Oregon fishing report

Willamette Valley/Metro- As chinook begin to pour over Bonneville Dam, managers will be keeping a close eye on overall counts before providing a run-size update. Managers are no longer confident that the pre-season prediction is accurate but a sizeable return is still likely. No further sport opportunity is likely in the near future but in these high flows, Columbia fish can sometimes supplement catches in the lower Multnomah Channel and salmon action there could easily continue into July this year. Trolled herring draws the most bites in this fishery. With the continued high water, spring chinook fishing has been spotty and the fish have been scattered from Scappoose to Oregon City. Water clarity remains good and the standard herring/flasher will produce. The prawn bite has been building and with water temperatures reaching 53 degrees, spinners will soon be taking fish regularly too. Summer steelhead are also showing up consistently in the catch with most being caught by plunkers at Meldrum Bar. The California sea lions also have a strong presence throughout the river so anglers need be aware of the risks when angling. In the Oregon City stretch, some reports indicate that nearly half of the salmon hooked are stolen by sea lions. When a fish is hooked, all anglers can do is try to remain inconspicuous by not standing up and waving the net around. Also muscle the fish to the boat as quick as possible and when you do have a hatchery fish in the net, pull it in the boat immediately as more and more nets are being destroyed or taken while your catch is hanging over the side. Cool water temperatures and high flows will keep the springers from entering the Clackamas in any numbers but the summer steelhead are not letting that slow them down. The summers are abundant here this season and anglers are getting their share but pressure remains fairly light. Fish are spread from the mouth to Rivermill Dam but the Feldheimer's to Carver stretch will likely produce best. When the water temperature reaches 52, spring chinook will enter in better numbers. Both spring chinook and summer steelhead are here in decent numbers and the Sandy River remains a solid "Plan B" if you are looking for a quiet alternative to the Willamette. Pressure has been light, but local anglers have been faring well for summers and a small handful of springers have been taken from Oxbow down. Sand shrimp is the bait of choice for both springers and summers either back trolled, drifted or fished under a bobber. Trolling prawn's and herring at the mouth below I-84 is also a good bet, especially when the Columbia flows remain high. An unusually wet spring has created challenging conditions on the McKenzie but fishing for native rainbows and cutthroat is good when conditions have periodically moderated. It looks good this week. The North Santiam will remain high doe to snowmelt this week. Northwest – In Tillamook Bay, spring chinook are being caught with surprising regularity for this early in the season. Salmon are being taken on occasion from the hatchery hole on the Trask as well as an occasional one for the rare angler on the Wilson. The upper bay has produced a few fish and the lower bay is putting out an occasional one as well. The strong tide series we’re currently on keeps most motivated anglers fishing in the upper reaches of the estuary with spinners and herring producing the best catches. The Trask is likely to produce the best catches this early in the season although with dropping flows, fish are more likely to remain in the estuary than make a run into the district’s rivers. The Hatchery Hole on the Trask however may continue to produce catches in the early morning hours. Eggs and shrimp will fare best. Although pressure is light, an occasional summer steelhead is coming from the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers. Hard-core steelheaders will wait another month however when lower flows make targeting this quarry more productive. Although a minus tide hampered early morning bar crossings, anglers interested in the bounty offshore out of Garibaldi did well for bottomfish and crab early this week. Salmon, both spring chinook and offshore California stock are coming with more regularity. Early next week poses a better opportunity as tides soften. Southwest – Chinook fishing offshore has been contingent on ocean conditions. When boats can get out and find fish, it's been fair to good. Nearshore halibut has been producing fish up to 80 and 90 pounds. The all-depth halibut opener begins May 10th through 12th and is expected to be productive if ocean conditions cooperate. Offshore bottom fishing has been producing reliable limits of rockfish and near-limits of lingcod. Surf perch fishing is productive and has yielded some limits on the south coast whenever ocean swells moderate. Winchester bay has remained slow for crabbing and sturgeon fishing. Spring chinook catches are improving around Elkton with the mainstem Umpqua forecast to be dropping this week. A 36-pounder was landed Monday this week. Steelheading is fair to good for late winters on the North Umpqua. Boats launching out of Gold Beach have enjoyed excellent results for bottom fish. Spring chinook catches have been fair with the occasional very good day on the lower Rogue. Spinner/anchovy rigs have been most effective. A few fresh steelhead were taken recently. Spring chinook catches are starting to pick up on the middle Rogue. Migration lanes on the upper Rogue will be producing springers now that the flow is finally stable. Offshore chinook fishing was slow at the opener out of the Port of Brookings but will improve in weeks to come with 80,000 springers forecast to return to the Klamath system. Boats are soon expected to be able to launch on the partially-thawed waters of Diamond lake. The surface is no longer safe for ice fishing. SW Washington – Catches of spring chinook and summer steelhead are starting to ramp up on the Cowlitz. Most of the action is taking place near the salmon hatchery but with peak season coming on, anglers will get more concentrated as the returning adults do. The Kalama and Lewis Rivers will also see a jump in angling success as flows moderate. Returns to these systems aren’t as strong as the Cowlitz but neither is the effort. With counts at Bonneville ramping up, success rates at Drano Lake and the Wind River will climb as well. Anglers were averaging about a fish for every 8 rods but effort and success should improve markedly this week. Plugs, herring and prawns can all produce good catches in the weeks ahead. Eastern – The Deschutes is fishing well from Warm Springs to Maupin with redsides responding to nymphs as there aren't many hatches occurring. Water conditions and catch results are improving with the Crooked River water at good level for fishing and stable this week. Crane Prairie has been productive around Rock Creek. Kokanee catches have been fair but steady for fish averaging 16-inches at Wickiup. Fish are still holding fairly shallow with pink lures most effective recently.