Oregon fishing reports for 9/14/12

Willamette Valley/Metro- The Columbia River is kicking out chinook salmon from Tongue Point all the way up to Bonneville Dam, with coho and steelhead being part of the catch to boot. Nearly 15,000 chinook a day are passing through the Bonneville Dam fish ladders and that number will likely double any day now. But surprisingly more than 1500 steelhead a day are still making the commute. Although Bonneville hasn't seen the peak of its action yet, this fishery is already in full swing. Backtrolling sardine wrapped Kwikfish will be the preferred method for boaters while plunking a spinner, wobbler or spin n glow will work well for the bank bound anglers. The Bonneville fishery will peak by the end of September but last well into October.

 

Check the new regulations before fishing your stretch of the Columbia as new ones exist this year. Wobbler plunkers are finding sporadic success despite large numbers of fish passing through the Portland to St. Helens area. The upcoming stronger tide series may bolster catches.

 

There might be a few coho staging below the mouth of the Clackamas on the Willamette River but no successful reports have surfaced as of yet. Bass fishing will pick up with the cooler temperatures and any fall freshets.

 

The recent cool spell and lower overnight temperatures have combined to boost results for fly fishers targeting trout and steelhead on the McKenzie River.

 

Steelheading has been slow to fair on the South Santiam. On this and other rivers, try fishing below spawning salmon with roe or egg imitations.

 

No reports of coho on the Clackamas yet. Given that fewer coho have been planted the last few years, a small return is expected. These fish will shoot right up to Eagle Creek and the water below Rivermill Dam.

 

Reports have come in of a few coho being caught at the mouth of the Sandy and rumors of a handful milling around up at Cedar Creek. At the mouth, casting spinners is the method of choice either from a boat or wading out to the sand bar and casting into the deeper channel. When some measurable rain comes to the valley, the coho will pour up towards Cedar Creek.

Northwest – Chinook and coho catches were blistering late last week through the weekend on the lower Columbia near Astoria. Easy limits were the rule but fishing has now slowed and will likely quickly taper for the remainder of the season. Coho will be the main focus, along with recreational crabbing on the lower Columbia but coho returns are forecasted to be lower than in previous years so don’t expect easy limits here.

 

Chinook are starting to nose into north coast estuaries in force with good catches reported district wide last weekend. Soft tides were conducive to great lower bay fishing although seaweed sometimes hampered success. Tillamook and Nehalem Bays as well as the Alsea system will be prime targets for the next several weeks. Trolled herring will take the bulk of the catch but spinners will work well in upriver areas. Coho should become more prevalent in the coming weeks with most seasons opening up for wild coho beginning September 15^th but annual bag limits and open days vary by basin so check regulations carefully.

 

With no rain in sight, action for chinook will remain focused in the estuary and tidewater sections of most systems. Bobbers and bait may prove productive when the weekend tides intensify.

 

Bay and ocean crabbing remains productive but an unusual number of soft-shell crab are showing up in the catches.

 

Southwest- Surf perch fishing continues to produce 15-fish limits for long-rodders angling from south coast beaches.

 

The non-selective coho fishery has been rewarding for most offshore anglers and will continue Thursday, September 13th through Saturday, September 15th.

 

Tuna fishing has been spotty out of Newport and Depoe Bay over the past week. It's been scratch fishing although an occasional Dorado has been landed, a certain indicator of warm water nearshore.

 

Chinook fishing has been good on the lower Umpqua with fish taking plugs or cured roe. The upper mainstem and South Umpqua are providing good smallmouth fishing while steelheading is worthwhile on the North Umpqua.

 

Boats launching out of Charleston over the past week have traveled 18 miles or more offshore to find tuna. Bottom fishing has been good as has crabbing in the ocean and in Coos Bay. Chinook fishing in Coos Bay has been very productive over the last week and will likely continue to produce well into September.

 

Ocean chinook fishing was slow out of Gold beach early this week amidst tons (literally) of migrating whales. Bottom fishing was redemptive, however, with rockfish limits, lings to 40 pounds and great crabbing. Fall chinook, half-pounders and adult summer steelhead are being caught on the lower and middle Rogue. While closed to chinook fishing, the upper Rogue has been productive for steelhead although only flies may be used.

 

Chinook fishing closed offshore south of Humbug Mountain on Sunday, September 9th, but was a spectacular fishery for the Port of Brookings. Even better results are expected when the Chetco Bubble opens for two weeks beginning the 1st of October, during which, chinook weighing 30 to 50 pounds will be caught.

 

Eastern – As fall approaches with milder weather and cooler nights, steelheading will improve on the Deschutes. Summer steelhead counts are picking up at Sherars Falls.

 

The Metolius has been fishing well with a variety of bugs hatching including Green Drakes.

 

With the water level dropping, all bag limits have been lifted at Thief Valley Reservoir near Baker.

 

SW Washington- District anglers will begin focusing on fall chinook for the next several weeks. With chinook in good shape this early in the season, anglers are more likely to find eager biters earlier rather than later in the season. Small clusters of eggs under a bobber or backbounced should produce fair results on the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis Rivers.

The Lewis River opens up on September 15^th for the retention of wild chinook and fishing should be good.

 

Drano Lake anglers are showing improved catches of fall chinook and as steelhead passage remains uncharacteristically strong for this time of year, they remain a viable option as well. The larger “B” strain of steelhead should be showing in good numbers for the next few weeks.