Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- Although a fresh quota will be available for mainstem Columbia sturgeon seekers, action will remain dormant until spring flows increase the water temperatures. Action may be best near the mouth of the Willamette although the Portland Harbor itself will produce the best results. Willamette River sturgeon anglers got official word that a delay in the season will put off catch and keep opportunities until February at least. Action will be fast with a very abbreviated season on a dwindling population. Fish passage has nearly ceased at Willamette falls in low, cold water. The water is too low for productive plunking in the Meldrum Bar stretch. There is optimism regarding the 2012 spring Chinook return for which the numbers are predicted to be greater than the 2011 actual return. McKenzie flows have dropped below 2,000 cfs at Vida which means stealth tactics for winter trout fishing, The Santiams are low, clear, cold and slow for fishing. Water on the Clackamas is at low levels and too clear to fish well. Eagle Creek is not generating a lot of interest although there are fish present. The mouth should be the most ideal spot to intercept these returning fish. Similar conditions on the Sandy River have made for slow results for early broodstock winter steelhead. Northwest – Although the peak of the winter steelhead season, river levels have curtailed effort and success. Savvy anglers are focusing efforts on the tidewater reaches of north coast systems where fish are likely stacking up in anticipation of the next rain freshet which isn’t predicted until after Christmas. When the rains do come, the fishing will be excellent. Anglers are forced to use small offerings, light gear and stealthy approaches to maximize opportunity but until fish feel more secure in higher flows, success rates will be mediocre. Larger systems such as the Wilson, Nestucca and the Trask offer up the best opportunities for wild and hatchery fish but boaters will have the best access to productive drifts where bank anglers will be constrained due to limited river access. The North Fork Nehalem has good numbers of steelhead present and early morning anglers are scoring the best results but fish are slow to move towards the hatchery where bank anglers have their best shot at what looks to be a good return. The Necanicum River will be much the same with the tidewater stretches producing the best results. Chinook are still an option on Tillamook Bay and the lower Wilson River. One boat posted a double on chinook in the Ghost Hole on Tuesday, landing 2 bright bucks on their first pass using herring for bait. Chinook retention closes at the end of the month and fish upstream of tidewater are likely close to spawning and should be avoided, especially if they are hens. Sturgeon fishing is underway on Tillamook Bay and legals are falling to west channel anglers. Sand shrimp is the top bait but the peak part of the tide, low slack, happens after sunset this week. Anglers can still find success before dark however; navigate with caution however. Crabbing will be a poor option with the extreme tide series but razor clam digging along Clatsop County Beaches should produce fair results after sunset. Southwest – Offshore bottom fishing is great for rockfish and lingcod when ocean conditions allow boats to get out. Crabbing has been slow to fair in the ocean. If offshore ocean forecasts remain accurate, boats will not be able to get out in the weekend to come. Winchester Bay crabbing has been very good. North Umpqua steelheading remains slow and winter steelhead have yet to enter the low waters of the South Umpqua. Crabbing in Coos Bay is excellent from boats or docks with Dungeness full and hard. Boats venturing offshore are taking good numbers of lingcod. Fishing for early winters has been slow on the Coos River. Although a few winter steelhead were taken following rain last week, the Coquille slowed as water levels dropped. Winter steelhead fishing on the lower Rogue has ground to a near standstill with low water conditions. Middle Rogue steelheading is primarily a catch-and-release affair for wild fish. The upper Rogue is pretty skinny, summer steelhead and the occasional coho continue to cooperate with anglers. The waters of the Chetco are low and gin clear in one of the driest winters in recent history. Winter steelhead are present but catching them requires stealthy techniques similar to those implemented for low-water summers: long, light leaders and small offerings. Ocean crabbing is not legal until mid-January but good results are coming from the docks in Brookings Harbor. The Elk and Sixes rivers are again low and clear. There are a few chinook around but many are turning dark. Wait for the next round of rainfall to try these small ocean tributaries. Eastern – Trout fishing is spotty on the Crooked River but whitefish are plentiful and cooperative. Crescent Lake is producing decent catches of lake trout to deep trollers. Good numbers of bull trout are being caught at Lake Billy Chinook.