Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro With the bulk of the chinook run past Bonneville, action for wobbler anglers in the Portland reach should taper. The Bonneville backtrollers should continue to do well into mid-October however.

Fish counts at Willamette Falls demonstrate the seasonal urge of anadromous fish which are pushing their way upstream. Moderating water temperatures are prime factor. Over 1,000 fall Chinook have been tallied although at the rate coho are crossing, their numbers will eclipse the Chinook counts shortly. Steelhead are ticking along at a rate of roughly 25 a day with over 22,000 upstream as of September 19th.

McKenzie water levels have been impacted by showers this week but only enough to barely move the gauge. It remains to be seen what effect the beginning of fall showers ultimately has on the river.

North Santiam water level and flow increased significantly with rain over the past weekend, It's forecast to remain stable for the coming week, then increase again around the first of October.

Rain started to have an impact on the Clackamas River mid-week and coho responded. While this isn't the long-term solution and it won't be lights-out fishing from here forward, it has finally started and has been seen as a blessing by many who fish the Clack.

While precipitation had less of an effect on the waters of the Sandy River, there was a slight increase on Wednesday, September 24th but probably of equal effect is the calendar; it's just time for these fish to run and coho will enter as much by the time of year as by water conditions. Plus, Sandy River fish seem to bite better.

Originally scheduled for Sept. 27, ODFW biologists decided to postpone the free Family Fishing Event at St Louis Ponds by two weeks due to prolonged warm, dry weather. The new date will be October 11th from 9 Am to 2 PM. The ODFW will release 1,700 rainbow trout, including 400 one-pounders, likely be split between Ponds 1, 3 and 6. ODFW will provide everything people need to go fishing – rods, reels, tackle and bait and instructors will be on hand. People who want to bring their own fishing gear are welcome to do so.

Northwest – Chinook trollers working Tillamook Bay continue to be frustrated by seaweed and eelgrass fouling gear. That would be ok if good numbers of chinook were present but they're not. Wild coho are prevalent throughout the estuary but only remain open for the taking on Friday's and Saturday's. Action for these fish should only improve in the coming weeks.

Nehalem Bay trollers are taking good numbers of wild coho and an occasional chinook. Wheeler to Fisher Point is the best but the stretch in front of the city of Nehalem should also produce good results. The North Fork Nehalem has received a wad of coho but as is typically the case, they are not biting well.

Although the Salmon River is tapering, the Nestucca system should continue to produce well into October. Bobber and bait casters should have a good week in tidewater and trollers working the mouth should fare well on the waning tide series.

Coho remain plentiful in the lower Columbia. Three fish limits are still the rule for persistent anglers and crabbing should pick up too over the weekend. Not many people are participating and fresh bait may be hard to come by, unless you jig your own anchovies.

Southwest- Most central coast charters shut down mid-week with wind and wave making offshore forays an impossibility. Hopes are high for ocean conditions to moderate with fishing to resume over the weekend to come.

There will be no depth restriction for lingcod fishers beginning October 1. On that date, offshore anglers targeting ling may do so in whatever depths they wish. Some large lings are expected to hit the docks.

Crabbing has been fair out of Depoe Bay and Newport, much better in the ocean from Bandon to Winchester Bay.

Once the ocean settles down again, tuna hunters will know if their quarry remain within reach. Fishing was very good last week.

Halibut fishing remains open seven days a week in waters 40 fathoms or shallower off the central Oregon coast with 35% of the quota remaining.

Participation in ocean salmon fishing has dropped off for boats launching out of Reedsport now that the coho season is closed. Chinook are still being taken in fair to good number. Trollers using herring and bank anglers throwing spinners are taking Chinook. Bay crabbing is good. Smallmouth fishing is good on the Umpqua mainstem and South Umpqua while steelheading is fair on the North Umpqua.

Trollers in the Rogue estuary have been doing fairly well. On the lower Rogue near Agness, catches of adult steelhead and half pounders have been ongoing despite skinny water conditions. Chinook catches on the middle Rogue have been fair to good for boats long-lining plugs. With low water deterring the movement of fresh fish into the upper Rogue, steelheading in the flies-only section has been slow.

Boats out of the Port of Brookings were still chasing tuna over the past week. Catches of rockfish and lingcod have been excellent just outside the harbor entrance. Chinook fishing has been slow to spotty inside Brookings Harbor.

Eastern – Fewer daylight hours at this time of year combine with seasonably cooler nights to improve conditions for steelheaders on the Deschutes.

Crooked River fly fishers have been taking fish recently by matching the periodic hatches of Blue-Winged Olives and Pale Morning Duns.

Odell Lake is still producing bright kokanee to downrigger trollers working depths of 50to 80 feet.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro Chinook fishing on the mainstem Columbia remains open upstream of Warrior Rock only, until October 1st. Action has been sporadic but anchor anglers using wobblers are taking fish occasionally.

Lower Willamette water temperatures are gradually coming down thanks to cool nights. The latest coho count at the falls was 264 with about 600 fall Chinook upstream now. Bass fishing is good and a few coho have been taken.

Water conditions on the McKenzie are rock-stable and are expected to stay that way with only light showers falling in the valley.

North Santiam flows remain low and are expected to be unchanged through the coming week. A similar situation exists on the South Santiam with water conditions forecast to remain the same over the coming week. Fishing is slow.

There will be no relief in low, clear water conditions on the Clackamas River despite the forecast for rain this week, at least according to NOAA predictions. There may be an improvement in the last week of September, however. Predictably, the Bowling Alley Hole is shoulder to shoulder with spinner flingers.

Sandy levels, while low, are maintaining a glacial green color that no angler will find objectionable. A few coho have been taken over the past week.

Northwest – Coho are still present in good number in the Astoria area but a lull is expected in the coming weeks as anglers await later returning Washington bound fish. Crabbing is picking up on the lower Columbia

Chinook are starting to show in good numbers in the Tillamook and Nehalem systems. Both estuaries produced good catches on Sunday and Monday. Coho are present in good numbers as well but you'll have to watch for fin-clips on most north coast systems. Check here for important details: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/2014_coho_fisheries.pdf

Chinook have been reported at Loren's Drift on the Trask River, coho should be present as well. With no measureable rain in the forecast, most fish will remain in the tidewater stretches for the foreseeable future.

Trollers working the jaws at the Nestucca and Salmon Rivers as well as the Alsea are scoring good results for chinook. It's peak season on some of these systems and coho should start to make a good showing as well.

Crabbing is improving on the north coast but condition and quantity should improve even more by early October.

Southwest - The central Oregon nearshore had 39% of the quota remaining as of the week of September 1-7 which is the latest data available. In any event, a closure hasn't been announced so go get 'em.

Despite the southern Oregon halibut fishery filling the quota weeks ago, it's still on due to a bounty of 'buts. Leftover poundage from other areas have been rolled into this fishery. Over the past week, halibut of 50 to 60 pounds have been landed.

Charters out of Depoe Bay continue to score rockfish limits for clients and one reported and incidental catch of a 55-pound halibut. That's a good day!

Wild coho fishing is now open at Tenmile, Siltcoos, and Tahkenitch lakes. This is mostly a troll fishery although only one rod is allowed per angler during wild coho retention season and anglers may take only one unclipped coho per day and two for the season.

Crabbing has been good in Winchester Bay.

Tuna are being taken out of Charleston. Chinook fishing and crabbing are good in Coos Bay.

Rogue Bay has continued to produce good catches of Chinook. The lower Rogue is fair for steelhead and half-pounders. Middle Rogue fishing is slow while steelheading is good on the upper Rogue.

Eastern – Fishers at the mouth of the Deschutes have been doing well this week. Boats pulling plugs have done best with those drifting eggs getting fewer hookups.

Dries have been effective on the Metolius with hatches ongoing throughout the day.

The John Day has been producing smallmouth bass on all manner of lures and flies. Finding anything large has been a challenge but there are plenty of 'em.

Oregon fishing update

Willamette Valley/Metro Wobbler anglers are entering peak season in the Portland to Longview stretch. Although action has been hit or miss, those working he shipping channel should expect good results well into mid-month. Use the 5 X 5 method; fishing a 5 foot dropper lead line with a 5 foot leader for best results. You can troll spinners on the incoming tide if you're so motivated.

Northwest – The offshore coho season is producing good results for herring trollers. It's expected to continue to produce through the closure later this month.

The Tillamook Bay fishery is producing coho in the Ghost Hole and at Bay City as well as the South Channel. There are some chinook available but action has slowed in the ocean recently. The softening tide series should bode well for ocean anglers if the offshore weather cooperates.

Nehalem Bay should produce both decent coho and chinook catches through the weekend. Troll herring near the mouth for best results. Check regulations for each of the estuaries for wild coho opportunity.

Offshore crabbing should be improving and tuna fishing may once again become an option when the weather settles down.

The Salmon River as well as the Nestucca should produce good action well after the weekend. Troll herring near the mouth for best action.

Southwest - Tuna charters out of Depoe Bay have endured a challenging week with anglers returning with only two or three fish each. Newport albacore fishers did very well over the past weekend and trips are being planned for the coming weekend as well.

Bottom fishing has been good for rockfish and fair for lings out of central Oregon ports. Ocean crabbing also remains good. Salmon fishing has been rewarding anglers with mostly limits consisting primarily of large coho.

Reedsport boats have hit the ocean only to return with limits of salmon this week. It is an outstanding season this year. The upper Umpqua mainstem and South Umpqua remain productive for smallmouth bass despite low water levels. Steelheading is fair to good for summers in the flies-only stretch of the North Umpqua.

Tuna fishers launching out of Charleston have been making 30- to 35-mile trips this season and the past week has been no different. With tuna averaging 30 pounds, though, many feel it's worth it.

Boats out of Gold Beach had a good weekend for bottom fish with multi-colored limits. Trolling in the bay was rewarding over the past week with many limits landed and the bonus of jacks was just gravy. Best results have come in the first three hours of daylight. Good numbers will endure in the absence of precipitation.

Eastern – Reports of big trout are being caught at Timothy Lake on spoons and spinners. Fishing is fair but spotty at the mouth of the Deschutes. Counts at Sherars Falls indicate an ever-greater number of Chinook and steelhead are moving upstream. Chinook are legal to fish below Sherars Falls but not above.

Kokanee are starting to show signs of the upcoming spawn at Odell. The West Fork fire south of Joseph has burned 120 acres, and is uncontained; the Freezeout Ridge fire east of Joseph has burned 250 acres is uncontained and the Deception/Staley complex west of Oakridge has burned nearly 4,900 acres. Fire danger extremely is high; please use every precaution in the outdoors.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro Only brief periods of fair action has been witnessed by mid-river wobbler anchor anglers. Most boats are pulling anchor and seeking more fertile waters, including going back to the estuary for abundant coho. The fishery above Tongue Point is also producing well but far from epic as most had predicted on this tide series. Numbers at Bonneville lag far behind last year's run at this time.

A modest number of fall Chinook are navigating the mid-70-degree water at Willamette Falls with about 200 accounted for so far this season. Bass fishing remains the only option in the lower river. While summer steelhead are being taken occasionally by spinner fishers on the Town Run, pikeminnows have become a nuisance.

McKenzie River flows are low and stable as the transition from summer to fall begins. Blue-Winged Olive and Caddis hatches will be improving through September.

The Santiam system increased in level and flow early this week. Hopefully, this will stir the resident summer steelhead into action as catches have been slow.

Low and clear conditions persist on the Clackamas River although early morning steelheaders have been hooking a few at Milo McIver Park. Light lines and small lures are helpful in current water conditions. Coho will be entering soon, headed for Eagle Creek.

Conditions on the Sandy are seasonally predictable which means milky most of the time. Summer steelhead can be spotted around Cedar Creek but they have had lockjaw over the past week.

Northwest – Buoy 10 anglers continue to beat up on the coho downstream of Tongue Point. The Washington side, near the bridge has produced great catches and the limit is now 3 fin-clipped coho per person. The ocean fishery regulations out of the mouth of the Columbia drastically liberalize starting Saturday but offshore conditions may not allow for safe fishing until Tuesday at the earliest.

The Tongue Point chinook bite is much poorer than anticipated but chinook and coho limits are still coming from the area for those that know how to fish this reach. Spinners are taking more fish these days but fresh bait is still slightly out-performing.

Prior to Monday, anglers were reporting good action on coho (open for both wild and hatchery) out of Garibaldi. With rough ocean conditions persisting, the ocean will be a poor option through the weekend. Reports of chinook are coming from Tillamook Bay however where jetty trollers have been successful the last several days. There are coho in Tillamook Bay.

The Nehalem Bay run is transitioning to the fall run, from the summer component. Overall, the summer chinook fishery likely underperformed compared to last year, hopefully, the fall run will make up for it. Coho are starting to show.

The Nestucca, Salmon and Alsea Rivers are starting to produce some fish but the upcoming strong tide series should give us a taste as to how these fall fisheries will perform this month. Action should be best higher in the estuary where chinook will ride the tide upstream and bite best near high slack.

Crabbing should be challenging with a strong tide series coming about. Ocean crabbing has disappointed in recent weeks, when it should be getting quite good. The crab are filling out nicely however.

Southwest- Coho and Chinook are being taken in remarkable number out of Depoe Bay. Coho, fin clipped or not, have made up the bulk of the catches since retention became an option starting Aug. 30. In addition, results for bottom fish have been good and catches of ocean crab has improved.

Tuna fishing out of central Oregon ports has been excellent with most boats returning with all they had room for.

Chinook catches have been got although mostly short of limits out of Winchester Bay. Ocean crabbing has been excellent. The Crab Bounty Hunt through September will award multiple cash prizes. Turn in any tag from bay-caught Dungeness to Sportsmen's Cannery through the end of September to qualify.

Tuna boats launching out of Charleston have been challenged by offshore conditions as they traveled as many as 35 miles offshore over the past week. Catches were spotty at times but albacore to 30 pounds were the reward.

Boats launching out of Gold Beach over the past week has been taking copious quantities of ling cod along with decent numbers of rockfish. In Rogue Bay it has been a game of patience and tenacity; trollers who stick with it until the bite is on have been rewarded with fall Chinook. About 40 Chinook per day are being reported with anchovy/spinner combos most productive. Chinook are heading upstream as well which is exciting for anglers taking fish below Quosatana and is creating a fair fishery in the Grants Pass stretch. Now that the flies-only restriction is in place on the upper Rogue and summer steelhead movement has slowed, catch numbers are down somewhat.

Ocean anglers are closing in on the south coast halibut quota with the season unlikely to go the distance to the scheduled October 31st closure. The Slam'n Salmon Derby held over the past weekend out of the Port of Brookings was declared a rousing success. Ideal weather conditions assured a good time by all and several of the 480 registered contestants shared hundreds of dollars in prize money. Of greater interest to anglers anxious to hook up post-derby is the opening of lower tidewater on the Chetco River to fly and bobber fishing for the first time since 2009. Restrictions apply so check the regulations. It will be a productive fishery in weeks to come.

Eastern – August is considered the most challenging month for steelheaders on the lower Deschutes. Now that September is upon us and with it cooling temperature and ever-improving numbers of summers. catches are reflecting better fishing to come. Prospect will continue to improve through October. Fly anglers have been hooking redsides on nymphs at Macks Canyon.

While results for trout slowed at Crooked River in August, that trend will reverse in September.