Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- Although counts at Bonneville are dropping dramatically, success rates are hit and miss for salmon as anglers enter the late season. Upriver brights make up the bulk of the catch through the month but anglers will have to grade through fish to find some of tablefare quality. Plugs will remain the best option for action. Sturgeon effort on the Saturday opener was high and success was fair. Bank anglers fared well with counts from the Washington side tallying a keeper for every 4 rods. Sand shrimp fished near the deadline should be consistent throughout the month of October. Boaters landing on the Oregon side reported 25 legals landed for 33 boats. There were also a fair number of oversize sturgeon in the mix. About 1,500 fall chinook and 2,300 coho have crossed Willamette Falls. Try for steelhead or trout on the Middle Fork. Smallmouth bass fishing is good many places above Willamette Falls. October Caddis are out in full force on the McKenzie with trout responding to matching patterns. Steelhead remain available. The North Santiam will be fluctuating this week although there are coho in the system. While coho care trickling into the Clackamas system, catches are negligible. Rain should improve prospects. Coho fishing is fair on the Sandy. Cedar Creek is producing a few but is getting pressure. Northwest – North coast chinook fishing slowed this week although good numbers of fish seem to be present. Spinner fisherman fared well in upper Tillamook Bay late last week as Tillamook and Trask chinook staged before heading into tidewater. The current soft tide series has anglers focused on the lower bay where the Ghost Hole, Bay City and the jetty has been producing just a few fish. The wild coho quota on Tillamook Bay has been utilized, closing the fishery effective today. All chinook and hatchery coho may still be retained although hatchery coho have been oddly absent. The ocean out of Tillamook Bay has been productive for both salmon and crab but rough ocean conditions have kept boats inside with no signs of improvement. The Nehalem has been productive with both wild coho and chinook falling to herring trollers near the jaws. A rough bar is in the forecast so anglers need to use precautionary measures. The wild coho quota is double what the Tillamook quota was and remains open. Weather systems are forecast to raise river levels on the north coast, possibly allowing for an early driftboat season on some of the larger river systems. The Trask should be a high priority but other systems should also produce fish if the weather models are accurate. Check local regulations before heading out however as complicated rules remain in effect on a watershed by watershed basis. Soft tides on the Siletz, Salmon and Nestucca will likely slow the bite. These river systems are just passing peak season right now with action likely to improve when the tides do beginning early next week. The Alsea tidewater bobber fishing and trolling should also improve after the weekend. These systems are showing signs of improving returns over previous years. Southwest – When the ocean has cooperated and with the depth restriction lifted, offshore bottom fishing has been very productive for rockfish and lingcod. Boats dropping pots on the way out have harvested excellent Dungeness catches. With the wild quota filled earlier than other systems on the coast, the Umpqua River and bay closed to harvest on October 1st. Chinook catches are good in Winchester Bay and the lower Umpqua mainstem. Lower Coquille chinook trolling is productive with a larger-than average return predicted this year. Coos Bay trollers have been taking chinook regularly with hookups occasionally hitting double digits. Chinook will move up the Coos River as the season progresses. Crabbing is good in the bay. Rogue Bay has been producing good catches of adult and jack chinook and coho to trollers over the past week. Upriver, side drifting has been more productive at times. Steelhead fishing was good on the upper Rogue although it shut down early this week due to muddy water from a broken irrigation ditch. Referred to locally as “Hawg Season”, the Chetco Terminal fishery opened October 1st and will continue through October 12th. This fishery is known to produce chinook to 40 pounds or better. Slow-troll herring starting just outside jetty tips for one per day and five for the season. Fall salmon are also being taken inside Brookings Harbor with catches expected to improve later in the month. Elk River fishing will commence with sufficient rain but it was still low early this week. Diamond Lake trout catches are good for still-fishers and trollers but weather is likely to be problematic during October.