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.
