Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Reports of an occasional springer is coming from the mainstem Columbia although high effort is yielding mediocre results, as is to be expected. Plunkers and boaters are coming out in fair numbers but despite good water conditions for catching (or at least “good” relative to previous years for this time of year), catches are not that impressive. Steelhead remain an option for lower Columbia beaches too.

Lower Willamette spring Chinook trollers are taking fish occasionally at various locations. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is good.

While the McKenzie has been stable for several days, it is expected to rise with rain this week. Trout fishing is spotty.

A few wild winter steelhead are providing some catch-and-release action on the North Santiam but catches will improve in months to come.

Northwest – Despite low water conditions, action for steelhead on the north coast remains fair to good. Effort drops off in the less than ideal conditions when flows drop but fish still move into the river systems and will fall to savvy anglers. The Wilson and Nestucca remain primary targets but wild fish are present in every north coast stream.

Smaller streams will remain too low for boating through the upcoming weekend. Despite the recent, albeit light precipitation, river levels won't be on the rise anytime soon. This will continue to favor bank anglers as it's much easier to traverse the smaller reaches in low flows.

Saltwater anglers had some great opportunity on calm seas over the weekend and early this week. Black sea bass and some lingcod fell quite easily for those fishing over productive reefs. Crabbing remains challenging in the bays and the ocean.

Central & South Coast Reports - There has been frost on the docks some mornings this week at Depoe Bay, but mostly clear weather has provided comfortable offshore experiences for boats launching this week. The ocean has been producing ling cod limits.

Central & Eastern - Trout anglers on the lower Deschutes can sometimes do alright with redsides over the winter months.

According to Steve Fleming of Mah-Haw Outfitters (971-533-5733), one client caught several smallmouth bass to 19 inches as well as three steelhead this week on the John Day River.

Area beaches along the south coast have been producing pinkfin surf perch this week.

For those looking to book a charter or accommodations, the 2015 spring all-depth halibut dates will be May 14-16, May 28-30, June 11-13 and June 25-27. The nearshore halibut fishery starts July 1st, seven days a week inside the 40-fathom line through the earlier of the quota filling or Oct. 31st.

According to Robert Campbell at Fisherman's Marine in Oregon City (503-557-5600), Tenmile Lake is heating up for largemouth bass with warmer weather this week.

Winchester Bay crabbers have enjoyed an improvement in results with the bay clearing and the salinity level returning to normal. Umpqua mainstem steelhead had it good last week, not so good recently as the water dropped and cleared.

With the Rogue flowing low and clear on the lower, middle and upper sections, catches of winter steelhead have slowed.

While Diamond Lake is clear of ice, the water remains cold. This has made for a light bite.

Oregon fishing report for Feb 20, 2015

Willamette Valley/Metro - Anglers anxiously await more spring chinook news and plunkers as well as boaters ply the waters in hopes of an early prize. The season's first spring chinook made itself visible at Bonneville Dam on February 8th. The mainstem Columbia season is projected to run through April 10th.

Lower Willamette sturgeon fishing is slower this week than last. Herring and squid are still taking fish but so is smelt. Following high water, there may be some spring Chinook action in the near future. We'll let you know when it happens.

McKenzie River level and flow are conducive to fishing but catch-and-release trout fishing here has been slow.

The Santiam system is in decent shape but there haven't been sufficient numbers of winter steelhead over Willamette Falls to create a fishery here yet.

Northwest – Early indications following the high water indicates that there are good numbers of steelhead around and as expected, a number of spent fish with some fresh wild fish available too. With larger, more productive rivers just coming on line at this writing, we won't know more until the next issue but check the Forecast section for the region you'll be fishing in for an accurate assessment of what lies ahead for your favorite stream. This is in the paid member's only section.

The Wilson and Nestucca as well as the Siletz will remain top options for those seeking hatchery fish options. Wild steelhead should be available in nearly every system.

Rough weather kept recreational boats at bay for the week but conditions may improve by the weekend. Rockfish and lingcod await anglers.

Crabbing remains poor both in the ocean and local estuaries. It's clearly a down-cycle for the crustaceans.

Southwest- Offshore conditions are forecast to be favorable through the weekend and into the coming week for those looking to launch for ocean bottom fishing or crabbing.

While boats out of Depoe Bay and Newport are regularly scoring limits of ling cod, catches of rockfish have slowed somewhat.

Surf perch fishing has been worthwhile at various south coast beaches including those around Coos Bay, Bandon and Gold Beach.

The Reedsport Fly-fishing Expo, sponsored by the Lower Umpqua Fly-casters will be on Saturday, February 28th from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Reedsport Charter School. A dozen tyers will give demonstrations, a film will be shown and door prizes are available. A pretty good deal since admission is free.

Crabbing has been poor at Winchester Bay as it is still suffering from turbidity from rain last week.

Coos Bay crabbers are starting to score once again now that the waters are recovering from last week's storms.

Catches of winter steelhead are good on the lower and middle Rogue River. Winters are into the upper river as well and are being caught in fair to good number now.

Steelheading has slowed on the Chetco River with waters dropping low and turning clear.

Eastern – Crescent Lake is producing Mackinaw trout for trollers using downriggers.

Trollers at Green Peter have been picking up a few kokanee but they have been running small.

Oregon fishing report for 2/13/15

Willamette Valley/Metro - Passage of winter steelhead at the Falls has slowed over the past couple of weeks. Water flowing from upstream is still muddy, adding to the turbidity of the lower river.

Water levels remain high on the McKenzie River.

The Santiam system has not yet recovered from rainfall earlier this week.

The Clackamas River started rising in the middle of last week but never really blew out. It has dropped, is exhibiting good color and is a decent bet for winter steelhead.

With the Sandy River dropping and clearing and winter steelhead scattered, it will produce over the coming weekend.

Anglers anxiously await more spring chinook news and plunkers as well as boaters ply the waters in hopes of an early prize. The season's first spring chinook made itself visible at Bonneville Dam on February 8th. The mainstem Columbia season is projected to run through April 10th.

Northwest – Early indications following the high water indicates that there are good numbers of steelhead around and as expected, a number of spent fish with some fresh wild fish available too. With larger, more productive rivers just coming on line at this writing, we won't know more until the next issue but check the Forecast section for the region you'll be fishing in for an accurate assessment of what lies ahead for your favorite stream. This is in the paid member's only section.

The Wilson and Nestucca as well as the Siletz will remain top options for those seeking hatchery fish options. Wild steelhead should be available in nearly every system.

Rough weather kept recreational boats at bay for the week but conditions may improve by the weekend. Rockfish and lingcod await anglers.

Crabbing remains poor both in the ocean and local estuaries. It's clearly a down-cycle for the crustaceans.

Southwest - Offshore launches should be possible this coming weekend off the central Oregon coast.

South coast surf anglers have been making good catches of redtail and calico surf perch whenever the ocean has laid down.

As the mainstem Umpqua drops and clears, steelhead should be good although less than 10% of the fish here will be of hatchery origin.

Steelheading will yield a mix of hatchery and wild fish in the Coos system.

Waters of the lower Rogue are still high but clearing. It should fish by Friday or Saturday. The middle river is in better shape and upper Rogue steelheader should have a decent shot at winters now.

Waters were just dropping into fishing levels and the clarity rapidly improving on the Chetco as of Thursday this week.

Eastern – The lower Deschutes offers little to steelheaders at this time of year.

Fly fishers on the Metolius report that fishing is slow.

Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Nope, no springers at Bonneville yet. An initial springer frenzy has ensued recently but if the metro rivers swell as anticipated, interest will wane. It's too early to invest too much time into these fisheries. I know, they're springers, right?

As the lower Willamette rises and muddies up over the coming week, the burgeoning winter steelhead and spring Chinook fisheries will stall. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is expected to remain good.

There's not much reason to send anyone fishing on the McKenzie River in the Wek to come.

While there are a few summer steelhead available in the Santiams, there are too few winters to target them this early in the season. The Santiams will be high and swift regardless.

Northwest – Steelheaders have been waiting for the upcoming rain freshet for a while now. The precipitation should produce good results for the late steelhead run. The Wilson and Nestucca will be primary targets for hatchery fish seekers.

You won't find many boats working the Trask River post freshet, mostly because it's catch and release. This will be a good system to look for trophy steelhead over the next several weeks.

The Kilchis will be one of the early systems to clear and should provide some wild steelhead action.

The smaller, north coast systems should have lots of hatchery fish in them (Necanicum, North Fork Nehalem) but they will largely be spawned out and of poor eating quality.

Forget an offshore effort this weekend but it sure was good last weekend, especially for sea bass out of Garibaldi and lingcod out of Newport.

Crabbing, both in the ocean and in the estuaries, is slow.

Southwest- Heavy rainfall over the next several days will hinder crabbing efforts in coastal estuaries.

Surf perch fishing has been quite good, particularly for this time of year. Beaches at Bandon and Coos Bay have been productive although with storms over the weekend make surf fishing unsafe.

A couple of boats out of Newport caught Chinook salmon while bottom fishing.

Smelt shouldn't be far from the Cowlitz, be sure to check last weeks archived edition for the smelt season.

Chinook season will not open until August 1st on the Siuslaw according to 2015 regulation.

Umpqua mainstem flows will be on the rise this weekend with the water forecast to crest at 60,000 cfs overnight Saturday, February 7th.

Water level on the lower Rogue will rise above the 'Action Level' of 16 feet at Agness on Saturday, February 7th. Steelheading will resume and possibly improve as the water drops and clears.

High water stalled fishing efforts on the Chetco River a couple of days ago and just as it's settling down, another front is due to cause a genuine blowout. This freshet should bring fresh winter steelhead into the system.

It looks like ice fishers may not get a change this year as the surface has already started to thaw without ever getting thick enough to support anglers.

Eastern – Redside fishing is fair to good on the lower Deschutes with Blue-Winged-Olives hatching around mid-day although nymphs fished near the bottom will be effective 'most anytime.

While the Metolius is slow to fair, fly anglers are occasionally picking up some nice trout.