Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Salmon catches at Bonneville continue to be spotty but should improve as we near peak passage dates. Summer steelhead action should improve weekly with spinners commonly taking fair numbers of both species as we near late June. Shad action remains good on sunny days.

There hasn't been much change in flow at Willamette Falls over the past week although the water visibility had shown a great deal of improvement early this week. More than 12,500 summer steelhead nave been counted at the Falls, about 2,000 more than at this time last year. Steelheaders are connecting on the upper Willamette and in the tributaries. The roughly 24,000 springers counted as of June 18 was similar to 2013 counts. Slow but steady catches of spring chinook are coming to boats fishing just below the deadline at the Falls. Bobber and bait is being used almost exclusively. Shad continue to be caught but anglers better get there before it's over.

McKenzie River level and flow has continued to fluctuate due to snowmelt which does anglers no favors. Trout fishing is fair for fly anglers throwing Caddis patterns and a few summer steelhead have been landed.

The best place to intercept spring chinook above Willamette Falls is the upper Santiam mainstem and lower South Santiam. Anglers are wary about discussing results but we know several have been taken recently. Bobber and bait, drift-fishing or backbouncing roe is effective. Try the North Santiam for summer steelhead with either jigs or spinners.

Springers are being caught in the Clackamas with best results coming on cured salmon eggs. Little Cleo spoons have been consistently productive for several steelheaders fishing the Clackamas over the past few weeks. Bobber and jigs have also hooked fish recently. Better fishing has been upstream above Faraday.

Steelheaders have scored a few very bright summer steelhead while throwing spoons on the Sandy River. A few spring chinook are being caught but fishing has been slow to spotty. Fish early or late in the day or don't bother.

Northwest – Although few people are participating, catch and release sturgeon fishing remains epic. Fresh anchovies and sand shrimp are responsible for 40 to 50 fish days, of which the vast majority of fish brought to the boat are in what was historically keeper range. It's hard to believe action will improve but it should stay consistent well into July.

Offshore ocean salmon action out of the mouth of the Columbia remains fair to good with coho reported in the 5 to 7-pound range. Boaters are going both SW and to the north but neither location is consistently producing. Chinook are more likely to be found to the north, along the Long Beach Peninsula. Be cautious of bar crossings on the upcoming minus tide series.

The lower Columbia beaches should produce fair to good catches of summer steelhead and an occasional summer chinook. The upcoming minus tide series draw fish closer to beaches where water velocities aren't as extreme.

The minus tide series should also be productive for razor clam diggers along Seaside and Gearhart Beaches.

Salmon trollers out of Garibaldi report good catches of ocean coho. When bar conditions allow, boaters should head NW out of Tillamook Bay, targeting 180 to 220 foot of water. You can ride the NW wind waves back home, a common occurrence this time of year.

Southwest- Ocean coho opened on June 21st with most anglers taking at least one fish and many limits reported. These salmon must be fin-clipped to keep. Chinook fishing is ongoing but spotty.

Rough ocean conditions have prevented boats from launching out of Reedsport over much of the past week. When they could get out, chinook fishing has been fair with no reports on coho. Pinkfin surf perch fishing has been fair to good on the lower Umpqua. Springer fishing is winding down on the Umpqua just as summer steelhead are starting to make an appearance. Smallmouth bass fishing is worthwhile.

Boats out of Charleston have taken albacore but they have been 25 miles or further from port. When sport boats have been able to get out, bottom fishing has been excellent, Chinook catches are spotty and ocean crabbing has picked up a little. Clamming in Coos Bay was excellent over the recent series of minus tides.

Boats were able to launch out of Gold Beach for all-depth halibut last week, catching fish to 50 pounds. Ocean salmon fishing was fair, and then shut down as the water temperature rose several degrees. Bottom fishing has been producing limits of lingcod and rockfish. Lower Rogue spring chinook results have been fairly good over the past week. Guide boats have been picking up four or five springers a day. Lower river results will improve with cooler water. Fishing remains poor in the middle Rogue. When flows were increased over the past week on the upper river, springer fishing stalled but it's still the better place to fish on the Rogue. Increasing numbers of summer steelhead are being hooked.

Rockfish and lingcod catches have been good out of Brookings over the past week when winds has allowed launches. Salmon and Pacific halibut have been caught as well.

Fishing has been slow at Diamond Lake with the weather turning cold and windy. If the forecast remains accurate and southwest Oregon warms up late this week, catches are expected to improve.

Eastern – Water levels on the Crooked River have changed very little over the past 10 days, good news for fly fishers as this one fishes best when there's no fluctuation,

The Metolius has continued to fish well for fly anglers who know it well. Golden Stones continue to fool trout upriver while Green Drake patterns are taking fish near the dam.

Despite a moderation in flow over the past couple of weeks, the Wallowa River remains too high to wade safely. Trout fishers are hooking good numbers of nice-sized fish on nymphs, however.

Spring chinook fishing will be allowed on the Grande Ronde river but only from Friday, June 27 through Monday, June 30 from the Oregon/Washington border to the deadline 100 yards upstream of the Wildcat/Powwatka Bridge. Anglers can keep two adult hatchery chinook and five jacks per day. The mouth of the Wenaha River at Troy will be closed.

The Imnaha spring Chinook fishery, scheduled to open June 21st, was delayed until more fish show up.

Oregon fishing report June 20

Willamette Valley/Metro - For the metro area, anglers remain focused on summer chinook, targeting fish largely in the Gorge and around St. Helens. Anchor anglers at Bonneville report fair action but like other sections of the river, wild fish outnumber hatchery fish. Spinners are starting to play a larger role in chinook success and steelhead numbers are on the increase as well. Trollers and anchor anglers working the St. Helens area are producing sporadic results and will soon have more emphasis on steelhead in the coming weeks.

Spring chinook counts have topped 23,000 at Willamette Falls while over 11,000 summer steelhead are now upstream to the delight or dismay of tributary anglers. Water temperature at the Falls peaked at 68 degrees on June 12th but has been falling into the lower 60s since then. On the lower river, shad fishing is good for those in the right location although recent sewage spills may put off some anglers. A very few boats are trying and fewer springers have been hooked over the past week at Fred's Marina, at the head of Multnomah Channel and at Coon Island. Algae is fouling gear. Adult springers are due to return to the Coast Fork Willamette this year according to the ODFW.

McKenzie redsides have been falling for Pale Morning Duns, Green Caddis and on the upper river, Green Drakes. Conditions should be excellent for fishing this week. According to the recently released results by the McKenzie River Trout Study, populations of native rainbow and cutthroat have dramatically increased since 2010. Leaburg Lake has been producing limits to Power Baiters.

On the Santiam system, no one has reported taking advantage of the recent increase in the bag limit on summer steelhead to four per day. When asked, most steelheaders say they feel lucky to take one here. Try spinners or bobber and jig on the North Santiam although fishing has been slow.

Once again, spoon fishers have scored on the Clackamas River over the past week. Most of the catches have been springers but a few summer steelhead have also been landed with this method. There has been a decent evening bite recently.

Sandy River steelheaders have been scoring occasionally on drifted corkies and spinners. Some dandy spring chinook have been landed although many have been wild, requiring release.

As the ODFW drains E. E. Wilson Pond near Corvallis for weed removal, anglers are allowed double limits of 10 trout and/or 10 bass. Once drained the pond will not re-open until February, 2015.

Northwest – The North of Falcon salmon season opened on Saturday with less than impressive results. Small coho and chinook made up the bulk of the catch; limits were nearly unheard of. More productive fishing was discovered recently however with good catches of mostly coho coming from over 400 foot of water, SW of the Columbia River Buoy. Each month, the coho will grow significantly larger, it's expected to be a banner ocean year for coho and chinook.

Saturday marks the South of Falcon (near Manzanita) opener with coho the primary target out of Garibaldi. Halibut and bottomfish should also be a strong option with the upcoming offshore weather forecast.

Spring chinook action in Tillamook Bay is largely over but savvy river anglers still have some fair opportunity in the Trask, Wilson and Nestucca systems. Low, clear water calls for small baits and light leaders but fish will largely be in deeper holes under these current conditions. Bobber and bait is most effective given these conditions.

Summer steelhead are available in the Wilson and Nestucca systems as well but will be challenging to catch.

Soft tides should bolster crab opportunity in most north coast estuaries but the ocean will remain the best bet until later in the fall.

Southwest- While ocean chinook fishing has been spotty out of central Oregon ports, many are anticipating the opening for offshore coho on June 21st. Only hatchery fish may be kept but reports of large early-season fish has anglers excited. The 80,000-fish quota is unlikely to be met so the season should run its full course through August 10.

Following the last all depth halibut fishery off the central coast, 42% of the quota remains to be caught with the next opening June 19 through 21. If fishing is decent, it could wipe out the spring quota. Nearshore halibut will open on July 1 with summer all-depth halibut starting in August.

Many thought the south coast halibut fishery would wrap up quickly but over half the quota, nearly 2,100 pounds, remains to be taken.

While offshore launches have been challenging and salmon fishing has been spotty out of Reedsport, catches of pinkfin surf perch have remained fair to good in the lower Umpqua. Shad fishing is over but the smallmouth bass bite should improve with warmer weather this week. A few springers have been caught recently around Sawyers Rapids.

Launches were limited out of Coos Bay over the past week due to rough offshore conditions. Larger charter boats reported quick limits of rockfish and lingcod but chinook remain scattered.

Following many days of high winds, boats were able to launch periodically over the past week out of Gold Beach in soft breezes on a friendly ocean. Results for anglers have been stellar with quick lingcod limits followed by strong catches of colorful rockfish. Ocean crabbing has been equally rewarding. Spring chinook catches picked up slightly on the lower Rogue although the water remains too warm to fish well. The middle river remains a dead zone for fishing although upper Rogue anglers have continued to do well for incoming springers. Cured egg and sand shrimp combos have been most effective with plug-pullers also taking a few. Summer steelhead numbers are picking up.

Gusty winds kept boats inside the harbor at Brookings over much of the past week. When bar crossings have been possible, ocean chinook fishing has been good.

Eastern – Metolius fly fishers have been having success with Pale Evening Dun and Green Drake patterns.

Ochoco Reservoir is not producing very many trout but the rainbows coming out of there are averaging over 15 inches.

Owyhee River is producing trout to fly anglers throwing smallish mayfly patterns. Large streamers or Woolly Buggers may get a grab from large brown trout in the evening hours.

Fly fishers at Hosmer have been taking decent numbers of rainbows on various patterns. A few Atlantic salmon have been landed recently although they are no longer being stocked here.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Bonneville fishers continue to take fair numbers of summer chinook and steelhead catches should ramp up soon. Adipose finned chinook still largely outnumber hatchery catches however. Shad however remains the primary focus for most anglers with creel catches quite impressive under the sunny skies.

An average of 250 spring chinook per day have been counted at Willamette Falls despite moderating flows and water temperatures in the mid-60s. The modest total is over 20,000 as of early June. Springer catches in the lower river have been slow although a few are still being caught on trolled herring, backbounced roe or on spinners. Shad fishing at Oregon City is taking the spotlight. Boats are doing best by far but bank fishers are also scoring some shad. Anything shiny is worthy of a hit from these fish. Bass fishing has been good.

McKenzie water levels are subject only to snowmelt from which the waters showed a slight increase on June 5th. Expect to find waters gently dropping and redsides sipping on caddis.

Summer steelhead are being caught in the North Santiam on a variety of lures. It's not hot but is getting to be worthwhile. As numbers build, so are catches of spring chinook near the confluence and into the South Santiam River. Bobber and bait has been most consistent.

Free fishing weekend drew plenty of hopefuls to the Clackamas. Now that the crowds have thinned, summer steelhead will be the target of most anglers. With water flows skinny and clear, try early mornings or late evenings for the best chance of fooling a fish. Bobber and jig fishers have been successful recently.

Summer steelhead have been spooky in the low waters of the Sandy River. The best approach at this time of year and in these conditions will be at first light. Small spinners will often draw a strike. Swinging flies is often effective. Spring chinook have been MIA in the lower river over the past week.

Northwest – Anglers banking on a productive tide series on lower Tillamook Bay this weekend went home largely humbled. Catches were poor despite ideal tides and fishing conditions although the wind hampered some effort up the bay. Saturday's Bounty on the Bay fundraiser netted proceeds for local restoration projects but only 6 fish for 66 anglers. Andy Schneider took “Captain with the most inches” with 2 spring chinook totaling 61¾”. Fishing hasn't improved since.

With persistent NW winds, the small boat fleet didn't expend much effort for last week's halibut opener. Bottomfishing remains good, mostly for sea bass but again, strong winds are keeping most sportanglers at bay.

Spring chinook and a rare summer steelhead are in the Trask, Wilson and Nestucca Rivers but low, clear water is challenging anglers. First light will produce the best results and it's clear that the run is not as large as it was last year.

Lower Columbia salmon and steelhead anglers are finding fair success and improving odds with the upcoming minus tide series. Beach plunkers have nearly ideal conditions by the weekend. Use spin-n-glos and coon shrimp for best success. The sockeye return is expected to be good and anglers are allowed to retain sockeye as part of their daily bag limit beginning June 16th. Check regulations for specifics.

Catch and release sturgeon fishing in the lower Columbia River is productive. Smelt is taking a fair number of quality fish but sand shrimp, when available, will also produce good results.

Razor clam digging along Clatsop area beaches should be productive if the ocean swell remains subdued.

Southwest- Wind has played havoc with offshore boaters recently, making alternate activities in lakes, bays and rivers appealing alternative choices for south coast anglers.

Charters out of Depoe Bay were able to get out on the past Saturday for deep-water halibut despite rough ocean conditions. The reward of large flatties was considered well worth it. The next all-depth halibut opener will be June 19-21.

Rockfish and lingcod catches have been excellent out of central Oregon ports whenever boats have been able to get out.

While crabbing is not worthwhile at Winchester Bay, the pinkfin perch run is ongoing. Success with these fish is sporadic but can be rewarding for those who hit the right place at the right time.

Limits of bottomfish await sport and charter boats once offshore conditions allow launches out of Charleston. Chinook catches have been slow but are expected to show some improvement as salmon move northward. Bay crabbing remains slow.

Fierce offshore winds have kept boats inside the port at Gold Beach over most of the past week. When brief windows of opportunity opened, lingcod and rockfish were taken in good number. High winds have hampered efforts on the lower Rogue over the past week and middle river efforts have been in vain. Above the old Gold Ray Dam site however, spring chinook fishing has been fair to good for those fishing cured egg and sand shrimp combos. Stable flows and good numbers of springers moving upriver are credited with keeping upper Rogue anglers busy. Last week, over 1,200 spring chinook entered Cole Rivers Hatchery, bringing the total to more than 4,200. Summer steelhead are just starting to make an appearance All wild chinook must be released unharmed downstream of the Fishers Ferry boat ramp.

Brookings anglers were plying the waters of the harbor for crab from the docks over the past week with fair success. Area beaches have been producing decent catches of surf perch. Ocean chinook fishing, which has been the best in Oregon, will resume when ocean conditions settle down.

Eastern – An early Salmonfly hatch on the Deschutes was rewarding to many who timed it right. Now about over, it's time to shift to Caddis patterns and keep an eye out for Green Drakes, particularly on drizzly days.

Pale Morning Duns have been making a regular appearance on the Metolius although Green Drakes are showing occasionally upstream toward Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. Large browns have been taken on imitations.

Fall River has been fishing well with a mix of Mayfly, Caddis and midge patterns effective at times.

Flows are high at the Imnaha and Wallowa River although some trout fishing is taking place with fair result. Both rivers will open to hatchery spring chinook fishing on Saturday, June 21.

Odell trollers are having their way with fair-sized kokanee in decent number on brightly-colored hoochies.

Oregon fishing report for June 6

Free Fishing Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, June 7th and 8th. Clam, crab or fish anywhere in Oregon without a license or tag.

Willamette Valley/Metro - Bonneville has been producing fair results for chinook but anglers are in the full swing of shad fishing. The sky's the limit when shad fishing and some chinook are falling to shad gear as well. The wild to hatchery ratio strongly favors the “high-finned” variety.

Fish passage at Willamette Falls has been declining since mid-May. About 20,000 springers have crossed with another 7,500 retained by anglers in the lower river. Currently, Chinook fishing is very slow. Boats fishing the stretch from the St. Johns Bridge to the head of Multnomah Channel have been getting a few hits and, occasionally, a springer. Catch and release sturgeon fishing is steady on the lower river near Swan Island and at the Toyota Hole. Darts, grubs and small spoons are taking good numbers of shad at Oregon City. Middle Fork Willamette fly anglers are enjoying moderate flows and decent results for trout and summer steelhead.

McKenzie River flows took a jump on Monday this week and may be subject to further impact from snowmelt due to warm weather this week. Once the water starts to drop, caddis patterns will work for trout. There will be some summer steelhead in the system as well.

A couple of summer steelhead were taken recently at Mehama on the North Santiam and the river near the bridge at Mill City has produced a few. Fishing has been slow but springers are entering the mainstem and the lower South Santiam. Try bobber and eggs.

On the Clackamas, bank fishers at McIver are using jigs and spinners to entice summer steelhead. Targeting springers with bobber & bait has been marginally effective with water levels low and running clear. Fish early mornings and practice stealth techniques. Conditions aren't going to improve over the coming week.

Springers have been taken on the Sandy River this week by anglers targeting steelhead with bobber & bait near the mouth of Cedar Creek. Dodge Park has also produced a few springers recently.

Free fishing weekend is June 7 and 8 during which no license or tag is required but all fishing rules and regulations still apply.

Northwest – A nice soft tide series should produce good spring chinook catches on lower Tillamook Bay. Target the Ghost Hole and West Channel on the incoming tide but focus on the inside of the north jetty on the second half of outgoing tide this weekend. There's still time to register for the Bounty on the Bay event at: www.tbnep.org. This tide series will likely be the last productive one for the bay fishery. Moss continues to impede success in the upper reaches.

Lower Columbia River fishers are still getting chinook and a rare steelhead downstream of Longview. Those putting in the time admit that the ratio of wild to hatchery is about 4:1 but the fish are of quality size. Plugs remain the favorite for anchor anglers while spin-n-glos tipped with coon or sand shrimp are taking fish from shore.

Sturgeon fishers are seeing fair to good catches in the estuary. Both oversize and keeper sized fish are present, falling to both smelt and sand shrimp but given the abnormal amount of live anchovies at the mouth of the river, sturgeon should respond well to this bait as well.

Predicted winds are not coming to fruition but a large swell is in the forecast. If the ocean remains calm, bottomfishing out of northern ports could prove productive. Salmon trollers working the shoreline just to the north of the mouth of the Columbia scored excellent results for chinook on the opener; it remains fin-clipped only until mid-month.

Southwest- Central coast ports have been producing limits or near-limits of lingcod and rockfish when offshore winds have allowed boats to launch.

As of the last all-depth halibut opener on May 22-24, 50% of the 113,229-pound quota had been bagged. The next opportunity to ply the depths for halibut will be June 5-7 but offshore winds are forecasted to be wicked.

Pinkfin perch are entering Winchester Bay on their annual spawning run. Anglers on the lower Umpqua have been scoring good numbers of them over the past week.

Windy conditions cut down on ocean launches out of Coos Bay where catches of rockfish and lingcod have been good and chinook fishing slow when boats have gotten out. Bay crabbing is slow.

High winds kept sport and charter craft from launching out of Gold Beach much of the time over the past week. When boats were able to get out, rockfish and lingcod limits were taken as well as ocean crab. Spring chinook catches picked up on the lower Rogue due in part to more than 1,000 salmon recycled downriver from the hatchery over the past week. Low flows and high water temperatures have stalled catches on the middle river. Anglers on the upper Rogue are taking fair to good numbers of springers, primarily by backbouncing bait. Only hatchery salmon may be kept.

Brookings Harbor was once again the top Oregon port for ocean chinook over the past week. Divers and flashers trailing herring or anchovy are scoring fish. Chinook are in the upper 50 foot depths over 150 to 200 feet of water. Rockfishing has been excellent just outside the harbor.

Of the roughly 3,700-pound quota allowed to be taken in the south coast halibut quota, 58% remains to be caught.

A Free Fishing Weekend event at Diamond Lake on June 6th is expected to attract more than 600 children.

Eastern – Deschutes redside action has been on one day, off the next from Warm Springs to Trout Creek. When the big bugs are active, good results may be expected. Otherwise, downsized offerings and nymphs have been filling the gap.

Trout fishing has been steady at the Crooked River although it has been crowded at times. ODF&W's annual fish sampling program begins the week of June 16th which will curtail success and compromise access while this important work is being conducted.

Trout fishing is fair to good on nymphs following a recent stocking at Wallowa Lake. Wallowa River is colored-up and running high but is producing trout along the banks.

Grande Ronde River levels are good for floating with Salmon Flies and Stoneflies on the move now.

Green Peter is producing kokanee to trollers using hoochies, spinners or spoons behind flashers on downriggers in the 40 to 50 foot depths.

Kokanee catches have been fair but steady at Wickiup. A kokanee derby is scheduled here on June 14th.