Oregon fishing report 12/09/2011

Willamette Valley/Metro- Sturgeon fishing slowed to a crawl on the lower Columbia and with cold temperatures likely to continue to grip the region, it likely will not get any better. The Willamette River, in the Portland Harbor will likely be the go-to spot for the remainder of the winter season. It remains catch and release there however and likely won’t open until February, much like last year. Fishery managers were surprised to see another downward trend in the population models for keeper-sized sturgeon. Further quota restrictions are highly likely in the 2012 season, not only in the Willamette but throughout the lower Columbia as well. Water temperature is in the low 40s at Willamette Falls. The Falls navigation locks have been shut down indefinitely due to safety concerns. Plunkers are trying for winters at Meldrum Bar and late summers and cutthroat in the upper river around Dexter Dam. McKenzie flows have returned to pre-storm level. Trout will respond to nymphs in winter although there are occasional blue winged olive hatches. The North Santiam has dropped to a navigable level from Packsaddle downstream. Winter steelhead have been in the Sandy for a few weeks in modest number. Broodstock catches will improve in January and February. Very few winter steelhead have been caught in the Clackamas but numbers will improve in weeks to come. The river is in excellent condition. Northwest – After a good stretch of chinook fishing in the Tillamook district, flows have once again subsided and chinook are harder to come by. Quality fish remain in the Wilson River but are hunkered down in the deeper holes and less likely to bite the longer they reside in fresh water. The tidewater stretch is the best place to intercept chinook under the current conditions. It’s been bitterly cold in the morning but trollers working the Ghost Hole in Tillamook Bay continue to score fresh chinook. Pat Vining and Ted Lane scored their 2-fish limit by 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday, taking 25 and 18 pound fish respectively. The two anglers were trolling herring 2 hours before high slack in the Ghost Hole. Chinook action is winding down on other north coast streams as steelhead action is coming on. Although not quite the peak of the run, steelhead are well distributed in many north coast systems with the North Fork Nehalem and Three Rivers being primary targets for those seeking early run hatchery fish. Water temperatures are dropping making afternoons a viable option so anglers can avoid iced up roads. These smaller streams are also extremely clear, causing steelhead to be skittish and less likely to bite. There will be many good options in this district when warmer, wetter weather returns to the north coast. There is no sign of that in the near future. Tillamook Bay crabbing is spotty with some crabbers reporting good success and others just mediocre. Ocean crabbing remains temporarily closed until adults fill out more. That is disappointing for bottomfishers that are scoring great catches of lingcod and rockfish in the deep reefs on calm seas. Calm seas are forecast to come up by the weekend however. The lower Columbia River remains the best place to catch crab, with limits easily attained around Buoys 20 and 22. Put in your best effort near high or low slack and be cautious of heavy tide exchanges that will likely submerge crab pot buoys if your timing is off. An after-sunset minus tide series begins tonight. Clamming should be excellent prior to the weekend along Clatsop County beaches. Southwest – Offshore charter boats have been able to launch this week. Limits of rockfish were taken as well as some large ling cod, particularly for boats targeting them in deeper water. Unfortunately, swells are forecast to increase into the coming weekend. Recent Dungeness samples taken by ODFW biologists indicate crabs are not yet of harvestable quality. The ocean season will remain closed to commercial and recreational crabbing until at least December 15th. Crabbing has improved in Winchester Bay with lower flows on the Umpqua but sorting of lightweights is required to cull quality catches. Chinook fishing is done for the season in the Coos and Coquille systems. Steelheaders on the lower Rogue have started catching early winters. Fishing has been slow on the middle river. Anglers on the upper Rogue continue to take steelhead but it's getting late in the season for quality summers. The fish are showing a lot of color and are, for the most part, suitable only for smoking. A few coho are also being taken. With the Chetco River low, only the occasional chinook is being caught in tidewater and far upstream. Early winters are showing but the river is too skinny to fish well. Low, clear water has virtually shut down chinook catches on the Elk and Sixes rivers. Rain will rejuvenate this fishery but mostly dry days are in the long range weather forecast. The Washougal River is a good metro option with fish already reported back to the hatchery. Eastern – Steelheading this late in the season is fair at best on the Deschutes. Traffic is very light at this time of year and the weather can be bone-chilling. The John Day Pool and John Day Arm slowed a bit this week; likely due to the drastic drop in air and water temperatures. Action should pick back up again when temperatures moderate. The Grande Ronde and Umatilla Rivers are good for steelheading. Anglers are averaging 4 to 5.4 hours per fish respectively on these systems. Bitter cold temperatures in these systems mean the possibility for streamside ice in the morning hours, use caution.