Willamette Valley/Metro - On the Columbia River, summer steelhead and fall chinook are being caught from Bonneville Dam downriver. Anchor fishing with small spinners for steelhead and wobblers for chinook salmon are the go to methods. Mainstem anchor boats target water between 33 and 48 feet, using a 5-foot dropper lead line with a 5-foot leader and wobbler, working the entire outgoing tide.
Walleye and smallmouth bass are still available in the Multnomah Channel and up river in the Willamette. Catch and release sturgeon fishing remains very slow.
McKenzie flows had been fluctuation from 2.100 to 2,150 cfs at Vida until August 17th when it dropped to 2,000 cfs and has remained fairly steady. It is fishing well with caddis patterns a reliable choice.
With fish passage slowed in the warm waters of the Willamette, there are few fresh steelhead entering the Santiam system. The Santiams are low and stable but steelheading has been slow although the upper Santiams have been productive for trout.
The Clackamas River from Rivermill Dam down to Carver Park is busy with rafters, swimmers and tubers. Limited opportunities for summer steelhead are available early in the morning and late in the evening.
On the Sandy River rafting traffic is intense as well but a few summer steelhead are available here too. Anglers are encouraged to fish early and late in the evening for any success.
Northwest – Although the Buoy 10 fishery is peaking, white-hot catches slowed on Friday and through the weekend although 1-fish limits were still quite common. The best fishing continues to be near high tide and during the softer late afternoon outgoing tide. Just above the Astoria Bridge on the Washington side remains a good afternoon option where Jim Bryant took a 23-pound upriver bright on Tuesday trolling a herring near the bottom. Action should remain excellent with coho starting to show in greater numbers later this week. A WDF&W agency official stated with the catch rates for chinook so high, an early closure is imminent. Industry leaders were advocating for continued opportunity for fin-clipped only chinook in the Buoy 10 fishery; managers will likely review options this week.
Ocean trollers have witnessed sporadic success rates with chinook occasionally showing to the north off of Long Beach and coho making a stronger showing to the south between Buoy's 2 and the CR. Effort remains highest in the river however.
Friendly seas motivated albacore anglers this week as good catches were common for much of the week. Tuna are starting to respond to live bait best but jigged hardware can also take fish.
The chinook bite at Nehalem has slowed but action in both Tillamook and Nehalem Bays should pick up again soon. Fall chinook and some hatchery coho should be staging later this month.
Southwest- Rockfish limits are being taken out of Newport and Depoe Bay along with a few ling cod, some of which have been huge.
Swells are forecast to flatten out of the central coast over the coming weekend while winds are predicted to lighten up. Launches for offshore boats should be no problem.
A few tuna were taken far offshore out of Newport over the past weekend. In addition to improving ocean conditions, there's a good chance warmer water will be moving nearer to the beach and if this occurs, albacore will follow.
When boats have been able to launch out of Winchester Bay, ocean Chinook trolling with whole herring has been producing Chinook. Be sure to drop crab traps on the way out as results have been good. crabbing inside Winchester Bay remains slow. The occasional Chinook has been caught in the jaws and while there are fish in the river, they have been off the bite.
Boats were able to get out of Gold Beach to fish the ocean every day over the past week. Results were excellent, yielding limits of near-limits of rockfish and ling cod. Over the past weekend, the Chinook troll fishery in Rogue Bay turned on once again. Lower Rogue half-pounder and adult steelhead are being taken below Quosatana Creek. Chinook fishing is fair in the Grants Pass stretch but is expected to improve. On the upper Rogue. Chinook are being caught below Dodge Bridge while steelheading is reliable upriver from that point.
The ocean Chinook bite out of Brookings Harbor, wide open a few weeks back, is now slow but steady. Trolling whole herring or anchovies at 40 to 100 feet in water 110 to 150 feet deep had been consistently effective. It is hoped the bite will pick up for the Slam'n Salmon Derby taking place Aug. 29 through Sept. 1. Rockfish and ling cod fishing is excellent and halibut from 70 to 90 pounds are being caught. Limits of ocean crab are being taken daily.
Eastern – With fresh fish entering from the Columbia now, number of summer steelhead and catches have improved on the lower Deschutes. Target them anywhere between Sherars Falls and the mouth. Caddis patterns remain effective for redsides on the lower river.
Crooked River flows are steady at 220 cfs and fishing is good.
East Lake is fishing well for kokanee averaging 16 inches.
Fishing for kokanee at Paulina has been slow and fish are small.
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