Oregon fishing report

Oregon Fisheries Update:

Report Snaggers and Poachers:
Oregon: 1 800 452-7888
Washington: 1 800 477-6224


Willamette Valley/Metro- The summer chinook fishery is beginning to peak at Bonneville with consistent counts of over a thousand fish per day crossing. Anchor anglers are taking a few on copper-red tipped spinners. Bank plunkers are taking some salmon at Warrendale.

The oversize sturgeon fishery is showing signs of slowing with fish more present in deeper holes. Keeper fishing is tapering as well.

Several Spring Chinook were taken over the weekend in the Portland Harbor by trollers dragging spinners- chartreuse green dot spinners are producing the most strikes. Sturgeon fishing has been slow with mostly shakers to show for angler's efforts. Shad are still being caught at Oregon City, but this may be the last productive weekend for them.

Early mornings and late evenings are producing a few summer steelhead in low water on the Sandy and Clackamas Rivers. Most folks are writing off the spring chinook run.

Some steelheaders are finding biters on the McKenzie below Leaburg Dam.

Few fish are venturing above Mill City on the North Santiam due to cold water above that point. Steelheading in the lower river is slow to fair. Summer steelhead and spring Chinook are entering the Foster Dam facility on the South Santiam with regularity.

Trillium Lake, Blue River above the Reservoir, Breitenbush River, Carmen Reservoir, Detroit Reservoir, Fall Creek, Leaburg Lake, McKenzie River above and below Leaburg Lake, Quartzville Creek, Salmon Creek and Santiam River above Detroit Reservoir are scheduled to be planted with hatchery trout.

Northwest - Estuary sturgeon fishing continues to be productive but effort and success have shifted to upstream of the Astoria/Megler Bridge. Tongue Point to Buoy 50 is the most productive stretch in the softer tides but the weekend minus tide series will force anglers to fish in shallower water. Fishery managers will met Thursday to determine the fate of the estuary fishery and determined it would remain open as scheduled through July 4th.

With good numbers of steelhead passing Bonneville Dam, steelheaders will want to consider taking advantage of the strong morning tides to work spin-n-glos close to the beaches in Rainier and Sauvie's Island. Hot colors like reds and oranges work best. Scented lures are a strong advantage.

Ocean salmon fishers took fair numbers of coho at the 40-fathom line out of Garibaldi. Fishing bait will produce best near the surface in the morning. Later in the day, fish will move deeper and bite less aggressively.

Good clam tides will come over the weekend. Clatsop Beaches will produce the best and will close beginning July 15th. Bay crabbing on most estuaries remains poor.

Pro guide Jesse Zalonis (503-392-5808) reports the Nestucca is getting really low and clear now but there are some steelhead on the lower river and they are "really shifty."

Warm water offshore has tuna hopefuls gearing up and heading out. Albacore were as close as 25 miles out of Depoe Bay over the weekend. Tuna were also taken out of Newport just south of the traditional halibut grounds.

Coho fishing has been spotty out of Newport and Depoe Bay. Most boats are getting only one or two. Coho are 30 to 50 feet deep over 150 to 300 feet of water. Herring are still available to jiggers at Yaquina Bay.

Pro guide Bill Kremers (541-754-6411) reports slow fishing for halibut last Thursday but that he limited his boat Saturday on a salmon trip out of Depoe Bay.


Southwest - Boaters launching out of Reedsport are seeing ocean coho and crab catches improve daily. The salmon are running a little fewer than 50% fin-clipped keepers.

The weekend offered fair to good prospects for coho and bottom fish for offshore anglers out of Coos Bay. Tuna were caught about 30 miles offshore. Halibut and crab combo trips were rewarding over the last all-depth opener June 21st through 23rd.

The Rogue will close for Spring Chinook angling July 1st through October 31 2007 from River Gold Ray dam to Elk Boat Ramp. Only fin-slipped chinook may be kept elsewhere on the Rogue.

Bottom fishing out of southwest Oregon ports has been as good as it gets with rockfish large and plentiful. Lingcod are in the mix with some over 30 inches and up to 30 pounds.

Dave Pitts, Field Editor, Salmon Trout and Steelhead, adds that as long as the weather stays clear and the seas are some what calm it is AWESOME RED HOT FISHING on bottom fish.

Surf fishing off of beaches and jetties continues to produce limits of striped and barred perch.

Anglers out of Brookings are catching coho averaging six to eight pounds but with baitfish thick this year, these fish will put on weight rapidly. Crabbing is picking up inside the harbor with nets scoring keepers off the local fishing pier.

Waters scheduled for trout stocking this week include Clearwater #2, Hemlock Lake, Lake in the Woods, Lemolo Reservoir, Cole Rivers and Section 5 of the Rogue River.

SW Washington - Action on most area rivers is slow for salmon and steelhead but the East Fork of the Lewis still holds promise for bank anglers.

The mouths of the Cowlitz and Kalama Rivers will become more consistent for salmon and steelhead using small spinners. Morning tides will produce the best results.

Eastern - The Owyhee River is producing Brown Trout for fly fishers using nymphs.

Trout fishing is improving at Crane Prairie as the water warms. Fly anglers are catching good-sized bass as well as husky trout at Davis Lake.

Ana Reservoir, Badger Lake, Campbell Lake, Century Gravel Pit, Big Cultus Lake, Deadhorse Lake, Deschutes River, East Lake, Fall River, Horseshoe Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lost Lake, Olallie Lake, Shevlin Pond, Sprague Gravel Pit, Spring Creek, Thompson Valley, Three Creeks Lakes, North and South Twin Lake, and Walton Lake are scheduled to be stocked.

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