Willamette Valley/Metro - Chinook counts at Bonneville Dam finally crested over 1,000 fish per day. The run is typically well underway by now but managers are still holding out hope that the nearly 200,000 prediction will come to fruition. The jump in counts should stimulate sport fishing above Bonneville Dam but the season will close after Sunday.
Willamette level and flow have been moderating over the past week with the water visibility improving. Over 100 springers were counted at the falls on Monday this week and summer steelhead crossed in even greater numbers. Springer fishing has been spotty with periodic flurries of activity around Sellwood Bridge. The Garbage Hole just below the I-205 Bridge had an epic bite on Monday. Prawns remain a top bait.
Following a slight rise early this week, water levels on the McKenzie are dropping and will fish well this week. Try the lower river for redsides, around Leaburg for planted trout.
Steelheading has been just fair on the Clackamas River with most anglers optimistically gearing up for spring chinook. Chinook are likely to be late again this season with late May and June producing the best catches. Summer and late winter broodstock steelhead should be making a stronger showing soon.
Fishing has been slow on the Sandy. It may be worth waiting until springers start to enter. Warmer air and water temperatures will also stimulate the bite.
Northwest – Steelheaders put one last cap on a great north coast steelhead season late last week, tallying great catches of fresh and dark fish on the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers. There were still fish in the high teens being reported but a large percentage of the catch were wild fish.
No reports of summer run steelhead on the north coast and high water has hampered spring chinook effort. Both species will likely make a show this week but weather has kept most sensible anglers from trying.
Sturgeon catches were fair on the last tide series with another good set of tides starting early next week. Fishing could stay good through the month of May.
Seas could calm again by late in the weekend, giving offshore anglers an opportunity for bottomfish and California stocks of chinook well offshore. Ocean salmon regulations remain complex so check the ODF&W website for the expanded opportunity we’ll be experiencing this season.
ODF&W will host a series of meetings on the coast April 26th – April 28th to craft fall salmon options for sport and commercial fishers. Overall, returns look much improved from recent years, allowing the department to relax regulations on most systems for chinook and even implementing non-selective coho seasons on some which haven’t seen opportunity for well over a decade.
Crabbing remains poor on most estuaries and nearshore areas on the north coast. Prospects may not improve until mid-summer.
Southwest – When offshore conditions allow crossing, charter and recreational boats out of central Oregon ports witnessed good catches of rockfish and lingcod despite the 40-fathom restriction.
Crabbing has been fair in Winchester Bay. As the Umpqua drops and clears, fishing for springers will pick up on the mainstem. Steelheaders will take hatchery fish on the South Umpqua as conditions improve.
Cooperative offshore conditions out of Gold Beach allowed productive bottom fishing over the past weekend. Boats landed limits or near limits of rockfish, many took good catches of lingcod and crabbing was fair to good. Conditions are once again rough this week but long-range forecasts look optimistic for weekend ocean forays. Spring chinook fishing has been fair on the lower Rogue despite high water. With river conditions forecast to improve this week, good results are expected to follow. Springer results will be picking up with dropping and clearing water on the middle Rogue. Early springers and late winter steelhead are being bagged on the upper river.
Local beaches have been the daily scene of south coast surf fishers with striped surf perch on the bite during incoming tides. Catches have been good and are expected to continue into mid-May. Good-sized fish are available with some scaling two pounds.
It was an ice-fishing show, as expected, at the Diamond Lake opener on April 23rd but everyone caught trout. Snow and ice still covered the lake early this week although the area is gradually thawing. Anglers can enjoy a little extra time on the water starting May 1st when the limit increases from five to eight trout per day.
Eastern – Lower Deschutes water conditions remain a little high but results for nymph fishers have been good. Best hatches continue to occur mid-day as the regular suspects begin taking wing.
Kokanee anglers enjoyed decent fishing over the past weekend for larger-than-average fish and the area clear of snow.
Trollers took limits while bait anglers scratched out only a few at the opener on Howard Prairie.
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