Oregon fishing reports!

Willamette Valley/Metro- Good catches of Chinook are being reported from the river mouths along the lower Columbia River. The Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, Washougal and Sandy all add cool water to the big river, making for staging zones that the fish can use as a breather for cooler, more oxygen rich water. The cooler water makes for better biting, better fighting fish. The mouth of the Cowlitz has been the hot spot as of late, with the better fishing always happening on the outgoing tide. Anchor fishing with wobblers is by far the method of choice but fish are also taken on both plugs and spinners.

 

There are few good reports from Bonneville yet, but with the adult chinook counts over the dam topping 4000/day, the action will be picking up soon. Summer steelhead counts through the ladder are dwindling to less than 2000/day so if that's what you're after, your time would be better spent above the dam or at the Deschutes.

Sturgeon angling below Beacon Rock has been reported as very slow.

Pro guide Chris Vertopoulos (503-349-1377) reports, “The lower Willamette as slowed down for smallmouth bass with the warmer water, but be looking soon for a few silvers to be congregating at the mouth of the Clackamas. No reports are available for walleye fishing the Multnomah channel but one has to suspect that they are there.

“Not much available on the Clackamas but a warm, slowly flowing river. Rafting and inner tubing are the preferred method of attack for keeping cool.

“Rumors of some Coho on the Sandy River up at Cedar creek have been dispelled. Also a rafters and tubers river till the fall rains start to show and the coho begin to arrive.”

 

Northwest – After a very productive run, the Buoy 10 fishery will continue through Labor Day and close as  slated on September 4^th. Although fish larger than 30 pounds have been rare, Melissa Carlin of Monmouth came close, landing a 27-pound buck on Friday, after the fish ran into 3 lines from another boat.

 

The chinook catch remained consistent near the Astoria Bridge but the Tongue Point bite picked up on Monday. Both spinners and bait were effective from Rice Island to Tongue Point but this fishery produces best on softer tides. Jack chinook salmon are a common catch throughout the estuary but are only legal for retention above Tongue Point.

 

Coho are present in ever-growing numbers in the estuary with lower Desdemona Sands a consistent producer. Anglers can target coho by using smaller spinners or anchovies for bait. Smaller gear and bait does catch smaller fish. Keep in mind however that the adult return of hatchery coho is forecasted to be low but the peak weeks are now upon us.

 

The Nehalem fishery continues to produce fair results but the stronger tides will push willing biters higher into the estuary where both spinners and herring should be effective. Anglers should see a shift from summer chinook to the larger fall variety.

 

Tillamook Bay and the adjacent ocean is also producing good catches of chinook. Fish checkers at Garibaldi tallied good numbers over the weekend with the bulk of the success coming from ocean fishers. Ocean crabbing should be excellent as well and will remain open through October 15^th.

 

Albacore chasers will be anxious to get offshore for fast action this time of year. Although the offshore forecast doesn’t look all that favorable for the weekend, modelers are frequently wrong when predicting ocean conditions. September should offer up some ideal conditions for ocean recreationalists.

Southwest- Tuna charters were cancelled out of Depoe Bay early this week due to rough ocean conditions and albacore too far offshore to make the trip. Bottom fishing and crabbing has been excellent, however.

The summer all-depth halibut season is closed for the year with all but 10% of the quota taken. During the four days when fishing was allowed, anglers landed 42,853 pounds of fish.

Chinook are being taken on plugs on the lower Umpqua, Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent on the mainstem Umpqua now that the water temperature is warm enough for swimming. The South Umpqua is also producing good smallie catches.

Boats launching out of Charleston have been taking albacore within 20 miles of port. Coos Bay crabbing has been very good.

Boats launching out of Gold Beach have been making good catches of rockfish and ling cod offshore. Rogue Bay Chinook fishing finally turned on over the past week, producing impressive numbers for trollers.  Catches of half-pounders and fall Chinook have been good on the middle Rogue. Summers steelhead catches have been steady on the upper river.

Excellent results are expected for the Slam’n Salmon Derby taking place at Brookings Friday through Sunday this week. Catches were disappointing in 2011 but will be limited this year only by ocean conditions. Chinook are being taken three to six miles out with anchovies or hoochies effective.

Eastern – Trout fishing is excellent on the lower Deschutes with caddis patterns and stonefly nymphs are effective. Results have also been good on the middle river on nymph patterns.

SW Washington- Anglers targeting chinook in district streams should start to see improving catches by the weekend. Although still a few weeks away from peak opportunity, the earlier returning fish seem to be the more aggressive ones. Small clusters of eggs back-bounced with light leads should take fish.

 

The Cowlitz and Lewis should produce the best catches with the best success coming from the lower holes in the system as fish acclimate to the differing temperatures.

 

Drano Lake anglers continue to find success for steelhead but chinook salmon fishing should dramatically improve in the coming weeks as fish begin to pour over Bonneville Dam.

The mouth of the Klickitat should pick up for chinook action as well with coho coming a little later in the year.