Willamette Valley/Metro - With the gorge chinook fishery winding down, anglers are already looking ahead to spring chinook. Fall coho remain an option, especially this year, with the expanded run size we're currently seeing. Coho numbers continue to impress over Bonneville Dam and should continue to provide good sport in fisheries such as the mouth of the Klickitat. What typically was a great time to sturgeon fish in the gorge has gone to the birds, likely due to the predation of adult sturgeon by the Stellar Sea Lions.
Coho counts are starting to drop at Willamette Falls with early 17,500 upstream now. Flows are increasing while visibility is predictably dropping with upstream mud and debris being transported down with the current.
McKenzie River level and flow predictably increased with rainfall although the level has been dropping again this week.
North and South Santiam river water levels are high and will remain that way through much of the coming week.
Northwest – Tillamook continues to march on with chinook still being taken at Bay City and to a lesser degree, the Ghost Hole. It seems a stronger than usual showing of late season chinook could provide opportunity well into December. Action is far from lights out but it certainly justifies sometime in the lower bay.
Area rivers produced well under last week's ideal conditions. Fair numbers of chinook were reported from the Wilson River with the Kilchis, Trask and Nestucca systems a fair option also. If water conditions persist, this could be a peak week for fresh chinook on north coast river systems. The Salmon River is essentially over.
The Alsea and Siletz systems also have chinook available but ample amounts of rain has sent a bunch of the run upstream.
The lower Columbia will largely become recreational sport crabbing grounds over the next 6 weeks. Catches are fair but could improve when stronger tides subside.
Central & South Coast Reports - Winter storms have hampered offshore fishing. Deepwater fishing for rockfish and ling cod without restriction as to fathom lines, will continue throughout wintertime.
With rainfall pushing coastal river levels up earlier this week, there was talk of early winter steelheading but it's still a little too early.
Reports from the Alsea indicate good numbers of fish although they are well upriver now. Crabbing is still holding up at Winchester Bay where boats continue to take limits or near-limits of Dungeness. Bank anglers are taking the occasional Chinook casting spinners.
Precipitation hasn't shut down crabbing in a bay as large as the Coos as boats are still taking limits. The Coos River is closed for trout fishing as of November 1.
High water has brought an end to fishing in Rogue Bay. Fishing has been fair on the middle Rogue where there was far less effect from the recent freshet. The upper river has been slow with stretches allowing bait, lures or both November 1. Check you regulations.
Estuary trolling is pretty much a done deal in Brookings Harbor with the first heavy seasonal rainfall. The Chetco opens above River Mile 2,2 on November 4th. Special regulations apply.
One report from the Sixes River indicated moderate boat traffic and some chinook caught although its quite early for this fishery to really be productive.
Fishing at Diamond Lake has been slow this week with wind hampering efforts.
Central & Eastern – A mid-week check showed no boats at the mouth of the Deschutes. Steelheading is slow to fair, trout fishing is a bit better.
There is very little pressure on the Wallowa River where anglers are taking the occasional steelhead
Rainfall has improved results for steelhead on the Imnaha River.
No comments:
Post a Comment