Fishing report for Oregon

Willamette Valley/Metro - With steelhead continuing to pour over Bonneville Dam, action on the mainstem Columbia is predictably good. Boaters outscored bank anglers this week, mostly due to the fact fish were cruising in deeper water with temperatures on the rise and flows on the decrease. This early run of steelhead is likely to peak in the next 2 weeks, making it a great option when winds don't hamper angling success.

Sturgeon retention closes upstream of the Wauna Powerlines to Bonneville Dam for 2 months beginning Sunday, August 1st. Success rates have been poor anyway but will likely pick up again in the fall.

The 70 degree water of the lower Willamette is conducive only to bass and panfish. Steelhead are being caught on the upper river.

Caddis imitations are fooling cutthroat and rainbows on the McKenzie River. A few summer steelhead and the occasional dark springer is being hooked.

Spring chinook are in the North Santiam in good numbers. Try baiting them below Big Cliff Dam. A mix of bright and dark springers is available in the South Santiam.

The Clackamas is low and clear with fishing poor to slow. First light may be the only option.

Sandy fishing is at a standstill and it's a poor choice for swimming.

Northwest - Offshore salmon fishing out of Garibaldi took a downturn as early run coho begin to make their way north, staging near the Columbia River mouth where baitfish are plentiful. Anglers are consistently reporting catches of large coho for this early in the season. Most anglers are targeting water deeper than 200 foot.

Ocean crabbing is picking up with a better ratio of hard shelled crabs beginning to show.

Coho fishing is considerably better off the mouth of the Columbia River where anglers are beginning to report consistent catches fishing near the CR Buoy. A few quality chinook are beginning to show in the catch. Catches will only get better in the coming weeks with little danger of a closure in the near future as effort has been light.

The famed Buoy 10 fishery opens on August 1st with high expectations of a high chinook catch in the coming weeks. Professional fisherman Buzz Ramsey will detail proven techniques in the area's most popular fishery tonight beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Fishermen's Marine and Outdoor in Oregon City. Over 1 million chinook and coho are due back to the lower Columbia with peak fishing likely to happen the third week of August.

Albacore made a brief showing off the north coast early in the week but warm water pushed back offshore, putting tuna out of reach for most sport boats. August and September are often peak months.

Coastal fall chinook season opens on Sunday with some systems forecasted to be better than average this year. The Nestucca and Nehalem will have heavy restrictions while Tillamook Bay is predicted to produce a better than average catch this season. If the fall run mimics the success of this season's spring chinook, the action should be good.

Bay crabbing on the north coast continues to produce fair results and should improve in the coming weeks.

Southwest - Morning outgoing tides will once again hamper offshore launches this weekend. While the ocean is expected to lay down this coming weekend, afternoon winds may be problematic.

Offshore salmon fishing has picked up a little with a few limits reported but it's spotty.

Tuna remain far offshore but warmer water is gradually moving towards shore.

Pinkfin perch fishing remains good in Winchester Bay and on area beaches when the surf calms down. Fall chinook and coho have started entering the bay where crabbing is fair to good. Try below Elkton on the mainstem Umpqua where smallmouth bass are biting well.

Fall chinook fishing was good in Rogue Bay last week with several fish taken weighing over 30 pounds but action slowed over the weekend with fewer than a dozen fish taken on Saturday and Sunday.

Bottom fishing has been excellent out of Brookings Harbor despite the 20-fathom restriction as of July 23rd with some large ling cod boated. Expect the 120-foot limitation to remain in place for the rest of the year.

Eastern - The Deschutes River continues to disappoint anglers as warm water continues to flow from Pelton Dam. Mainstem Columbia steelhead are known to take up cold water refuge in the lower Deschutes but with this seasons warm water, interception rates are lower. Fortunately, that's expected to change in the coming weeks.

Pressure has increased at Wallowa Lake following four record kokanee landed over the past year but fishing remains good here.

Odell is producing good catches of fat kokanee averaging 10 inches to trollers. Lake trout are being taken on downriggers.

Green Peter Reservoir is producing limits of kokanee. Trolling early and late in the day is most productive.

Wickiup has been fair for good-sized kokanee.