Oregon fishing report

Oregon Fishing Update

Willamette Valley/Metro - The summer Chinook fishery on the lower Columbia River remains open for sportfishers. A run size update allowed for additional time but success has recently slowed. Anglers in the know were experiencing multiple opportunities when anchored in the right migration lane but dam passage has slowed and the bulk of the run has passed through the lower river. This fishery should remain viable through mid-July however.

Summer steelhead counts continue to rise and beach plunkers should have a good shot at shore-hugging fish on the upcoming minus tide series. Jones Beach near Westport and Rainier area beaches should produce fair results using hot colored spin-n-glos. Small plugs will take fish as well.

Shad counts have also passed their peak and catches have dropped off. Oversized sturgeon are still taking fresh shad but can be choosy with the large food source available to them.
Counts at Willamette Falls are nearing 35,000 spring Chinook and over 14,000 summer steelhead. Springer effort and catches are light in the river.

Steelhead remain the best bet for Santiam anglers. Chinook are present in small numbers but reluctant to bite.

A few keeper sturgeon have been taken by boat and bank anglers in the Gladstone/Oregon City stretch of the lower Willamette. Shad numbers are thinning but it's still possible to catch a few.
The Clackamas water level dropped again over the last week. Steelhead and salmon fishing is slow.

There are very few Chinook in the Sandy and flows continue to drop. Salmon fishing may be best at the mouth for trollers with some interception of Columbia River Chinook. The mouth of Cedar Creek may also produce some results for early morning casters.

Big Cliff Reservoir, Breitenbush River, Detroit Reservoir, Leaburg Lake, McKenzie River, Salt Creek, North Fork Santiam River. Faraday Lake, North Fork Reservoir and Trillium Lake are scheduled to be stocked with trout.

Northwest – The lower Columbia River estuary closed to retention of sturgeon beginning July 5th. Fishing for quality sized keepers was good out of Hammond prior to the closure for anglers using anchovies and sand shrimp. Catch and release is still a great option in this area but sand shrimp may be hard to find with demand dwindling.

The July 3rd opener for salmon, north of Cape Falcon proved productive for anglers getting an early jump start. Some boats took limits of hatchery coho and a few Chinook were in the catch. Most boats averaged 1 coho per rod. The CR Buoy was producing the best and waters south in 180 to 220 foot of water. The wild to hatchery ratio was nearly equal. The smaller sized coho seemed to respond best to anchovies. Fish to 8 pounds were caught.

The last minus tide series along Clatsop Beaches begins on Friday. The season closes on July 15th and will remain closed north of Tillamook Head through September 30th. Digging should be good although clams are on the smaller side.

Salmon fishing out of Garibaldi was once again possible with calming seas early in the week. Catches were improving and a few more Chinook are starting to show in the catches. Coho were being found north of the Tillamook Bay entrance in 280 to 320 feet of water. Ocean crabbing is much better than Tillamook, Netarts and Nehalem Bays.

Bottomfishing has dropped off but one boat landed 25 tuna approximately 60 miles west of Garibaldi. Another all depth-halibut opener runs July 6th – 8th from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain. 25,000 pounds remain on the quota.

Although spring Chinook in the Tillamook district has significantly slowed, 260 salmon were recycled from the Trask hatchery early this week. Even stealth tactics will have limited success on the low waters of the North Oregon Coast.

Three Rivers on the Nestucca system will remain open from the mouth upstream to the hatchery weir deadline through July 9 for adipose fin-clipped summer steelhead and adipose fin-clipped spring chinook. This area will close to all angling from July 10-Sept. 30.

Southwest - Razor clam digging remains open on all Southwest beaches to the California border. A series of minus tides will start Saturday, continuing through the week. Bailey Beach has been reliably producing limits of large razors.

Coho trollers out of Winchester Bay found fair fishing over the weekend when the bar and fog allowed safe crossing. Smallmouth bass fishing in the Umpqua River continues to improve. Anglers may easily catch scores of fish in a day.

Offshore salmon fishing turned on late last week, rewarding anglers with the best Chinook bite so far this year. Huge sardines are feeding the salmon and spurring their growth. Offshore Chinook may be taken through October, but coho closes July 31st North of Humbug Mountain and closed on July 4th south of that point.

Offshore bottom fishing has been phenomenal out of Brookings, yielding black rockfish up to six pounds. Limits are the rule on charter boats. Ling cod catches have been fair to good but should improve as the season progresses.

Catches remain good for ocean crabbers with most Dungeness still in good shape.
Section 5 of the Rogue River will be stocked with catchable-sized trout.

Eastern - The Salmonfly and Golden Hatch is done on the Deschutes with Caddis and Mayflies starting up. Trout fishing is good on the lower river. Caddis and Pale Morning Duns are hatching on the middle Deschutes.

Fly anglers will find excellent fishing at East Lake where Callibaetis patterns are producing fine catches.

Smallmouth bass fishing is great on the lower John Day River. Scheduled for planting this week in the Deschutes watershed are Badger Lake, Campbell Lake, Deadhorse Lake, Olallie Lake and Spring Creek.

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