Willamette Valley/Metro - Two more spring chinook have been confirmed on the Willamette River, one from Sellwood and one at Milwaukie. It's likely others have been taken at Meldrum Bar in recent days, but the fishermen there usually keep it to themselves. As long as we dodge major rainstorms, the Willamette should continue to kick out the occasional early spring king, with action picking up substantially by the middle of next month. Back trollers fishing for steelhead at Meldrum Bar are having less than stellar success, as the falls count has yet to spike. Catch and release sturgeon angling in the Portland Harbor remains good for willing participants. Smelt, squid and sand shrimp are getting the most bites.
McKenzie River Water levels have been gradually dropping since the first of February, creating excellent opportunities for fly fishers to enjoy redside action. Nymphing has been most effective on partly sunny days.
The Santiams are forecast to rise a little this week but will be on the drop by the coming weekend. There are a few winter steelhead in the system and there have been reports of the occasional hookup. Chances for winters will improve later in the season.
The Clackamas River is giving up a few steelhead to anglers willing to put in their time. The native fish show up in strength February through April and the hatchery broodstock fish mimic that timing. Drift boats, sleds and bank anglers are scoring best from Riverside Park up to Rivermill Dam.
On the Sandy River, fishing has been a bit more productive. Good numbers of hatchery steelhead are showing in creel samples, while anglers have been reporting the occasional wild fish. Expect more wild fish to show up now through March and if things keep going as they have, the hatchery fish will continue their strong presence. Drift boats and pontoon boats are sporting the best results from the Dodge to Oxbow and the Oxbow to Dabney Park drifts. Peak time for winter steelhead on the Sandy River is January through March.
Northwest – With moderating flow comes moderate fishing. Steelheaders are gearing up for the 2nd of two peak periods for north coast steelheading. With the early run largely over, wild and late-run broodstock fish are now on deck for most of the district's rivers.
The Wilson and Nestucca systems will produce the bulk of the hatchery returns in the late season and reports of some large fish are fairly consistent. Good steelhead returns the last two winter seasons often translates into good returns of these larger 3-salt fish. Some of these fish are nearing or topping 20-pounds; a fish of a lifetime for most steelheaders.
The Kilchis, Trask, mainstem Nehalem as well as the numerous smaller streams on the coast should start to see a stronger influx of wild steelhead in the coming weeks. Anglers should still look for an adipose fin-clipped prize for take-home but there will only be a rare hatchery stray on most of these systems.
With dropping water conditions, the lower reaches of these systems will produce the best. Although tides are not conducive for big returns, the run timing for these coastal systems should provide opportunity for anglers through the weekend.
A soft tide series should make crabbing a possibility this weekend with reports of fair catches coming from Tillamook Bay. Netarts should also offer up some opportunity but offshore options may exist today through Friday if estuary bars are safe to cross.
Southwest- Offshore boaters haven't been able to get out this week due to high ocean swells but conditions are likely to improve late this week.
South coast beaches have been producing good catches of pinkfin surf perch. The best time to try this activity is a couple of hours before high tide.
The 2013 Lower Umpqua Flycasters' Fly Fishing Expo will be held on February 23 at the Reedsport Community Charter School. This free event runs from 9 Am until 3 PM.
Crabbing is fair on Winchester Bay. South jetty anglers have been taking good-sized striped surf perch on shrimp recently. The best bet for a hatchery steelhead is the South Umpqua where flows and fishing are fair.
Coos Bay crabbing catches have been good. Steelheading on the Coos and Coquille Rivers will improve following the next round of rainfall although the South Coquille has fish and holds promise for some action.
Water levels are low on the lower Rogue and will continue dropping through the weekend. Catches of fin-clipped winter steelhead are expected to improve through February once the water comes up. Winter steelhead catches have been slow on the middle Rogue due in part to cold water. No need to wait for March to fish winters on the upper Rogue; they're in now and at 2,000 cfs, the water flow is fishable. This bodes well for a good upper river season this year.
Chetco River steelheading has been fair over the past week for both bank and boat anglers. The water level is less than optimum for fishing and is predicted to continue dropping into the coming week which will further slow the bite.
Steelheading has been productive at times on the Elk and Sixes Rivers over the past week depending on precipitation and water conditions.
Eastern – Fall River is producing nice-sized rainbows to fly anglers using streamers and dry patterns.
The Crooked River is low - even for this system - but is still producing some trout on nymphs and midges.
Lake Billy Chinook has given up bull trout to deep trollers over the past week.
No comments:
Post a Comment