Saturday, January 01, 2011

Oregon Fishing Report

Willamette Valley/Metro - A new 2011 license and tag is required beginning Saturday. Don’t forget to get it before your next fishing or hunting excursion. Licenses and tags are now available from the ODF&W web site.

With a new year comes a renewed quota for sturgeon. One of the better bets will be the Bonneville Pool where anglers can often score good results targeting keepers just upstream of Bonneville Dam. A quota of 1,400 fish has been established for this fishery.

Anglers fishing from Bonneville Dam downstream to the Wauna Powerlines will also have a renewed but reduced quota beginning January 1st. Anglers are reminded however that the area near Rooster Rock Park that was so productive the last 2 years is not closed until the end of April. Check regulations for detailed information. Angling will remain poor in this stretch until spring however.

Flows over Willamette Falls have moderated and should be dropping in the coming days. Steelhead are once again on the move. The sturgeon quota for the lower Willamette appears destined for a reduction from 3,600 fish in 2010 to 2,550 in 2011 due to a decline in keeper-sized fish populations. A decision on the opener, scheduled originally for January 1, will be made in a meeting on February 5th.

Trees are a likely hazard in the North Santiam from recent heavy rain. For those trying it, use large baits or lures for catch-and-release wild winter steelheading.

The Clackamas and Sandy Rivers were on the rise earlier this week but should drop, clear and fish well with the dry, cold weather that's in the forecast.

Share ideas, comments and concerns about Oregon fisheries at the ODFW Open House on Jan. 4, 2011 from 6 PM to 9 PM at the ODFW Headquarters, 3406 Cherry Avenue NE in Salem.

Northwest – The North Coast continues to get pounded by rain storms but weather models indicate a moderating pattern which should give anglers good access to most systems over the weekend. Smaller systems will fish first and hatchery fish should be plentiful on streams receiving plants.

The North Fork Nehalem should produce well as should the Necanicum, Three Rivers, Big and Gnat Creek and the Klaskanine River near Astoria. Look for those to fish by this afternoon or tomorrow.

Larger systems such as the Wilson, Trask and Nestucca produced good results before the steady rise so fish are available on these systems. The upper reaches will fish best by the weekend and all stretches should be fishing good late in the week if weather models hold. The Vanderzanden launch on the upper Wilson has been repaired.

Chinook were caught prior to the last high water but will close on December 31st on the north coast.

Bait always works best in the higher flows when fish are moving. Eggs or shrimp will produce the best but use hot colors along with your favorite bait. Hardware and plugs will come on stronger when flows drop.

Anglers should find a mix of darker fish and this will likely be the last good push of fresh hatchery fish on the early producing streams. Rivers with broodstock programs like the Nestucca and Wilson should produce well into April.

Good sturgeon tides begin today for anglers interested in pursuing keepers on Tillamook Bay. A calming weather pattern may afford cold-blooded anglers some good opportunity through the weekend. Sand shrimp should produce some results in the west channel.

Strong morning incoming tides will limit productive crabbing on Netarts Bay and the lower Columbia River. East winds may make the lower Columbia hazardous to boaters.

Southwest – Rough seas have prevented recreational crabbers from making much of an effort recently but when it has been possible to drop posts and traps, ocean crabbing has been good.

The mainstem Umpqua was high but stable earlier this week and should fish if rainfall moderates as predicted. A few winter steelhead have been taken on the North Umpqua but many here are wild. Steelheading was worthwhile in the South Umpqua prior to the last storm.

Coos Bay has continued to produce good catches of Dungeness between storms.

Coquille anglers enjoyed good results with winter steelhead over the past weekend until rain pushed the river out of shape on Sunday.

Chinook as well as winter steelhead have been caught whenever the Elk and Sixes have come into shape. Conditions were deteriorating mid-week but can improve quickly on these small rivers.

Water level and flow was on the rise as of December 28th and will take some time to return to decent shape. Plunking with Spin 'N' Glos has been effective on the lower Rogue in lower flows. Summer steelhead are biting whenever the water has dropped on the upper river.

Flows on the Chetco River dropped over the past weekend to allow plunking. Steelheaders were successful but rain again pushed the level up early this week. With moderating precipitation forecast for this week, fishing should be good as the levels drop. Steelhead are well distributed throughout the system and this is historically one of the best times of year for winters.

Eastern – Deep trollers scored large Mackinaw at Crescent Lake over the past weekend in chilly weather.

Steelheaders willing to brave frigid weather should find success when flows drop on the Grand Ronde, Umatilla and John Day Rivers. Cooler weather will slow flows but river ice may form if the weather pattern persists.