Oregon fishing reports

 

Willamette Valley/Metro-  Bonneville continues to kick out a few straggler chinook for the few who put in some time. Most are starting to show some color and should be left to spawn. This fishery is for all purposes "over" as fish begin to focus on the spawning phase of their lifecycle. A few coho have reportedly been caught at the mouth of the Sandy River over the weekend, but since the rain showed up, these fish are in a hurry to get up the river.

 

A few coho may be available at the mouth of the Clackamas River but adults will be motivated to move upstream from the recent rain event.

 

On the Clackamas, A few silvers and a handful of late summer steelhead have been reported. Eagle creek should put out a few silvers with the next good rain.

 

A few pods of silvers have been spotted rushing through the lower Sandy River. This late in the season they rarely hesitate until they reach the mouth of Cedar Creek and anglers wanting a crack at them should direct their efforts to the mile or two below the mouth of the creek. The road to the Sandy Fish Hatchery will close for repaving for up to two days during the week of Oct. 22-26.

 

Rain hasn't slowed action on the McKenzie; if anything, fishing is better now. Redsides are responding to a variety of wets and dries although October Caddis is a predominant pattern.

 

Steelhead are available and in decent condition on the North Santiam. Rainfall has coho moving upstream near Stout Creek and the Little North Fork.

 

The family fishing event scheduled for Saturday, October 20th at Canby Pond has been cancelled.

Northwest – The season’s first rains have finally brought change to the north coast district. The much needed precipitation swelled rivers on Tuesday, making for ideal driftboat opportunity early in the week. Catches were predictably good on the Trask with some fish reported in the Wilson as well. By the weekend, rivers are predicted to be low again, which will make fish spooky for driftboaters and bank anglers alike. This will have been the first of many driftboating opportunities in the next several weeks however as north coast fisheries should remain productive into mid-December.

 

Tillamook Bay fishing slowed with the onset of wet and windy weather. A few fish were taken at Bay City over the weekend but it was clear that chinook and coho were staging in preparation for their run up the district’s rivers. Another batch of fresh fish should be on their heels however.

Coho have been largely absent on many north coast streams. Although it’s still too early to predict how accurate the wild coho prediction is, early indications of the hatchery run seem to have been over-predicted. Anglers remain hopeful that the fishery will blossom after this rain freshet.

 

The Nehalem is slowing for chinook but should ramp up for coho in the coming weeks. A lot of fish moved upriver over the weekend. There are coho at the North Fork hatchery but they are not biting well.

 

The Nestucca should remain a fair option through October but the Salmon likely has seen the bulk of the fresh chinook already. The Siletz should soon peak and bobber fishing on the Alsea should be great this weekend.

 

The offshore weather prediction looks up in the air but chinook fishing may remain a good option near estuary mouths where it is safe to fish. Ocean crabbing is now closed after a productive season. Estuaries should remain a good option, even more so when the rain freshet makes its way out. Netarts Bay is a top option.

 

Southwest- Lingcod catches out of central Oregon ports have been stellar now that boats may access deep water to pursue them. In addition, some really nice rockfish are being taken.

 

It remains to be seen if the nearshore halibut season, scheduled through October 21st, will go the distance. As of October 7th, only 30% of the quota remained available. A few days of calm seas will likely finish it off.

 

Ocean crabbing closed on October 15th but will re-open on the first of December.

 

Crabbing has been very good in Winchester Bay. Bobber and egg anglers are picking up chinook on the upper bay and lower Umpqua mainstem. Steelheading has been fair on the North Umpqua.

 

Coos Bay has been excellent for crabbing, producing limits of Dungeness in great condition. Chinook fishing has been good for trollers using anchovies or herring.

 

Chinook catches have slowed with coho fishing improving on the lower Coquille. Some of the best crabbing on the coast is available here.

 

Salmon fishing is heating up in the Rogue estuary with trollers taking good numbers of chinook as well as coho. Anchovies fished with a spinner blade will take either. Steelheading has picked up over the past week on the middle river. Rainfall should serve to raise water temps on the upper Rogue and stimulate the summer steelhead bite for fly anglers.

 

With the closure of the Chetco Bubble on October 14th, chinook fishing is restricted to Brookings Harbor. The bubble fishery seemed to run hot or cold but did produce a couple of fish which pushed the 50-pound mark. Chinook catches inside the harbor have been improving. Crabbing has been only fair. Offshore bottom fishing is producing good catches of large rockfish and lingcod.

 

Several inches of rain have fallen on the southwest coast and while no reports have been forthcoming, salmon fishing should kick off on the Elk River.

 

The trout limit at Diamond Lake remains eight fish. While few are taking limits, those who locate a pod of fish at the south end of the lake are doing well. Rain is expected to improve prospects.

 

Eastern – Anglers at the mouth of the Deschutes have been taking decent numbers of steelhead and some large chinook salmon. Fish are on the move with several hundred chinook and steelhead counted at the Sherars Falls trap since the first of the month. Redsides are cooperating with fly fishers above Trout Creek.

 

With cool, rainy weather, the remaining fire restrictions have been lifted on federal lands in central Oregon.

 

SW Washington- Anglers are catching some coho on the Cowlitz while the Kalama and Lewis are producing more chinook. The Lewis is the best prospect for retention of chinook with the run likely to last several more weeks.

 

Effort and success are dropping at Drano Lake but farther east in the gorge, the Klickitat should remain an option, especially for coho well into November. It’s clear however that coho numbers are down.