Willamette Valley/Metro- The Bonneville Pool remains the best prospect for winter keeper sturgeon. East winds may hamper effort but as the water temperature warms, so will the bite.
Several spring chinook were taken in last weeks commercial opener. Motivated anglers may luck into one of these quality fish if you focus your efforts downstream of St. Helens or in the Multnomah Channel itself.
With the flow moderates at Willamette Falls, winter steelhead counts are picking up. The sturgeon retention season originally scheduled for January 1st, will be announced this week. Expect a short season.
Plunkers at Meldrum Bar are scoring some steelhead in the clearing Willamette. No sign of early spring chinook yet but they are likely present. It’s likely a few spring chinook will fall at Sellwood Bridge before the Sportsman Show gets underway. Use green label herring trolled near the bottom.
McKenzie River level and flow have returned to normal for this time of year. Trout fishing here would be an option this week.
Fishing has been fair but pressure by bank and boat steelheaders is high on the Clackamas. A good portion of the steelhead being caught right now are wild but quality broodstock catches are expected anytime now.
Steelheading has been fair to good as conditions improve on the Sandy. Oxbow and the stretch below Cedar Creek have been productive. Sand has once again modified the lower reaches.
E. E. Wilson Pond, Junction City Pond, Walling Pond and Walter Wirth Lake are scheduled to be stocked with trout.
Northwest – Steelheaders working the north coast systems are finding fair success on the consistent flows of the larger rivers. The Wilson and Nestucca are the best prospects as they harbor fresh run hatchery fish well into April. The lower reaches of these rivers are producing the best catches and incoming tide can have a positive impact on a days success.
Most other north coast systems are filled with spawned-out early run steelhead with later running wild fish waiting for the next rain freshet.
The mainstem Nehalem should be a good option this weekend as high, colored water has kept this system from fishing following the January flood. It will primarily be a wild fish show on this system.
Sturgeon anglers have been putting in time on Tillamook Bay this week. Favorable tides and mild weather has produced fair catches for anglers using sand shrimp for bait. Bay City and the West Channel have been primary areas to target.
A calming ocean may offer up some good fishing and crabbing opportunities over the weekend. Recent east winds have dropped the westerly swell. Bottomfishing should be excellent with ling cod and rockfish readily available. Ocean crab should be in prime shape for weekend festivities but use extreme caution when venturing out.
Southwest – Following the announcement of a 12% increase in the halibut quota, anglers are anxious for officials to determine dates for fishing.
Charter boats targeting ling cod off the central Oregon coast have been returning to port with limits.
Crabbing has continued to improve in Winchester Bay. North Umpqua steelheaders have been hitting some nice fish as water level and condition improved with dry weather. Steelheading on the South Umpqua has been productive over the past week.
Coquille steelheaders took some decent steelhead from the Coquille on jigs over the past weekend.
Boaters launching out of Charleston have been making good catches of nearshore rockfish. Ling cod catches are improving. Crabbing has been good in Coos Bay.
Showers over the past weekend were insufficient to improve the low, clear water conditions on the Elk and Sixes rivers.
Rogue levels have remained high due to snowmelt over the past week although winter steelhead have been taken by plunkers, side drifters and anchor fishers. Water levels are now dropping on the lower Rogue and fishing is expected to improve. The middle river has been productive and should continue to do so along with water levels and conditions.
Brookings bottom fishers scored limits of rockfish and enjoyed fair results for ling cod. Ocean crabbing has been fair to good. Area beaches have been producing limits of surf perch. Low water conditions have created challenging fishing conditions on the Chetco but the sheer number of winter steelhead available have allowed anglers with good technique to take fish. Indicators point to the season winding down here.
Cooper Creek Reservoir is scheduled to be planted with trout.
Eastern – Lake Billy Chinook is putting out some bull trout and is providing fair to good fishing for kokanee averaging 10 inches.
Green Peter is low but is clearing and should fish in the next week or so.
Eastern Oregon streams such as the Umatilla, Imnaha and the Grande Ronde are forecasted to have favorable flows for steelheaders over the next several days. If temperatures remain stable, good afternoon fishing is likely.
