Willamette Valley/Metro - For the metro area, anglers remain focused on summer chinook, targeting fish largely in the Gorge and around St. Helens. Anchor anglers at Bonneville report fair action but like other sections of the river, wild fish outnumber hatchery fish. Spinners are starting to play a larger role in chinook success and steelhead numbers are on the increase as well. Trollers and anchor anglers working the St. Helens area are producing sporadic results and will soon have more emphasis on steelhead in the coming weeks.
Spring chinook counts have topped 23,000 at Willamette Falls while over 11,000 summer steelhead are now upstream to the delight or dismay of tributary anglers. Water temperature at the Falls peaked at 68 degrees on June 12th but has been falling into the lower 60s since then. On the lower river, shad fishing is good for those in the right location although recent sewage spills may put off some anglers. A very few boats are trying and fewer springers have been hooked over the past week at Fred's Marina, at the head of Multnomah Channel and at Coon Island. Algae is fouling gear. Adult springers are due to return to the Coast Fork Willamette this year according to the ODFW.
McKenzie redsides have been falling for Pale Morning Duns, Green Caddis and on the upper river, Green Drakes. Conditions should be excellent for fishing this week. According to the recently released results by the McKenzie River Trout Study, populations of native rainbow and cutthroat have dramatically increased since 2010. Leaburg Lake has been producing limits to Power Baiters.
On the Santiam system, no one has reported taking advantage of the recent increase in the bag limit on summer steelhead to four per day. When asked, most steelheaders say they feel lucky to take one here. Try spinners or bobber and jig on the North Santiam although fishing has been slow.
Once again, spoon fishers have scored on the Clackamas River over the past week. Most of the catches have been springers but a few summer steelhead have also been landed with this method. There has been a decent evening bite recently.
Sandy River steelheaders have been scoring occasionally on drifted corkies and spinners. Some dandy spring chinook have been landed although many have been wild, requiring release.
As the ODFW drains E. E. Wilson Pond near Corvallis for weed removal, anglers are allowed double limits of 10 trout and/or 10 bass. Once drained the pond will not re-open until February, 2015.
Northwest – The North of Falcon salmon season opened on Saturday with less than impressive results. Small coho and chinook made up the bulk of the catch; limits were nearly unheard of. More productive fishing was discovered recently however with good catches of mostly coho coming from over 400 foot of water, SW of the Columbia River Buoy. Each month, the coho will grow significantly larger, it's expected to be a banner ocean year for coho and chinook.
Saturday marks the South of Falcon (near Manzanita) opener with coho the primary target out of Garibaldi. Halibut and bottomfish should also be a strong option with the upcoming offshore weather forecast.
Spring chinook action in Tillamook Bay is largely over but savvy river anglers still have some fair opportunity in the Trask, Wilson and Nestucca systems. Low, clear water calls for small baits and light leaders but fish will largely be in deeper holes under these current conditions. Bobber and bait is most effective given these conditions.
Summer steelhead are available in the Wilson and Nestucca systems as well but will be challenging to catch.
Soft tides should bolster crab opportunity in most north coast estuaries but the ocean will remain the best bet until later in the fall.
Southwest- While ocean chinook fishing has been spotty out of central Oregon ports, many are anticipating the opening for offshore coho on June 21st. Only hatchery fish may be kept but reports of large early-season fish has anglers excited. The 80,000-fish quota is unlikely to be met so the season should run its full course through August 10.
Following the last all depth halibut fishery off the central coast, 42% of the quota remains to be caught with the next opening June 19 through 21. If fishing is decent, it could wipe out the spring quota. Nearshore halibut will open on July 1 with summer all-depth halibut starting in August.
Many thought the south coast halibut fishery would wrap up quickly but over half the quota, nearly 2,100 pounds, remains to be taken.
While offshore launches have been challenging and salmon fishing has been spotty out of Reedsport, catches of pinkfin surf perch have remained fair to good in the lower Umpqua. Shad fishing is over but the smallmouth bass bite should improve with warmer weather this week. A few springers have been caught recently around Sawyers Rapids.
Launches were limited out of Coos Bay over the past week due to rough offshore conditions. Larger charter boats reported quick limits of rockfish and lingcod but chinook remain scattered.
Following many days of high winds, boats were able to launch periodically over the past week out of Gold Beach in soft breezes on a friendly ocean. Results for anglers have been stellar with quick lingcod limits followed by strong catches of colorful rockfish. Ocean crabbing has been equally rewarding. Spring chinook catches picked up slightly on the lower Rogue although the water remains too warm to fish well. The middle river remains a dead zone for fishing although upper Rogue anglers have continued to do well for incoming springers. Cured egg and sand shrimp combos have been most effective with plug-pullers also taking a few. Summer steelhead numbers are picking up.
Gusty winds kept boats inside the harbor at Brookings over much of the past week. When bar crossings have been possible, ocean chinook fishing has been good.
Eastern – Metolius fly fishers have been having success with Pale Evening Dun and Green Drake patterns.
Ochoco Reservoir is not producing very many trout but the rainbows coming out of there are averaging over 15 inches.
Owyhee River is producing trout to fly anglers throwing smallish mayfly patterns. Large streamers or Woolly Buggers may get a grab from large brown trout in the evening hours.
Fly fishers at Hosmer have been taking decent numbers of rainbows on various patterns. A few Atlantic salmon have been landed recently although they are no longer being stocked here.
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