Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- Although sport anglers are appreciative for the extended opportunity on the mainstem Columbia, flows are very high, keeping fish on the move and not motivated to bite. Bank anglers working the Rainier stretch were picking up fair numbers of salmon and steelhead in the higher flows. Boat angling will remain challenging.

Adults continue to cross Bonneville Dam in good numbers but jack counts look very promising for next years adult returns. A few shad are beginning to cross the facility as well.

Spring chinook are crossing Willamette Falls by the hundreds every day. Summer steelhead counts remain good. Spring chinook catches on the lower river have been well worth the trip. Despite high water, Oregon City anglers continue to fare well using smaller clusters of eggs and plugs along the shoreline, where flows aren’t as strong.

McKenzie fly anglers have been doing well for cutthroat and redsides. Nymphs and attractor patterns are most effective in water that's higher than seasonal average and likely to stay that way for a while.

The entire Santiam system remains too high to fish well although summer steelhead are available with better odds on the South Santiam which is forecast to be dropping. Watch out for a log jam at the confluence.

Fish low on the Clackamas for the best chance of hooking a chinook or steelhead. Sea lions have been eating springers as far upriver as High Rocks.

Anglers on the Sandy are catching a few summer steelhead and spring chinook but it's been slow. Although only a fair run is in the forecast, peak season is upon us.

Northwest – Spring chinook catches are beginning to improve on Tillamook Bay. Anglers working the jetty late last week took fair numbers of quality fish. This week, effort is switching to the upper bay where anglers are taking a few fish on spinners or herring. Chinook have entered the lower Trask.

Low flows will continue to keep springers low in the system on both the Wilson and Trask Rivers but bobber and bait casters should encounter some opportunities. Some summer steelhead should be available on the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers but stealthy tactics will have to be employed.

Some sturgeon remain in Tillamook Bay and may provide fair catches into early June. Anglers however will be focusing mainly on salmon in the coming weeks.

Ocean conditions allowed for good halibut catches on last weeks all-depth opener. Halibut season is closed this week but will resume for 3 days beginning May 26th. Fishing should remain excellent.

Bar crossings will be dangerous this weekend but the ocean may be in fair condition to target bottomfish. Crabbing is fair at best with an overnight soak producing the best results.

Razor clam digging is excellent along the north coast although tides will peak out before the weekend hits. Fair digging should last through the weekend however.

Sturgeon fishing on the lower Columbia is predictably slow with the high, cold run-off from upriver tributaries. Action will likely remain slow into mid-June.

Southwest – Ocean chinook fishing has been slow to spotty with bottom fishing producing good numbers of rockfish and lingcod. Halibut fishing is open within 240 feet with the next all-depth opportunity taking place Thursday through Saturday, May 26-28.

Crabbing is only fair in Winchester Bay due to freshwater runoff. Striped bass action is fair, sturgeon catches are slow. A few chinook have been taken in the estuary. Spring chinook fishing has been good on the Umpqua mainstem with catches improving on the North Umpqua. South Umpqua fishing will reopen with trout season.

A few striped bass are being taken in Coos Bay and in tidewater on the Coquille with best catches at first and last light or overnight.

Boats launching out of Port Orford for all-depth halibut on May 12-14 did well although offshore conditions were challenging on the 13th. Most charters and many recreational boats took limits with some fish 50 pounds or better.

Spring chinook fishing is slowing on the lower Rogue. Anchor fishing migration lanes with wrapped plugs has been most productive on the middle river. Catches of springers are fair to good on the upper Rogue as chinook push upstream. Wild steelhead and salmon must be released river-wide.

Bottom-fishers launching out of the Port of Brookings have enjoyed excellent results for a variety of rockfish and lingcod along with good catches of dungeness. Ocean chinook season opened south of Humbug Mountain on Saturday, May 14. Fishing for surfperch is good on south coast beaches. Fishing is closed in the Chetco River.

Eastern – Action for redsides keying on large salmon flies is just starting on the lower Deschutes. Nymphing has been most effective with occasional action on dries. River flows are swelling in the spring run-off, which will further compromise river conditions.

The Umatilla River has fishable numbers of spring chinook but river flows remain too high for productive fishing. As flows drop, catches will improve.