district rivers were fishing good for fresh chinook. The lower Wilson was a top producer with the Kilchis also putting out fair numbers of chinook and incidental chum salmon. Tidewater of the Wilson produced the most consistent results for backtrollers and backbouncers with fresh fish into the high 20-pound class reported. Tillamook Bay itself produced fair results for a dwindling fleet. Action remained on the east side of the bay where the Ghost Hole and Bay City were producing half way through the incoming tide. Although there will likely continue to be effort in the bay into December, it will be several days before conditions are favorable for salmon catches. Tillamook Bay often sees its first significant catches of sturgeon in November and with fresh water inundating the estuary, juvenile crab, which often compete for anglers bait while sturgeon fishing, will likely be washed to the ocean making for good opportunity for anglers targeting the west channel and middle bay. Sand shrimp is the top bait when pursuing sturgeon. The North Fork Nehalem will be one of the earliest rivers to recover after the storm series and should provide good opportunity for steelheaders working the reach nearest the hatchery. Steelhead have already been taken near the hatchery and workers have caught a handful in the trap already. The Necanicum River will offer up similar opportunity when systems pass through. Anglers will have to use extreme caution when floating rivers after the high water events. Dynamic channel carving and high water will recruit large wood debris into the watersheds, causing navigational hazards that are life-threatening. Boat safely and always wear a lifejacket when on board. The Nestucca River had traffic prior to the high water and may provide a rare bright chinook and early winter steelhead when it clears again. Target steelhead downstream of Three Rivers or in Three Rivers itself as the early run is likely destined for this small tributary. Crabbing is out for most north coast bays but the lower Columbia and Netarts Bay remain options. More severe weather however will make them treacherous to recreate in. Use extreme caution and only crab on an incoming tide. Southwest – Rock and jetty fishing is both productive and hazardous at this time of year. While there are plenty of rockfish, sea-going perch and even lingcod just a short cast away, winter wave action can be dangerous. Check conditions ahead of time and keep a constant eye on the water. Ocean conditions are expected to be very rough this week with combined seas over 20 feet. Winter storms and high water will put coastal rivers out of shape this week but this surge of fresh water will pass, waters will recede, and, when this occurs, many ocean tributaries will contain fresh winter steelhead. Umpqua levels increased sharply over the past weekend and as with other southwest streams, will be highest on Thanksgiving Day. Even prior to the blowout, fishing was slow. Chinook fishing, which has slowed over the past couple of weeks at Coos Bay and in the lower Coquille, is out of the question this week. Winter storms will undoubtedly dump enough fresh water into bays and estuaries to drive Dungeness out to sea. With the Rogue level and flow predicted to more than double into Thursday this week, it will be a while before this larger river recovers from the storm sufficiently to fish again. The first to find success after the freshet will be plunkers. Currently, the Chetco River is rising even more rapidly than forecasted. At this rate, expect flows over 20,000 cfs at Brookings on Thanksgiving Day. While the level is predicted to moderate into the weekend, it remains to be seen if it actually drops to fishable level. When it does, chinook fishing should be good. Wayne Smith of Yreka, California landed his salmon of a lifetime on November 19th. The 47-inch chinook was estimated to weigh near 65-pounds, landed on a T-55 Hog Nose Flatfish on the lower Chetco River fishing with pro guide Andy Martin (206-388-8988). The Elk and Sixes rivers will be the first to recover from the storm. Eastern – Deschutes anglers scored redsides and the occasional brightly-colored steelhead over the past weekend. Weather this week will not be conducive to fishing the east side. The Crooked River fished well for fly anglers over the past weekend, producing decent numbers of large trout along with a few whitefish. Grande Ronde steelheaders should also see some fair opportunity when flows subside after the storm pushes through. The Imnaha and Umatilla may also be good late season options.

Oregon fishing reports

Willamette Valley/Metro- Sturgeon remains the only viable option for gorge anglers but the Bonneville Pool often produces good catches this time of year as well. It remains catch and release fishing in this reservoir. Anglers working the Portland to Longview stretch, particularly around Trojan, are still catching some keepers and a fair number of shakers. Water temperatures at Willamette Falls have dropped to 50 degrees. While fish passage is at a near-standstill, a few steelhead are being taken upriver on the Town Run. Sturgeon fishing remains good in the Portland Harbor but catch and release regulations are still in effect. Catch and keep seasons for 2012 have yet to be set. While the McKenzie had been dropping into shape this week, rain will cause the river to rise. A dry weekend may allow some fishing opportunities. North Santiam fishing has been best around Packsaddle but the river is on the rise this week. Anglers may keep up to two coho per day. Fishing on the Clackamas and Sandy has been slow. It remains to be seen what results from rain this week. Anglers may have a long wait for winter steelhead in these systems. Northwest – Chinook are still available in the Tillamook area with driftboaters still anxiously awaiting the first good rain freshet of the season. Meanwhile, herring trollers working the Ghost Hole and Bay City continue to take fresh chinook but action is sporadic at best. Tidewater of the Wilson, Kilchis and Trask Rivers has been putting out good numbers of chinook and a slight increase in river levels over the weekend boosted catches in the lower reaches of these rivers. Another, more significant rain event is forecast before the weekend which could put rivers in ideal shape by the weekend. Fresh chinook will be most available on the Wilson and Kilchis Rivers but all north coast streams should produce good catches. Targeted chum salmon fishing is now closed but a large return is coming in on the Kilchis, Miami and Wilson Rivers. Fish are spawning in the lower reaches. Wading anglers should be cognizant of eggs incubating in fresh redds. Sturgeon typically make a stronger showing in Tillamook and Nehalem Bays this month. Tides will improve later in the month but fish should be available. The Nehalem system continues to slow but hatchery workers on the North Fork were surprised not to find the season’s first winter run steelhead in their trap after the last rain. Early returning steelhead are often an indication for how the season will shape up. No winter-run steelhead have been reported on the north coast yet. The Nestucca should also be a fair fall chinook option after the next rain but anglers need to be mindful of the salmon closure upstream of First Bridge near Beaver. Weak tides should make for productive crabbing in most estuaries, barring a large amount of rain inundating the watershed. The lower Columbia should provide the best opportunity if winds remain subdued. Netarts Bay should also be a strong option. Southwest – Neither commercial nor recreational crabbing will be allowed to crab in the ocean as scheduled because Dungeness have not sufficiently recovered from the summer molt according to a November 10th announcement from the ODFW. Commercial efforts will not be allowed in bays and estuaries as of December 1st although recreational crabbers may continue to reap the bounty. Ocean crabbing will be delayed until December 15th or possibly later. Offshore all-depth bottom fishing is excellent at this time of year although days which allow crossing the bar are few and this week is predicted to be rough. Halibut is closed for the year. Chinook and coho catches are on the wane at Winchester Bay although crabbing has been very good. Crabbing has been excellent for numbers in Coos Bay but the situation that delayed ocean crabbing this year is evident in catches - Dungeness are not yet filled out with meat. Chinook fishing is slow. Chinook catches are slow on the lower Rogue with a few being taken near Indian Creek. Half-pounder catches are spotty at Agness. Steelheading is fair to good on the middle river although the majority are wild, requiring release. The upper Rogue has been fishing fairly well for steelhead with no one technique producing better than another. Bait is allowed above Shady Cove, artificials elsewhere. As rain fell and the Chetco rose, then dropped following the opening above tidewater on November 2nd, anglers experienced excellent fishing at times. Bobber and bait was most successful followed by spoons and spinners. The Chetco is forecast to rise again over the coming week and is expected to fish very well. Most effort on the Elk and Sixes Rivers has been near the mouths. Despite crowded conditions, it has been slow to fair at best. Rain will improve results. Eastern – With the Crooked River at excellent level and flow and plenty of trout available, fishing has been good although fish are running on the smallish side. The John Day Pool and John Day River itself is now peaking for late-season steelhead. Trollers take a good number of fish this time of year, fishing just upstream of the John Day Dam but bobber and jig anglers can witness good action in the lower 8 or 10 miles of the John Day River too. The Grande Ronde, Umatilla and Imnaha Rivers should begin to provide more opportunity until winter temperatures begin to freeze the river banks. Fish are not large but can provide some of the best opportunity for the year. SW Washington – Although chinook and coho are present in good numbers on many district streams, most fish are dark, making for poor table fare. Anglers are anxious for the upcoming winter steelhead season. Winter steelhead will be most prevalent on the Cowlitz River, where Thanksgiving is a predictable indicator on how the season will progress. Good numbers of larger-than-average fish should be available to both bank and boat anglers. Klickitat River anglers are still finding some coho but like other areas, fish are beginning to turn dark. Some late run summer steelhead should also be available.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- With the closure of fishing for salmon from a floating device above Beacon Rock, chinook season on the Columbia near Bonneville is effectively over. Most chinook are dark now and close to spawning. Sturgeon season remains open but catches have slowed. Bank anglers yielded a keeper for about every 10 rods while boat anglers didn’t quite do that good. The bite will likely continue to slow. Sturgeon anglers fishing downstream of Portland on the mainstem Columbia are still catching a few keepers but that too is likely to slow. Good catch and release sturgeon fishing remains in the Portland Harbor. With the water temperature dropping, fish passage remains low at Willamette Falls. A few coho are being counted along with 15 winter steelhead. Steelhead passing Willamette Falls beginning November 1st are considered winter-run fish. McKenzie levels have dropped and held steady for several days but this will change with weekend rains. North Santiam levels will be fairly high through November. Start looking for winters in December. Clackamas water levels are little changed and fishing is slow for mostly dark fish. Many are waiting for winter steelhead. Results have been slow to fair on the Sandy. The next round of rainfall should improve prospects. Northwest – Chinook fishing really took off late last week with the North Coast Rendezvous tallying over 100 fish for the 2-day event. The jetty produced the best action on Thursday but the Ghost Hole and Bay City took off on Friday. Since the event, bay action has slowed but Jeff Nickol of Hood River took the biggest salmon of his life on Sunday. The 28½ pound buck hit a herring near Lyster’s Corner along the jetty about 2 hours before low slack. Good tides through the weekend and the prospects of rain on Sunday should continue to motivate salmon to enter Tillamook Bay. There have been a surprising number of chum salmon caught and released with fish jumping like coho near Bay City. Tidewater of the Wilson has been producing good catches of bright chinook lately. Chinook are well distributed in most tidewater sections of Tillamook area rivers and sloughs. Bobber and eggs tipped with shrimp will continue to produce results through the weekend. If the weather models remain accurate, rivers may rise early next week, jumpstarting the driftboat season with unprecedented action likely on the Wilson, Trask, Kilchis and Nestucca Rivers. The Necanicum River near Seaside should also produce results. Chum and coho salmon will also likely be present and must be released unharmed unless they are missing an adipose fin. Wild coho season remains open on the Nehalem but few fish are being taken. An occasional chinook remains in the fishery but this season is winding down. Strong tides should damper crabbing success but clammers willing to use lights at night should find favorable conditions on the minus tide series beginning tonight. Southwest – With rough ocean conditions in the forecast this week, boats may not be able to get out to take advantage of the seasonally excellent bottom fishing. Halibut closed for the year on Monday this week. Crabbing remains excellent in Winchester Bay although chinook catches have slowed dramatically. Chinook are being caught below Roseburg. North Umpqua steelhead catches are slow. Action for chinook is slow on Coos Bay although crabbing has been excellent for somewhat lightweight Dungeness. Results will be good for crabbers until the fall rains start. Trollers dragging herring behind a flasher are making slow but steady catches of chinook on the Coquille. Chinook fishing is slow to fair on the lower Rogue. Steelhead and half-pounder catches are spotty at Agness. Steelheaders on the middle Rogue are taking a few but most are wild, requiring release. Low, clear water has slowed the steelhead bite on the upper Rogue. Side-drifters seem to be doing best below the Shady Cove boat ramp where bait is allowed. Above Shady Cove to the old dam site, only artificials are allowed and plug pullers have done well although egg flies are still effective. The Chetco River opened above Milepost 2.2 on schedule November 2nd with precipitation in the forecast. Water levels rose sharply on November 6th and are forecast to come way up around mid-month, falling thereafter (creating optimum fishing conditions) but shutting down action in tidewater. A couple of fish in the 40 and 50-pound range were taken over the past week. Rainfall has improved water conditions and catches on the Elk and Sixes river but more water is needed to encourage fresh fish holding offshore to enter. Fly anglers do well for chinook here. Eastern – Steelheading is fair on the Deschutes with smaller offerings most effective. While there was a decent chinook return this season, most are spawning. Caddis patterns are most effective for red-sides with fishing good at this time of year. Results have been good on the Crooked River recently. Fish haven't been large but numbers are good for those using a nymph fished with a strike indicator. John Day River and John Day Pool steelheading is ramping up with boaters reporting nearly a fish per boat average on the last creel check. Over half of the fish caught are wild however and must be released. This wild to hatchery ratio is likely to be maintained throughout the season.

Oregon fishing report for November 04

Willamette Valley/Metro- Salmon fishing at Bonneville remains active although anglers working the area are releasing almost all of the fish. Of the 5 boats fishing there on the weekend, 16 chinook were reported caught but all were released. Plugs remain the most effective but fish are near spawning. Sturgeon action continues to slow although keepers are still coming from the bank and boat fisheries. A keeper for every 10 rods in the boat fishery and every 8 rods for bank anglers. Water temperature has dropped to the low 50s at Willamette Falls. Fish passage is at a near standstill. Steelheading has slowed in the upper Willamette. Catch and release sturgeon fishing is good in the Portland Harbor. Retention for sturgeon likely won’t open until early next year. Fishing remains slow on the Clackamas and slow to fair on the Sandy. Cedar Creek is the likely area to target coho for Sandy River anglers although fish are turning dark. Fly casters on the lower McKenzie are enjoying steady action for trout on nymphs and the occasional surprise summer steelhead hookup. The Santiam system is fairly high and is forecast to rise sharply around November 10th. Fishing is slow. Northwest – Tillamook chinook remains a late-season option although action has been slow with the exception of last Friday. Staging fish made a strong showing for bay anglers in the morning but afternoon winds had boats scurrying for shore. By Saturday, the bite had slowed as fish made their way into area rivers. The Ghost Hole and Bay City remain the best bet for weekend anglers as a mid-morning high tide should push fish in, destined for the Wilson and Kilchis Rivers. Although November fishing has not been all the productive in recent years, it seems this year will be different. North coast streams only witnessed a mild rise in river levels over the weekend but it was enough to stimulate a good bite in tidewater and get fish moving upstream in preparation for spawning. Trask tidewater fished good for bobber fishers on Saturday and remains fair. As the north coast enters the wet season, driftboat opportunities will continue to expand. The Wilson, Kilchis, Trask and Nestucca Rivers should offer up some of the best late season salmon options in that order. Plugs become very effective in freshwater but back-bounced eggs and shrimp will also be a favorite technique employed. Chum salmon have made a showing in Tillamook Bay, surprising herring trollers on some days. Chum historically provided excellent sport opportunity on the Miami and Kilchis Rivers and anglers may still pursue them for catch and release through mid-November. Nehalem Bay remains open for chinook but is nearing its wild coho quota. Check the ODF&W website before targeting wild coho. The first winter steelhead will likely nose into the North Fork Nehalem in the coming weeks. Bay crabbing slowed last week with the strong tides but should improve this week. Netarts will likely remain the best option as winter storms saturate larger estuaries with fresh water. Southwest – Offshore bottom fishing has been excellent when boats have been able to get out. The ocean is closed to crabbing through November. Trollers in Winchester Bay have been catching fish daily but the number of fish has started to wane. Crabbing is good in the bay. Chinook fishing has remained steady in the lower Coquille River for boaters trolling herring. Crabbing is excellent in Coos Bay from boats as well as from the docks although Dungeness are not yet in prime condition. Chinook catches have slowed. Chinook are in evidence but off the bite on the lower Rogue. Steelheading has been good on the middle river. The flies-only restriction on the Rogue above Shady Cove has ended. Bait fishers can now feed real salmon eggs to steelhead which are dining downstream of spawning chinook. No bait is allowed below Shady Cove to the old Gold Ray Dam site but artificial lures are OK to use in addition to flies. Brookings area trollers have been making steady catches of chinook. Jetty anglers throwing spoons are also hooking up with a 50-pounder landed last week. The Chetco is scheduled to open above River Mile 2.2 on November 5th but the opening is contingent upon water levels. While water levels are still fairly low, chinook fishing was very good at the Elk River late last week but slowed as hundreds of anglers stormed the area. The Sixes River is producing fair to good catches of chinook in tidewater. Diamond Lake is closed as of the 1st of November. It will re-open April 23, 2012. Eastern – The lower Deschutes is fishing well for trout on nymphs with best results early and late in the day. Steelheading has been slow for the most part. John Day anglers are beginning to see a surge in steelhead success. Boaters working the mainstem with bobber and jigs along with trollers dragging plugs in the reservoir directly upstream of the dam are reporting good action. Better than a fish per boat was reported last weekend with a slightly higher chance at releasing a wild fish than retaining a hatchery one. This fishery will peak later this month. Grande Ronde steelheaders are doing fairly well fishing deep in low water levels. There is very little pressure on the Imnaha River although there are steelhead to be caught.