Willamette Valley/Metro - Fishery managers met by phone on Tuesday, granting sport anglers an additional 2 days (Friday and Saturday, May 9th and 10th) for spring chinook on the mainstem Columbia, downstream of Rooster Rock State Park. Bank anglers have access all the way to Bonneville Dam and action should be great for both parties. Additional opportunity is likely in mid-May.
Willamette flows have continued to moderate as the water has cleared. Water temperatures are rising to the upper 50's at the Falls. About 300 springers were counted on 1st of May for nearly 3,500 total as of that date. Nearly 1,600 summers had also crossed the Falls. Bank fishing has been slow, yielding steelhead on occasion. Last week was slow for springers but it picked up over the past weekend. Back-trolling small plugs has been picking up a few while a number of trollers have dropped the flasher to hook salmon on plain, cut-plug herring. Others are using prawn spinners and anchor fishers are taking some in the lower channel. Oregon City has produced the most hookups recently but many have been lost to sea lions. Diver and egg/shrimp combos are producing in the Garbage Hole. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing has been good on anchovies or herring in the lower river below Sellwood Bridge or in the harbor but avoid the stretch from Willamette Falls to the Lake Oswego-Oak Grove Railroad Bridge which closed May 1.
McKenzie flows have been fairly stable over the past week. Fishing for redsides is fair to good and a few steelhead have been landed on jigs. March brows are on the wane but BWOs will be a staple for a while and nymphs are always a productive alternative.
The Santiam system will be dropping and clearing but the next storm front due over the coming weekend, will impact flows. There are steelhead in the river with a few summers taken on the North Santiam and summers reported as high as Foster Dam on the South. The best bet will be the lower river this early, however.
Clackamas water levels will be dropping through Friday this week but are forecast to be on the rise this coming Saturday with the next weather system moving through. There are spring chinook in the river although hookups have been few. Summer steelheading is slightly better with jigs or spinners taking fish, particularly in the Gladstone stretch.
Sandy water levels have been dropping with water clarity improving. A few steelhead have been taken this week by anglers drifting bobbers with suspended baits of cured roe.
Northwest – Spring chinook are starting to show in better numbers in the Tillamook district but we're still a week away from more consistent catches. The low tide exchange this weekend will offer lower bay trollers the best opportunity. The Trask River saw a shot of chinook on the last rain freshet; action is likely to be best close to the hatchery.
The ocean is expected to be angry for the first few days of the Central Coast halibut opener but should calm by Saturday. Catches should be fair out of Garibaldi but north of Cape Falcon, halibut action was slow last year; it's anyone's guess this year.
Southwest- Bottom fishing out of Depoe Bay and Newport continues to reward sport and charter boats whenever offshore conditions allow. Ling cod catches have been particularly robust lately. This week will mark the first all depth halibut fishery which opens Thursday through Saturday this week. Further opportunities will occur every other week until the quota fills or summer season starts in August.
Halibut season opened May 1st south of Humbug Mountain, a location newly-titled the Southern Oregon Subarea. With just 3,712 pounds in the quota for this fishery, it is likely to be a short season. At the opener, a dozen or so were returned to the dock in Brookings.
Surf perch fishing has continued to pick up but shoot for those days when the ocean lays down a bit. Look for a steeper beach where waves break closer to shore. Throw baits of shrimp, clam necks or prawns during the last two hours of incoming tide.
Spring chinook fishing has been fair on the Umpqua mainstem although there have been occasional flurries of action.
When the ocean has laid down, boats launching out of Charleston have been catching chinook offshore. Bottom fish catches have been very good, particularly for lingcod. Crabbing has remained slow inside Coos Bay.
While rough ocean conditions prevented offshore boats from launching out of Gold Beach over the weekend, it was smooth sailing late last week. Nearshore bottomfishing was very good, producing many lingcod limits and decent numbers of colorful rockfish. Chinook are moving through the lower Rogue in schools, creating sporadic good catches for anglers in the Agness stretch. Middle river steelheaders are taking mostly dark fish now with springer catches slow to fair, best below Rainie Falls and at Hayes Falls. Spring chinook are entering the upper river with catches very good for this early in May. Good flows on the upper Rogue have contributed to anglers' success. Back-bouncers are hooking up with plug-pullers wrapping with anchovy rather than sardines here to good effect.
Trout catches have continues to improve at Diamond Lake as spring weather increases water temperatures. Bait fishing continues to be most productive.
Eastern – As the month of May progresses, few March Browns will be in evidence on the lower Deschutes with Mayflies becoming predominant. In addition to Mahogany Duns, Blue Winged Olives will be hatching mid-day to mid-afternoon. Trout fishing has been tough lately but the big bugs will show soon.
Crooked River flows are dropping to the 200 cfs mark. Many fly fishers prefer it when the river is at lower level.
Anglers trolling white or orange hoochies behind a flasher at 20 to 30 foot depths are taking good numbers of kokanee at Wickiup.
Trollers are taking fair numbers of kokanee at Green Peter. Hoochies and wedding rings have been effective.
Soapbox - Have you signed up for the Sandy River Classic yet? This fun fundraiser is designed to keep our hatcheries functioning, especially on the Sandy River. Fishing for chinook and steelhead is open anywhere within a 100 mile radius of the Sandy, allowing anglers to maximize their chances for success in this event. Pro guide Trevor Storlie started this event over a decade ago and now he's graciously handed it over to the Association of NW Steelheaders to run. Find out more.
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