Willamette Valley/Metro - Salmon fishing still an option for Bonneville area anglers, few quality fish remain however. Sturgeon anglers continue to produce only fair catches with bank anglers doing best closest to the deadline and boat anglers tallied a keeper for every other boat over the weekend. Success rates will likely begin to slow.
Sturgeon retention will resume on the lower Willamette Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting in November. Once the upper Willamette water level starts to drop, steelheading should remain reliable from Dexter Dam downstream to the Town Run.
McKenzie River level and flow is high but dropping this week. The last day to fish the upper McKenzie for trout is Sunday, October 31st.
The North Santiam will be closed from Niagara to Packsaddle Park starting in January 2011 due to the construction of a new fish collection facility.
The Clackamas and Sandy Rivers were high and muddy at this writing but are expected to be dropping this week. The Clackamas below River Mill Dam remains open for fin-clipped coho but will close upstream after October 31st. The Sandy River remains open for fin-clipped coho year around when historically, it has closed on October 31st.
Northwest – Tillamook Bay has been blustery most recently, keeping anglers at home and waiting for the next opportunity. Prior to the barrage of storm systems, chinook fishing had slowed with only an occasional fish being taken in the west channel and Ghost Hole areas. The Wilson and Kilchis fish are now overdue.
The storm system provided the optimum opportunity for river anglers with flows dropping into perfect shape by Tuesday on the Trask, Wilson and Kilchis Rivers. Traffic was light on all systems but bank anglers were scoring a combination of chum, wild coho and an occasional chinook at the logger bridge on the Kilchis River. The coho continue to run large, making them easy to misidentify, as they look similar to a fresh run chinook. Be cautious in your harvest.
The bay had calmed by Wednesday, providing good opportunity for anglers in the lower bay. If better numbers of Wilson and Kilchis fish don’t show on this freshet, it will signal a problem with the remainder of the season. Herring should take fair numbers of fish in the Ghost Hole and Bay City. Lower stretches of these rivers should also produce results today and tomorrow.
Most of the river accessible to driftboats is closed to chinook fishing on the Nehalem and Nestucca Rivers. Check the ODF&W web site for what limited opportunities exist in these watersheds.
The Necanicum River was also an option earlier in the week but windfall and shifting gravel bars can make this a hazard to navigate. The North Fork Nehalem did get a few more hatchery coho but most of the fish are dark. The first hatchery winter steelhead will likely come in around the first or second week of November.
Sturgeon fishing may improve on Tillamook Bay after the recent rains, sending crab to the ocean and away from anchored baits in the west channel, where most of the sturgeon effort takes place. Bay crabbing should slow on most north coast estuaries with the lower Columbia being the exception.
Southwest – Rain over the weekend raised water levels and muddied the rivers on the south coast. Fishing should improve as waters drop and clear.
Trollers took chinook on the lower Umpqua last week and more fish will be entering this week with the freshet.
Coos Bay anglers are taking good numbers of chinook although pressure is light. The South Coos was particularly productive.
Chinook catches have been good this season on the Coquille with the action yet to show signs of slowing down.
Offshore boaters out of Gold Beach caught a break at the middle of last week, at which time rockfish were taken but ling cod catches were slow. Chinook results are slow in the bay and rain has roiled much of the river. Steelheading remains good on the upper Rogue above the old Gold Ray Dam site.
The Chetco is experiencing a very good return of adult chinook as well as a high number of jacks as recent ODFW test netting revealed. The river is dropping this week after swelling to nearly 7,000 cfs on October 24th.
Rain doubled the volume of the Elk River earlier this week, causing muddy conditions and filling the river with leaves. It will bring in fish, however, and results should be good when water conditions improve.
Opening November 6th, catches of chinook are expected to be very good at the Winchuck River, located just north of the California border.
Eastern – Steelheading has been challenging on the lower Deschutes. Trout fishing has been decent but most anglers are more interested in steelhead.
The John Day Pool troll fishery is heating up and is likely to peak close to Thanksgiving.
Many east side locations will close to fishing at the end of October. Be sure to check the Oregon fishing regulations before hitting eastside destinations.
Crescent Lake is producing Mackinaw to trollers.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Fishing report for Oregon
Willamette Valley/Metro - Although the sturgeon opener in the gorge started slow, success rates have jumped slightly in the recent week. Some keepers are available but oversize fish seem to make up a large portion of the catch. The fall fishery in the gorge can provide some of the best opportunity for bank anglers to tangle with keeper fish.
Salmon fishing from the gorge to Troutdale continues to wind down with fewer quality fish in the catches. Late run coho should offer some opportunity near tributary mouths in the coming weeks.
Steelheading remains good on the Willamette below Dexter. The upper Willamette and Middle Fork are fishing well for trout.
Trout fishing and steelheading will be holding up through October on the McKenzie, weather permitting. The water level will be dropping in the coming week.
Coho fishing has been slow on the Clackamas despite decent numbers of fish in the river. Eagle Creek is low and clear.
The Sandy River has been off-color but has good numbers of coho available. The bite has been slow to fair. Try various lures and baits for the best chance of a hookup.
Northwest - Tillamook district anglers fared well over the weekend. The predicted wind storms never materialized so what few anglers fishing over the weekend scored fair results. The upper bay produced the best catches but the fish that were present, shot upstream on the recent rain freshet. Chinook fishing has since slowed with only an occasional fish taken from the upper bay to the Ghost Hole.
Weekend rain afforded driftboaters their first real chance at chinook and coho on Monday. The Trask was laden with salmon but were very reluctant to bite. Wild coho were present in heavy numbers but good numbers of chinook were present as well. Flows quickly dropped back down to summer lows, making driftboating challenging once again.
Although it was still a bit early for the Wilson River to produce catches, a few chinook were present early in the week. Flows have subsided making fish wary to anglers offerings. Another rain freshet isn't due in the near future.
Recreational crabbers have not been able to take advantage of the ocean extension for well over a week now due to rough ocean and bar conditions. The season closes after Friday with so much potential lost. Bay crabbing is poor in Tillamook and fair in Netarts and Nehalem estuaries. Soft tides will favor crabbers over the weekend.
The Nehalem and Nestucca Rivers were predictably slow and the North Fork Nehalem hatchery received another shot of hatchery fish this week. Coho catches were only fair near the hatchery with many of the fish landed being wild, requiring release. The hatchery coho run on the north coast is all but over.
Southwest - Crabbing has been poor to slow in Winchester Bay recently. Boats fishing below the confluence of the North and South Umpqua are doing well using bobber and bait combos. The best results occur early and late in the day.
Trollers are taking coho at Siltcoos Lake which are bound for Maple Creek.
Coos Bay has been productive for chinook with Marshfield Channel a high traffic area. Crabbing has been fair to good in the bay.
The wild coho quota on the Coquille has been filled and this fishery is closed. Trolling plug-cut herring is taking chinook in tidewater.
Boats out of Port Orford took limits of black and blue rockfish over the past week. In addition, crabbing has been good for quality Dungeness.
Good returns are forecast for the chinook fishery off the mouth of the Elk River starting Friday, October 15th but fall rains will mark the real kickoff.
Trollers in the Rogue estuary continue to hook plenty of coho, most of which are wild requiring release. Only a few chinook are being taken from the bay. Chinook fishing has been worthwhile upriver below Indian Creek.
The Chetco Ocean Terminal Fishery the first 12 days of October produced mixed results and several chinook over 40 pounds. Rockfishing is good out of the Port of Brookings Harbor with ling cod catches improving.
Eastern - While steelhead numbers are good in the Deschutes now and pressure has been heavy, the bite has been only fair with fish hesitant to strike lure or fly. Persistence is required of these fish as action can occur at any time of day. Recent rains has clouded the river, slowing success rates. Trout catches have improved as cloudy days produce Blue-Winged Olive and Caddis hatches in the evenings.
Steelhead are hitting dark colored flies on the Grande Ronde. Fishing is picking up between freshets.
Mann Lake has been treated with rotenone to control undesirable species introduced by the public. It will be restocked.
Salmon fishing from the gorge to Troutdale continues to wind down with fewer quality fish in the catches. Late run coho should offer some opportunity near tributary mouths in the coming weeks.
Steelheading remains good on the Willamette below Dexter. The upper Willamette and Middle Fork are fishing well for trout.
Trout fishing and steelheading will be holding up through October on the McKenzie, weather permitting. The water level will be dropping in the coming week.
Coho fishing has been slow on the Clackamas despite decent numbers of fish in the river. Eagle Creek is low and clear.
The Sandy River has been off-color but has good numbers of coho available. The bite has been slow to fair. Try various lures and baits for the best chance of a hookup.
Northwest - Tillamook district anglers fared well over the weekend. The predicted wind storms never materialized so what few anglers fishing over the weekend scored fair results. The upper bay produced the best catches but the fish that were present, shot upstream on the recent rain freshet. Chinook fishing has since slowed with only an occasional fish taken from the upper bay to the Ghost Hole.
Weekend rain afforded driftboaters their first real chance at chinook and coho on Monday. The Trask was laden with salmon but were very reluctant to bite. Wild coho were present in heavy numbers but good numbers of chinook were present as well. Flows quickly dropped back down to summer lows, making driftboating challenging once again.
Although it was still a bit early for the Wilson River to produce catches, a few chinook were present early in the week. Flows have subsided making fish wary to anglers offerings. Another rain freshet isn't due in the near future.
Recreational crabbers have not been able to take advantage of the ocean extension for well over a week now due to rough ocean and bar conditions. The season closes after Friday with so much potential lost. Bay crabbing is poor in Tillamook and fair in Netarts and Nehalem estuaries. Soft tides will favor crabbers over the weekend.
The Nehalem and Nestucca Rivers were predictably slow and the North Fork Nehalem hatchery received another shot of hatchery fish this week. Coho catches were only fair near the hatchery with many of the fish landed being wild, requiring release. The hatchery coho run on the north coast is all but over.
Southwest - Crabbing has been poor to slow in Winchester Bay recently. Boats fishing below the confluence of the North and South Umpqua are doing well using bobber and bait combos. The best results occur early and late in the day.
Trollers are taking coho at Siltcoos Lake which are bound for Maple Creek.
Coos Bay has been productive for chinook with Marshfield Channel a high traffic area. Crabbing has been fair to good in the bay.
The wild coho quota on the Coquille has been filled and this fishery is closed. Trolling plug-cut herring is taking chinook in tidewater.
Boats out of Port Orford took limits of black and blue rockfish over the past week. In addition, crabbing has been good for quality Dungeness.
Good returns are forecast for the chinook fishery off the mouth of the Elk River starting Friday, October 15th but fall rains will mark the real kickoff.
Trollers in the Rogue estuary continue to hook plenty of coho, most of which are wild requiring release. Only a few chinook are being taken from the bay. Chinook fishing has been worthwhile upriver below Indian Creek.
The Chetco Ocean Terminal Fishery the first 12 days of October produced mixed results and several chinook over 40 pounds. Rockfishing is good out of the Port of Brookings Harbor with ling cod catches improving.
Eastern - While steelhead numbers are good in the Deschutes now and pressure has been heavy, the bite has been only fair with fish hesitant to strike lure or fly. Persistence is required of these fish as action can occur at any time of day. Recent rains has clouded the river, slowing success rates. Trout catches have improved as cloudy days produce Blue-Winged Olive and Caddis hatches in the evenings.
Steelhead are hitting dark colored flies on the Grande Ronde. Fishing is picking up between freshets.
Mann Lake has been treated with rotenone to control undesirable species introduced by the public. It will be restocked.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Fishing report for Oregon
Willamette Valley/Metro - Anglers continue to do best at Bonneville Dam. A surprising jump in adult chinook crossing at Bonneville last week spurred improved catches, especially for backtrollers. Some anglers continue to pursue chinook using wobblers downstream of the Columbia River Gorge. Success rates are falling but anglers pursuing coho near tributary mouths are intercepting fair numbers of fish.
Sturgeon fishing reopens upstream of the Wauna Powerlines beginning Friday, October 1st, with the 3-day per week openers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The most recent check indicated a poor showing of keeper sized fish but increased effort will tell the real story. October is typically a good time to sturgeon fish in the gorge, especially for bank anglers fishing near the deadline.
Hundreds of coho are streaming over Willamette Falls daily. While the cumulative total is lagging behind several days, the total is undoubtedly well over 10,000 so far this season.
The McKenzie is fishing well for trout. The two-fly tournament over the past weekend was declared a success.
North Santiam level and flow will be stable through the coming weekend. Fishermen's Bend has been producing steelhead.
Clackamas flows are 750 to 950 cfs which is low for coho fishing. Coho fishing is slow.
Coho are being caught in the Sandy River with fish scattered. Mornings have been the most productive. Cedar Creek is producing fish and is getting very crowded as it does every year during coho season.
Northwest - Tillamook Bay continues to be the highlight on the North Coast. Although catches are far from consistent, fair numbers of chinook are being taken daily. The lower bay will produce the best on the current tide series. The Bubble fishery has not been an option due to rough seas but conditions are forecasted to change for the weekend.
Good numbers of coho are present in the west channel of Tillamook Bay but the vast majority are wild and must be released unharmed. Crabbing in Tillamook Bay is fair at best and good in Netarts Bay.
Large numbers of hatchery coho showed up at the Trask Hatchery last week. Although only a few fell to bank anglers, the next rain freshet should flood the Trask with quality chinook.
Prospects for safe ocean recreation for nearshore salmon, bottomfish and especially crab should improve this weekend with the low tide exchange and a taming swell. Ocean crabbing remains open through October 15th.
Some chinook are present in the Nehalem system and the bay below Nehalem Bay State Park opens on October 1st. Fishing should be decent but only a modest return is expected. Hatchery coho are present in the North Fork and some fair but inconsistent fishing has taken place at the hatchery.
Only a small section of the Nestucca tidewater remains open for chinook and the catch is light but so is effort.
Both bank and boat anglers continue to take chinook in the Salmon River Estuary. Boat anglers will have the advantage this weekend with the soft tide series but this fishery is past its peak.
Southwest - While the 20-fathom bottomfishing restriction has historically been lifted on October 1st in the past, due to concerns over endangered yelloweye catches, anglers must remain in less than 120 feet of water this year.
Most coastal rivers have sea run cutthroat in abundance now. These feisty fish can be found in tidewater and the lower portions of rivers and will respond well to colorful flies. Fishing for sea-run cuts will be good well into fall but the season closes on October 31st.
Chinook and coho are in Winchester Bay and upriver 20 miles with anglers scoring in the Glide stretch.
Coos Bay is giving up some nice-sized chinook to trollers along with smaller coho.
The bite in Rogue Bay turned on this past Sunday and has held up early into this week. Most chinook are in the 30 to 40-pound range although a 50-pounder was landed Sunday. Catches of coho are good in the estuary as well. Ocean crabbing closes October 16th but is expected to be very rewarding until that date. A calm ocean allowed boats to chase bottomfish where ling cod were found in good number. Chinook fishing has been fair in the Grants Pass stretch.
As Chinook numbers improve in Chetco Bay, anglers are looking forward to the ocean 'bubble' fishery opening October 1st. Boats launching out of the Port of Brookings have been taking limits of a colorful variety of rockfish. Calm seas lure anglers out in search of late-season albacore and they were not disappointed. Some boats returned to port with over 20 tuna.
Eastern - Summer steelhead counts have continued to climb at Sherars Falls on the Deschutes with about two-thirds of those fish of hatchery origin. Water fluctuation has created challenging conditions over the past week.
The Grande Ronde, Wallowa and Imnaha Rivers should produce fine steelhead catches in the coming weeks. With great numbers of adults passing Columbia River dams, it should be another good season until the cold weather hits.
The Umatilla is an option for both steelhead and coho salmon.
SW Washington - District streams such as the Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers should begin to see the second wave of coho in the coming weeks. Spinner casters will be the first to intercept quality sized adults, targeting them at the rivers mouth when tides improve.
Chinook regulations vary by watershed but fish are beginning to deteriorate, making them poor tablefare.
The Klickitat and White Salmon Rivers should continue to produce a mix of chinook, coho and steelhead in the weeks ahead but fish should begin to show color as the run begins to taper.
Sturgeon fishing reopens upstream of the Wauna Powerlines beginning Friday, October 1st, with the 3-day per week openers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The most recent check indicated a poor showing of keeper sized fish but increased effort will tell the real story. October is typically a good time to sturgeon fish in the gorge, especially for bank anglers fishing near the deadline.
Hundreds of coho are streaming over Willamette Falls daily. While the cumulative total is lagging behind several days, the total is undoubtedly well over 10,000 so far this season.
The McKenzie is fishing well for trout. The two-fly tournament over the past weekend was declared a success.
North Santiam level and flow will be stable through the coming weekend. Fishermen's Bend has been producing steelhead.
Clackamas flows are 750 to 950 cfs which is low for coho fishing. Coho fishing is slow.
Coho are being caught in the Sandy River with fish scattered. Mornings have been the most productive. Cedar Creek is producing fish and is getting very crowded as it does every year during coho season.
Northwest - Tillamook Bay continues to be the highlight on the North Coast. Although catches are far from consistent, fair numbers of chinook are being taken daily. The lower bay will produce the best on the current tide series. The Bubble fishery has not been an option due to rough seas but conditions are forecasted to change for the weekend.
Good numbers of coho are present in the west channel of Tillamook Bay but the vast majority are wild and must be released unharmed. Crabbing in Tillamook Bay is fair at best and good in Netarts Bay.
Large numbers of hatchery coho showed up at the Trask Hatchery last week. Although only a few fell to bank anglers, the next rain freshet should flood the Trask with quality chinook.
Prospects for safe ocean recreation for nearshore salmon, bottomfish and especially crab should improve this weekend with the low tide exchange and a taming swell. Ocean crabbing remains open through October 15th.
Some chinook are present in the Nehalem system and the bay below Nehalem Bay State Park opens on October 1st. Fishing should be decent but only a modest return is expected. Hatchery coho are present in the North Fork and some fair but inconsistent fishing has taken place at the hatchery.
Only a small section of the Nestucca tidewater remains open for chinook and the catch is light but so is effort.
Both bank and boat anglers continue to take chinook in the Salmon River Estuary. Boat anglers will have the advantage this weekend with the soft tide series but this fishery is past its peak.
Southwest - While the 20-fathom bottomfishing restriction has historically been lifted on October 1st in the past, due to concerns over endangered yelloweye catches, anglers must remain in less than 120 feet of water this year.
Most coastal rivers have sea run cutthroat in abundance now. These feisty fish can be found in tidewater and the lower portions of rivers and will respond well to colorful flies. Fishing for sea-run cuts will be good well into fall but the season closes on October 31st.
Chinook and coho are in Winchester Bay and upriver 20 miles with anglers scoring in the Glide stretch.
Coos Bay is giving up some nice-sized chinook to trollers along with smaller coho.
The bite in Rogue Bay turned on this past Sunday and has held up early into this week. Most chinook are in the 30 to 40-pound range although a 50-pounder was landed Sunday. Catches of coho are good in the estuary as well. Ocean crabbing closes October 16th but is expected to be very rewarding until that date. A calm ocean allowed boats to chase bottomfish where ling cod were found in good number. Chinook fishing has been fair in the Grants Pass stretch.
As Chinook numbers improve in Chetco Bay, anglers are looking forward to the ocean 'bubble' fishery opening October 1st. Boats launching out of the Port of Brookings have been taking limits of a colorful variety of rockfish. Calm seas lure anglers out in search of late-season albacore and they were not disappointed. Some boats returned to port with over 20 tuna.
Eastern - Summer steelhead counts have continued to climb at Sherars Falls on the Deschutes with about two-thirds of those fish of hatchery origin. Water fluctuation has created challenging conditions over the past week.
The Grande Ronde, Wallowa and Imnaha Rivers should produce fine steelhead catches in the coming weeks. With great numbers of adults passing Columbia River dams, it should be another good season until the cold weather hits.
The Umatilla is an option for both steelhead and coho salmon.
SW Washington - District streams such as the Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers should begin to see the second wave of coho in the coming weeks. Spinner casters will be the first to intercept quality sized adults, targeting them at the rivers mouth when tides improve.
Chinook regulations vary by watershed but fish are beginning to deteriorate, making them poor tablefare.
The Klickitat and White Salmon Rivers should continue to produce a mix of chinook, coho and steelhead in the weeks ahead but fish should begin to show color as the run begins to taper.
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