Oregon fishing for October 12

Willamette Valley/Metro- Mediocre salmon fishing continues at Bonneville, although fish passage over the dam is dwindling. A few chinook and the occasional coho are caught by boaters and bank anglers alike. Bait-wrapped Kwikfish and spinners are getting fish for the boaters, while wobblers and spin n glows are preferred by fishermen working off the shore. The October opener for sturgeon has been cancelled due to the quota being caught but remains open for catch and release.

 

The Willamette River is producing a handful of smallmouth for anglers putting in some effort. Last week some coho were reported off the mouth of the Clackamas River, but the falls count dropped significantly earlier this week.

October caddis are hatching in the evening on the McKenzie River. Matching this hatch will yield large trout.

 

There are a few coho in the North Santiam which is open for them to the Stayton/Scio Bridge. It opens upstream on November 1.

The Clackamas has put out a few coho and almost an equal amount of late summer steelhead from Barton Park upstream to Rivermill Dam, but anglers are working hard for a few opportunities.

 

The Sandy River has been a disappointment to coho anglers as of yet, but some hold hope that there is still more to come. A few have been caught at the mouth and even fewer up at Cedar Creek but the forecasted rain for the weekend could bring a strong push.

Northwest – North coast anglers have enjoyed several days of flat calm seas. Most are pursuing chinook out of Tillamook and Nehalem but bottomfish remains another excellent option. Some lingcod and plentiful sea bass are providing good sport.

 

The small tide exchange and calm ocean yielded excellent catches early this week along the jetties and inside the jaws and adjacent ocean. That changes by tomorrow however with rough seas and high winds likely to close the ocean for several days. Ocean crabbing closes on October 15^th and it has been excellent out of most north coast ports with crabs filling out nicely.

 

Forecasted rains should bring in wild coho that have been largely absent. Numbers should be building with few hatchery coho already in the system. The Trask River should be a strong option by the weekend if the rain event comes to fruition.

 

A few chum salmon have begun to show at the mouth of Tillamook Bay. Although they are legal to retain in the ocean, they don’t make for high quality table fare. Chum must be released in all coastal estuaries and rivers but it looks to be another productive run for this rebounding specie.

Nehalem Bay is still producing fair catches of chinook and some coho. Chinook numbers should dwindle however but coho numbers should improve.

 

Netarts Bay is producing good catches of Dungeness crab and should continue to do so through the fall.

 

Southwest- Rockfish expeditions yielded limits for ocean anglers off the central coast early this week although the ling bite slowed as did offshore crabbing results.

 

Wild coho are being taken at select south coast estuaries although some locations have emerged more productive than others. Siuslaw anglers are faring best with over 60% of the quota taken as of October 7th. Coos and Alsea systems are producing fair numbers.

 

Nearshore halibut remains open. At the last data update through the end of September, 89% of the quota remained available. This fishery will continue through October if the quota holds out.

 

Crabbing has been good in Winchester Bay. Chinook fishing has been good in the lower mainstem of the Umpqua River. Smallmouth fishing is worthwhile around Elkton and will remain so until the water temperature drops. On the North Umpqua, where chinook season is closed, steelheading is fair to good.

 

Coos Bay anglers are taking chinook on trolled anchovies or herring with coho responding to pink lures along the jetties.

 

Sporadic chinook catches are reported on the Coquille although wild coho fishing has picked up.

 

The salmon bite turned on in the Rogue estuary when the ocean calmed over the past week, providing trollers with plenty of action. Most hookups have been with wild silvers although hatchery coho and chinook have been plentiful as well. Half-pounders are being taken at Agness while catches of adults has been decent in the middle Rogue. Summer steelheading slowed in the upper Rogue due to low, cold water.

 

Chinook are stacking at the Chetco River jaws, providing decent action for bubble anglers and soon to trollers in Brookings Harbor. The Chetco Bubble fishery is open through October 14th. Some ocean anglers are limiting on rockfish once everyone has taken a chinook.

 

While fall rains are starting this week off the north coast and into the valley, it will be late in the weekend before precipitation comes to southwest Oregon, potentially to jump-start chinook fishing on the Elk and Sixes rivers.

 

Eastern – Lower Deschutes steelheaders enduring slow fishing are being rewarded with larger-than-average fish on occasion.

 

Fishing on the Crooked River has been good as this one produces in low water conditions. That will change with rainfall.

 

Small nymphs have fooled a few steelhead on the Imnaha, but with low water conditions and low dam counts, fishing has been tough.

 

Steelheading picked up over the past week on the Grande Ronde with active fish taking surface offerings.

 

SW Washington- District anglers remain challenged by good numbers of non-biting chinook and coho in the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis Rivers. Upcoming rains should dramatically improve results and fresh fish should enter each of these systems. Check regulations carefully as each watershed differs.

 

The mouths of the White Salmon and Klickitat are producing good catches of chinook and some coho. Anglers averaged about a chinook per rod counting jacks last week and that’s not likely to change given the ratio of jacks to adults passing Bonneville Dam.