Oregon fishing report for April 25, 2014

Willamette Valley/Metro - The Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Program on the Columbia River starts May 1st.

Columbia River anglers posted good catches on the 1-day extension. Fishery managers are reviewing catch stats but another opener is unlikely, at least until late May or June. Steelhead season opens in mid-May.

Trollers using herring, either whole or plug-cut, but generally behind a flasher, have been hooking up with springers on the lower Willamette from the Sellwood Bridge to Portland Harbor. Some are opting for prawn spinners in the mid-50-degree water. Boaters in Oregon City have also seen their share of action. Bank anglers at Meldrum Bar had to content themselves with being spectators earlier this week as the only springers landed were by those fishing from boats although a couple were landed from the bank at Dahl Park. The Willamette if forecast to receive about 58,700 spring Chinook this year. Many of those will make it past the falls while about 4,000 should enter the Clackamas.

Fly anglers on the lower McKenzie are enjoying great water conditions and good results with native redsides and cutthroat. March Brown dries and nymphs are taking fish now.

If the rising waters of the Santiam system had sufficient numbers of fish to tempt an angler, rising water conditions this week would be enough to ward them off.

Springers are being taken at the mouth of the Clackamas and are scattered upriver. A few are being hooked on hardware. Try locations where natural obstacles cause salmon to hold. Fishing for winter steelhead is fair with the best chance of a hookup high on the river. The first decent push of summer steelhead should occur in a couple of weeks. Expect to find the water level rising this week although it should start to drop by the weekend.

The Sandy is rising this week but should be starting to moderate by Saturday this week. Sandy River spring chinook anglers have been taking a few fish but the better part of the season still lies in the future. Bobber fishers using bait or jigs have taken some from parks along the river. The Sandy is forecast to receive 5,500 spring chinook this season with the peak coming in late April and early May.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a free family fishing event at Trojan Pond southeast of Rainier from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 26.

For many Oregon anglers, the 2014 trout season officially kicks off on Saturday, April 26 with the opening of many lakes around the state. Check your angling synopsis or online at www.dfw.or.us to determine which water bodies are effected.

Northwest – Effort remains low for steelhead on the north coast but those that participated in the Nestucca and Wilson fisheries recently have reported big numbers of spawned out fish. Only a rare fresh fish exists and summer run steelhead remain elusive.

Spring chinook have been reported in Tillamook Bay but anglers won't expect much until mid-May. This run often mimics the Willamette return, which is likely to come in mediocre this season.

Offshore anglers remain anxious to fish bottomfish out of Garibaldi; they'll still have to wait for better ocean conditions not seen in the foreseeable future.

Southwest- While offshore winds moderated early this week, ocean swells remained too big for boats to launch. Bottom fishing is excellent when anglers can get to the fish. Boats launching out of Newport over the past weekend limited on large lingcod.

All-depth halibut opens May 8-10 with additional opportunities every other week or until the quota of 113,229 pounds is met or the summer season starts August 1. The nearshore halibut fishery will open on July 1, seven days a week. A new sub-area has been set up south of Humbug Mountain to the OR/CA border with a quota of 3,712 pounds.

Spring Chinook have continued to enter the mainstem Umpqua which has provided early-season action for plug pullers on the lower river. While it is getting late in the season for winter steelhead, anglers have continued to catch decent numbers of hatchery fish on the South Umpqua. The run is above average this year.

Ocean chinook remain scattered which has made it difficult for offshore boaters to locate fish. Results improved when boats could launch out of Charleston recently, however, with best results in water depths of 50 to 150 feet.

Waters of the lower Rogue have continued to drop and clear this week, creating challenging conditions for spring chinook hopefuls. Best chance to hook a springer is below Quosatana Creek. Steelheaders are getting a few winters but most are of poor quality now. Level and flow are supposed to rise through the coming weekend which should trigger the bite as the river recovers. Anglers on the middle Rogue have it a little tougher with rising water, few steelhead and fewer springers passing through. It has been slow on this stretch. There are still a few winters amidst the incoming spring chinook on the upper Rogue where fishing remains fair.

Charter and sport boats are taking limits or near limits of rockfish and lingcod whenever they have been able to launch out of the Port of Brookings.

Diamond Lake has been producing limits for some boaters fishing bait in 35-foot depths over 45 feet of water.

Eastern – The lower Deschutes water level dropped through April 19th but has been stable since that date. Fly anglers are using March Brown and Blue Winged Olive patterns to take resides at a fair to good clip.

Anglers are starting to fish the Crooked River despite water flows much greater than a month ago.

Smallmouth bass fishing is heating up on the John Day River. The largest smallies of the year are historically landed here in April.

Kokanee fishing has been slow at Green Peter with none of the trollers fishing this week approaching the 25-fish limit.

Oregon fishing report for 4/17/14

Willamette Valley/Metro - Fishing has been slow for trollers on the lower Willamette. Most are working the stretch from the Sellwood Bridge to the harbor or Oregon City primarily with herring behind a flasher. The Multnomah Channel has been productive at times. With the water warming, switching to prawn spinners on a short dropper has been effective. Bank fishing for springers is a waiting game although a few have been landed on Spin 'n' Glos or prawn spinners at Meldrum Bar.

As water warms and drops on the lower McKenzie River, fishing for trout has been improving. March Browns and Caddis are hatching now with nymphs effective in the absence of hatches.

North Santiam flows moderated mid-week but boating above Mill City is still not recommended. Numbers of summer steelhead are improving but it's still early to expect much from the Santiam system.

Steelheading on the Clackamas has been slow to spotty although several were landed over the past weekend on hardware at scattered locations on the river. Spinners and jigs have hooked a few for bank anglers. Clackamas spring chinook fishing has yet to start but it's due with water temperatures warming.

Runoff from snowmelt hasn't negatively affected Sandy water levels which have been dropping for a week. Steelheaders have seen spotty action. Spoons, jigs and corkies have taken some fish at Oxbow while a few have been taken below the hatchery on bait. Numbers of summer steelhead are gradually improving.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a free family fishing event Saturday, April 19 at St. Louis Ponds, near Woodburn from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Northwest – Steelhead season is over on the north coast. Some streams remain open, based on their hatchery fish abundance and spring chinook won't tee up until later on in May. There have been rumors of a spring chinook taken recently in the Tillamook district however. Depending on the tide swing, the upper or lower estuary will produce steady catches by mid-May. Driftboaters will most likely come across spawned-out fish for the next several weeks.

Although bottomfish, particularly sea bass are becoming quite responsive for offshore anglers, the lingcod bite is slowing slightly and the ocean forecast doesn't look all that friendly in the coming weeks. Saltwater fishing should take off this spring with halibut soon on tap starting in mid-May.

There are more trout plants coming this week; particularly in south Tillamook County. The stocking schedule can be viewed from the ODF&W web site.

Southwest- Offshore bottom fishing has been excellent for rockfish out of Depoe Bay and Newport with mostly limits reported. Lingcod catches have been good.

Ocean charters report booking dates filling rapidly for all-depth halibut which opens May 8th through 10th and continues every other Thursday through Saturday until the quota fills.

Offshore boaters will get a better than expected coho season this year with a season running from June 21st through August 10th and a quota of 80,000 hatchery silvers. The non-selective fishery (fin-clipped or not) will be from August 30th through the month of September.

Springers are being taken on the Umpqua mainstem by boaters pulling plugs. Best results are coming on the lower river. Steelheading is good but has started to slow for hatchery keepers on the South Umpqua where bait fishing has been most effective.

Coos Bay crabbing remains slow although clamming has been excellent during minus tides. Boats hoping to launch for ocean chinook were prevented from doing so by rough conditions over the past week.

Spring chinook catches have been decent for mid-April on the lower Rogue. Anglers averaged about 20 salmon per day over the past week, mostly on anchovy/spinner rigs. Bank fishers are catching fish around Agness. Clear water has slowed results for winter steelhead and early springers. Upper river anglers are still catching winter steelhead of mixed quality. The first springer entered Cole Rivers hatchery late last week and was promptly recycled downriver to run again. Upper river salmon fishing will start up in May with better results in June and July.

Bottom fishing out of Brookings Harbor has been excellent lately. Anglers launching here will be able to fish for ocean chinook starting May 10 during a 121-day season which is scheduled to continue through September 7. Chetco River fishing will not be allowed until trout season opens May 24th.

Eastern – Lower Deschutes redside fishing continues fair to good with March Browns and BWOs appearing. It's almost warm enough to trigger Stone Flies which will show when air temperatures hit 70 degrees.

Bull trout fishing has yielded much better results recently than bass angling at Lake Billy Chinook.

Mann Lake has been producing some large, broad-shouldered trout recently.

Kokanee fishing has slowed at Green Peter although trout catches have been filling the void.

Oreogn fishing report for 4/11/14

Willamette Valley/Metro - With fishery managers extending the season another 6 days starting this morning, anglers will be excited and rewarded while pursuing spring chinook on the mainstem Columbia this week. Catch rates are likely to improve as temperatures increase and interest grows. Most fish are averaging around 12 to 13-pounds but Colby Howe of Portland boated a 14-pounder at Davis Bar on Monday. He was fishing in 24 foot of water, trolling a herring right on the bottom. Catches in the Cathlamet area jumped recently, indicating better numbers of fish are on their way. Action is also picking up in the gorge as well, and it's a much more beautiful place to fish! I just got my first “personal” springer with pro guide Dan Ponciano (360-607-8511). He trolled me into a nice 10 pound fish using a herring and red flasher and was surprised to learn he had a cancellation for Saturday. If you want a great chance at fresh spring chinook, call him IMMEDIATELY to get your Saturday reservation NOW!

Registration remains open for the Salmon Quest, Sandy River Spring Fishing Classic and Bounty on the Bay, allowing anglers to take advantage of a good return of the region's favorite salmon. Google these events for more details.

Water clarity, one of the most important factors in salmon success on the lower Willamette, has improved over the past week as water level and flows have dropped. Mid-week, the water in Multnomah Channel was changing from a gray hue to green. Tides this week favor anglers fishing afternoons. Whole or cut-plug herring trolled in the popular Sellwood Bride area or at the mouth of the channel is resulting in hookups as is sitting on anchor with wrapped plugs or prawn spinners. Overall, it has been slow to fair. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing has been excellent on anchovies and smelt around Swan Island although most of the fish being hooked have been less than 40 inches. Fewer but larger sturgeon have been hooked at Oregon City.

Water levels on the McKenzie will be gradually dropping this week which is a positive condition for fishing. Fly anglers will need March Brown and Caddis patterns in their dry fly arsenal but should also carry a selection of nymphs which will be most productive the majority of the time on the water.

Winter steelhead fishing is on the wane for the Santiams and summer steelheading doesn't really get underway until May. For those who fish it, jigs are most popular here but spinners, spoons and pink plastic worms are also effective at times. This time of year, anglers won't have to deal with crowds.

Clackamas water level and flow is forecast to be stable through the coming week. Bank fishers have been taking the occasional winter steelhead by casting spinners at McIver Park. Overall, boat and bank steelhead fishing has been slow this week.

The Sandy was still somewhat high on Tuesday this week but it will be dropping with dry weather this week. A few springers are around but catches are quite scarce. Steelheading has been fair for winters although most hooked recently have been natives and some have been wild, requiring release. As catches of winter steelhead start to wind down, anglers are strategizing for summer fish which will be arriving in fishable number in the next few weeks.

Northwest – Steelhead season is winding down on the north coast but savvy anglers can have district rivers to themselves although few fresh fish will be available. Low, clear water will further challenge anglers so use small, subtle baits if you pursue these skittish fish. The Wilson and Nestucca will be the best bets for the last of these fish and may provide an early summer steelhead or spring chinook to boot. The Trask is an April favorite for those willing to practice catch and release fishing for steelhead.

Consistent spring chinook action is still a month away.

Saltwater anglers are anxious to see friendlier seas but wind waves will continue to make offshore options a poor choice. Sea bass and lingcod catches should be excellent when the weather allows.

More trout are destined for district lakes and ponds, fishing should be productive in the warming waters.

Southwest- Boats launching out of Depoe Bay early this week made good catches of rockfish along with several lingcod. Boats must stay within the 30-fathom line when angling for bottomfish as of April 1st.

Results have been good for perch anglers casting baits from south coast beaches. Catches will be best on days when the ocean lays down.

Winter steelhead fishing is on the way out while salmon fishing ramps up. Catches of spring chinook are improving on the Umpqua mainstem as the season gets underway here. The river should remain stable this week, which will keep springers on the bite. On the South Umpqua, steelheaders are doing well for hatchery winters.

Boats launching out of Bandon and Coos bay are reporting spotty results for ocean chinook as fish are scattered, making it difficult to find the fish.

Charters launching out of Gold Beach are looking forward to settling ocean conditions after a week of wet, unstable weather. As waters of the lower Rogue dropped and cleared over the past week, spring chinook catches ramped up. April and May are the best times to score a Rogue springer with most hooked by boat anglers fishing anchovies on anchor. Due to improving action for chinook downriver, there is little pressure on the river in the Grants Pass stretch although there are still winter steelhead to be caught. Springers will be in this stretch in a week or two. Winter steelheading is good on the upper Rogue where the peak of the season is approaching.

The Chetco, Elk and Sixes Rivers remain closed to fishing.

There's plenty of open water free of ice now at Diamond Lake where fishing is expected to be worthwhile in sunny weather over the weekend to come. Best results will be near the shoreline which is good news to bank fishers.

Eastern – Mann Lake has been producing good numbers of nice-sized trout to fly fishers using nymphs and leech patterns and to gear anglers throwing spinners.

Fishing has been very slow at Harriet Lake for the few who have tried it.

Trollers at Green Peter are taking a few kokanee. Fish are averaging 10 inches. While catches have been far short of limits, a few are taking enough for family dinner. Over the past weekend, a bass fisherman caught several smallmouth bass weighing two to three pounds and a largemouth which tipped the scale at seven pounds.

Oregon fishing report 4/4/14

Willamette Valley/Metro - Columbia fishers have been witnessing increasing catches but far from expectations by anglers and the Fish and Wildlife Departments. With the Willamette blowing out this week, effort has been concentrated from Davis Bar near Vancouver and upstream. Spring chinook catches have been improving in the airport reach. Managers are expected to meet by phone on Thursday to consider a sport extension, based on how the fishery is currently performing.

Trollers on the lower Willamette have been hooking up with a fair number of spring Chinook and results are expected to improve through the week. Brined herring trolled at 14 to 20 feet with a flasher has been most effective. Fishing was good last week and with the water dropping and clearing more rapidly than predicted, this weekend should provide decent catches on the lower river. As water conditions improve, so will results for springers. It's still early in the season and April should be a great month.

McKenzie levels are dropping this week with the river expected to be in good shape for fishing by the coming weekend. Fly fishers may expect to find March Browns hatching. A few salmon flies were spotted early this week.

The Santiam systems are coming into excellent level and color for fishing over the coming weekend. Mostly native winters are available on the North Santiam while the number of summers is increasing on the South Santiam.

Following a crest of over 16 feet and flows if 10,000 cfs at Estacada on March 30th, the Clackamas is dropping and clearing. Fishing for winter steelhead is fair but steady. A few summers have been landed and while no springers have been taken, it could happen any day.

The Sandy has recovered from recent rainstorms and was exhibiting good color early this week. The best results have come early in the morning and late in the evening with dark-colored jigs productive recently. Mostly winters are being hooked although the Sandy got a good shot of summers last week.

Northwest – North coast steelheaders are still finding fair pockets of fish on the Wilson and Nestucca systems. Both hatchery and wild fish should remain available through the weekend but action should quickly taper after that, at least for fresh, sea-running steelhead. Many smaller systems closed on April 1st so check regulations carefully before venturing out. Rivers are expected to continue to drop, making for ideal conditions by the weekend.

Spring chinook anglers in the Tillamook area shouldn't get too excited for several more weeks. Pilot chinook can often be caught by mid-April but the bulk of the return happens from mid-May through mid-June. Run size often mimics the Willamette run.

There is no sign of calming seas so bottomfishers will likely be side-lined for yet another weekend. Sea bass and lingcod are often available during weak tide exchanges along estuary jetties, which won't happen again until the middle of next week.

Southwest- Boats that were able to launch out of Depoe Bay and Newport over the past weekend found bottomfish cooperative. Conditions started to get rough on Monday this week as wind and waves chased vessels back to port. As of April 1st, offshore bottomfishers are restricted to waters no deeper than 180 feet.

Results for ocean chinook have been slow to spotty. The few boats which have landed salmon report them as running small.

Spring chinook catches have been hit or miss on the Umpqua mainstem but should improve this week as the river drops into shape. Steelheaders are catching and releasing a few natives on the North Umpqua while fishing for hatchery winters has remained good on the South Umpqua.

Surf perch fishing has been good in the Gold Beach area. Waters of the lower Rogue crested over the past weekend and are forecast to be dropping and clearing into the week to come. Fresh steelhead are in the river and are being caught in the Agness stretch while spring chinook numbers are improving with the best results below Quosatana Creek. Steelheaders on the middle Rogue report fair to good catches although many of the fish that are being hooked have already spawned and are of poor quality. The upper Rogue has been a fairly reliable fishery with numbers of winter steelhead continuing to increase. This is shaping up to be one of the better runs of those over the past decade.

When offshore conditions have allowed boats to cross the bar out of Brookings, catches of lingcod and rockfish have been good. The Chetco River closed to steelhead fishing at sundown on the last day of March. Local reports indicate the best bet is currently for surf perch from area beaches.

The spring thaw is underway at Diamond Lake with much of the water open now. Caution is advised as ice flows can be a hazard and will occasionally block boat ramps.

Eastern – Deschutes flows are fairly stable and the color is good although fishing for redsides is reported as only fair. Expect to see Blue-Winged-Olives and March Browns occasionally. Nymphs have been effective in the absence of hatches.

Lake Billy Chinook is producing fair to good catches of kokanee and some good-sized bull trout to those who are targeting them.

Green Peter has been producing some kokanee but fishing has been slow. Roadside camping has been permanently closed due to littering.

Tualatin Valley Northwest Steelheader's Event

The Tualatin Valley Northwest Steelheader's chapter will be held on April 10,2014 at the Aloha American Legion Hall 20325 S. W. Alexander St. Aloha, OR 97006 (503) 642-4907. The speaker will be guide and newly elected ANWSH's Executive Director, Bob Rees, speaking of general Fishing Outlook for coastal streams and Bank Fishing. He will also update us on the ANWSh's outlook. We will also have Hobart Manns, evaluating vintage tackle and accessories sop bring two or three items you would like more information. Door Prizes Doug Hunt and Pat Bauer Programs