Oregon Fishing

Willamette Valley/Metro- The mainstem recreational sportfishery is now closed from Bonneville Dam to Buoy 10. Anglers fishing in the Tongue Point to Bonneville fishery harvested an estimated 9,100 chinook even though catch rates were not as good as many had predicted. The Columbia River remains open for salmon and steelhead from Bonneville Dam upstream until the end of the year or the catch guideline is met.

Willamette sturgeon fishing remains slow but Bonneville bank anglers continue to witness improving catches. Smelt is a top bait this time of year and catches should continue to improve into October.

The McKenzie is producing good catches of trout and providing fair to good steelheading below Leaburg Dam. Trout fishing is excellent above the dam as well.

The North Santiam will remain high for the rest of the month. Steelheading is fair with the water temperature optimum.

With the season winding gown, anglers are picking up a few bright steelhead on the Clackamas from McIver Park To Barton Park. Coho on the lower river has been spotty but has provided some productive days. Fishery managers increased the daily bag limit to 3 fin-clipped coho per day on the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers as well as Eagle Creek due to higher than average returns to these systems.

Rain is needed to turn on coho fishing on the Sandy but a few fish are coming from the mouth where small spinners are responsible for the limited catches.

Pro guide Brandon Glass (503-260-8285) reports that he’s caught a couple of coho trolling small spinners at the mouth if the Sandy.

Mt. Hood College Pond, North Fork Reservoir, Small Fry Lake and Timber Lake are scheduled to be planted with trout.

Northwest – Coastal fall chinook fishing is underway on most coastal estuaries. Tillamook Bay offers the most consistent opportunity into December and catches in the upper bay were productive for spinner trollers on Saturday. Seaweed is prominent in the bay making spinner trolling the more feasible technique as anglers can whip weed from their lines and keep their gear fishing. High tide exchanges through the weekend should offer up ample opportunity for anglers.

Nehalem anglers are finding some chinook but coho catches have been pretty impressive. The bulk of the coho are wild but the hatchery keepers have been running exceptionally large this year. Ocean water is cold, in the mid to high 40 degree range making ocean and lower bay fishing challenging. The fish are responding better in the warmer waters of the upper reaches of the estuary.

The Nestucca and Salmon River chinook fisheries are peaking in the tidewater sections and effort is increasing on both systems. Bobber and bait or trolled spinners will take chinook. Tides play a critical role in the success of these fisheries.

The Columbia River near Astoria is closed to all fishing but catch and release of sturgeon using fresh jigged anchovies for bait is excellent near Tongue Point.

The Necanicum River tidewater should have some chinook available but a strong rain is what most anglers hope for in this river system. Sea-run cutthroat trout remains a viable catch and release option but anglers can lobby the ODF&W commission on Friday in Forest Grove to support a regulation change for a limited consumptive fishery on the north coast. Details are available on the ODF&W website.

Pro guide Jeff Jackson (541-268-6944) reports that fishing is picking up on the Siuslaw and fish are being caught every day.

In the last scheduled stocking of the year, Cape Meares Lake, Coffenbury Lake, Lost Lake (Clatsop County), Sunset Lake, Town Lake and Foster Reservoir will receive hatchery trout.

Southwest – Halibut fishing was spotty over the weekend with Saturday too rough to allow most boats to cross and Sunday producing mixed results. Likely the last opener of the year is scheduled for this weekend (September 20 and 21) with a 2-fish bag limit per angler. Tuna fishing was good over the past weekend and while waters are cooling off the central Oregon coast, there will likely be at least one more week of opportunity.

The ODFW Commission is considering proposals to either allow recreational ocean crabbing year 'round or to extend it to mid October rather than closing it in August.

Trollers are doing well for coho salmon in tidewater on the Umpqua but not so well for chinook. Fishing has been most productive between Reedsport and Gardner. Crabbing has been good in Winchester Bay.

Coos Bay and the lower river are producing mostly jacks with the occasional adult showing in catches. Coquille anglers are seeing a higher percentage of larger chinook.

The Rogue estuary is fishing well daily but the season is nearly over at this time of year. Trollers using herring or anchovy are taking a mix of large adults and jacks in crowded conditions. Boaters crossing into the ocean have done well for lingcod.

Diamond Lake has continued to fish well for trout to 20 inches. Early mornings have been most productive.

Pro guide Rick Arnold (541-480-1570) reports that Lake Billy Chinook is fishing well for bull trout. He has taken fish from 12 to 22 inches and one nearly 24.

Paulina is producing limits of foot-long-or-better bright kokanee despite the need to sort out fish which are starting to color up as spawning season approaches.

Central and Eastern Oregon – Pro guide Steve Fleming (1-888-624-9424) reports that the John Day River has continued to offer excellent smallmouth bass fishing as the weather and water cools.

Fishing has slowed at Green Peter with the lower water level.


Eastern – Numbers of steelhead in the Trap at Sherars Falls has been picking up as have catches on the lower Deschutes. Fishing has been best from Mack's Canyon to the mouth. Results for redsides have been fair to good depending on hatch activity.