Oregon Fisheries Update

Willamette Valley/Metro- 2010 fishing licenses become available starting December 1st at all licensed outlets as well as the new online licensing system. It should be another good year to obtain a hatchery harvest card which allows for unlimited annual harvest of fin-clipped salmon and steelhead.

Sturgeon action in the gorge continues to slow with shakers still available. Anglers will begin to switch their sturgeon efforts to the lower Willamette River where action is picking up dramatically reports pro guide Joe Salvey (503-349-1411).

The flow at Willamette Falls is up from last week while the water temperature is down. As long as the water in the lower Willamette is warmer than the Columbia, sturgeon fishing should remain worthwhile. Anglers are reporting good numbers of fish on their fish finders with shakers far out-numbering keepers in the lower river. Smelt remains the top bait with sand shrimp a close second.

The McKenzie River will be dropping until the next round of rainfall. Trout fishing will be fair to good.

The Clackamas is producing summer steelhead in fair numbers. McIver anglers are hooking up on bobbers & jigs.

The once traditional Thanksgiving winter steelhead kickoff has changed on the Sandy since the introduction of later-running broodstock. Winters will enter in December with better odds in January and February stated pro guide Trevor Storlie (503-307-5601). These fish are better biters and average larger in size than the previous strain of fish that were planted. Coho season will remain open for the remainder of the year but action has slowed dramatically and wild fish will likely make up the bulk of the catch.

Flow at the North Santiam moderated Tuesday this week. Steelhead and a few coho are scattered and fishing is slow.

Walling Pond and Walter Wirth Lake are scheduled for planting with legal and larger hatchery trout.

Northwest - Anglers have been patiently waiting for better water conditions to pursue the last of the fall chinook in north coast tributaries. Early in the week, the reprieve finally came although results still varied.

The lower Kilchis River fished well on Monday reported pro guide Brandon McGavran (360-607-1327) but most anglers waited until Tuesday to pursue chinook on the smaller tributary. Driftboaters working downstream of Kilchis Park found some success but action is likely to taper quickly until the next weather system arrives. A few hatchery steelhead were reported.

The Wilson remained too muddy to have high expectations early in the week and another weather system is likely to put the river back out of shape for the holiday weekend. The Wilson is likely to be one of the better late-producing chinook systems into early December. Some hatchery steelhead should be available here as well but the run won't peak until later in February.

The Trask and Nestucca are also late season options but the bulk of the salmon run on those rivers has already passed. Hatchery steelhead should be available on the Nestucca throughout the system reports pro guide Jesse Zalonis (503-392-5808) but like the Wilson, its peak is later in winter when the traditional wild component also begins to build.

Trollers can still take chinook in Tillamook Bay but more high winds will likely deter effort. Sturgeon should become more available in the coming weeks with a good tide series starting tomorrow.

Crabbing in most north coast estuaries has slowed with the fresh water infusion. Although Netarts isn't as susceptible to the fresh water influx, it too has slowed. The ocean show no sign of becoming friendly, otherwise, crabbing would be excellent.

Southwest - Ocean crabbing season opens December 1st with offshore Dungeness in excellent condition.

Pro guide Bill Kremers (541-754-6411) reports the Alsea River is nicely dropping into shape, so it should be in good condition by Wednesday and thru the Thanksgiving weekend.

Fishing for wild coho on Siltcoos Lake has been slow to fair but the few that are being landed are large and bright.

Pro guide Jeff Jackson (541-268-6944) reports he was out at Siltcoos over the weekend. Pretty slow. 2 bites, 2 fish. Saw one other caught.

The North Umpqua water level has been high recently which stalled fishing over the past weekend. Crabbing in Winchester Bay has slowed due to fresh water reducing salinity levels.

Steelheading picked up recently in the Coos River.

While there's not much happening on the lower Rogue, half-pounders are being taken around Agness with summer steelhead and the occasional hatchery coho coming to plug-pullers in the Grants Pass stretch.

Chetco anglers enjoyed excellent chinook fishing at the opener above the Highway 101 Bridge on November 19th. With fish scattered, catches are expected to remain good as long as the flow remains less than 4,000 cfs. Plugs have been a big hit with the chinook but boat and bank anglers have also been landing fish.

Chinook fishing is fair to good on the Elk River with the water condition excellent earlier this week. Sixes River has been productive but is under greater pressure.

Pro guide Andy Martin (206-388-8988) reports the Chetco and Elk salmon fishing remains good.

Eastern - Crescent Lake has continued to produce large lake trout on deep-trolled lures. Be prepared for extremely cold weather if you go.

Trout fishing has rebounded on the Crooked River following a few years of mediocre results here.

The Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers are heating up for steelhead. Anglers were averaging a fish for every 5.1 hours of effort. With a bag limit of 5 steelhead per day, the trip is worth making when the fish are biting.

The John Day Pool saw some good steelhead fishing last week. On November 17th, six boats surveyed took 12 keeper steelhead and released a few wild ones. Bank fishing has dramatically slowed between the John Day Dam and the mouth of the John Day River. Steelhead fishing is picking up on the John Day mainstem reports Steve Fleming of Mah-Hah Outfitters 888-624-9424. Fish are traveling an average of seven miles per day.