Oregon fishing reports

Willamette Valley/Metro- Sportanglers were hit with an unexpected closure on the Columbia on Wednesday. The river closed to the taking of chinook from Bonneville downstream. The remainder of the river closed at mid-night, last night. Catches have been light but managers will monitor the run to see if additional openers are warranted. The upriver bright run is tracking 40% below pre-season expectations.
Pro guide Jim Nicol (503-550-3166) reports picking up good numbers of coho and CHinook at the mouth of the Cowlitz but warns that trolling here can be a challenge.
Although sturgeon fishing in the gorge remains fair, expectations are for better fishing in the coming weeks. Boat anglers are faring best but some of the best bank fishing of the year takes place in October.

Soft plastics are taking good numbers of smallmouth bass on the lower Willamette.

Clackamas River anglers are anxious for precipitation where cooler, stronger flows should stimulate an otherwise challenging coho bite.

The Sandy River is providing coho action at first light but pretty much shuts down once the sky becomes bright. Pro guide Jim Nicol (503-550-3166) reports seeing very few coho hooked at the mouth of the Sandy.Steelheaders experienced fair to good results on the North Santiam over the past week. Hundreds of spring salmon can be seen spawning now.
October caddis have started showing on the upper McKenzie.

Mt Hood Pond, North Fork Reservoir, Small Fry Lake and Foster Reservoir are scheduled to be planted with trout this week.
Northwest – Tillamook Bay is producing good catches of fall chinook although rarely is fishing good for more than 2 days in a row. Soft tides kept anglers near the jaws but heavy bar restrictions are likely into the weekend. A 42-pounder was weighed in at Garibaldi Marina on Tuesday.

Nehalem Bay remains slow but the fall run fish should show in better numbers this week.

The lower Columbia remains open for fin-clipped coho but catches dropped off last week. Crabbing remains good near Buoys 20 and 22.

Tuna anglers venturing out 43 miles did excellent on Friday last week but only fair on Saturday. The tuna bite becomes sporadic this time of year with live bait fishing significantly out-producing all other methods. Live bait is hard to come by however.
The Alsea River slowed for chinook fishers but the Yaquina is likely be pick up on coming weeks.

Albacore were once again available in good number fewer than 40 miles out of Depoe Bay over the past weekend.A charter boat returned to Newport last Saturday with a Dorado on board, a certain indication of the tropical-temperature water offshore. Most boats seeking all-depth halibut took limits about 27 miles out of port.Pro guide James Stevenson (503-581-5347) confirms that Chinook catches are down at the Alsea this year.Fish checkers at Oregon ports weren't bothering to measure or weigh halibut over the last all depth opener. All-depth halibut is likely to close this week.

Fishing is starting to pick up here on the Siuslaw. Most fish are being caught from the mouth of the North Fork to the Dairy Hole with plug cut herring a top bait.

Siltcoos and Tahkenitch Lakes will open for wild coho beginning October 1st. Be sure to check regulations for bag limits are restrictions before participating.

Southwest – Pro guide Bill Kremers (541 754 6411) reports landing a big halibut out of Newport before the closure.Chinook, planted as smolts in 2004, have returned to the Umpqua as adults and are holding below the Calapooya River on the mainstem. North Umpqua steelheaders are experiencing fair to good results on a variety of baits and lures. Fly anglers are also taking fish here. Smallmouth bass fishing is rewarding from Sawyer's Rapids to Elkton.

Boaters hitting the ocean out of Coos Bay experienced outstanding bottom fishing for a variety of fish including some dandy ling cod. The lings will approach shallow water around rocks and jetties to spawn around the first of the year at which time they'll be available to bank-bound anglers. Crabbing has been fair to good in Coos Bay.

The lower Rogue was productive last week but slowed over the weekend with far more anglers than chinook in the estuary.

The ocean was friendly over the past week, then kicked up on Sunday. During that extended calm period, anglers traveling about 45 miles offshore once again found warm water and tuna. Bottom fishers are being rewarded with rockfish and large ling cod.

Fish Lake and Diamond Lake will be stocked with trout.
Eastern – The caddis hatch on the Metolius is bringing a lot of fish to the surface. If matching the hatch is ineffective, try attractor patterns to get their attention.

While steelhead counts are slowing at Bonneville, they are crossing The Dalles fairly well. Numbers are building in the lower Deschutes, providing decent results in the lower river. Anglers trolling the mouth are taking steelhead and fair numbers of coho. The “B” run fish have yet to show in any large numbers. Chinook retention is now closed.Pro guide Rick Arnold (541-382-4843) reports a Brown Trout out of East Lake weighing over12 pounds which he'll be mounting soon.