Oregon fishing update

Willamette Valley/Metro Wobbler anglers are entering peak season in the Portland to Longview stretch. Although action has been hit or miss, those working he shipping channel should expect good results well into mid-month. Use the 5 X 5 method; fishing a 5 foot dropper lead line with a 5 foot leader for best results. You can troll spinners on the incoming tide if you're so motivated.

Northwest – The offshore coho season is producing good results for herring trollers. It's expected to continue to produce through the closure later this month.

The Tillamook Bay fishery is producing coho in the Ghost Hole and at Bay City as well as the South Channel. There are some chinook available but action has slowed in the ocean recently. The softening tide series should bode well for ocean anglers if the offshore weather cooperates.

Nehalem Bay should produce both decent coho and chinook catches through the weekend. Troll herring near the mouth for best results. Check regulations for each of the estuaries for wild coho opportunity.

Offshore crabbing should be improving and tuna fishing may once again become an option when the weather settles down.

The Salmon River as well as the Nestucca should produce good action well after the weekend. Troll herring near the mouth for best action.

Southwest - Tuna charters out of Depoe Bay have endured a challenging week with anglers returning with only two or three fish each. Newport albacore fishers did very well over the past weekend and trips are being planned for the coming weekend as well.

Bottom fishing has been good for rockfish and fair for lings out of central Oregon ports. Ocean crabbing also remains good. Salmon fishing has been rewarding anglers with mostly limits consisting primarily of large coho.

Reedsport boats have hit the ocean only to return with limits of salmon this week. It is an outstanding season this year. The upper Umpqua mainstem and South Umpqua remain productive for smallmouth bass despite low water levels. Steelheading is fair to good for summers in the flies-only stretch of the North Umpqua.

Tuna fishers launching out of Charleston have been making 30- to 35-mile trips this season and the past week has been no different. With tuna averaging 30 pounds, though, many feel it's worth it.

Boats out of Gold Beach had a good weekend for bottom fish with multi-colored limits. Trolling in the bay was rewarding over the past week with many limits landed and the bonus of jacks was just gravy. Best results have come in the first three hours of daylight. Good numbers will endure in the absence of precipitation.

Eastern – Reports of big trout are being caught at Timothy Lake on spoons and spinners. Fishing is fair but spotty at the mouth of the Deschutes. Counts at Sherars Falls indicate an ever-greater number of Chinook and steelhead are moving upstream. Chinook are legal to fish below Sherars Falls but not above.

Kokanee are starting to show signs of the upcoming spawn at Odell. The West Fork fire south of Joseph has burned 120 acres, and is uncontained; the Freezeout Ridge fire east of Joseph has burned 250 acres is uncontained and the Deception/Staley complex west of Oakridge has burned nearly 4,900 acres. Fire danger extremely is high; please use every precaution in the outdoors.