Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - With the early fall rains and cooler temperatures, chinook fishing below Bonneville Dam has picked up, particularly for back-trollers using divers and bait wrapped Kwikfish. Anchor fishers are still getting it done but the game has evened out. As of yesterday, the counts over the dam have dropped significantly but remain a steady 13-20K per day since the weekend. Expect good fishing for the next few weeks.

Silvers are present at the mouth of the Clackamas but getting them to bite consistently is challenging. Backtrollers at Meldrum Bar are faring the best, but a few savvy shore-bound anglers are getting a fish or two chucking spinners from the rocks. Remember the barbless hook rule. Coho are headed upstream from Willamette Falls although total numbers are unknown as daily counts are not being updated. Early numbers give reason for optimism, however. It's time to troll plugs or toss spinners at the mouths of tributaries above the Falls.

McKenzie flows increased from 2,500 to 2,700 cfs over the past weekend but with drying weather this week, conditions will be good over the coming weekend. Fishing has been good with Stoneflies and October Caddis taking wing. There are still openings available for the Sixth Annual McKenzie River Two Fly Tournament taking place the first weekend in October. Contact the Caddis Fly in Eugene to register.

Fishing is slow on the Santiams and will likely remain so for a while.

On the Clackamas River, silvers are spread from the mouth up to Eagle Creek. Getting a consistent bite is another thing, as usual, these fish are a moody bunch. Local anglers are still picking up a late summer steelhead or two in the river above Barton Park.

Both silvers and chinook are available on the Sandy River. Anglers are encountering a few bright chinook mixed in with the less desirable tules. All salmon on the Sandy must be adipose fin clipped for retention. The water below Oxbow Park will offer the best opportunity for chinook while the silvers are spread up to Cedar Creek.

Northwest – The Buoy 10 fishery in Astoria continues to under-impress. Although anglers are still seeing fair coho numbers, limits are far from the rule. A rare chinook is still in the catch but jacks may be retained after October 1st. Managers met late on Tuesday, allowing any chinook, fin-clipped or not, to be retained beginning Thursday from Buoy 10 and upstream. Crabbing is good downstream of Hammond.

The chinook fishery is well underway on most north coast systems. Tillamook and Nehalem remain the most popular, and for good reason. On Tillamook Bay, the chinook bite was quite consistent in the Ghost Hole through Monday with good numbers of chinook taken by herring trollers through low slack and near high slack. A rough ocean has kept the bar closed but last Thursday, Dale Goebel of Beaverton had the hot rod, hooking 3 of 7 chinook his family landed trolling herring on the south side of the south jetty out of Tillamook Bay. Dale's fish tipped the scales at 17, 25 and 26-pounds respectively.

Nehalem Bay has been productive as well with good numbers of fish coming out of the Wheeler to Nehalem stretch by herring trollers. Coho numbers were plentiful as evidenced by consistent jumpers in the estuary although the recent rainfall sent many of them upstream. The North Fork of the Nehalem may house ample numbers for bank anglers to access near the hatchery although they are notorious for not biting.

A weak outgoing tide series should keep interest near the bay entrances this weekend, where herring trollers will likely take fair numbers of chinook into early October.

Although the fall rains have begun, a relatively minute amount of rain has risen many coastal streams, albeit slightly. On some systems however, it is enough to get chinook and coho into the systems with the Trask and North Fork Nehalem the best north coast prospects. Chinook should be available in most tidewater reaches right now.

The Nestucca, Salmon, Siletz and Alsea are also reaching their prime right now. Cozy Cove on the Alsea is now closed, making a large portion of tidewater hard to access.

Southwest- Rough ocean conditions have prevented boats from launching out of Newport and Depoe Bay this week. Offshore anglers are looking forward to fishing deep water lingcod starting October 1.

Long-range offshore forecasts are less than optimistic this week.

Although ocean conditions have kept most boats from launching out of Newport over the past week, when they have gotten out, salmon fishing has been tough. Long hours have produced few fish.

Boats launching out of Reedsport have done well for chinook when ocean conditions have allowed them to get out. Trolling inside the bay has been slow with crabbing even slower.

When boats have been able to get out of Florence, ocean chinook fishing has been good. Fish are also being taken inside below the Highway 101 Bridge.

Now that fall is upon us, the ocean is granting fewer friendly days to offshore boaters although offshore fishing for rockfish and lings is excellent out of Gold Beach and ocean crabbing is producing quality limits. Bay trolling is unpredictable. The lower Rogue has been fairly dependable for jack salmon with half-pounders and adult steelhead fishing well at Agness. Adult chinook have been taken below Indian Creek with this fishery improving over the last week of September and into October. Middle Rogue chinook fishing is holding up well. It's legal to keep either hatchery or wild chinook from Hog Creek boat landing to Fishers Ferry boat ramp through the end of September. Flows out of Lost Creek Lake have dropped to 1,150 cfs which should be good for upper river fly-rod steelheaders.

Offshore bottom fishing has been excellent whenever boats have been able to cross the bar out of Brookings Harbor. Chinook are entering Chetco Bay with a few picked up by trollers over the past week. This fishery will improve in coming weeks. Anglers are anxious for the October bubble season.

Eastern – Steelheading picked up on the lower Deschutes as the water cleared early this week. Fishing is slow to fair around Maupin. Chinook, steelhead and coho are being seen in greater numbers in the fish trap at Sherars Falls.

Crooked River flows have dropped below 200 cfs. Fishing with nymphs should be good here.

Oregon fishing report for 9/20/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - The Columbia River is kicking out good numbers of chinook below Bonneville Dam. Reports indicate the anchor fishermen are faring better than the backtrollers. Fishing should improve from already "good' to "excellent" as the water temperatures drops a few degrees from this week's cooler weather. Fish are also being taken at the mouths of the Sandy, Washougal, Lewis, Kalama and Cowlitz with wobbler's, spinners and plugs.

On the Willamette River, silvers have been spotted rolling and jumping off the mouth of the Clackamas. Boaters and bank anglers have taken a handful since the weekend at Meldrum Bar and at the blacktop, either backtrolling plugs or casting plugs and spinners. Bass anglers are looking forward to the cooler temps to bring the smallmouth back on the bite. Sturgeon fishers will get another catch and keep season on Saturday Oct 19th. This will likely be the last opportunity for keeping a sturgeon for quite some time.

With fall approaching, shadows are lengthening and showers are falling periodically. These conditions combine to create excellent fly fishing opportunities on the McKenzie River.

Pressure is light on the North Santiam at this time of year and while fishing remains slow, it's a great place for solitude or mushroom hunting.

The Clackamas is giving up a few silvers on the lower river, but better times are on the way with the onset of early fall. Hoards of anglers are lining the bank at the bowling alley and Cross Park. Few are taken legally in these spots. Reports have come in of a handful of late summer steelhead being taken between Rivermill Dam and Feldheimers.

The Sandy also started to kick out a few silvers in the lower river, but anglers have also spotted a few up as far as the Cedar Creek hatchery. Small baits of cured roe, spinners and jigs under a bobber will all draw bites.

Northwest – With the absence of hatchery coho in the lower Columbia River, interest and success has waned. Chinook catches were fair at best over the last weak tide series but anglers have largely dispersed to other fisheries. It's likely that the late season coho fishery in October will also be a bust. Crabbing is good however.

Angler focus has shifted to other coastal estuaries with Nehalem and Tillamook being the best prospects. The Ghost Hole in Tillamook has yielded consistent early morning catches on the incoming tide although few fish over 20 pounds are being taken. Spinners have also been working well in the middle and upper bay as we begin to enter peak season for Tillamook chinook. Bobber and bait tossers working the Trask and Tillamook tidewater sections have also been tallying success. Tillamook's consumptive coho season kicks off on Friday and Saturday and fish are present in the estuary but not too willing to bite.

The Nehalem has been excellent for fall chinook with the current stronger tide series likely to produce good catches at Wheeler and Nehalem this weekend. Herring is most productive below the Highway 101 Bridge with spinners becoming a good tool upstream. Check the ODF&W web site for wild coho restrictions on this system but there is currently consumptive opportunity for these fish as well.

Although ocean crabbing is not as productive as it has been in years past, the quality of crab is excellent. Estuary crabbing is not nearly as productive and the stronger tide series this weekend won't help things.

Southwest- Boats out of Newport and Depoe Bay made fair to good catches of tuna earlier this week. Offshore trollers experienced an improvement in salmon catches. Ocean crabbing has yielded limits of good-sized, hard-shelled Dungeness. Rockfishing has been excellent.

Ocean coho fishing remains open seven days a week off the central coast through the end of September or fulfillment of the quota.

Bait fishers using bobbers have taken some nice chinook from the Siuslaw tidewater over the past week.

Rough seas prevented launches out of Gold Beach for much of the past week. Boats plying Rogue Bay made fair catches of chinook and coho. When offshore conditions settled down over the past weekend, fishing for rockfish and lingcod was good. Catches of adult steelhead and half-pounders have been good on a variety of bait, lures and flies around Agness. Chinook fishing has been steady on the Grants Pass stretch. It's flies only on the upper Rogue above Fishers Ferry boat ramp where summer steelhead have been cooperative with long-rodders.

Although boats out of the Port of Brookings are taking Pacific Halibut to 40 pounds and decent catches of rockfish and lingcod, ocean salmon fishing closed until the "bubble" fishery opens October 1. This situation has local anglers exploring Chetco tidewater for salmon, which has resulted in fair to good catches of jack salmon recently along with several adult chinook.

Eastern – The lower Deschutes has been unsettled but water conditions are improving. Summer steelheading has been fair but will pick up as water conditions improve. With outrageous numbers at Bonneville, steelheaders are waiting for the big numbers to hit. Trout fishing is fair with nymphs effective. Counts at Sherars Falls have improved with double-digit chinook and summer steelhead passing daily along with a few coho.

Suttle Lake has continued to produce near-limits of smallish kokanee to trollers. Anglers are allowed 25 fish per day here.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Huge numbers of chinook are crossing Bonneville Dam and things are shaping up for a record return that was likely under-forecast. Catches are good for both boaters and bank bound anglers, but still not what they could be if the water was 3 to 4 degrees cooler. As the nights get shorter and cooler, expect fishing for chinook salmon to improve through October. Little attention is being given to catch and release sturgeon fishing with good numbers of salmon in the river.

Silvers are showing up in the Willamette River at the mouth of the Clackamas, but it's far from productive. The water is still very warm and fishing will likely improve in the coming weeks after the weather starts to cool.

Bass fishermen are scoring catches from Oak Grove downstream to Ross Island, but effort has been very low the last couple weeks. Walleye are still on the menu for the Multnomah Channel but effort is light here as well.

McKenzie River flows have been fairly steady this week. Fly fishing for trout should be worthwhile over the next several days, particularly those with cloud cover.

Santiam River levels are up with recent releases of water from upstream impoundments. Steelheading remains slow.

A few coho are getting caught in riffles below Cross Park on the Clackamas River. It can be a rough crowd and lawlessness is common, so mind your manners if you decide to participate.

Not much to report yet for the Sandy River, but the silvers are due and it's likely that a few forerunners are already up to Cedar Creek.

Northwest – Buoy 10 anglers are still searching for catchable numbers of hatchery coho. It appears as if coho were grossly over-predicted. Coho jack catches were impressive but jacks along with the ample numbers of chinook still in the estuary, must be released downstream of Tongue Point. Tongue Point to Warrior Rock remains open for fin-clipped chinook and coho and managers will review the new run size upgrade on Thursday to determine if additional opportunity is available in the lower river. The current weak tide series will make the Tongue Point fishery explode once again.

Wobbler fishers in the Longview reach witnessed white-hot fishing over the weekend. It has since slowed but ample catches continue to happen.

Offshore, north of Cape Falcon, any 2 salmon may be retained; wild or hatchery coho or chinook. Fishing to the north of the river along the Long Beach Peninsula seems to be the most productive. September can offer some of the finest ocean weather. A very friendly ocean is forecast from today through the weekend. Ample numbers of albacore are available and will readily take live bait.

Nehalem Bay herring trollers have been taking impressive numbers of chinook over the weekend. The jaws and Wheeler are producing quality fish.

Tillamook Bay fall salmon fishing is also producing nicely. Effort will shift to the lower bay on the weaker tide series.

The wild coho fishery continues offshore and starts on most inland systems on September 15th. Check the ODF&W web site for your specific estuary and tidewater systems.

Ocean and estuary crabbing should be good this weekend.

The lower reaches of the Nestucca, Salmon, Siletz and Alsea Rivers should all produce good catches of chinook this weekend.

Southwest- This is a great time of year for ocean crabbing. The quality of meat is approaching that of fall and winter while offshore conditions are launch-friendly with greater frequency than they will be later in the year.

Tuna fishing has been challenging over the past week. Single-digit catches were the rule for boats launching out of Depoe Bay and Newport with many catching only one or two.

A few chinook are being taken on the Yaquina by boats launching at Toledo and heading upriver.

Boats launching for out of Reedsport have been doing well for ocean chinook. Crabbing has improved on Winchester Bay with the Crab Bounty contest continuing through the end of September. Return spinner-tagged Dungeness whole to Sportsman Cannery for a hat and a chance in the $1,000 drawing. Bay trolling is producing chinook as has fishing the lower Umpqua mainstem.

Coos Bay trolling has been productive for chinook over the past week. Offshore fishing has been productive for salmon. Bay crabbing is fair to good for boats, slow off the docks.

Offshore fishing was good out of Gold Beach for bottom fish over the past week until weekend conditions shut down bar crossings. When the lingcod bite has turned on, limits have come quickly. Bay trolling has been slow. Fall chinook and summer steelhead are being taken on the lower Rogue and while it's only fair, it's worth the effort. Chinook catches have been good on the middle Rogue with plug-pullers doing best on wrapped Kwikfish although back-bouncers are also taking fish. Upper Rogue flows increased on Tuesday this week, an annual occurrence in an effort to reduce water temperatures and encourage chinook to migrate upriver. Steelheading is expected to be good, particularly for those swinging streamers with the river flies only above Fisher's Ferry boat ramp.

Ocean chinook fishing closed out of Brookings at the end of day September 8th. The next opportunity will be the Chetco Ocean Terminal Area Fishery from October 1 through 13, which will be take place from Twin Rocks to the Oregon/California border up to 3 miles out. It should be a rewarding fishery. Bottom fishing has been fair to good and should only get better in the coming weeks.

Eastern – Water conditions are improving on the lower Deschutes. The White River is causing only moderate issues with clarity as of Tuesday this week and the river looks good above the White. Steelheading has been fair but should improve with better water conditions. Redsides are hitting caddis imitations.

Trout are being caught at Big Lava Lake and while numbers are decent, larger fish are elusive.

Hosmer Lake is producing decent catches of trout including stocked cutthroat.

Oregon fishing report 9/6/13

Willamette Valley/Metro - Smallmouth Bass fishing on the Willamette River is on the upswing with the recent rains and slightly cooling water. Walleye fishing should also pick up with the dip in temperature. Silvers are still absent at the mouth of the Clackamas but are expected any time.

Though the calendar would indicate it's early yet, it's time to think fall on the McKenzie River. Nymphs remain effective but with daylight conditions improving, dry flies are often the better choice. Steelheading is slow with the low return this season.

Water conditions are good on the Santiam system. Trout fishing is good, particularly higher in the system. Steelheading is slow and expected to remain so.

The Clackamas River is a virtual ghost town when it comes to summer steelhead. The first early silvers are due within the next couple of freshets.

Silvers are also due to show anytime on the lower Sandy River. Any precipitation in the forecast should stir the pot and get things rolling in the lower river.

Northwest – After an epic chinook season on the lower Columbia, the stretch between Tongue Point and Buoy 10 is now closed to chinook retention. Anglers may still retain 2 coho but good numbers have yet to show; expect them any day however. Anglers are finding tremendous success just above Tongue Point as witnessed by Bob Keerins from Portland and his group of 7 on Saturday. They took 7 adult chinook, 1 hatchery coho and 2 jacks above Tongue Point by 9:15 a.m. One of the chinook literally jumped in the boat shortly after being hooked. The best action has come on herring throughout the incoming tide, trolling near the bottom in 45 to 50 foot of water. Starting September 6th, from Tongue Point to Warrior Rock near the mouth of the Lewis River, only adipose fin-clipped chinook may be retained.

Wide open opportunity still exists for ocean anglers outside of the mouth of the Columbia River. Effort for the offshore fishery remains low due to success rates inside the river. The offshore weather forecast looks very favorable for salmon and tuna into the weekend but is certainly subject to change.

Upriver, anchor anglers remain frustrated due to the inconsistency of the wobbler fishery. Most anglers report low success rates, laying blame on the warm water temperatures. Anglers fishing the mouth of the Cowlitz seem to be producing some of the best results.

The Columbia River below Bonneville Dam is thick with Chinook salmon, but the bite has been a bit off due to drastically reduced flow and 71+ degree water temps. Fishing for salmon will improve as the water cools and normal flows resume. Sturgeon fishing below the dam is also on the slow side likely also due to the low flow.

Tillamook Bay is yielding good catches of chinook, especially when anglers can get outside and away from the seaweed. Those that pursued wild coho over the weekend largely came up empty. Water temperatures offshore have topped 62 degrees and coho are hard to find.

The Nehalem, Nestucca, Salmon, Siletz and Alsea all now have chinook available but that doesn't mean they will fall easy. Peak season is still weeks away.

Crabbing in most estuaries and adjacent ocean waters is productive although soft-shells are still making up a fair portion of the catch.

Southwest- Offshore chinook salmon fishing out of Depoe Bay slowed on Labor Day following fair to good results over the weekend.

The non-selective (wild or hatchery) coho season continues offshore each Thursday through Saturday from September 5th through September 30th or the 19,580 coho quota. Two salmon per day may be kept.

It's not too late in the year for tuna fishing. Over the past weekend, boats traveling 30 to 40 miles out of Newport made good catches on cedar plugs and clones. The trick has been finding schools of albacore.

If the long-range offshore forecast holds up, launches should be possible this week.

Sea-run cutthroat trout fishing is good and improving on coastal rivers. The best results have been coming on days when it's showery.

Salmon fishing was fair and ocean crabbing good out of Florence over the past weekend.

Winchester Bay salmon trollers experienced a moderation in chinook hookups over the past weekend but it's still quite good. Bass fishing is holding up on the upper Umpqua mainstem. Steelheaders in the flies-only section of the North Umpqua are taking wild steelhead but they are working for them.

Offshore fishing out of Gold Beach has been productive if unpredictable. When the ocean and offshore winds allowed launches, bottom fishing produced well for lings one day, rockfish another. When the wind came up late last week, boats stayed in port. Bay trolling has stalled with chinook heading straight upriver. Half pounder fishing is picking up on the lower Rogue and they are running larger this season. Fishing for steelhead is good in the Grants Pass to Galice stretch with chinook closed from Fisher's Ferry to Cole Rivers Hatchery through October, Upper Rogue waters are flies only with prospects good for summer steelhead.

While most offshore waters are closed to halibut, it remains open through October from Humbug Mountain to the California border. Anglers willing to fish a couple of pounds of lead in nearly 250 feet of water are occasionally rewarded with halibut to 60 pounds. Bottom fishing for lingcod and rockfish is excellent. The 10th annual Slam'n Salmon Ocean Derby took place out of the Port of Brookings over the Labor Day weekend. Over 300 participants were vying for prizes. Sprits were high and the fishing was good if not hot although final results were unavailable at deadline for this report.

Eastern – Conditions on the Deschutes have been variable lately, from great to poor, but there are plenty of steelhead in the river when level, flow and clarity come together.

The upper Snake River is open to hatchery fall chinook fishing from the Oregon–Washington border to the deadline below Hells Canyon Dam through October 31 or until a closure is announced. The daily bag limit will be six adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon. Anglers can also keep and unlimited number of fin-clipped jack Chinook between 15 and 24-inches long.