Oregon fihsing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Willamette River spring chinook anglers are enjoying moderate success from the Multnomah Channel up to Oregon City. Although the catching is just average at best, it hasn't hampered the effort. Monday provided a pretty decent bite at the head of Multnomah Channel, with some boats getting two to four fish. The Portland Harbor has been spotty giving up a handful of fish one day and being challenging the next. Willamette Park and Sellwood are mostly slow with the odd average day. Oregon City is getting busy and the fish are there, but so are the sea lions and some days they seem to be getting 75% of the fish hooked. Either we are having a slim return or the bulk of the run is on the late side, the next two weeks will tell. Bass anglers are starting to show with the warming weather and although effort is light, catch and release sturgeon fishing is likely very good.

With dry weather this week, the McKenzie water level has continued to drop. Fly fishers may expect excellent water conditions over the coming weekend although pressure has been light. Nymphs have been most effective recently.

Spring counts are picking up at Willamette Falls while summer steelhead numbers have remained steady. Many of these fish are bound for the Santiams where results have been fair for steelhead while salmon action will occur later in the season. As of April 18th, 173 winter steelhead had been counted at Foster Dam. The summer steelhead count of 82 has not changed since April 4th.

The Clackamas River is running a bit on the high side, with excellent visibility. Summer steelhead are present as well as the odd late winter fish. A couple of spring chinook are rumored to have been caught and it should be no surprise. Fresh steelhead should be spread throughout the rivers length; however the river upstream from Carver provides the best holding water, as well as bank access. Spring chinook will peak in late May and June, while summer steelhead will trickle in through July.

Sandy River steelhead fishermen have been working hard for a few summer steelhead and diminished numbers of late winter steelhead. Like the Clackamas, the Sandy has been running high with good visibility. Drift boaters have been having the best success pulling plugs on the Oxbow Park to Dabney Park stretch, while most bank fishermen work the upper river from Oxbow up to Dodge Park. The season's first spring chinook has yet to be reported. Summer steelhead are available here through July while the spring salmon will peak in early to mid-June.

The ODFW is hosting a Family Fishing Event Saturday, April 27 at Trojan Pond near Rainier.  Staff and volunteer fishing instructors will be present at the event to offer helpful tips to families who want to learn how to fish. The department will loan out rods, reels and tackle and provide bait to anyone who needs it. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Northwest – Spring chinook have been reported from Tillamook Bay although most are waiting for mid-May before putting in an effort. River levels are dropping and clearing but the Trask, Wilson and to a lesser extent, the Nestucca should have both steelhead and early spring chinook available.

Offshore opportunity should also present itself through the weekend but afternoon winds will put a damper on a full day's effort. California stock chinook and bottomfish await anglers willing to pursue them in calm seas. Crabbing in the ocean will be fair at best.

Excellent early morning tide series along with a calm ocean swell should make razor clam digging very productive along Clatsop Beaches this weekend.

Southwest- Surf perch fishing is good and improving on southwest beaches. Mid-day and early afternoon incoming tides will favor redtail anglers.

The spring all-depth halibut season opens May 9, 10 and 11 and May 16, 17 and 18, then every other Thursday through Saturday until the quota is fulfilled.

Crabbing is slow in Winchester Bay. Spring chinook fishing is slow to fair with best results in the Scottsburg area. Catches are expected to improve in coming weeks. The South Umpqua will close to all angling from May 1st through May 24th.

Spring chinook fishing has been slow to fair on the lower Rogue over the past week with only a few guide boats reporting limits. Chinook are entering the middle river as well and upper Rogue anglers are hoping for a shot at them soon. Try wrapped pugs in migration lanes for the best chance of a hookup.

Boaters taking advantage of early morning calm seas just outside the Port of Brookings have taken good numbers of large rockfish and legal-sized lingcod before wind and wave action picked up.

With the spring thaw well underway at Diamond Lake, boats may now launch from the ramp on the north shore. About 50% of the water is expected to be ice-free by the weekend. Ice-out fishing is usually good here.

The ODFW is hosting a Family Fishing Event Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Middle Empire Lake in Coos Bay. A family fishing clinic will be held after which kids can fish an enclosure stocked with 6,000 trout.

Eastern – Spring has come to the lower Deschutes although it can be tumultuous at times, Expect to find great water conditions with caddis and mayflies hatching in the afternoon. An early Salmonfly hatch is expected, perhaps mid-May.

Fishing is spotty on the Metolius although a big bull trout can make an angler's day here.

Crooked River level and flow has continued to moderate, putting it in great shape for the coming weekend. Nymphs are most effective here but keep an eye out for risers during brief afternoon hatches.

April 27th is the opening of the general trout season with many anticipating the Crane Prairie opener this weekend.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Although not hot, the spring salmon fishing has picked up on the Willamette River since the Columbia has closed. The best action is coming from the Multnomah Channel and at the head of the channel, with catches coming in at Willamette Park and Sellwood as well. A handful have even been reported from Oregon City from both boaters and bank anglers. Plug cut, green label herring and cured prawns are the most popular baits with the boaters. Spin n glow with or without bait works best for the bank plunkers. Expect the fishing to improve through the end of the month.

Following a spike in levels on the 8th, only light showers are in the forecast for this week which means anglers may expect to find the McKenzie River in excellent condition. Until the brief afternoon March Brown hatch occurs or Caddis start popping, nymphs will be effective.

The Santiam system will be gradually dropping over the week although fishing has been fairly slow. With only 1,700 summers and 500 spring Chinook reported at Willamette Falls, that's not a lot of fish to populate the upstream tributaries. Only winter steelhead have been crossing Foster Dam since April 4th.

The Clackamas River has dropped into prime shape and is giving up a few late winter and early summer steelhead. The section from Rivermill Dam downstream to Carver will provide the best action. Rumors of spring Chinook should start surfacing soon. Sand shrimp and cured roe are the preferred baits, while plugs, jigs and hardware are the recommended artificials.

On the Sandy River, fishermen are still plying the waters for late winter steelhead and early summers. The winter component is on the way out and care should be taken to release spawners carefully. Early summers have been showing up in the catch and numbers should increase through June. The same baits and lures will apply here, as on the Clackamas River.

The ODFW will host a fishing event for two to 12-year-olds at McNary Ponds on Saturday, April 20th from 10 a.m. to noon. Another event on Sunday, April 21st at St. Louis Ponds from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. is family-oriented. Both events are free and kids will be provided with tackle. For information, call 541-276-2344.

Northwest – Although several north coast streams remain open to steelhead fishing, action is slow, after an already mediocre season. Spring chinook is next on tap but action won't heat up for another month. The district doesn't predict the number of returning adults but the size of the Willamette run is often an accurate predictor. Two spring chinook are rumored to have been taken on the Trask River recently.

A few summer steelhead and a rare fresh winter run fish remain available on the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers. The catch will largely be made up of wild and hatchery steelhead either close to spawning or already spawned out.

Coastal anglers will anxiously be awaiting ocean opportunity until springers arriver. Action for California bound chinook should be good out of Garibaldi when seas calm. The weekend looks to hold promise but early morning launches are recommended as it's likely the late morning/early afternoon trade winds will blow. The softer tide series will benefit bar crossers and bottomfishers.

Southwest- Fishery managers recently announced the continuation of the offshore chinook season; south of Cape Falcon, the ocean chinook salmon fishery will remain open through October 31, 2013. Results have been good thus far for offshore trollers from Newport to Bandon which bodes well for the remainder of the season.

Offshore launches should be possible this coming weekend as swell and wind conditions moderate. Sunday looks most promising in the long-range forecast.

Spring chinook entered the mainstem Umpqua early this year. With the water dropping and clearing this week, anglers should take some around Elkton. With winter steelhead in the system, North and South Umpqua flows will be moderating as well.

Lingcod limits came early to boats launching out of Charleston over the past weekend while rockfish numbers were a little harder to come by. Coos Bay offers the best chance of any bay for success with Dungeness crab.

Bottom fish limits took a little longer over the past week but were filled for most boats launching out of Gold Beach. Area beaches have produced good catches of redtail surf perch whenever wave action has been moderate. Boat fishers on the lower Rogue are taking spring chinook to the tune of about a dozen a day on anchovy/spinner combos while bank anglers are scoring a few on Spin 'N' Glo's. Steelheaders on the middle Rogue will encounter late-running winters with best results below the Applegate River. Above the old Gold Ray Dam site, upper river anglers will also have an opportunity to tangle with winter steelhead as the Army Corps of Engineers will allow the upper river to drop over the coming week. Springers are yet to appear at Cole Rivers hatchery.

Even when the ocean has been lumpy, boats launching early mornings out of the Port of Brookings have been scoring good numbers of rockfish and lingcod just outside the bar.

Eastern – Anglers are advised with the upcoming April 27th opening on the Deschutes that use of the popular railroad track crossing at South Junction Campground is considered trespassing by Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Crooked River flows have dropped below 300 cfs over the past week which will be welcome news to fly anglers who were dismayed when flows increased.

The smallmouth bass bite is picking up in upriver reservoirs in the Columbia. The John Day Pool will likely provide some of the best opportunity.

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Oregon fishing report 4/12/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - Spring Chinook fishing on the Willamette River remains sporadic. Small flurries of fish are occasionally caught in all the usual places, but many anglers are still singing the blues. Every third or fourth day, a good report of 25 nets spotted will come from the head of Multnomah Channel. The Columbia River at Davis Bar continues to produce sporadic results but should be consistent through the closure.

The lower McKenzie has been fishing very well. March Browns love rainy weather and redsides love March Browns. When the hatch is on, fishing has been great for fly anglers.

Counts of summer steelhead are gradually ramping up although fewer than 1,400 have crossed, a stronger showing than the last couple of seasons. Santiam fishing is dependent on these Willamette fish. Hatchery fish are being recycled from the hatchery down to Waterloo on the South Santiam to allow anglers another chance at them.

Steelhead fishing on the Clackamas River is tapering off, but local die-hard's continue to squeak out a fish or two. With warmer temps and spring run-off in full swing, the river remains on the high side. The upper river will fish better in this case so anglers would be wise to focus their efforts upstream.

The Sandy River still offers mediocre opportunity for late winter and early summer steelhead. Here, spring run-off has yet to take hold and the river remains very fishable. The water between Oxbow Park and Dabney Park has the most to offer for boaters while the upper river fares better for bank bound anglers.

Northwest – Spring chinook are the primary focus in the district with a noticeable up-tick in catches in the lower Columbia River. Clifton Channel at Tenasillahe Island has been especially productive but catches may slow with the recent river rise. Managers will meet today to discuss the recreational catch to date and determine if more time is warranted. The gillnet fleet fished on Tuesday and did well but the surprise was the presence of shad in the catch. One boat brought in 20 shad for the 9 hour opening; shad typically don't begin to show for another month.

Steelheaders were forced to take a hiatus for part of the week as rain-swollen rivers put most viable systems out of reach. The Wilson, Trask and Nestucca Rivers are just now coming into shape and should fish fair into the weekend. Winter steelhead, both fresh and spent, along with an occasional summer steelhead should be available. Still a month away from peak, the district's first spring chinook should show in the coming days.

After a week of rough ocean conditions, a window of opportunity may come about as early as Friday. Ocean fishing for sea bass and lingcod should be good. Rumors of productive chinook fishing relatively near-shore were reported last week out of Garibaldi.

Crabbing remains best in the ocean when conditions allow but only fair in north coast estuaries.

Southwest- Springtime weather in Oregon can be tumultuous, as has been the case recently. Between storm fronts, central coast offshore anglers have enjoyed good results for lingcod and rockfish. Ocean Chinook is open through April 15th although an extension or additional dates will be announced shortly.

Offshore conditions are marginal this week but there should be opportunities for a quick morning jaunt for bottomfish at nearshore reefs and kelp beds.

Fishing for red-tail surf perch will be good but only on days when wave action and tidal stages cooperate with beach anglers.

Most south coast steelheaders are hanging up their gear this late in the season and targeting spring chinook which are just getting underway.

Umpqua mainstem flows hit 16,000 cfs overnight on April 8th but will be dropping this week. Early spring chinook fishing should be fair to good as the water clears. Low water woes on the South Umpqua were alleviated with rainfall over the past weekend but it will be dropping rapidly.

While the lower Rogue was on the rise and turning muddy into the early hours of Tuesday, April 9th, it has been dropping since. This freshet will ensure decent numbers of chinook will await weekend springer hopefuls. Spring chinook have been running large this season. The middle river was also subject to high, roiled water as storms passed through but will be recovering this week. Upper river steelheaders are taking the occasional bright steelhead amidst the dark and spawned-out specimens. A few springers will be their way into the Cole Rivers Hatchery facility. Beware that access from the Hatchery Hole to McGregor Falls will be closing at 7 PM.

Offshore anglers have taken limits of lingcod and good catches of rockfish whenever ocean conditions have allowed launches. The Chetco River is now closed to fishing.

Eastern – Hatches on the lower Deschutes are light and variable so nymphing remains the most effective tactic. Pelton Dam to the Northern Reservation Boundary opens April 27. Although March Browns are just getting underway, fly anglers are already anticipating the Salmonfly hatch.

Fall River has been rewarding fly anglers with fair to good catches although it's been on one day, off the next.

Mann Lake has been fishing well for fly anglers using wet patterns.

Oregon fishing report 4/5/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - The spring salmon run on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers has been slow to materialize. Small flurries of fresh chinook salmon have been reported for weeks now, but the strength of the run has yet to make its showing. The typical Portland hot spots like Davis Bar, I-5, Head of Multnomah Channel and Sellwood are giving up a few fish daily, but anglers still await the big push. The later than normal smelt run could be the culprit, but the lower Columbia has been virtually void of salmon until recently when sport and test net catches improved. A compact call today will determine any possible extension for mainstem Columbia sportanglers.

Anglers looking for some faster action might consider catch and release sturgeon fishing in the Portland harbor.

The McKenzie has been fishing well with redsides taking nymphs and wet flies. The water level will rise with rain this week but when the sun returns and air temperatures warm, look for March Brown hatches.

The next "learn the river" trip on the North Santiam will take place on April 6th. Telephone (503) 897-3301 for additional information. Fishing has been slow to fair but will improve as numbers build.

The Clackamas River continues to produce winter steelhead and anglers can expect the action to continue through the middle of the month. A few summer steelhead are also showing up in the catch and those numbers should increase through April. Rumors of an early spring chinook are circulating but remain unconfirmed. Good salmon fishing is still a month and a half away.

On the Sandy River, water levels remain good for steelhead fishermen. Both winter and summer steelhead are showing up and angling pressure has been described as "average". Many of the winter steelhead landed are in spawning mode and care should be taken to release them as quickly and easily as possible. The stretch between Oxbow Park and Dabney Park will have the most opportunity as well as the most of the effort.

Northwest – A mix of summer and late winter steelhead, both pre and post-spawn are available on the north coast. Several streams closed to fishing on April 1st. Rivers containing hatchery summer steelhead and spring chinook remain open but are still weeks away from viable catches. Spring chinook season opened on April 1st although no springers have been confirmed.

Another rain freshet is due by the weekend, which could stimulate steelhead action for one last time on larger systems such as the Wilson, Trask and Nestucca Rivers. Hatchery broodstock fish should still be available with an occasional summer steelhead likely too.

Coastal anglers remain motivated by excellent sea bass and lingcod catches in the ocean or near bay entrances. Seas were flat calm at mid-week but are expected to blow up by the weekend with the storm front coming ashore.

Bay crabbing remains challenging.

Southwest- Offshore bottom fishing out of central Oregon ports was excellent in calm seas over the past week with depth restrictions looming. Plenty of large lings were available and rockfishers filled limits. As a visual bonus, the northward whale migration has started. Boats must stay inside the 30 fathom line as of April 1st.

Spring chinook fishing has been picking up on the mainstem Umpqua with a 23-pounder landed near Elkton late last week. Cold water has been keeping bites light; perhaps rain this week will serve to raise water temps which should improve fishing.

While ocean crabbing has been spotty and opportunities sporadic, Coos Bay has been producing good catches of Dungeness. Ballard Beach has been giving up large pinkfin to surf casters.

Bottomfishing has been excellent offshore out of Gold Beach. Spring chinook catches have been spotty but a few have been reported every day from the lower Rogue. Springer fishing will improve in the coming weeks. Expect variable flows this week although rainfall may finally trigger the spring chinook run. Fishing for winter steelhead has been fair to good with drift-boaters doing best side-drifting cured eggs. Bank anglers will score following a freshet as the river drops. Steelheading has been fair on the upper Rogue.

A flat ocean and mild breezes combined to create a banner weekend for bottomfishers out of the Port of Brookings. Lingcod are migrating to shallow water in preparation for spawning which will make them available to nearshore boaters and jetty anglers. The Chetco River closed on April 1.

Large pinkfin surf perch are being caught from the stretch of beach near the mouth of the Sixes River. The Elk and Sixes river are closed to fishing.

The spring thaw is in progress at Diamond Lake with snow on the ice-covered surface turning slushy. Ice fishing won't be an option but it will soon be possible to launch boats.

Eastern – The lower Deschutes has been fishing well below Maupin with Blue-Winged-Olives and March Browns hatching. Middle Deschutes levels are a little high but the March Brown hatch has started here and some nice browns have been landed on nymphs.

Crooked River levels have started rising as predicted. This will compromise the fine fishing enjoyed here in low water conditions. It will fish if water conditions stabilize.

Kokanee fishing was decent over the past weekend for trollers fishing with hoochies in calm conditions.