Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- Columbia River sport anglers finally got a taste of what the possibilities are this week as flows finally began to subside enough to interest spring chinook into biting. Anglers fishing near the estuary did the best on Monday, claiming quick limits around Rice Island and Altoona. Limits were also experienced for some lucky boats at Davis Bar in the last few days with most fish being taken on trolled herring. Improved catch rates are likely to wane once again however as spring spill begins, sending the future crop of wild and hatchery salmon to sea under ideal conditions. Although water conditions were pretty decent, the Willamette was a bit of a disappointment for most Spring Chinook anglers last weekend. There were a few flurries of fish caught from the Multnomah Channel, the Portland Harbor, downtown, Sellwood and up to Oregon City but expectations were a bit higher. It appears the run is a bit behind schedule and our best fishing is still yet to come. The river is on the rise again and the color could be better, but fish will be caught if you put some time in. Like the Columbia, a rise in the Willamette is expected which will further hamper weekend success. Good catches of late winter and early summer steelhead continue on the Clack and many experienced anglers are reporting excellent fishing. Clackamas summer steelhead absolutely love bait and a whole sand shrimp will put more steelhead in the creel than any other offering, but do not disregard roe or the ever-popular pink worm. The river from McIver Park down to Barton has been the most productive as of late, but expect that to shift river wide as more summer fish enter the system. Fishing for late winter steelhead on the Sandy remains fair to good and could continue for another week or two. Although summer steelhead are still returning to the Sandy, their numbers in the recent past have been less than impressive. That said, spring chinook will be on the heels of the last winter-run steelhead and the second half of May usually affords consistent fishing. Middle Fork Willamette has dropped to fishable levels with redsides and summers available. Redsides are responding to nymphs on the McKenzie. The water is high but will be dropping this week. Summer steelhead are entering the system. Water in the North Santiam has cleared but remains cold which means slow steelheading. Free family fishing events will occur on Saturday, April 21st at St. Lois Ponds, Hebo Lake and McNary Ponds (Hermiston). Trout fishing is slow at Hagg Lake. Northwest – Steelhead interest and success is beginning to wane on the north coast. After one of the most successful season in memory, the quality of fresh fish is beginning to fade as anglers look for other opportunities to fill their freezers. The Wilson and Nestucca will remain the best options for consumptive opportunity with a rare late winter steelhead entering and an occasional summer fish available as well. Coho and steelhead smolt releases are underway so expect competition for your offerings on some hatchery fish streams. The season’s first spring chinook is due to be caught. Unsubstantiated rumors are already circulating but no confirmed catches have happened so far. Weekend tides look favorable for upper bay anglers but another rain freshet may push chinook into the Trask, Wilson and Nestucca in that order of magnitude. The hatchery hole on the Trask often puts out the season’s earliest catches. Sturgeon may also be an option on Tillamook Bay this weekend. The minus tide series may stimulate action in the west channel as well as the upper bay. Crabbing may not be productive, however clamming should produce good results in most estuaries and along Clatsop Beaches for razors. There may be some offshore opportunity over the weekend although early morning bar crossings could be hazardous. A bounty of rockfish, lingcod and chinook await anglers when conditions allow. Crabbing may be fair to good in 30 to 50 foot of water although there is a clear absence of large keepers from the intense commercial effort all winter. Southwest – When the ocean has laid down over the past week, allowing boats to fish offshore, catches of rockfish and lingcod have been excellent. One cabezon per day may be kept as part of the seven rockfish per day limit. Casting from ocean beaches has been producing 15-fish limits of surf perch with best results near river or bay mouths. Salinity levels have improved in Winchester Bay which has resulted in better catches of Dungeness crab. Spring chinook catches were decent early this week but dropped off as water levels once again started to rise. Coos bay crabbers are seeing improved catches with boats doing well and dock nets and traps taking fair numbers. Spring chinook anglers are enjoying a good week with the flow dropping to less than 9,000 cfs and the water temperature topping 50 degrees. Springers to 30 pounds have been landed. The river level is forecast to rise a little over the coming weekend and if that occurs, action may slow for a few days. Fishing has been spotty at best on the middle Rogue. Upper river anglers continue to take winter steelhead and the occasional spring chinook. The latest update from Diamond Lake is that nothing has changed. That is, ice and snow still cover the water's surface and the April 28th opener will require ice fishing gear. Eastern – Deschutes level and flow have stopped to the seasonal norm and is providing good results for redsides. March Browns are hatching afternoons with trout responding accordingly, If one pattern doesn't produce, keep changing flies to find the favored pattern. The Crooked River was at perfect level and flow for fishing early this week and should be productive over the coming weekend. Smallmouth bass fishing is fair to good and improving on the John Day River. Soapbox Update: Bounty on the Bay is now open for 2012 registration! It’s a great event that benefits a great organization. It’s all about the fish! Check out the registration web site at: http://www.tbnep.org/events/bounty-on-the-bay SW Washington – The Cowlitz is producing good numbers of steelhead and spring chinook are starting to make a stronger appearance. The Kalama and Lewis Rivers will also begin producing better numbers of spring chinook and summer steelhead over the next 8 weeks. Some spent winter run fish will also begin showing in the catches. Although still way behind schedule, fish counts at Bonneville are beginning to swell, meaning improved opportunity ahead for Wind and Drano Lake anglers. Catchable numbers will be present by next week. Clam diggers along the Long Beach Peninsula and north will have another opportunity for razors this weekend. Check newly released regulations at the WDF&W website for more specific information.

Oregon fishing

Willamette Valley/Metro- Action on the Columbia remains disappointing although catches are starting to pick up slightly. A larger number of 4-year olds are starting to show, indicating the run is getting closer to peak as these fish make up the bulk of the returning adults. Managers will meet by phone again tomorrow, to consider another sport extension. An extension is likely as sport angler impacts remain low. Catches should ramp up significantly in the next opener, if it happens. This will be the week that fishing takes off on the Willamette. The water is finally cleaning up nicely with a turbidity level of 14 as of Monday, April 9th. A few fish were caught at the Head of Multnomah Channel on Monday, with 4 making the chalk board at Fred's Marina. Sellwood reported a few fish as well. As the week presses on, catches will increase and Oregon City will begin to produce. Flashers and green label herring are the go to, either rigged whole or plug cut. Prawns will start to see more action as the water warms and clears up a bit. The McKenzie remains a little high but is dropping in to shape this week. Pack March Brown and Stonefly nymphs, attractors for cutthroat and include to March Brown dies for fair weather hatches. Flows are around 4,200 at Mehama on the North Santiam making the river floatable below that point. There are decent numbers of wild winter steelhead in the system. The Clackamas River has been fishing very well for steelhead. Traditionally, late March and all of April see the best catches of steelhead with winter broodstock, wild winter and early summers all hitting the boat decks and beaches. As of late, reports have a strong showing of early summers in the mix. Bobber and jigs work great this time of year and roe side drifted from a boat will get you fish. One avid angler reported fishing the Sandy River last Friday and had pretty decent success boating seven steelhead while drifting from Oxbow Park downstream. Since then however, it has slowed a bit but it’s still worth going. As with the Clackamas, bobber and jig and side drifted roe will produce but plugs and spoons are likely producers as well. Trout fishing is now in full swing in the valley lakes and ponds with most popular spots being well stocked. Worms and Power Bait often produce the most consistent results. Northwest – Steelheaders working the north coast streams are still scoring fish although a higher percentage of the catch are beginning to color. The wild component of the run seems to be making a bigger showing but action will continue to taper into the coming weeks. A few summer steelhead should begin to show on the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers however and spring chinook are just around the corner. The Trask will remain a fair target for late returning wild fish and is likely to produce the earliest spring chinook of any Tillamook County stream. Spring chinook fishing opened on April 1st on the north coast but don’t expect to see the best action until mid-May. Although effort was largely by the commercial troll fleet, there were some chinook caught offshore out of Garibaldi last weekend. These stocks are largely from the Sacramento and Klamath River Basins but will feed all summer off the coast of Oregon, making them easy targets for the sport and commercial fleet in calmer seas. Tides were favorable for sturgeon over the weekend and a few keepers were caught in Tillamook Bay. Most anglers were more motivated for bottomfish however as Garibaldi and Depoe Bay produced outstanding catches of sea bass and lingcod. Crabbing was fair too. Doug Firstbrook of Nehalem produced his 2 lingcod limit on one cast west of Three Arch Rocks off of Oceanside on red and yellow feather jigs. The best action took place between 100 and 145 foot of water. Southwest – Ocean conditions allowed charter boats to make trips early this week. Anglers have been taking mostly limits of rockfish and lingcod despite the depth restriction of 30 fathoms or less. Ocean crabbing is still slow, however. Crabbing has remained slow on Winchester Bay as it has not yet recovered from the recent freshet. The Umpqua River is dropping this week but has been plagued by muddy conditions. The spring chinook fishery was just getting underway when the last storm hit but when conditions allow, there will be some in the river. Coos Bay crabbing slowed after the last round of storms left the bay muddy but it should clear up this week with milder weather. The Coquille, Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers are closed to fishing. High water has made some changes to the Rogue River so boaters are urged use caution on the water. The water dropped and cleared sufficiently for a few springers to be taken late last week and through the past weekend. Fishing was good with many springers landed on Monday this week. Spring chinook fishing will only improve along with the weather as the water temperature rises. Springers are upriver now and there's a chance to hook one as high as Grants Pass. Winter steelhead may still be targeted and caught on the upper Rogue. The Applegate is now closed to fishing. Diamond Lake opens April 28th but with three feet of ice and snow covering the lake currently, it may be another ice-fishing opener this year. Eastern – The Crooked River water level has returned to normal and is fishing well. Take a variety of seasonal nymphs and dries. Metolius fishers are once again seeing Blue-Winged Olives hatching afternoons now that the water has dropped back into shape. Green Peter trollers have been taking very few kokanee this early in the year. SW Washington – Although most district anglers will remain focused on spring chinook on the mainstem Columbia, steelhead and early spring chinook are in fair numbers on the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis Rivers. The Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers will likely receive the higher returns of spring chinook in the coming weeks but all three systems should produce a mixed bag of late winter and early summer run steelhead. As flows drop, so should the size of your offerings. Drano Lake and Wind River fishers will be watching Bonneville Dam counts as they are likely to jump in the coming weeks. Until they do, effort and catch will be low in these popular fisheries. Early season anglers can have some pleasant and productive days however.

Oregon Fishing Report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Although water temperatures are slowly improving on the mainstem Columbia, high flows are now hampering success for spring chinook region-wide with little reprieve in the future. Court ordered spring spill, which will help young salmon migrate to the ocean, is set to begin mid-month. This will further curb success but concentrate fish close to shore where bank anglers should have fair access to salmon and steelhead.

Fishery managers will decide Thursday whether to extend the sport season downstream of Bonneville Dam. An extension is highly likely given the poor catch rates witnessed this season but managers will have to take a precautionary approach until more positive signs of a healthy return exhibit themselves. Only 41 fish have bypassed Bonneville Dam, one of the lowest return rates recorded for early April.

Following the wettest March in history, the Willamette started to moderate at the Falls and is forecast to drop into the coming weekend. The water is likely to be too cold and muddy to fish well for springers by the weekend but, barring heavy rain, it won't be long until the season takes off.

The McKenzie River which crested at just over bank-full at the end of March will be on the drop and should fish in the coming weekend. Look for March Browns hatching.

The Santiam system remains very high after cresting at the end of March. While there are steelhead in the system, it will still be too high to fish well this week.

Northwest – North coast steelheaders had another weekend off due to a late season flood event. The Wilson should finally come back into shape before the weekend and should once again fish well during the clearing spell. With one of the best seasons in memory, the run should easily extend into mid-April with fair weather likely to produce aggressive fish.

The Wilson and Nestucca remain the best hatchery fish options although other district streams should receive good numbers of wild fish. Some smaller streams closed on April 1st so check fishing regulations before venturing out. With Willamette Valley salmon fishing likely a poor option for several more days, area rivers may get more pressure than in previous years.

The Trask begins to peak this time of year with some of the largest steelhead on the coast returning to spawn. The upper reaches should fish best prior to the weekend and lower reaches as the flows drop. It wouldn't be unheard of to catch an early spring chinook as the north coast opened up for fin-clipped salmon on April 1st. Catches don't peak until mid-May however.

Tillamook Bay still has sturgeon available and early morning tides may prove productive for shrimp soakers. Try Bay City and the west channel for the best opportunity.

Ocean anglers are hopeful the offshore forecast holds. Easy limits of black rockfish and lingcod are attainable and crabbing should be fair as well. There have been very few opportunities this winter but anglers need to study regulations carefully as recent modifications limit access. A bounty of offshore chinook awaits the sport and commercial fleet but no one has been able to access them because of rough seas. It may take a while to find them but catches are often best between 7 and 15 miles offshore.

Southwest – As of April 1st, salty fishers are allowed to keep one cabezon 16 inches or better as part of their seven-rockfish limit. Retention of this species has been disallowed since July 20th of last year. Cabbies will readily take jig-type lures and will be anxious to bite when located.

Offshore conditions are expected to improve this week and be friendly by the weekend. Be aware, however, that as of April 1st, bottom fishing is restricted to no deeper water than 30 fathoms (180 feet). This restriction is for all species of bottom-dwellers, including nearshore halibut.

Crabbing should start to pick up in Winchester Bay as salinity levels improve. Local fishers have been trying for sturgeon but legal-sized fish are rare here. The Umpqua system is dropping and will fish by the coming weekend with spring chinook in the mainstem and the South Umpqua the best bet for steelheaders.

While the lower Rogue dropped sufficiently early this week to allow fishing, the results were very slow. Prior to the last freshet, a surprising number of mint-bright, late winter steelhead were caught. Water levels on the middle and lower Rogue crested the last day of March and are forecast to be dropping into mid-April. Spring chinook will be the primary target. Winter steelheading has slowed on the upper Rogue. The Applegate River closed April 1st.

The Chetco, Elk and Sixes Rivers are now closed to steelhead and salmon fishing until May 26th.

Eastern – Deschutes levels were a little high with the water off-color early this week but conditions are predicted to improve through the weekend. March Browns should be in the mix with caddis being the best opportunity for dry action in the afternoon.

Anglers have been enjoying good results from the Crooked River but rain has pushed flows many times higher than just a week ago making it unfishable this week.

Green Peter is in fair shape with kokanee tightly schooled but the cold-water bite is very slow this early in the year.