Thursday, August 29, 2013

Oregon fishing report for 8/30/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - Strong numbers of fall chinook salmon are crossing Bonneville Dam. The steelhead numbers have been generally below a thousand a day. Fishing for chinook has been on the slow side, likely due to warm water temperatures.

The Willamette River remains mostly quiet. Smallmouth bass are available in the mainstem and a few walleye are still being taken out of the Multnomah Channel. Catch and release fishing for sturgeon is always a possibility but the fishing would be on the slow side.

An increase occurred in McKenzie flows from 2,000 to 2,500 cfs at Vida over the past weekend although the river seems to have stabilized at the latter flow. Trout fishing is fair to good.

With few fresh fish entering and summer numbers fairly low this season, steelheading is slow on the Santiam system. Trout fishing is fair on the upper North and South Santiams.

The Clackamas River is relatively fishless and void of anglers. A few summer steelhead might be available in the upper reaches above Barton Park.

On the Sandy River, the story is much the same. The first arrivals of the silvers are expected in the next couple of weeks.

Northwest – Kudos to the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife as interest in pursuing fin-clipped chinook in the Buoy 10 fishery remained high after the all chinook closure last Friday. Clip rates were good and managers decided yesterday to continue the mark-select fishery through September 1st. Coho have yet to make a strong showing. Meanwhile, the chinook bite at Tongue Point lit up on Tuesday with numerous anglers limiting their boats by noon. Jim Stephenson of Milwaukie had several opportunities trolling herring suspended 5 to 7 feet off of the bottom above Tongue Point, fishing in the shipping channel in 47 feet of water. The Tongue Point bite will likely peak mid-week but remain a strong option into the weekend. Sea-lion interactions have been oddly low.

Anglers participating in the wobbler fishery in the Longview area report good success on the outgoing tides. Anchoring in the deeper troughs near the shipping channel is risky with ship traffic, but productive for deep running chinook when the flows are running. This fishery will be peaking in the next two weeks. If you're not anchored in the right lane however, success is sporadic at best.

Ocean fishing out of Astoria is picking up for coho especially. This is a good sign that they are staging just outside, prepping for a run into the lower Columbia in the coming weeks. The return is expected to be large. Despite a 2 chinook limit in the ocean, success for chinook is low.

Estuary crabbing is good on the lower Columbia and will only improve into September.

Bobber fishing for tidewater summer chinook has been good on the lower Nehalem but should taper as those fish make their way to the Vernonia area where they will spawn. These fish will deteriorate rapidly, it's best to keep your eye on the fall run about to return in the lower reaches any week now.

Speaking of fall chinook, Tillamook Bay anglers took good numbers of early returning chinook in Tillamook Bay last weekend. The stronger tides produced nicely at Memaloose but the softer tide series this week should turn the lower estuary on. Trolled herring at the bay entrance or adjacent ocean waters should be productive.

The south of Falcon all-coho fishery opens on September 1 & 2. Ocean action should be good if the weather cooperates. Coho won't begin to show in the estuary in fishable numbers for a few more weeks.

Southwest- Some boats took rockfish and lingcod limits out of Newport and Depoe Bay this week while others fell short. Tuna are reportedly moving closer to shore.

Tuna are safe to eat according to Oregon State University researchers following a report that a leaking nuclear reactor in Japan has irradiated albacore caught off the Oregon coast.

Swells and breezes are forecast to be light off the central coast for the coming weekend although conditions are subject to change.

Boats fishing just outside Winchester Bay, inside from the Highway 101 Bridge to Big Bend and up to the lower Umpqua mainstem have all been scoring chinook. It has been the hottest salmon fishery on the southwest coast. Chinook are running from mid-teens to over 30 pounds.

Bottom fishing out of Gold Beach has been excellent, yielding daily limits of rockfish and lings to 25 pounds. Ocean salmon fishing has been unreliable. Trolling in Rogue bay had been slow but picked up a little into the past weekend. Fishing is slow in the lower river. The middle Rogue is productive for chinook and steelhead up to Grants Pass. Summer steelhead continue to enter the hatchery although numbers are lower than last season. They are taking a variety of baits and lures.

Chinook fishing out of Brookings picked up again over the past week. Trolled anchovies with hoochies have been most effective at 40 to 50 feet at the 150 foot depth contour.

Eastern – With more than 70,000 steelhead over The Dalles Dam, fresh summers are available in the lower Deschutes. Steelheading is good in the mornings, best in the evening for those who can find an open spot on the crowded river.

The Crooked River is steady at 220 cfs. It has been fishing well at this flow.

Although the Wallowa River is running quite low, trout fishing has been good for those able to locate fish which are holding in only a small percentage of the water. Wallowa Lake is slow for trout and kokanee.

Grande Ronde water level, at 40% below the 10-year average, is too low to fish well.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Oregon fishing report 8/23/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - On the Columbia River, summer steelhead and fall chinook are being caught from Bonneville Dam downriver. Anchor fishing with small spinners for steelhead and wobblers for chinook salmon are the go to methods. Mainstem anchor boats target water between 33 and 48 feet, using a 5-foot dropper lead line with a 5-foot leader and wobbler, working the entire outgoing tide.

Walleye and smallmouth bass are still available in the Multnomah Channel and up river in the Willamette. Catch and release sturgeon fishing remains very slow.

McKenzie flows had been fluctuation from 2.100 to 2,150 cfs at Vida until August 17th when it dropped to 2,000 cfs and has remained fairly steady. It is fishing well with caddis patterns a reliable choice.

With fish passage slowed in the warm waters of the Willamette, there are few fresh steelhead entering the Santiam system. The Santiams are low and stable but steelheading has been slow although the upper Santiams have been productive for trout.

The Clackamas River from Rivermill Dam down to Carver Park is busy with rafters, swimmers and tubers. Limited opportunities for summer steelhead are available early in the morning and late in the evening.

On the Sandy River rafting traffic is intense as well but a few summer steelhead are available here too. Anglers are encouraged to fish early and late in the evening for any success.

Northwest – Although the Buoy 10 fishery is peaking, white-hot catches slowed on Friday and through the weekend although 1-fish limits were still quite common. The best fishing continues to be near high tide and during the softer late afternoon outgoing tide. Just above the Astoria Bridge on the Washington side remains a good afternoon option where Jim Bryant took a 23-pound upriver bright on Tuesday trolling a herring near the bottom. Action should remain excellent with coho starting to show in greater numbers later this week. A WDF&W agency official stated with the catch rates for chinook so high, an early closure is imminent. Industry leaders were advocating for continued opportunity for fin-clipped only chinook in the Buoy 10 fishery; managers will likely review options this week.

Ocean trollers have witnessed sporadic success rates with chinook occasionally showing to the north off of Long Beach and coho making a stronger showing to the south between Buoy's 2 and the CR. Effort remains highest in the river however.

Friendly seas motivated albacore anglers this week as good catches were common for much of the week. Tuna are starting to respond to live bait best but jigged hardware can also take fish.

The chinook bite at Nehalem has slowed but action in both Tillamook and Nehalem Bays should pick up again soon. Fall chinook and some hatchery coho should be staging later this month.

Southwest- Rockfish limits are being taken out of Newport and Depoe Bay along with a few ling cod, some of which have been huge.

Swells are forecast to flatten out of the central coast over the coming weekend while winds are predicted to lighten up. Launches for offshore boats should be no problem.

A few tuna were taken far offshore out of Newport over the past weekend. In addition to improving ocean conditions, there's a good chance warmer water will be moving nearer to the beach and if this occurs, albacore will follow.

When boats have been able to launch out of Winchester Bay, ocean Chinook trolling with whole herring has been producing Chinook. Be sure to drop crab traps on the way out as results have been good. crabbing inside Winchester Bay remains slow. The occasional Chinook has been caught in the jaws and while there are fish in the river, they have been off the bite.

Boats were able to get out of Gold Beach to fish the ocean every day over the past week. Results were excellent, yielding limits of near-limits of rockfish and ling cod. Over the past weekend, the Chinook troll fishery in Rogue Bay turned on once again. Lower Rogue half-pounder and adult steelhead are being taken below Quosatana Creek. Chinook fishing is fair in the Grants Pass stretch but is expected to improve. On the upper Rogue. Chinook are being caught below Dodge Bridge while steelheading is reliable upriver from that point.

The ocean Chinook bite out of Brookings Harbor, wide open a few weeks back, is now slow but steady. Trolling whole herring or anchovies at 40 to 100 feet in water 110 to 150 feet deep had been consistently effective. It is hoped the bite will pick up for the Slam'n Salmon Derby taking place Aug. 29 through Sept. 1. Rockfish and ling cod fishing is excellent and halibut from 70 to 90 pounds are being caught. Limits of ocean crab are being taken daily.

Eastern – With fresh fish entering from the Columbia now, number of summer steelhead and catches have improved on the lower Deschutes. Target them anywhere between Sherars Falls and the mouth. Caddis patterns remain effective for redsides on the lower river.

Crooked River flows are steady at 220 cfs and fishing is good.

East Lake is fishing well for kokanee averaging 16 inches.

Fishing for kokanee at Paulina has been slow and fish are small.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Oregon fishing report for 8/16/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - The Columbia River has both steelhead and chinook salmon spread from Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam. Beach fishermen and boaters alike are scoring at all the popular beaches and river mouths, with the mouth of the Cowlitz being the busiest.

Walleye fishing remains the highlight on the Willamette River, although effort has dropped a bit since last week. The dip in effort is likely due to the presence of chinook in the mainstem Columbia River. Regardless, fishing should hold up for weeks to come until the river cools substantially. Bass anglers are still getting a few fish but effort is at a minimum here as well. Catch and release sturgeon remain an option for anglers wishing to get a few hours of fishing while staying close to home but few fish are available.

Water flows measure 2,100 cfs with temperatures below 55 degrees at Vida on the McKenzie River. Fly anglers throwing caddis patterns continue to enjoy steady results for trout here.

Fish counts at Willamette Falls have not improved. Since all salmon and steelhead must travel the main Willamette, there has been very little change in populations on the Santiams. Fish higher on the system for best results targeting trout and possibly steelhead.

Northwest – With the 14th annual Buoy 10 Challenge looming Friday, anticipation is running high for chinook limits to hit the deck. The fishing in Astoria has been epic with limits of chinook common, coming largely from the Washington side of the river, above the Astoria Bridge. Size 6 Fatal Flash spinners in red/white or pink/white combinations have been working during outgoing tide but fresh and frozen herring and anchovies are holding their own as well. Michael O' Leary of Portland hooked several chinook on Tuesday, trolling a whole rigged fresh herring on the Washington side in 24 to 30 foot of water. The Oregon side has yet to produce tangible results and coho have not made a strong showing either.

Although interest has largely shifted to the lower Columbia, action in the salt, just outside of the river entrance is productive for mostly coho. The bite is best right at first light and effort remains focused to the south. A calm ocean forecast should keep the ocean fishing favorably and with a southern influence, may move albacore tuna closer to shore next week.

Crabbing is good on the lower Columbia.

With the central coast halibut quota filled and coho season closed, effort out of Garibaldi is minimal. Rockfish and crabbing remain a good option however and a productive any coho season is likely starting September 1st.

The Nehalem has slowed and will likely continue to be slow until the fall run make a stronger showing in September. There will likely be sporadic flurries of activity through the month of August however.

Southwest- Tuna are far offshore out of Depoe Bay, making it a long trip to reach them. Rockfish and lingcod limits are being returned to port regularly. With the bag limit raised from 16,000 to 19,580, anglers are anxious for the non-specific coho season to open September 1-2. Fish need not be fin-clipped during this fishery.

Summer all-depth halibut is wrapped up with the quota exceeded over the first opener on August 2-3.

Friendly ocean conditions are forecast to endure through the coming weekend.

While the ocean out of Reedsport is productive, so is Winchester Bay. Herring trollers have been taking chinook regularly. Bay crabbing remains poor. Chinook are in the Umpqua mainstem but don't seem to be biting.

The ocean laid down and winds were light all last week out of Gold Beach, allowing boats to get out every day. Fishing was good for chinook and limits of rockfish and lingcod were frequent. While upriver fires are mostly under control, so much water was required to do so, lower Rogue temperatures dropped and cooled the bay. Results slowed for bay trollers. Middle Rogue fishing is poor. Below Dodge Bridge on the upper river where wild Chinook may be retained, it has been productive for drift boaters using bait.

Boats launching out of Brookings Harbor have been taking limits of ocean chinook trolling depths from 110 to 140 feet.

Eastern – With steelhead numbers improving, catches have picked up a little. Hot weather has occasionally raised water temperatures and the bite will slow when that occurs.

Crooked River flow increased slightly in the first week of August although it continues to fish well. Nymphs are most effective at this time of year.

Schools of kokanee can be seen cruising at Odell Lake but they have been off the bite. A better option might be using downriggers to troll plugs for lake trout.

East Lake is fishing well and produces large brown trout periodically.

Big Lava Lake fishing is slow.

Thursday, August 08, 2013

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Walleye fishing on the Willamette River's Multnomah Channel has been better than decent. This normally quiet fishery has stirred interest from local anglers as well as anglers from further away. Trolling upstream in 12-20 feet of water with a night crawler rigged on a worm harness has been the method of choice. The walleye seem to prefer a little "bling" with their meal, in the form of a spinner blade or spin-n-glow in front of the worm. Sturgeon fishing in the Willamette was very slow during the retention opener and effort was at a minimum. The same is expected for any future openers or until the water cools off in October.

Summer steelhead fishing on the Columbia River has picked up a bit. Catches have become more consistent at the river mouths and below Bonneville Dam. A few anglers fishing the usual techniques have scored some nice chinook as well, suggesting there might be more in the river than previously thought. Anglers wishing to target early chinook salmon should try fishing deeper water. Small spinners, coon shrimp, plugs and large wobblers are getting bites.

On any day when there has been cloud cover, fly anglers on the McKenzie has seen a spike in results. Caddis remain the primary pattern of interest. Water temperature in the mid-50s has been fairly stable.

Flows on the North Santiam are stable and should remain that way over the coming week. While steelheading is predictably slow of low numbers this year, catch=and-release trout fishing is good. As of 1st of August, just over 4,000 spring Chinook had been counted on the South Santiam at Foster Dam with the same number of summer steelhead reported.

Northwest – The Buoy 10 opener went better than expected. The Young's Bay fishery has consistently been producing the Rogue strain chinook (aka “select area brights”) 2 hours before and 1 hour after high tide. Ruby, Bob and Nancy Van Dyk from Forest Grove all took their limits (1 fish each) of chinook in about 2 hours at high tide at the mouth of Young's Bay on Sunday afternoon. The largest fish, a 24-pounder, took a spinner behind a fish flash in 23-foot of water. The best news is chinook are being caught throughout the estuary, an early indicator that the run is going to be at least as large as predicted. River coho are scarce.

Catch and release sturgeon fishing remains excellent on Taylor Sands but no one is doing it. Use anchovies for bait.

Coho are scarce in the ocean as well. Offshore anglers are having to work for their catch, especially with the recent drop in water temperature recently. Chinook were readily biting to the north of the Columbia River on Saturday but have since disappeared. If the ocean temperatures rise again, it should turn on.

Last week was a good one for offshore albacore anglers although fish didn't bite consistently every day. Many boats came in with 20+ fish but rough offshore conditions has quelled interest.

Nehalem Bay continues to produce impressive numbers of chinook near the bay entrance. It is crowded however so prepare for tension. The Wheeler and Nehalem stretches should produce better catches on the current stronger tide series as the summer chinook run enters its peak weeks.

The initial summer halibut opener was less than impressive for most anglers. The next all-depth opener south of Cape Falcon is August 16th and 17th.

Southwest- It has taken some long trips at times out of Newport to locate tuna recently. While some boats got into them at 30 miles out, others have reported heading out 50 to 60 or more miles. It makes for a short day when the return trip takes several hours.

Crabbing is south coast bays has been showing a little improvement with more keeper male Dungeness showing in traps and nets.

Fires burning in southwest Oregon have closed some roads and created breathing hazards for some. Smoky conditions may determine where it's comfortable, or even possible, to fish.

Boats launching out of Winchester Bay have been taking ocean Chinook but only 40% of those anglers trying are actually returning to port with a fish.

Charters launched out of Gold Beach over the past week during lulls in windy conditions offshore for a mixed bag. Bottom fishing yielded typical catches of ling cod and rockfish but halibut and even Chinook were caught. Ocean crabbing has been good when winds have allowed. A surprise cooling of the lower Rogue late last week had Chinook moving upriver from the bay. Fresh salmon entering the bay have been off the bite. Steelheading has been fair on the lower and middle rivers. Smoke has been keeping anglers off the upper Rogue but the situation is improving.

Offshore Chinook fishing had been good out of Brookings over the past week when boats could get out. Either herring or anchovy, trolled behind a flasher, have been putting salmon in the fish box.

Water at Diamond Lake has warmed to the 70-degree range and trout fishing has slowed. The algae bloom is ongoing but has continued to test as non-toxic but trout must be skinned to remove any off flavor. Bait fishing in deeper areas has been most effective.

Eastern – Caddis are hatching periodically on the lower Deschutes and have been taking dry imitations when this occurs. Otherwise, nymphs are reliable for fair results. A few summer steelhead have entering the lower river with anglers hooking up occasionally.

Crooked River flows remain low and it is fishing well.

Green Peter has been producing fair to good numbers of kokanee on the troll in about 50 feet of water.

Kokanee and brown trout for jig fishers but results have been spotty.

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Oregon fishing report for 8/2/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - Steelhead fishing below Bonneville Dam has been spotty. The catch has been roughly 80% wild to 20% hatchery and most are ranging 4-6 Lbs. Sturgeon fishing is also on the slow side with little effort. A few fish are also getting taken off the mouths of the Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis and Sandy Rivers.

Willamette sturgeon fishers were given another opener Thursday through Sunday. Effort was way down from the previous week and few fish were caught. No announcements have been made as of yet for a future opener. Walleye fishing in the Multnomah Channel has been exceptionally good. So much so, that anglers who have yet to try it are venturing out and having reasonable success. Worm harnesses fished behind a bottom walker, trolled upstream is the ticket. Look for water from 12-20 feet deep. Bass fishing has also been good in the main river and anglers putting in their time are having 10-20 fish days.

While McKenzie River water levels have continued to gradually drop, fluctuation in flows has moderated. This should come as good news for fly fishers targeting trout. With the McKenzie receiving a smaller percentage of steelhead than other Willamette tributaries, catches have been fewer this year.

North Santiam levels are low but fishable. Trout fishing is fair but steelhead success is slow this season with the numbers of summers in the Willamette system far fewer than in previous years.

On the Clackamas River, summer steelhead fishing remains slow with little effort. Scattered fish are present in the section between Carver and Rivermill Dam, but anglers must work first and last light for any success. Low water tactics are a must with small baits and subdued lure colors getting the fish's attention.

Sandy River anglers have both summer steelhead and a few late spring chinook available. The water from the mouth of the Salmon River down to Oxbow County Park holds the best opportunity. Like the Clackamas, anglers are encouraged to use light gear and small baits for best results.

Northwest – Coho fishing has taken off again outside of the mouth of the Columbia. Although most boats continue to travel SW of the Columbia River Buoy, fish have been taken in the 150-foot range recently. This fishery should stay consistently good through August.

The Buoy 10 fishery is expected to produce mediocre results at first, with the mouth of Young's Bay the exception. Fair numbers of Rogue strain chinook, also called select area brights, have been taken by gillnetters and sport boats alike in lower Young's Bay. The chinook have been running large and the mainstem opener should produce nicely near high tide for herring trollers. This may be the last year for this fishery before a bubble restriction is enacted so take advantage of it. Mainstem chinook likely won't show in earnest for another week. Fishery managers are expecting a banner year.

Chinook catches in Nehalem Bay are good. Herring trollers working the mouth to Wheeler are producing good catches of summer chinook, likely to peak the first 10 days of August. George Hemingway of Manzanita, recently recognized by Governor Kitzhaber for his conservation work, landed a 16-pound chinook off of the Wheeler dock just over a week ago, simply mooching a herring.

Coho fishing out of Garibaldi has been good but closes after today (July 31st). Albacore will be the primary focus for the next several weeks for the Garibaldi fleet.

Ocean crabbing remains good but most of the catches are soft-shelled. Bay crabbing is only fair.

Southwest- Wednesday this week was the last opportunity for coho in the ocean and the season had a hot finish. One charter out of Depoe Bay reported on July 29th with 11 hatchery coho on board having released 15 natives. The non-selective (hatchery or wild) season begins with a 2-day opener offshore starting September 1 & 2 for a quota of 16,000 coho.

Offshore wind and wave conditions are expected to be friendly for the weekend off the central Oregon coast. Mild westerly winds will be a pleasant change from gusts out of the north. This should come as good news to tuna hopefuls anxious to locate albacore as the water warms this week.

The all-depth halibut fishery for the summer season will start Friday and Saturday, August 2 and 3, continuing every other Friday and Saturday until the quota is fulfilled.

Chinook fishing has been slow for trollers at Winchester Bay. There's an occasional flurry of action for those fishing the jaws but overall daily catches have been in the single digits according to fish checkers.

Diminutive craft will return from the ocean following the Kayak Fishing Challenge out of Sunset Bay State Park near Coos Bay on Saturday, August 3rd. Expect to see large cabezon and lingcod at the weigh-in.

Offshore trips were sporadic out of Gold Beach over the past week with ocean conditions unsettled. Boats did well for rockfish and lingcod when they could get lines into the water. Rogue Bay has been producing fair, steady catches of chinook. The lower Rogue remains too warm to fish well and chinook seem to be off the bite in the middle river. A mix of summer steelhead and spring chinook remain available on the upper Rogue. Cutthroat trout fishing is also good in this stretch.

When boats have been able to cross the bar out of Brookings, ocean salmon fishing has remained rewarding. Anchovies, often festooned with hoochies, are effective trolled on the 35-foot range over about 150 feet of water for chinook averaging 16 pounds but occasionally hitting the 30-pound mark.

Eastern – Interest in Deschutes steelhead is building with the occasional summer landed by spinner flingers recently. Some improvement is expected toward mid-August and into September.

In the absence of rainfall and with hot eastside weather, Wallowa water levels have dropped and trout fishing has slowed. Nymphs remain effective for fair catches with dries effective evenings. Trout fishing is good in Wallowa Lake.

Bass fishing is good in the low water of the Grande Ronde River as smallmouth move upriver from the warmer water of the Snake River.

Kokanee fishing is excellent at Odell Lake with evening trolling most effective. Pink lures are preferred here.