Oregon fishing reports!

Willamette Valley/Metro- Good catches of Chinook are being reported from the river mouths along the lower Columbia River. The Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, Washougal and Sandy all add cool water to the big river, making for staging zones that the fish can use as a breather for cooler, more oxygen rich water. The cooler water makes for better biting, better fighting fish. The mouth of the Cowlitz has been the hot spot as of late, with the better fishing always happening on the outgoing tide. Anchor fishing with wobblers is by far the method of choice but fish are also taken on both plugs and spinners.

 

There are few good reports from Bonneville yet, but with the adult chinook counts over the dam topping 4000/day, the action will be picking up soon. Summer steelhead counts through the ladder are dwindling to less than 2000/day so if that's what you're after, your time would be better spent above the dam or at the Deschutes.

Sturgeon angling below Beacon Rock has been reported as very slow.

Pro guide Chris Vertopoulos (503-349-1377) reports, “The lower Willamette as slowed down for smallmouth bass with the warmer water, but be looking soon for a few silvers to be congregating at the mouth of the Clackamas. No reports are available for walleye fishing the Multnomah channel but one has to suspect that they are there.

“Not much available on the Clackamas but a warm, slowly flowing river. Rafting and inner tubing are the preferred method of attack for keeping cool.

“Rumors of some Coho on the Sandy River up at Cedar creek have been dispelled. Also a rafters and tubers river till the fall rains start to show and the coho begin to arrive.”

 

Northwest – After a very productive run, the Buoy 10 fishery will continue through Labor Day and close as  slated on September 4^th. Although fish larger than 30 pounds have been rare, Melissa Carlin of Monmouth came close, landing a 27-pound buck on Friday, after the fish ran into 3 lines from another boat.

 

The chinook catch remained consistent near the Astoria Bridge but the Tongue Point bite picked up on Monday. Both spinners and bait were effective from Rice Island to Tongue Point but this fishery produces best on softer tides. Jack chinook salmon are a common catch throughout the estuary but are only legal for retention above Tongue Point.

 

Coho are present in ever-growing numbers in the estuary with lower Desdemona Sands a consistent producer. Anglers can target coho by using smaller spinners or anchovies for bait. Smaller gear and bait does catch smaller fish. Keep in mind however that the adult return of hatchery coho is forecasted to be low but the peak weeks are now upon us.

 

The Nehalem fishery continues to produce fair results but the stronger tides will push willing biters higher into the estuary where both spinners and herring should be effective. Anglers should see a shift from summer chinook to the larger fall variety.

 

Tillamook Bay and the adjacent ocean is also producing good catches of chinook. Fish checkers at Garibaldi tallied good numbers over the weekend with the bulk of the success coming from ocean fishers. Ocean crabbing should be excellent as well and will remain open through October 15^th.

 

Albacore chasers will be anxious to get offshore for fast action this time of year. Although the offshore forecast doesn’t look all that favorable for the weekend, modelers are frequently wrong when predicting ocean conditions. September should offer up some ideal conditions for ocean recreationalists.

Southwest- Tuna charters were cancelled out of Depoe Bay early this week due to rough ocean conditions and albacore too far offshore to make the trip. Bottom fishing and crabbing has been excellent, however.

The summer all-depth halibut season is closed for the year with all but 10% of the quota taken. During the four days when fishing was allowed, anglers landed 42,853 pounds of fish.

Chinook are being taken on plugs on the lower Umpqua, Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent on the mainstem Umpqua now that the water temperature is warm enough for swimming. The South Umpqua is also producing good smallie catches.

Boats launching out of Charleston have been taking albacore within 20 miles of port. Coos Bay crabbing has been very good.

Boats launching out of Gold Beach have been making good catches of rockfish and ling cod offshore. Rogue Bay Chinook fishing finally turned on over the past week, producing impressive numbers for trollers.  Catches of half-pounders and fall Chinook have been good on the middle Rogue. Summers steelhead catches have been steady on the upper river.

Excellent results are expected for the Slam’n Salmon Derby taking place at Brookings Friday through Sunday this week. Catches were disappointing in 2011 but will be limited this year only by ocean conditions. Chinook are being taken three to six miles out with anchovies or hoochies effective.

Eastern – Trout fishing is excellent on the lower Deschutes with caddis patterns and stonefly nymphs are effective. Results have also been good on the middle river on nymph patterns.

SW Washington- Anglers targeting chinook in district streams should start to see improving catches by the weekend. Although still a few weeks away from peak opportunity, the earlier returning fish seem to be the more aggressive ones. Small clusters of eggs back-bounced with light leads should take fish.

 

The Cowlitz and Lewis should produce the best catches with the best success coming from the lower holes in the system as fish acclimate to the differing temperatures.

 

Drano Lake anglers continue to find success for steelhead but chinook salmon fishing should dramatically improve in the coming weeks as fish begin to pour over Bonneville Dam.

The mouth of the Klickitat should pick up for chinook action as well with coho coming a little later in the year.

Oregon fishing reports for 8/24/12

Willamette Valley/Metro - Pro guide Chris Vertopoulos (503-349-1377) reports, “With the Buoy Ten estuary fishery at its peak right now, effort upstream has been light. Expect that to change by next week, when the bulk of the run has already passed above Tongue point. Chinook counts over Bonneville dam have started to ramp up while steelhead counts are falling off. Its apparent this year’s summer steelhead return wasn't as good as predicted.

 

“Bass fishing has been disappointing this season on the lower Willamette. Some anglers speculate that cooler spring run-offs have been detrimental to the bass successfully spawning. However, now should be the peak of the best walleye fishing the Multnomah channel has to offer.”

Steelheading and trout fishing has been summertime tough on the McKenzie with the best shot at a hookup coming at first light and again late in the afternoon,

 

On the North Santiam, summer steelhead are holding in four to six feet of water near ledges. Salmon will start spawning soon with activity increasing in September,

Water temperatures have warmed on the Clackamas and any summer steelhead that MIGHT be around will be difficult to catch.

 

You might find a few summer steelhead on the Sandy in the stretch from the mouth of the Salmon river down to Cedar creek. Go early to avoid spooked steelhead as August is the peak of the inner tube hatch.


Northwest – With the Buoy 10 fishery in full swing, anglers in the NW corner of the state are all eyes on the mainstem Columbia River. The Astoria region remains the prime target but with numbers at Bonneville on the rise, the mouth of the Cowlitz will quickly become popular this week. Anchor anglers will fish wobblers at depths between 35 and 50 feet with the best success coming on the outgoing tide.

 

Tides in the Astoria area continue to favor afternoon anglers but that will change by the weekend. Chinook action will peak this week in Astoria and coho should begin to show in better numbers as they have been sparse thus far. Spinners started to work with more regularity in recent days, particularly at high tide on either the Washington or Oregon side, above the Astoria/Megler Bridge. Tides begin to soften today, which should make the lower river most productive for the remainder of the week.

 

Crabbing the lower Columbia as well as Nehalem, Netarts or Nehalem estuaries should be productive this weekend but you’ll have lots of competition too.

 

The Nehalem estuary continues to put out fair numbers of summer chinook with the fall run right on their heels. The fishery here could easily last through all of September.

 

Anglers looking for Tillamook chinook should start to see some activity in the coming days. Although still weeks away from any peak activity, they do start to make a showing by late August.

 

With little exception, friendly seas are forecast into the weekend, giving albacore chasers fine opportunity to pursue them 20 to 30 miles offshore. Action can vary by day but most boats are capable of posting double digit catches this time of year.

Fishery managers are still crunching numbers to determine if additional opportunity exists for another all-depth halibut opener off of the central coast.


Southwest- Tuna fishing has been improving as warm water moves ever closer to the coastline, allowing for shorter trips to find willing albacore.

Charters out of central Oregon ports have had spotty results for tuna but catches are generally improving when the ocean lays dawn. Bottom fishing has been good, yielding limits of rockfish and some large ling cod.

Crabbing is good in Winchester Bay. Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent in the upper mainstem and South Umpqua.

Late last week, with the ocean laying down and wind moderating, boats out of Coos bay took good numbers of albacore fewer than 20 mile offshore.

Chinook fishing has been good out of the ports of Charleston and Bandon.

In the Rogue estuary, where Chinook have been kegging up but difficult to hook, the bite finally turned on over the past week and catches have been decent. Half-pounders are being taken in good number at Huntly Park. Chinook catches are fair but improving on the middle Rogue while springers are being caught in the upper river below Dodge Park where it's still legal to fish for them. Upper river steelheading remains good with the water flow stable.

Chinook catches picked up for boaters launching out of the Port of Brookings over the last weekend with many returning to the cleaning station with limits or near limits. Anchovies behind a flasher trolled at 50 to 100-foot depths have accounted for most catches.

Trout fishing is slow to fair at Diamond Lake where fishing will be allowed year-around starting in 2013.

Eastern - Steelheading on the lower Deschutes has been slow to fair over the past week with numbers low.
Fish early in the day, take insect repellant and watch out for rattlesnakes. Redsides have been moderately responsive until mid-morning.

The Crooked River is fishing well early in the day and again in afternoons in shady areas.

Kokanee limits are being taken regularly from Paulina on jigs.

SW Washington- The Cowlitz remains the best option for summer steelhead but salmon will start to show in most district tributaries in the coming weeks. Most anglers will focus their efforts in the lower reaches and new regulations are coming into effect on September 1^st so anglers should check their favorite streams before heading out.

Oregon fishing reports

Oregon Fisheries Update:

Willamette Valley/Metro – The Buoy 10 season is fully underway although anglers can't expect excellent results every day of the week. Sunday produced poorly but chinook action since has been good with a few more coho beginning to show in the catch. Chinook are taking both bait and spinners with anchovies producing the best bites lately. Anglers have the opportunity to jig their own bait as the estuary is inundated with huge schools of the preferred bait, oftentimes vibrating the lines of deployed gear. Bob Sturmer of Tigard landed a 22-pound upriver bright on an anchovy on the Washington side, just above the Astoria/Megler Bridge on Tuesday. The Oregon side in front of Hammond has been producing fair catches beginning about 2 hours after low slack but the Washington side above the bridge has also been fairly consistent close to high slack. Action should continue to improve this week with larger chinook and more numerous coho likely to show.

Coho catches out of the mouth of the Columbia remains relatively poor. Most anglers remain focused on the Columbia River where ample numbers are available.

Crabbing has also been good near Buoy 21 but stronger tides this weekend may slow success.

With all the Salmon and steelhead excitement going on elsewhere, bass fishermen have the Willamette river to themselves this time of year.

Rafters and tubers own the Clackamas river. It will be the same on the Sandy until coho start to show in September.

Trout fishing has been good on the McKenzie with even the hatchery trout good-sized and aggressive.

Minto Park and te drifts below Mill City hold summer steelhead on the North Santiam. Drifted baits of sand shrimp have been effective in deeper holes.

Northwest - Chinook catches continue to improve in the Nehalem system and action should continue into September. Anglers should find another productive week around Wheeler using trolled herring for bait, coho may also begin to show later in the month.

Crabbing in the ocean remains excellent but crab remain largely soft shelled. Bay crabbing should be fair in Netarts, Tillamook and Nehalem Bays.

Offshore, anglers have had a hard time pursuing tuna offshore with the inclement weather. When weather improves catches should be excellent as peak season is upon us.

Southwest - Boats had a tough time getting out of central Oregon ports recently due to rough ocean conditions. When launches have been possible, bottom fishing has been good and crabbing excellent.

All-depth halibut will re-open on Friday and Saturday, August 17th and 18th. Ocean swells are forecast to be moderating into the coming weekend.

A few Chinook are being taken daily in Winchester Bay on herring trolled behind flashers. South Umpqua smallmouth fishing has been good for both fly and gear anglers. Use caution at the rapid above Osprey; it's getting tricky and will get worse.

Albacore catches have been good 17 to 25 miles out of Coos Bay and Bandon and recreational boats have returned to port with all they could carry when the ocean has cooperated. Bay crabbing has been good.

Charters out of Gold Beach have been taking limits of rockfish and ling cod when ocean conditions allow launches. Ocean Chinook fishing has also been good. While trolling in the Rogue estuary is producing Chinook, it is hot one day, cold the next. Lower Rogue steelheaders are picking up half-pounders around Agness. Middle river results are fair as fall Chinook start to show in catches while fishing for summer steelhead remains good on the upper Rogue.

When the ocean has laid down, Chinook fishing out of the Port of Brookings has been very good with many taking early limits. Tuna were taken last week although they boat doing so traveled over 40 miles west to hook up.

Eastern - A stealthy approach will put fly anglers in close proximity to redsides on the lower Deschutes. They are receptive to small caddis, Mayfly and diminutive, bushy dries on light leaders. Steelhead continue to entering with improving results from Mack's Canyon to the mouth.

Kokanee fishing has been fair to good for jig fishers evenings at Paulina.

Soapbox Update: The Buoy 10 Challenge is just a few days away and big prizes are at stake. Be sure to go to NSIA’s web site at www.nsiafishing.org to see what all the hub bub is about!

Southwest Washington - Steelhead catches along lower Columbia beaches are beginning to wane. District anglers are anxiously awaiting good chinook returns, which should begin to show in catchable numbers in 2 weeks. Until then, the Cowlitz will remain a top bet for summer steelhead. The Kalama and Lewis are fair at best for summer steelhead.

As passage at Bonneville jumps, so should catches at Drano Lake and the Klickitat River mouth. Chinook, steelhead and some coho will be available throughout September with the peak beginning the first week of September.

http://www.TheGuidesForecast.com/

Oregon fishing reports!

Willamette Valley/Metro- On the Columbia River, there are still plenty of steelhead being caught from the estuary up to Bonneville, with the best reports coming from just below the dam. The peak of the run has passed but there will be fish caught through the end of the month. Since the salmon opener on Aug 1, a small handful of chinook have been taken by anglers targeting steelhead but expect that number to increase as the week progresses.

Sturgeon fishing remains fair to slow in the gorge but like last week, effort is minimal.

On the Willamette, bass fishing remains the best option or try trolling worm harnesses upstream for walleye in the Multnomah Channel.

Snowmelt increased McKenzie flow this week but didn't effect mid-50-degree water temperatures. Fly fishing is fair to good.

Spinners and bobber & jigs are taking summer steelhead on the Santiams with good numbers of fish in the system.

The Clackamas River may offer up a steelhead in the early morning. The best action is likely to happen from River Mill Dam downstream to Barton Park.

On the Sandy River, a few steelhead have been caught in the reach from the Salmon River down to Cedar Creek. The warm weather has rendered the river silty from the melting glacier.

Northwest – Saltwater anglers are focusing much of their effort on offshore albacore tuna. The targeted coho season is closed and concentrations of chinook are hard to find. There will be no halibut fishing this week along the mid-coast.

Buoy 10 anglers are few but  numbers will increase dramatically in the coming week. The first big push of lower Columbia chinook will hit the river this week with catches likely to be very good just after the weekend. Anglers working the mouth of Young’s Bay are intercepting the Rogue River strain of Chinook, destined for the estuary’s terminal fishery. Jim Martin of Mulino hooked 6 salmon on the Monday evening tide, landing 2. He was only able to take one fish home however as the other was taken by a sea lion as it was tied off to the back of the boat bleeding out.

Crabbing is picking up in the lower Columbia, after a long bout of fresh water releases kept crab in the ocean.

Saltwater fishing for coho and chinook out of the mouth of the Columbia remains only fair. Plan on spending a longer day offshore if you want to bag a limit of hatchery coho.

The Nehalem estuary is putting out fair numbers of summer chinook. Spinners and herring are taking biters from the mouth to the North Fork Nehalem River. This fishery should peak in the coming 3 weeks.


Southwest- Halibut fishing was decent for the summer all-depth opener off the central coast although the ocean was rough. The next opportunity will be August 17th & 18th.

Tuna were more than 30 miles out of Newport over the past weekend with the bite good but not great. Ocean chinook fishing has been slow.

Bottom fishing has been good out of Depoe Bay and tuna charters are producing fine catches of albacore for their customers.

With warm water moving closer to the Oregon coast, exotic species are occasionally taken offshore. A large Opah, usually associated with waters off Hawaii, was landed by a tuna angler over the past week.

Tuna have been taken fewer than 15 miles out of Charleston although the bite has not been aggressive. Chinook fishing has been good offshore. Crabbing has been worthwhile in Coos Bay.

Despite good numbers of chinook in the Rogue estuary, the bite has been unreliable. When it turns on, the result is multiple hookups but it's been off again in an instant. Middle river fishing remains slow to fair but the upper Rogue is producing very good numbers of large, early summer steelhead as one of the best runs in years continues to improve.

While fishing has been good for ocean chinook out of Brookings Harbor, these fish are also entering the bay, resulting in several landings, a few on spoons cast from the local crabbing dock. When boats can get out, offshore chinook catches have been good with many limits taken.

Trout fishing is fair to good at Diamond Lake. Two tagged trout worth $100 each were landed last week. There are still a couple of $100 trout on which anglers may collect before October 31st.

Eastern – Summer steelhead numbers are building in the lower Deschutes, improving the number of hookups. Many of the fish landed have been wild. Redsides have been responding to caddis imitations with best results on days with little wind.

Paulina has been producing limits of kokanee and the bite has been on all day long.

Kokanee are being caught mornings in fair to good numbers on the troll at East Lake but the bite shuts down in the afternoon.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Pro guide Chris Vertopoulos (503-349-1377) reports, “Steelhead continue to ascend the lower Columbia in good numbers but we have likely seen the peak of the run. Steelhead counts at Bonneville Dam have started to drop, but the fall chinook are right on their heels and have been showing up in the catch. Although the peak steelhead run might have passed, fishing this week should remain steady and by no means is it over. Anglers who alter their tactics and fish deeper water will continue to score with a mixed bag of steelhead and chinook.”

Sturgeon fishing below the Skamania Island deadline has been average to slow, but effort has been light. Retention for sturgeon in this reach will close on August 1^st, not to re-open until October 20^th. The lower Marker 82 deadline will be in effect for another month.

Primary activities on the lower Willamette will consist of smallmouth bass fishing and wakeboarding.

Trout fishing has been fair on the McKenzie with caddis still the insect activity of interest to fly anglers.

Due to a change in the way water is fed to the North Santiam, temperatures are expected to improve fishing results here.

A few steelhead might be around on the Clackamas, but the low clear water makes for tough fishing.

A few straggler steelhead might be present on the Sandy in the stretch between the mouth of the Salmon river and Dodge Park.

Northwest – Ocean salmon south of Falcon closed with little attention as coho numbers were scarce throughout the season. Fishing did improve slightly indicating a northern migration towards the Columbia system is underway.

Most anglers fishing out of northern ports such as Garibaldi are targeting albacore. Ocean conditions have been exceptional, allowing boats easy access to ample numbers of the new favorite for saltwater anglers.

Crabbing makes a nice additional option to saltwater harvest although the bulk of the Dungeness remain in a soft-shell state.

The Nehalem is producing fair catches of chinook both inside the bay at Wheeler as well as near the estuary entrance. This fishery should only improve in the coming weeks although stronger tides will produce better results higher in the estuary.

North coast systems transition to fall salmon regulations where wild or hatchery chinook are open to retention. Check the ODF&W web site for more specific fall salmon regulations for both chinook and coho.

August can be the peak month for tidewater trolling for sea-run cutthroat trout.

Southwest – Recreational boats are catching albacore out of Newport and Depoe Bay whenever ocean conditions allow. With warm water and tuna moving closer to shore, charters are also making regular trips.

Bottom fishing has remained good off the central coast. Ocean crabbing is producing mostly limits although many are soft.

Coho catches slowed after anglers posted good catches (although few hatchery keepers) at the close of the fishery on July 31st. A non-selective (fin-clipped or not) coho fishery opens September 1st through 3rd and every Thursday, Friday, Saturday from September 6th through September 22 or a quota of 10,000 fish.

The summer all-depth halibut season opens from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain starting August 3rd and 4th, then every other Friday and Saturday through October 27th or a quota of approximately 53,000 pounds.

Chinook fishing has been fair to good out of Winchester Bay. Steelheading is fair on the North Umpqua while bass fishing is good on the South Umpqua.

Chinook catches have been good out of Charleston and tuna boats are taking good numbers at 25 or more miles out of port this week.

Bottom fishing out of Gold Beach has yielded limits whenever offshore conditions have allowed ocean access. Chinook are in the Rogue estuary in good number, which has resulted in improved catches. The lower Rogue has produced on the incoming tide. Fishing on the middle river is slow. Upper Rogue steelhead catches are good. Spring chinook may no longer be targeted above Dodge Bridge as of August 1st.

Large schools of baitfish in Brookings Harbor has created an alternative troll fishery inside the bay. Trolling anchovies will produce a few salmon and while not a hot fishery, it is a viable alternative when boats are unable to cross the bar.

Eastern – Redside fishing is fair on the lower Deschutes early and late in the day while steelheading is slow. Chinook fishing opened August 1st from the mouth at the I-84 bridge upstream to Sherars Falls. The warm water situation should improve as additional water releases are scheduled to start the 1st of August. Only a handful of fish have been counted at Sherars Falls since July 1st.

Walleye and smallmouth bass are providing good to excellent opportunity for anglers in the reservoirs above Bonneville Dam. Action may slow as water temperatures warm.

SW Washington – Most anglers remain focused on the mainstem Columbia for steelhead action and rightfully so. Deep water anchor anglers are still picking up good numbers of fish on plugs and the occasional spinner. Bank anglers can produce good numbers of steelhead on the upcoming strong tide series, especially if lures are tipped with coon shrimp.

Although the Cowlitz and Kalama are producing an occasional steelhead, the action will get much better later in August when salmon become another target. A fair return of chinook is forecast for many district systems.

The Drano Lake fishery is only producing moderate results. Steelhead numbers over Bonneville are fewer than anticipated for this time of the year. There may still be a sizable number coming as flows and temperatures have varied wildly compared to most normal years.

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