Willamette Valley/Metro - The recent cool, wet weather has revived the spring chinook fishing on the Willamette River. The water temperature had dropped to the mid-50's, putting salmon back on the bite. With the expected continuation of cooler days and some precipitation, we might be in for a spell of late springer action. Fish have been caught in all the usual haunts, but Oregon City has showed the best numbers. Shad continue to be caught at Oregon City as well and should stick around for the next week or two. Catch and release sturgeon fishing remains good on the Willamette River, but anglers are allowed to keep a sturgeon Thursday through Saturday on the Columbia and the fishing has picked up from Kelly Point up to the deadline at Marker 82.
Rising water flows on the McKenzie this week will be moderating as the weather turns dry for the first week of June. Caddis and Pale Morning Dun patterns have been effective recently but look for Green Drakes hatching afternoons when there is cloud cover.
Daily numbers of Chinook have been tapering off at Willamette Falls but nearly 16,000 are upstream now along with about 4,800 summer steelhead which indicates an increasing population of fish in the Santiams. Water levels are high this week but will be improving into the first week of June. Fishing has been fair but spotty on the North Santiam. Most all of the nearly 1,000 summer steelhead which have been counted at Foster Dam were recycled downstream on the South Santiam.
The Clackamas River has been slow overall, but both spring chinook and summer steelhead are available. Recent rains have pushed the river up to a higher than optimum flow, making for challenging conditions. The river is expected to be on the drop and should be back to good fishable condition by the weekend.
Spring chinook and summer steelhead fishing on the Sandy River has been average at best. The river has been running a bit high but not at all unfishable. The forecast indicates a slow drop through next week which puts the river at prime level by the start of the weekend. We are approaching the peak of the spring chinook run on the Sandy, so the coming weeks should give up some fish.
Hard-core anglers typically stay at home for Free Fishing Weekend but it's important that we take a more positive view as this is a great opportunity to personally demonstrate to friends and neighbors why you're so passionate about fishing. OR to take that youngster who's at an age where he'll decide how he'll most enjoy spending his free time: on the couch or on the river? You could be the influence for him or her to make a good decision. Free Fishing Weekend is June 1st and 2nd.
Trout planting has taken place in most regularly-stocked waters in anticipation of additional participation over the coming weekend.
Northwest – Spring chinook have made a decent showing in the Tillamook district but bay angler opportunity will wane as the recent rain freshet put a large portion of the bay population into area rivers. Upper bay anglers did score fair results this week on the big tide swing however. The lower bay should turn on by the weekend as a weak tide series returns. Unfortunately, rough seas are in the forecast, making the ocean a poor option for halibut (Thursday through Saturday), salmon, crab and bottomfish. Lower Tillamook Bay anglers will likely find their best opportunity during the last half of outgoing tide over the weekend.
Driftboaters had a rare opportunity this week with high flows making for decent opportunity for north coast anglers working the Trask, Wilson and Nestucca Rivers. Although catches were only fair, water conditions should remain favorable through Saturday. Summer steelhead have not made a strong showing however; anglers should keep their focus on salmon, targeting the deeper, slower water using plugs or egg/shrimp combinations. The Trask will remain the top option as it receives the greatest number of returning hatchery fish but the Wilson and Nestucca should come on-line with fair catches into the weekend. Bank anglers should also have good opportunity through early next week but if you're going to fish the Trask or Three Rivers, pay attention to the new regulations designed to reduce illegal snagging in these high traffic areas.
Offshore opportunities will remain limited with the rough seas that are predicted. Crabbing in local estuaries is poor.
Southwest- The next opportunity for all-depth halibut fishing off the central coast will Thursday through Friday, May 30-June 1.
Southwest beaches have produced not only large redtail surfperch recently but some remarkably large specimens. Fishing is best when the ocean is fairly calm.
Fishing for redtail surf perch picked up again at Winchester Bay over the Memorial Day weekend following a two-week lull since initial catches were made. Hopefully, the spawning run will provide steady fishing for a while. Bay crabbing has been slow with best results coming out of Half Moon Bay. Shad fishing should be decent in the Umpqua mainstem with water levels dropping. The North Umpqua is on the rise this week but should be recovering by the weekend. Smallmouth bass fishing is improving on the upper mainstem and lower South Umpqua.
Boats were able to get out of Gold Beach over the past weekend for limits of rockfish and lings but blanked on nearshore halibut. Rain this week put some water into the lower Rogue but not enough and levels are rapidly dropping to pre-freshet levels. Needless to say, springer fishing is slow and look no more promising on the Grants Pass stretch. The upper Rogue is still the place to be with springers entering the hatchery daily and water dropping late this week.
While salmon fishing is usually unproductive at the May 1 opener, off shore trollers out of Brookings got a pleasant surprise over the past weekend, hooking several early chinook. As with many southeast rivers, trout season opened on the Chetco over the past weekend. Sea-run cutthroat migrate back to the ocean in springtime, but there are always some which abide. Consequently, fishing has been fair to good here.
The clouds of tiny bugs hatching at Diamond Lake are annoying anglers and results for trout have slowed with foul, cold weather. A head net is recommended for those trying to fish.
Eastern – While the early hatch of big bugs on the Deschutes was fast and furious, it has started to wind down already in the Maupin area. Despite fewer Salmon Flies and Golden Stones in the area, trout will continue to be looking up for them for a while.
Nymphs have been effective for good numbers of trout and whitefish on the Wallowa River.
Trout fishing was good at Wallowa Lake over the past weekend. There are plenty of smallish kokanee with the daily limit recently increased from 10 per day to 20.
Kokanee fishing has been good early mornings at Wickiup. It's best to get out at first light to beat the insect hatch at which time the bite shuts down.
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