Oregon fishing report for 3/29/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - After a slight lull in the spring chinook fishing, the pace has picked up again and reports of decent fishing are coming in from St. Helens all the way up to Milwaukie. After a jump from last week's rain, the turbidity is clearing and the catching is only going to improve. Oregon City is getting a few fish, but the peak of action there is still three weeks away. Multnomah Channel salmon fishermen are picking up fish at Coon Island and Santosh. As usual, green label plug cut herring or cured pawns are the favorite baits for March spring chinook.

Sturgeon are thick in the lower Willamette River. Long shoremen and early morning anglers are reporting schools of sturgeon jumping and rolling in the vicinity of Swan Island. Also spotted are the California and Stellar sea lions working the sturgeon school, tearing up and tossing them around like rag dolls. Few anglers are interested in catch and release sturgeon fishing when spring chinook are present, but those that take interest will likely do well.

On the McKenzie, March Browns are taking to the wing between 1 PM and 4 PM daily with dries and emergers effective during hatch periods. Water levels have been dropping over the past week and water conditions are expected to be good for the coming weekend.

Fishing is slow on the Santiams with numbers low and the water too cold to entice steelhead upstream.

The Clackamas is at premium fishing level and late winter steelhead are present in good numbers. Also present are a few early summer steelhead and successful anglers are occasionally rewarded with the hottest, brightest steelhead available. The water has been running on the clearer side all season long and fishermen are adjusting their tactics accordingly. Bank fishermen are doing best between Rivermill Dam and Barton, at all the popular access points, while boat fishermen are scoring best between Barton and Riverside parks. Expect the run to hold up through mid-April.

Sandy River regulars are still scoring with late winter and early summer steelhead. Drift boaters and bank anglers are doing best between Oxbow Park and Dabney Park. The water is on a slow drop and running clear so lighter leaders and subdued presentations are called for. Drift boats pulling plugs have been scoring well as do float fishers, fishing jigs. Smelt are thick in the lower river and have been spotted up to Dabney Park. River smelt are now federally protected and harvesting them is restricted.

The ODFW will host a family fishing Event at Canby Pond on Saturday, March 30th from 9 AM to 2 PM. Volunteers will be on hand to provide equipment and tips to youngsters.

Northwest – Steelheaders on the north coast are readying for a mediocre season to complete. Action should remain consistently challenging on the Wilson, Nestucca, Trask and Nehalem Rivers with the smaller streams a poor option in the dropping flows. Some summer steelhead may begin to show on the Wilson and Nestucca and the district's spring chinook season opens on April 1st. No sign of spring chinook yet and we're still 6 weeks away from consistent fishing.

With spring break upon us, area lakes have been amply stocked with trout for catch and keep fisheries. Conditions are good and so are the catches.

Calm seas produced excellent catches of bottomfish, both lingcod and sea bass out of all northern ports. Depoe Bay and the south jetty out of the Columbia River have been very consistent with fair catches of ocean crab available too.

It's still a bit early for good catches of ocean chinook south of Cape Falcon but the season is open. Catches are likely to improve in the coming weeks. A large chinook forecast should make for a productive ocean fishery.

Razor clam digging should be excellent over the weekend on many Clatsop area beaches.

Southwest- Boats launching out of central Oregon ports have been taking limits of lingcod but the clock is running out for deep water opportunities. The ocean closes beyond the 30-fathom line on April 1st. Nearshore reefs will continue to produce good catches of rockfish.

Offshore conditions are forecast to be favorable for ocean launches this week.

Winchester Bay crabbing is slow although fishing from the South Jetty has been productive. A few anglers are trying for sturgeon but results have been poor. Starting April 1, two legal sturgeon may be kept for the year. The Umpqua mainstem has dropped to normal seasonal flows following the freshet late last week. Spring chinook fishing is slow although steelheaders have taken a few large fish. All natives must be released river-wide. steelheading has been worthwhile on the South Umpqua although the water is getting a little low.

Coos Bay crabbing is good and improving. Late-season steelheading is spotty on the Coos system although the West and East Fork Millicoma and South Coos are producing a few fish.

When boats have been able to cross the bar out of Gold Beach, bottom fishing has produced limits of rockfish, lingcod and a few crab. Spring chinook fishing turned on in the lower Rogue following the rise in water levels Thursday last week. The first two hours of the incoming tide and an hour after it turns have been most productive. Steelheaders on the middle Rogue are doing fair. Winter fish are being taken on the upper river as well and while the first springer of the year was taken on March 7th at the Hatchery Hole, none have entered the hatchery facility yet.

Only the occasional bright winter steelhead is being caught on the Chetco as most are spawned out or dark this late in the season.

Elk River anglers took a few late-winter steelhead as the river dropped following rainfall last week but the level is getting too low to fish well.

Eastern – March Browns are hatching on the lower Deschutes but not in impressive number. Take Blue-winged-Olive, stonefly, caddis and midge patterns for success with the redsides.

Fly casters on the Metolius are taking fish on nymphs with only occasional light hatches occurring.

Green Peter is producing fair catches of kokanee but far short of the 25-per-day limit.

Steelhead fishing this week in the Grande Ronde in southeast Washington has been stellar. The state creel from last week tallied less than 3 hours per fish.

Soapbox Update:

Do you care about wild salmon and steelhead on the North Oregon Coast?

The Oregon Department of Forestry is taking public comment on “High Value Conservation Areas” until mid-April and if you're an angler, you should be a part of the conversation. Go to the home page of the North Coast State Forest Coalition for talking points and where to submit your comments. They DO count and you'll be an important part of this vital conversation.

www.forestlegacy.org

Oregon fishing report 3/22

Willamette Valley/Metro - On the Willamette, your die hard, spring chinook fisherman might have noticed a lull in the catch rate this last week. It could be chalked up to the huge wad of ESA protected smelt that have entered the lower Columbia.

On the Columbia, salmon are being caught from Jim Crow Island up to Washougal and from St Helens to Oregon City on the Willamette, but the action is far from hot. Some anglers are reporting 2-4 partially digested smelt in the bellies of their catch. Expect the action to improve as we near the peak of the run in April. Anglers are reminded that the mainstem Columbia below Bonneville will be closed to salmon and steelhead fishing on March 26th and April 2nd.

Catch and release sturgeon fishing is available and likely quite good, if only anglers would put in the effort. Few NW fishermen can muster up any enthusiasm for this fishery when the tastiest of all salmon are swimming in the same river.

Fly anglers fortunate enough to be on the McKenzie when the March Brown hatch is on should do well. It has been occurring this week between 1 PM and 3 PM with redsides responding accordingly. During those periods without hatch activity, medium to dark-toned nymphs such as Prince or Possie Buggers are effective.

The Santiams are on the rise mid-week but will start to drop and clear by Friday and continue improving through the weekend. Steelhead numbers remain low but a few have been hooked.

Trout fishing has been good at Hagg Lake for trollers using small plugs. Bass fishing has yet to get underway with water temperatures 50 degrees or less.

The Clackamas River is surprising steelhead fishermen with some decent fishing. Respectable numbers of both wild and hatchery broodstock steelhead are showing up in the catch and nobody is complaining about the average size of the fish. The river has been running on the high side, dictating that fishermen should focus their attention to the upper stretches between Rivermill Dam and Barton Park.

Sandy River anglers are also experiencing a boost in the steelhead catch. Warmer temps have contributed to snowmelt in the upper drainage keeping the river at a happy fishable level. Water conditions were near perfect over the weekend with slight rise expected later in the week. Boaters and bank fishermen alike are getting a mix of both wild and hatchery broodstock steelhead, with a few summer steelhead also showing in the catch.

Northwest – Steelhead fishing on the north coast remains consistently mediocre. The Wilson and Nestucca still offer up the best opportunities and a mid-week river rise could stimulate weekend opportunities. If the river systems rise high enough, small stream boating for primarily wild fish could produce good catches. Large fish continue to be taken.

Greg Finley of Vancouver and Bill Glenwright from Hong Kong both got credit for a side-drifted 7-pounder from the Wilson on Sunday. Both angler's offerings were down the throat of the fresh winter-run fish but Greg graciously offered his “half” to the home-bound Bill to feed his overseas family.

Opportunities abound for offshore anglers once seas lay down. Another possibility exists over the weekend but forecasts are always changing. Chinook salmon, lingcod, sea bass and crab are all options if the weather cooperates.

Area lakes have been amply stocked in anticipation for spring break anglers.

Crabbing is best in Nehalem Bay.

Southwest- From Newport to Brookings, offshore boats are taking advantage of access to deep water where limits or near-limits of lingcod are being taken daily. About ten days remain for this opportunity as no bottom fishing will be allowed beyond 30 fathoms as of April 1. Rockfish limits are coming from shallow-water reefs.

Surf perch fishing has been good for anglers casting from south coast beaches. Baits of shrimp, clams, mussels and squid are yielding numbers of good-sized redtails.

Rain this week has rivers on the rise but with little or no precipitation over the weekend, expect to find dropping and clearing conditions which should equate to decent fishing. Springer fishing is just starting in some rivers as winter steelhead season winds down. Pink plastic worms have accounted for a number of steelhead fatalities.

The closure of mussel harvest that had been effect from Cape Arago to the California border has been lifted with the abatement of naturally-occurring toxins.

Fishing is fair to good from the South Jetty at Winchester Bay. Crabbing has been slow to fair. The Umpqua system will be dropping in the coming weekend which will mean opportunities for long-rodders in the flies-only stretch of the North Umpqua and keepers on the south. Mainstem fishers are hoping for spring chinook to enter, a possibility following the rise in water levels mid-week.

Low water woes which stalled steelheading on the Rogue will be alleviated with rain this week. While half-pounders are being caught on the lower river, it should receive a late-season surge of adults along with some spring chinook. The March-reliable middle Rogue will re-fire with the freshet. Winters will again resume entering the upper stretch as well.

Although steelhead season is winding down on the Chetco, anglers should see some action as the water levels drop into the coming weekend. Fishing has been good here when water conditions are right and fresh fish are in the system.

Elk River may have another shot at winter steelhead following rainfall this week. This may be a last shot this late in the season and with the river closing at the end of March.

Eastern – March Browns are popping on the lower Deschutes although Blue-Winged-Olives and midges remain important patterns to have on hand. Fishing for redsides is fair but steady.

The Crooked River has been rising over the past week but no report has come in about how this has affected this remarkably productive little stream.

Despite schools of fish appearing on depth finders at Lake Billy Chinook, only a handful of kokanee are being caught. A few browns and bull trout have been taken.

Oregon fishing report 3/15/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - Spring salmon fishing is underway on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Both rivers offer good opportunity as salmon are hitting decks with more frequency. The Willamette had a bump up in turbidity but it didn't slow the effort and catches were still reported from the head of the channel, Willamette Park and Sellwood. The river is now clearing again and fishing should only improve through April. On the Columbia most effort is from the Portland Airport down to St. Helens with the I-5 troll getting the most attention. On either river, green label plug cut herring, fished with or without a flasher is the primary trolling rig. Cured prawns are getting a few fish as well. Anchor fishermen will use K-14 or K-15 Kwikfish, wrapped with sardine fillets and beach anglers use spin n glows almost exclusively. Remember to pinch your barbs with the new 2013 "barbless" rule. Catch and release sturgeon fishing has taken back seat since the arrival of salmon, but opportunity still exists.

McKenzie water flow has continued to gradually moderate, setting the stage for good fishing for redsides. Try BWO imitations or Mayfly nymphs to connect.

The steadily dropping waters of the North Santiam offers a little more reason for optimism that the South Santiam as the clarity is better. With about 200 summers upstream of Willamette Falls along with over 2,000 winters, the odds of a hookup have improved. Only 10 winters had been counted at Foster Dam as of March 11.

The Clackamas River continues to produce both winter and a few summer steelhead, despite the coast-wide low return. Fishing is far from hot, but worth the effort. The river remains at a very fishable level, but is running on the clear side. Most action is above Carver, with fish being taken from both bank anglers and boater alike. Expect action to hold up through mid-April.

Despite low, clear water on the Sandy River, fishermen continue to catch handfuls of both winter and summer steelhead. The river could use a shot of rain to add color and flow. Although fish are present, the river above Oxbow Park is extremely clear, making for very tough fishing. Below Oxbow, the river picks up flow and a bit more silt, offering friendlier opportunity. Expect the run to hold up through the first week of April, when summer steelhead will begin to dominate the catch. Northwest – Although steelhead fishing remains fair during what most deem peak season, anglers shouldn't expect double digit opportunities for the remainder of the season. The Wilson and Nestucca will remain primary targets into early April but anglers are already putting in more time for Willamette Valley early spring chinook than peak season coastal steelhead.

Another hydrologic bump is forecast for mid-week, which could boost steelhead numbers in the major river systems just prior to the weekend. Anglers have noted that some of the best steelheading of the season has actually taken place on river rises; an unusual circumstance.

Sturgeon effort in Tillamook Bay remains light but morning tides are favorable for west channel pursuit if anglers are motivated.

Anglers never got the opportunity to take advantage of the calm ocean over the weekend. Despite an inviting ocean, bar conditions remained too rough for safe or legal crossing. There may be another window by the weekend. Anglers will be anxious to get offshore in pursuit of bottomfish, crab and yes, even salmon. The recreational chinook season opens on March 15th from Cape Falcon south to Humbug Mountain and will likely last well into the fall as large numbers of California stock fish are forecasted to be available. The fin-clip rule remains in effect in the nearshore. Check regulations for detail.

Although not minus tides, morning tides through the weekend should allow diggers access to bay and razor clams. Digging won't be excellent but limits are attainable if you bring your waders.

Southwest- Bottom fishing was excellent out of Newport in mild seas and soft breezes over the past weekend. Limits of rockfish and ling cod were taken with both deep water and nearshore reefs productive. Chinook salmon from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. will open March 15 and run through April 30 for adults 24 inches or larger.

Pinkfin perch fishing has been good on area beaches. It's early for this fishery which will improve over the next six weeks or so but decent catches now are indicative of a banner year for them.

Earlier this week the ODFW confirmed Spring all-depth halibut dates as May 9-11, May 16-18, May 30-June 1, and June 6-8. Additional days will be added as available quota allows.

As water and flow moderated on the Umpqua. steelheaders have been taking a mix of hatchery and native fish. The North and South Umpqua rivers should be fishing well this week as they drop in the absence of rain.

Lower Rogue water levels rose late last week but are on the drop this week. While no confirmed catches of spring Chinook had been reported at this writing, there may well have been some taken by now. Either way, steelheading is worthwhile following the freshet and even better on the middle river where winters are heading for the Applegate River. With decent numbers of steelhead showing at Cole River Hatchery, fishing on the upper river is also good.

While The Chetco fished well for winter steelhead after rainfall raised water levels last week, the river has been dropping since that time and is getting too low to fish at its best.

Elk River steelheaders did pretty well over the past weekend but without precipitation this week, the water is getting skinny.

Eastern – Blue-Winged-Olive hatches continue to dominate on the lower Deschutes but March Browns, which usually start in early April, were popping up over the past weekend. Redside dishing has been fair to good for fly anglers fishing near the banks. Level, flow and color have been excellent.

The Crooked River is fishing well with Mayfly and midge nymphs most effective.

Soapbox Update:

INFORMATION ON THE FORAGE FISH ANIMATION
The PFMC released its Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) and accompanying appendix of concrete ecosystem initiatives. There is a web feature with the video animation on Pew's website.  It's also on Pew's YouTube page here. Pew released an action alert calling on people to ask the council to adopt the plan in April and move expeditiously to its first initiative -- extending management protection to vulnerable species of forage fish. Please push the video far and wide through whatever networks you see fit. I have included some social media suggestions below in case you want to use them. It's time to take a minute to think about the bottom of the food chain. Learn about the little fish that iconic creatures like whales and tuna depend on for survival, and why it's so important to protect them.  http://bit.ly/VZBJG0

#CA, #OR, #WA & #ID residents: Take action to protect the #forage fish of the Pacific Ocean! http://bit.ly/ZwogXu

House Bill 2252 which would allow the ODFW to issue fishing licenses for multiple years, moved swiftly through the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and is now recommended for passage. This would allow anglers to purchase a license for five years (for instance) and potentially to do so at a discount. The bill, if passed, would also make the offer available to hunters (excluding controlled-hunt tags) and allows non-residents in service as active military to purchase licenses and harvest permits at resident cost. Currently, ten other states offer a multi-year license option at discounts of 10 to 15 percent.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - The Willamette River below the falls is giving up spring chinook from bottom to top, with fair reports coming in daily. Water conditions remain excellent with good visibility and an average temperature of 45 degrees. Still, Sellwood is seeing the most action but it is also getting the most traffic. The Multnomah Channel is also putting out its share of early fish and anglers would be well advised to put some time in there. Green label herring, either plug cut or fished whole is the number one bait, but cured prawns are the runner up. Expect fishing to improve as we approach the peak of the run in April, as long as water conditions remain favorable. Catch and release sturgeon fishing remains fair to good on the Willamette but effort has dropped off as anglers are beginning to target salmon. Smelt, squid and sand shrimp will all get bites in the deeper holes of the Portland harbor.  

On the Clackamas, anglers are experiencing improved steelhead fishing, despite the slow start. Fish are spread throughout the system but most action is being had from Carver upstream.  

The Sandy River continues to impress Metro area anglers with a better than decent run of broodstock hatchery steelhead. Wild, unclipped fish are also present, as are a surprising early showing of hatchery summer run steelhead. Boaters from Oxbow Park to Dabney Park are scoring best, but fish are spread throughout the system. 

McKenzie levels rose with rainfall around the first of March. Expect levels to remain a little high as flows have been slow to moderate. Winter trout fishing is fair to good.

The Santiam system will be on the drop over the weekend. The occasional winter steelhead is being taken on the North Santiam and reportedly a few summers are already in the river.

Northwest – Steelheaders enjoyed optimum conditions through much of the weekend and early this week. Despite entering peak season, anglers still struggled to find good numbers of fish. The Nestucca and Wilson Rivers harbored the greatest number of driftboats and bank anglers with an occasional quality broodstock and wild fish found.

Tom Atchison of Tillamook hooked 3 steelhead on the Nestucca between 4th Bridge and 1st Bridge on Sunday, landing one nice 10-pound broodstock hen and releasing a wild buck. One fish took a plug while the other was taken sidedrifting a small cluster of eggs on a yarn ball.

Steelheaders on the north coast are in agreement; although numbers are clearly down from the previous 2 productive years, quality is up. There is a high percentage of fish above 10 pounds and several over 15.

River levels are expected to remain in good condition into the weekend. Although interest is down from last year, anglers can find even greater solace in streams without broodstock programs. The Trask, Nehalem, Kilchis and Necanicum systems should continue to produce wild fish through March. Bank anglers will score their best results on the smaller systems and bobber and jigs should produce better results in the dropping flows.

Seas were forecasted to calm by mid-week, making offshore fisheries a strong option for hungry lingcod and sea bass in the nearshore. Crabbing is likely to be just fair after an intense commercial crab fishery.

A softening tide series should bring interest for estuary crabbing but don't expect limits of keepers. Crab should be in good condition however.

Southwest- Biologists are predicting a productive ocean salmon fishery off the south coast in the coming season. Most of these chinook will be three-year-olds although the increase of larger four year old fish is forecast to quadruple over last year.

Rough ocean conditions once again kept boats from crossing into the ocean over the past weekend. Offshore conditions are forecast to settle down somewhat by Friday this week. All-depth halibut opens in May.

Fishing for red-tail surf perch is good on south coast beaches whenever the ocean is lying down.

Rogue River levels are dropping rapidly following the passage of a storm front mid-week. Low, clear water which had stalled steelheading on the lower river last week will be alleviated but driftboats on the middle Rogue below the mouth of the Applegate will fare better. With winter steelhead well-distributed, fishing has been fair on the upper river from in the stretch below TouVelle.

A few early spring chinook have been taken on the Umpqua. South Umpqua steelheaders targeting hatchery fish should have a good weekend as water levels drop. Hookups have been good for native steelhead on the North Umpqua.

The Chetco River, low and clear earlier this week, was forecast to rise up to around 6,000 cfs mid-week, then drop into the coming weekend. It should be fishable by Wednesday, with water dropping into mid-March. Chetco steelheaders will find fresh, bright fish this weekend and as the river recovers, steelheading will be good. Opportunity runs to the end of the month when the river closes.

Elk and Sixes Rivers will produce following precipitation as they're dropping but these smaller rivers will get too low rapidly.

The catch rate has remained steady at one trout every couple of hours for ice fishers at Diamond Lake with Power Bait and jigs effective.

Eastern – The level, flow and color are excellent on the lower Deschutes. Blue-Winged-Olive is the principle winter pattern with hatches peaking now. Other insects of interest include caddis, larger stones and midges with most hookups occurring mid-day.

There have been a few large rainbows taken at Fall River recently but the river can get crowded, particularly on weekends.

Guides on the Grand Ronde in eastern Oregon are predicting good spring fishing; when flows drop and temperatures warm.

Soapbox Update:
Spring Fishing Classic - March 30th - REGISTRATION IS OPEN

The 21st Annual Spring Fishing Classic will occur on Saturday, March 30, 2013. The Kliever Memorial Armory, 10000 NE 33rd Dr, Portland, OR 97211, is the location of weigh-in, dinner, awards, auctions, raffles.

After fishing has concluded for the day, participants and sponsors enjoy a buffet dinner, door prizes, a silent auction, a bucket auction and a lot of fun. This all day derby commences at daylight; the weigh-in deadline is 3:30 pm.

The number of teams are limited. Register now!!!

Register here

SW Washington- Wild steelhead and a rare broodstock fish are showing up in district rivers. The Cowlitz will remain the best option for a late season hatchery option while the Lewis River should have some wild fish available through March.

The Washougal system should also produce a few wild fish with the hatchery component largely over.

Anglers are starting to ramp up their efforts on spring chinook. Early season catches and indicators at Bonneville Dam are fueling indications that the run may actually be under-predicted for a change. If water conditions persist, catches will only get better this week.