Ocean Coho Abound, Columbia Coho Inconsistent However
Portland/Metro Fishing Report
With Willamette spring Chinook and Columbia River summer Chinook passage on the drop, catches in the lower Willamette and Multnomah Channel are also starting to slow. There’s still an early bird bite at the mouth of the Willamette, but the fishery is waning by the week.
Catches of summer steelhead on the mainstem Columbia are also slow, as one would expect for the paltry showing of hatchery and wild fish currently underway. There should be a real concern for these fish this year, they are in dire straights.
Clackamas River Fishing Report
No surprise here, the Clackamas River continues to be unimpressive as far as salmon and steelhead fishing goes. There’s little effort for little “product,” therefore, few reports coming from this once-great fishery.
Sandy River Fishing Report
Avid angler Jeff Stoeger reports, “Hello All. I hope that everyone is doing well for the river has dropped to its summer time low and could drop maybe another couple of inches. The river is running glacial green and should stay that way until we get our first major rain which won’t be until middle to late September. Fishing has still been productive, but you have to work for them. Find the full report and forecast for Chinook and Steelhead members on this page here.
North Coast Fishing Report
North Coast ports continue to pump out good catches of coho, and an occasional Chinook. Newport, Pacific City and Garibaldi are all productive ports for coho with limits quite common when boats can get out.
An improving weather pattern this weekend should spur catches with peak season soon upon us.
Ocean crabbing is fair, but a large percentage of the keepers are on a soft-shell state. Bay crabbing is challenging for keepers as well.
Halibut fishing is only fair, but again, weather for the all-depth anglers has been challenging. There’s lots of quota left for the summer and fall seasons. Bottomfishing remains consistently good.
There are reports of albacore out of Newport, but given the weather and distance needed to travel, the fleet isn’t overly motivated just yet. That will change in the coming weeks however.
District rivers remain low and warm, keeping anglers from trying their hand at an already challenging summer steelhead return. Summer Chinook in the Nehalem should improve in the coming weeks however.
See the full report and forecast for Members for Chinook and Steelhead Members right here.
Central Oregon Fishing Reports
Contributor Glenn Zinkus reports: Temperatures have “cooled” to more normal 80s and 90s through much of the region for this weekend and going into next week. There will be a smoke haze at times from wildfires. Winds will be light to moderate. Saturday and Sunday will the highest winds in the 13 to 15 mph range in Central Oregon, 16 to 18 mph in the Deschutes Canyon and higher in the Gorge at 20 mph +.
Lower Deschutes River: Hot temperatures continued on the Lower Deschutes over the past week. That said, looks like PGE has changed the blend coming out of the dams to increase the amount of cooler bottom water over the past few days:
Really, best to keep the fishing to early hours when the water is coolest and when the fish will be most active. Stay up in the higher stretches of the river, best from Warm Springs to Trout Creek.
Parts of the Middle Deschutes are inaccessible due to the Grandview Fire, and best to avoid as it is in the middle of areas that are under Level 1 evacuations or bordering these areas.
Lake Billy Chinook: Reports of good kokanee fishing in both the Deschutes and Metolius arms.
Crooked River is best fished now in the mornings only, if you must fish it. Previously, I reported the Crooked is coming out of the dam at 45 F and heating to 73 F at Smith Rocks.
Fall River: Spring fed Fall River continues to be one of the better trout refuges with towering ponderosas providing shade and constant, cool water.
Metolius River: The Metolius is clean and cold, so this is a good option for July in what has been a hot summer thus far. Reports from Jeff Perin at The Flyfishers Place in Sisters are that hatches have pushed to later in the day and spinner falls at dusk.
Check out Glenn’s detailed report and forecast in this week’s paid version for Chinook and Steelhead Members both!
Eastern Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Glenn Zinkus reports:
The Bootleg fire and its smoke is impacting much of the area.
Wallowa Lake: Wallowa is fishing well for trout, with recent stockings of legal and trophy sized trout. Recent reports are that the kokanee bit is picking up.
Grande Ronde River: Report from Rob at the Joseph Fly Shoppe are that there are active stone flies on the lower portion. Good Bass fishing below Troy. The river has dropped to a nice level.
Lostine River: Rob at The Joseph Fly Shop reports that Lostine River is a good option, perhaps the best river option in the Northeast at the moment for trout.
Check out Glenn’s detailed report and forecast in this week’s paid version for Chinook and Steelhead Members both!
SW Oregon Fishing Report
Contributor Jeff Rome reports: Be sure to CHECK the regulations! Summer is here to stay along with the winds at most Southern ports leaving trips out of Brookings and Crescent City CA. an iffy situation. The Rogue Bay is on one day and off the other, so it’s a “crap shoot”, but fish are being caught. Ports from Charleston north to Yaquina bay look promising for abundant Coho and Chinook opportunities this weekend.
Halibut fishing out of Winchester is actually gunna happen as well for the first time this season! If you’re looking to “beat the heat” head over to the Mid-coast and get on a charter for some great fishing action whether it be for salmon or bottom fish.
Wanna stay inland, then hit some of the higher lakes where trout and bass fishing is good too. There’s all kinds of angling opportunities… check out my latest contact for fly fishing the Umpqua for small mouth bass with Gary Lewis Guide service.
Troy from Troy’s Guide Service (541-761-0015) reports the salmon angling on the Rogue Bay has been “on and off” with fishing boat pressure medium. He did hear of a 35#ish whopper Chinook taken earlier this week!
Windy conditions due to the hot valley temperatures will continue into the weekend out of Brookings and Crescent City CA ports. Conditions improve further North especially up towards Charleston and Winchester Bay. Coho and Chinook (2 salmon/day limit) prospects are good out of ports like Bandon, Coos Bay, Charleston, Winchester, Newport and Depot Bays. Windy conditions will continue to plague salmon anglers in both the ocean and Rogue bay and should fish early before the winds pick up and makes trolling difficult.
Bottom fishing is now restricted to inside the 40-fathom line unless you choose to fish in the offshore longleader fishery. Anglers may also choose to fish the offshore longleader fishery outside of the 40-fathom regulatory line, which is open year-round. The longleader fishery has a daily bag limit of 10 fish made of yellowtail, widow, canary, blue, deacon, redstripe, greenstripe, silvergray, chillipepper, and bocaccio rockfish.
Nearshore halibut season is currently open seven days a week inside the 40-fathom line. As of July 4th, there is still 72 percent of the quota remaining. The next All-Depth Halibut open days are July 15-19 and 29-31. Anglers have been picking up nearshore halibut in the Coos Bay/ Winchester bay area.
First Tuna reports out of Garibaldi and north have started to get some fish 100 miles out but anticipates them closer in within a few weeks.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN-Boat anglers are still catching a few shad on the mainstem Coquille River near the town of Coquille.
Fly fishing for small mouth bass on the main Umpqua is “fantastic” now says Gary of Gary’s Guide Service, 541-430-5828.
Salmon fishing in the Rogue Bay has produced sporadic “hot” days. There’s been about 20 fish /day caught this past week where it’s been 35-40 the past week.
Currently only hatchery steelhead and hatchery trout may be harvested in the Rogue. Summer Steelhead are starting to show. According to guide Troy Whittaker, tossing black with gold blade spinner types or fly fishing in the seams and faster water will produce some fun catching (and tasty) steelhead.
With hot valley temps, this cooler reach of river between Prospect, Union Creek, and Minnehaha creek will again receive 3,500 trout this week and will again through Labor Day. This area is cooler and a reprieve from the valley heat, however smoke from the local wildfires can be bad.
New to TGF is Anna Alisa from Salmon Harbor Tackle & Winchester Bay Charters 541-271-2010 – Anna Alisa reports that the Coho fishing is excellent, and the upcoming weekend looks awesome to get out and catch limits of Coho and occasional Chinook. Since the ocean is looking so promising, they also expect to book some halibut trips which haven’t been since the opener due to wind. She reports that even some 20-30 pound Chinook have been taken near Osprey Point! Trolling the bay with locally made Nautical Creations spinners with a squid skirt and a small piece of squid is what’s on the salmon menu.
Diamond Lake-Trout fishing has slowed a bit but has been producing some very nice 16″-24″trout this year. Try switching between bait and lures if one method isn’t producing. Small frog flatfish and silver spoons may be the change they’re looking for.
Check out Jeff’s detailed report, multiple lake updates, and forecast in this week’s paid version for Chinook and Steelhead Members both!
SW Washington
Terry Otto Reporting: Chinook and Shad dropping off, but sockeye and steelhead still biting. Summer steelhead good in the Cowlitz, while high country trout fishing is fair. Walleye are not biting well on the Washougal Reef, but are doing great at the John Day Dam.
Vancouver Metro Area
Summer Chinook are tapering off and the shad run is over. Summer steelhead and sockeye are still being caught in the lower Columbia, but catch rates near Vancouver are still low. Local trout lakes are very slow, while panfish are actively biting in most local waters.
Sockeye numbers over Bonneville are still strong, although popular sockeye areas above and below Bonneville are only fishing fair.
Lewis and Washougal Rivers Fishing Report—Jhon Thompson of John Thompson of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Vancouver, (360) 604-8000), reports that spring Chinook are showing up in the Lewis River, much later than usual, while steelheading is still slow. Fishing pressure is low on the river, perhaps because other fisheries are doing pretty well. Only two bank anglers were surveyed in the latest creel, and they had no catch. Whether fishing for springers or summer steelhead, bait has been the most effective, with salmon eggs, sand shrimp, and coon shrimp drawing bites.
The river has good flow, but is very clear, and anglers fishing with lighter lines have an advantage. The action is taking place between the Hole in the Wall in Woodland and the hatchery. Boat anglers have done best upriver of the Golf Course, while bank anglers are targeting the hatchery itself. A few springers have been taken in the Meat Hole.
The Washougal remains extremely low, and the fishing has been poor. There is little to no fishing pressure here, and local anglers seem to be awaiting the fall fisheries.
Merwin and Yale Lakes Fishing Report– Fishing is still described as fair to good in both lakes by Stacie Kelsey of the WDFW Inland Fished Program, and the competition is fierce at Merwin. Sunny days are seeing a good bite in early morning and late day, and the schools can be found near the 20-foot mark early, and dropping down as deep as 60 feet when the sun climbs mid-day.
Local Lakes Fishing Report—The Swift Power Canal has been fishing very well for rainbow trout, as has the Swift reservoir, especially where the Lewis River enters the lake. Lacamas Lake is good for panfish and bass, as is Vancouver Lake. Be warned, Vancouver Lake is prone to algae blooms, and they occur every summer. Stay out of the water if the blooms are visible, or there are warning signs posted. Keep pets out of the water, too.
Longview Area
Cowlitz and Kalama Rivers Fishing Report–Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 158 spring Chinook adults, 48 spring Chinook jacks, 446 spring Chinook mini jacks, 107 summer-run steelhead adults, and six cutthroat trout during four days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. In addition, Tacoma Power recycled 40 summer-run steelhead adults to the I-5 boat launch.
The Barrier Dam spillway project is under way through October 1. The river will be held at about the 2,500 cfs level as the work continues.
Summer steelhead fishing is pretty good in the Cowlitz, and the lower river produced some better catches this week, too. Below the I-5 Bridge 41 surveyed bank anglers kept seven steelhead. Many of the fish caught were taken by plunking. The bite was still better above the bridge, where 29 bank rods kept three steelhead, and 25 boats/80 rods kept 44 steelhead. The river is also giving up fair numbers of spring Chinook, as the run has continued to come in, much later than usual. According to Dave Mallahan of Dave’s Guide Service (360-201-9313), the fishing for summer fish should continue to improve over the next couple weeks, and the best bite will come for fishers that are bobber-dogging with bait or beads.
The Kalama is fishing slow for summer steelhead and spring Chinook. The fishing pressure has dropped off, too, with less anglers clogging the mid-river fishing holes. During the last creel survey only two anglers were checked, and they had no catch. There are some summer steelhead around, and they are keyed in on bait and plugs right now.
Columbia River Gorge
Local Lakes Fishing Report—panfish are biting well in Rowland Lake, tunnel Lake, and all of the Highway 14 causeway lakes. Smallmouth bass will also be biting in these waters. Goose Lake is fishing fair for trout, and the best bet is early morning. Spring Creek in Klickitat County has been good for trout.
You can read Terry Otto’s recent articles in the Columbian Newspaper here.
Check out Terry’s detailed report and forecast in this week’s paid version for SW Washington Members!
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