Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro - Spring chinook fishing on the lower Columbia will be entering peak season in the next 2 weeks. Catches are expected to be good and one of the most consistent bites of the year took place on Tuesday from the I-5 Bridge to Davis Bar, across from the mouth of the Willamette. A brown Willamette kept most of the boat effort above Portland but improving water conditions may better distribute effort in the coming week. Catches will likely be good.

Sturgeon catch and effort is on the rise in the gorge. There should be some decent fishing here if water temperatures continue to rise in the coming weeks. This section of river will only be open for retention for a bit longer but will reopen in October, considered the peak month.

The lower Willamette is clearing which will improve spring chinook prospects this coming weekend. Springer counts stalled at the Falls the first week of April while steelhead numbers are picking up again. Sturgeon may not be kept in the lower Willamette until the re-opener in October.

McKenzie water levels have returned to seasonal normal and the river is in good shape.

The Clackamas level is coming down and the river had decent green color mid-week. Steelheading has been worthwhile and springers will be taken here soon.

Sandy water levels have dropped over four feet in the first few days of April. It will be worth a try this weekend with most of the winter steelhead in the higher reaches.

Canby Pond, Henry Hagg Lake, Sheridan Pond, St. Louis Ponds, Roaring River Park Pond, Timber Linn Lake, Walling Pond and Waverly Lake are scheduled for trout planting.

Anglers 17 and younger are invited to take part in two youth events on Saturday, April 10th. Volunteers will be on hand to assist at St. Louis Ponds from 9 AM to 2 PM and at Cottage Grove Pond from 9:30 AM until 1 PM. Both events are free.

Northwest - Steelheaders remained challenged on north coast streams as river levels have been too high to produce good results on some of the larger streams like the Wilson or lower Nestucca. Improving conditions should have steelheading back to normal by the weekend.

Some smaller systems like the Kilchis remained open and productive in these higher flows but many streams closed to fishing for steelhead unless there is some form of hatchery fish available to anglers.

Spring Chinook fishing opened in Tillamook County on April 1st but even early fish aren't likely to be caught until at least the following week. Coastal spring Chinook average larger in size than their Columbia and Willamette cousins but adult returns are a fraction of what we see for the Willamette and Columbia drainages.

Good numbers of left-over trout still reside in area lakes and bass should begin to stir in the warming waters of coastal lakes and ponds.

Long range ocean forecasts indicate the possibility of an offshore opportunity late in the weekend and bottomfishing should be great. Crabbing however is likely to remain mediocre for a while.

Scheduled for trout stocking are Cape Mears Lake, Carter Lake, Cleawox Lake, Hebo Lake, Lorens Pond, Lytle Lake, Nedonna Pond, Smith Lake, South Lake, Tahoe Lake and Town Lake.

Southwest - Boaters will be greeted with a mild incoming tide but long-range swell and wind forecasts are marginal.

Ocean crabbing has been slow, even for commercial efforts and market prices are reflecting that in stores

Bottom fishing may take place only within the 40 fathom line as of April 1st. That's 240 feet for novice mariners. The decision regarding ocean salmon fishing openings and bag limits is scheduled to take place this week.

Jetty fishers are making good catches of rockfish and perch at Winchester Bay when wind and wave action has allowed. Anglers on the mainstem Umpqua have been doing well for spring chinook over the past week. Rains warmed the water and improved catch-and-release fishing for the mostly wild steelhead in the river now.

Long rodders throwing baits from area beaches are making decent catches of surf perch when the ocean cooperates.

Spring chinook fishing was fair to good on the lower Rogue until storm fronts dropped rain on the area and blew out the river. Water levels will be dropping through the coming weekend and springer prospects are good.

The Chetco closed for fishing at the end of March but will re-open when trout season begins on May 22nd.

Cooper Cr. Reservoir, Galesville Reservoir Loon Lake are scheduled to be planted with hatchery trout.

There will be an estimated 200,000 trout available to anglers when Diamond Lake opens April 24th and some of those are sure to be big ones.

Eastern - Fly anglers did well for redsides on the Deschutes over Easter weekend. Fishing pressure has been light. The Warm Springs stretch opener is April 24th.

For those who have cracked the tricky Metolius code, this river has fished well on nymphs.