Portland/Metro Fishing Report – Chinook action in the mainstem Columbia has flopped recently, with the exception of Bonneville, where Bonneville Dam salmon fishing has been interesting. Trollers are finding good success on a nearly daily basis. Counts at Bonneville remain robust. Some coho, both hatchery and wild are falling to 360° flashers and spinners as well.
The Clackamas River saw a nice surge of coho last week and anglers were out in full force to strike chrome success. The bulk of the early run is now in the upper basin, with most of the Clackamas River coho turning off into Eagle Creek. Action at the mouth an in Eagle Creek itself has been decent, but quickly fading too. Another rain freshet is in the forecast, which should bode well for another shot of fish.
Avid angler Jeff Stoeger reports on the Sandy River – “Well the coho are in the river. The photo is of Jim Cathcarts’ fish he caught on Saturday in between rain showers. He went two for three with one hatch and one native.
There are fish scattered thru out the river from the mouth to Cedar Creek. The river jumped up to 8.6ft and has dropped to 7.8ft and should slowly drop before we get the next rain. The river temperature is around 58 degrees and will drop as the weather temperatures gets cooler and as snowpack starts to build.
Find the full report and forecast for Chinook and Steelhead members for the Sandy and the Clackamas from this page here.
A few anglers are casting for coho in the Willamette around the mouth of the Clackamas. Meanwhile, coho numbers are growing at Willamette Falls, where anglers upstream of the falls will be targeting them for the next several weeks. Anglers are allowed to keep both hatchery and “wild” fish upstream of the falls.
Find the full report and forecast for Chinook and Steelhead members for the Willamette Valley from this page here.
Columbia River Fishing Report – The Buoy 10 fishery continues to produce respectable catches. Double digit keeper days are still common for guides still working the area. The tides are ripe for a late start, which doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings at all.
Guides and anglers focusing their efforts on the last part of outgoing tide and the first part of incoming between Buoys 12 and 10 have been doing very well. We have boated 38 keeper coho in the last three days that I fished down there (Monday through Wednesday) and guides reported another excellent day of catch at Buoy 10 today. I’ve been fishing spinner rigs with anchovy chunks at high speed to feed the need and it’s been quite good.
The late afternoon has also been producing abundant catches of coho above the bridge on the Washington side. We call this area the flats or the humps. Trolling spinners or spinner rigs with chunk baits remains productive if you plan on fishing later into the afternoon.
Although fish passage at Bonneville Dam is tapering, 3,000 to 5,000 Chinook are still rolling over the dam daily. That is a common scenario for this time of year. Fish are a little more concentrated and easier to find in the Bonneville reach, and anglers are taking advantage of that. It’s not uncommon to see better catch rates in this reach of the river this time of year and it appears to be going on now. Trollers working 360° flashers with spinners, spinfish or super baits are finding good action. One guide commented however that weekend water fluctuations has been making the bite highly volatile, especially on Sundays.
Much more information is available for Members right here.
North Coast Fishing Report – Tillamook has predictably slowed for Chinook. Stronger tides put most of the effort in the upper bay and catches have been fair, but Chinook catches have tapered compared to just a week ago.
Ocean coho catches have been good however, and in Tillamook and Nehalem Bays as well.
The Nestucca and Salmon Rivers are faring well right now, with the Salmon in peak season as of late. As the tides soften over the weekend, anglers will find it more challenging to catch Chinook.
The Alsea and Siletz are also underway, with fair catches this week. Savvy anglers will focus more of their efforts down lower as the tide exchange wanes. These systems are off to a fair start.
Seas should ease up over the weekend, just in time for anglers to take advantage of good ocean coho opportunities as well as expanded halibut and deep reef bottomfish too. Seas aren’t predicted to be flat calm, but doable for larger boats and more experienced captains.
See the full report and forecast for Members for Chinook and Steelhead Members right here.
Central Oregon Fishing Reports – Contributor Glenn Zinkus reports:
Deschutes Trout Up And Down The River. Last Week Upper Deschutes Is Open.
Sun and warm weather will spread across the high desert, mountains, and into Eastern Oregon.
Temperatures throughout Central Oregon will in the 70s and 80s through the weekend. The weather cools next week with some rain beginning on Monday, with highs in the 50s and 60s during the weekdays next week.
Lower Deschutes River: Water temperatures range from lows of 55 degrees to highs of 57 degrees near Madras.
With the warming this coming weekend, dry fly activity should pick up – with some caddis activity.
For this weekend, and as I wrote last week, the usual selection of caddis that have been consistent through the summer.
Middle Deschutes River: The Middle Deschutes is fishing well; euronymphing in the morning and caddis in the afternoon and evenings.
Upper Deschutes River: The upper Deschutes is fishing well. The Upper Deschutes closes on September 30, so just this week left. I plan to get onto the Upper Deschutes before the weekend.
Haystack Reservoir: Fill level is 31 %. Bass fishing has been excellent. Early mornings and evenings with topwaters is outstanding right now.
Lake Billy Chinook: Reports of good kokanee fishing in both the Deschutes and Metolius arms. Jigging with gold and silver colors.
Fall River: Fall River was stocked earlier this month with 1000 trophy trout, and is scheduled to be stockedagain next week with 500 trophy trout. There have been some PMD, BWO and caddis hatches, as well as some action on terrestrials (ants, beetles, hoppers). Mahogany duns are hatching.
Metolius River: Green drakes are still going, but the smaller Drunella flavillineas are starting to taper off.
Last week on the Metolius, during my first afternoon on the water, I almost missed the drake hatch.
Three Creek Lake: Three Creek Lake is fishing okay right now. It usually gets better through September, however, last week’s cold weather and first snow near the lake likely slowed the bit. Leeches have been working.
Ochoco Reservoir: Good fishing for bass and crappie and Josh from Tim’s in Lapine reports trout fishing is picking up. Water levels, however, are getting very low at 12% full.
East Lake: Last week trout on the surface for callibaetis dries. This coming weekend may be the last of that activity with the weekend warmup, and then a cool down for the last week of September. When there is no visible activity, fishing with leeches and scuds should be good.
Odell Lake: Odell Mackinaw fishing remains good.
North Central Oregon/Mid-Columbia Waters:
This week’s report from Gorge Outfitters Supply (541-739-2222) in Rufus, between the John Day and Deschutes Rivers includes updates on the salmon.
The salmon bite is on! Fish are being caught on sand shrimp, eggs and lures. Anglers are catching salmon both trolling and hover fishing.
Check out Glenn’s detailed report with much more information and forecast in this week’s paid version Members.
Eastern Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Glenn Zinkus reports bi-weekly, here is this week’s report.
Sun and warm weather will spread across the high desert, mountains, and into Eastern Oregon.
Northeast Oregon will be in the 70s through the weekend, and highs in the 50s much of next week. Sunny on the weekend, and partly cloudy conditions are in the forecast for next week.
Blitzen River: The Blitzen still gets too warm during the afternoons, but early morning temperatures are in the high 50s. Fishing is viable for a few hours during the morning. Flows remain low in the 23 to 26 CFS range, near historic low averages.
The Bootleg Fire is making a lot of what inaccessable.
Wallowa Lake is fishing well for trout. Wallowa Lake was stocked in August with 5400 legal size trout and 180 trophy trout. Rob at the The Joseph Fly Shoppe thinks Wallowa Lake is one of the best in Oregon right now for stocked trout.
Northeast Oregon High Lakes: Straight from The Joseph Fly Shoppe – “We are getting some better fishing reports this year compared to last year, but numerous lakes still fishing tough. Some of the better lakes appear to include: Anaroid, Francis, Frazier, Crescent, Raze, Ice, possibly Glacier. Some of the more difficult lakes appear to be: Maxwell, Chimney, and the heart of the Lake Basin lakes”
Wallowa River: A great fishing option for Northeast Oregon – The Wallowa River is fishing great with good reports coming from The Joseph Fly Shoppe. Wallowa River flow increased through the week to 170 CFS. This is one of the most solid options in the Northeast. 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:
Fish scattered through rivers-Bay action slowed
Finally, some much needed rain came last Saturday with well over an inch on the coast and close to it inland which “sweetened” up the rivers and increased flows slightly to get fish moving to their spawning grounds. An influx of half pounders and summer steelhead have been noticed by anglers in the Rogue River to Hog Creek holes. The Rogue has been dropping since Sunday and is now back to pre-rain level around 900 cfs and 1 ntu. A decent marine forecast for most of the Southern Oregon coast is expected through the weekend so ocean fishing will be on again for halibut, salmon, and rock fish. Coho in the Coos river basin has improved to good this week.
A decent upcoming weekend is forecast for getting out on the ocean to catch a variety of sport fish- salmon, halibut, rockfish can all be had. Check out the new regs on halibut below.
Ocean Chinook salmon fishing remains open from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain through Oct. 31. The non-selective coho season from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain is open from Sept. 17 through the earlier of Sept 30 or attaining the quota. As of Sept. 12, there is 69 percent of the quota remaining.
Andy Martin- Brookings Fishing Charters 541-813-1082 reports that last weekend rains got fish on the move for both the Chetco estuary and Rogue Bay therefore decreased success earlier in the week was the norm. The ocean has been a bit rough but is looking more promising for the weekend and expects boats to get out and catch some halibut and nice sized ling cod.
Tony from Tony’s Crab Shack in Bandon- 541-347-2875 provided his latest fishing update:
Crabbing is going great with lots of hard shells and limits!
Big swells have kept the smaller boats off the ocean in Bandon, but the larger ones that do get out are targeting nearshore halibut, bottom fish to a decent success according to Tony. Conditions are looking better for this weekend.
Smallmouth bass anglers are catching good numbers of bass in the South Fork Coquille below the mouth of the Middle Fork and in the mainstem Coquille River. There is no size limit or daily bag limit on smallmouth bass in the Coquille River. It’s recommended to catch and keep as many as one can to help keep the population at bay since these fish are not salmon, trout, and steelhead friendly.
COOS RIVER BASIN:
Good numbers of coho in the bay and lower stretches of the river have been reported this week. Salmon anglers are allowed 2 wild Chinook per day and 10 for the season in the Coos Basin this year.
The limited wild coho season started in Coos Basin on Sept. 15 and goes through Oct. 15. Anglers will be allowed to harvest 1 wild coho per day with 2 for the season in the Coos Basin. There has been increased numbers of wild coho in the estuary around the airport and in Marshfield Channel.Diamond Lake-Colder temps and lower lake level is making trout catches more challenging. Rain in the forecast is expected to improve the bite.
CHETCO RIVER: Rain from last weekend helped river flow but just barely. Some boat anglers working the green can into the harbor have caught a few salmon. Temporary rule changes for wild adult Chinook are now in place Aug. 31-Dec. 31. One wild adult Chinook per day and two for the rest of the year. All other zone regulations still apply including the bobber rule. The ocean-terminal ‘bubble’ fishery will not be open this year.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN- Striper fishing is starting to pick up again in the lower Coquille River. Striped bass can be found in the river from near Johnson Mill Pond to Rocky Point in the lower estuary. There is no size limit or daily bag limit and are caught in low light conditions or in the dark. Smallmouth bass anglers are catching good numbers of bass in the South Fork Coquille below the mouth of the Middle Fork and in the main stem Coquille River.
Jim at Rogue Outdoor Store – Gold Beach, Oregon 541-247-7142 reports the Rogue Bay has slowed dramatically after the rain event last weekend which Jim said was to be expected. Fish lingering in and out of the bay moved upriver, but he expects it’s not over yet!
Anna Alisa from Salmon Harbor Tackle & Winchester Bay Charters 541-271-2010 reports that both the river and ocean salmon bite have “slowed at best” but is expected to improve now that the river flows are more consistent, and all the grass and debris has flushed out. Improving ocean conditions for the weekend look promising.
Check out Jeff’s detailed report, multiple lake updates, and forecast in this week’s paid version Members.
SW Washington Fishing Report by Terry Otto
Columbia River salmon taken with guide Dave Mallahan
Photo courtesy Dave’s Guide Service
Columbia Chinook fishing slowed a little this past week, but there are still plenty of fish around. Most tributaries benefitted from last weekend’s rains, and local anglers did well.
Vancouver Metro Area
Vancouver area hoglines are still finding some Chinook each morning, but the bite has slowed a little bit. Numbers over the dam are still strong, and the coho numbers have picked up. Bank anglers are doing fair up at Bonneville Dam. However, the states are throwing the gill and tangle nets back in, for 17 mainstem fisheries, no less. Take that, sporties!
The recent rains brought plenty of coho into the local tributaries, and improved the fishing just about everywhere. The best fisheries are still the Kalama, and the Lewis River.
Get your warm water fish while they are still biting. Time is running out on those fisheries, while trout stockings await the local lakes.
Lewis and Washougal Rivers Fishing Report—the Lewis did come up a bit from the recent rains, but not much. Still, the fishing was better for a few days. The river has settled back down to being low, but the coho are still biting very well at the hatchery, and some other areas as well. Twitching jigs has been very effective in the Meat Hole, and bank anglers are getting some fish with jigs, too. The best colors seem to be patterns that have some pink. Drifting is effective in the fast water, especially in the early morning near the hatchery. Bobber and bait is also getting some fish.
The Washougal lifted a little following the rains, and fishing improved in the lower sections. Remember that the Camas Slough is closed until October to protect wild tules. Most of the fish being caught are biting on salmon eggs, and there have been some bright Chinook in the mix. Very few coho have been moving in, but the river has a late run, so the coho will not show in force until the middle of October.
Merwin and Yale Lakes Fishing Report—John Thompson of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Vancouver, (360) 604-8000), reports that anglers have begun getting the kokanee to bite by jigging, and the schools are beginning to move toward the bays where they will spawn. The Speelyai Bay area should produce well over the next couple weeks. Anglers are still getting the fish to bite trolled baits, with the depths varying some whether or not the sun is shining.
Longview Area
Cowlitz and Kalama Rivers Fishing Report—Fishing is slow and spotty, at least for keepable salmon, according to Dave Mallahan of Dave’s Guide Service (360-201-9313). He reports that he fished the river below the Lexington bridge recently, and caught plenty of fish, but almost all were un-keepable Chinook or steelhead. Very few coho have been taken. Fishing is reportedly decent to good in the Toutle River, now that it has cleared out, with the best action occurring at the mouth of the Toutle. In the Toutle, the coho are biting drifted gear, bobber and bait, and jigs. Fishing bait has been the best way to get the fish to bite in the Cowlitz, which was also too dirty to fish for a few days after the rains.
Last week, Tacoma Power employees recovered 434 coho adults, 108 coho jacks, 278 fall Chinook adults, 17 fall Chinook jacks, 15 spring Chinook adults, one spring Chinook jack, 18 spring Chinook mini jacks, 21 summer-run steelhead adults, and 23 cutthroat trout during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
You can check river flows and lake levels, including for Mayfield and Riffe Lakes, HERE You can check the full Tacoma Power Cowlitz River Report HERE
According to Thompson, the lower Kalama is fishing very well for coho, and there are some Chinook in the mix. He has been getting some fish himself on Blue Fox Spinners, and he reports that fishing eggs has also been effective for many anglers. The river rose high enough to allow some coho to cross over the fish collection weir, situated below the Modrow Bridge, so anglers should now be able to find some of the fish in the upper reaches of the river.
Columbia River Gorge
Anglers continue to do well for Chinook and a few coho at the mouth of the White salmon River, where jigging with wobblers has been effective, and the Klickitat River, where trolling is the better bet. The Chinook are slowly entering the lower Klickitat River, but even with the recent rains the low water has prevented much of a run, and the river has been brown at times. If you fish the Klick, give Carl Coolidge of the Klickitat Canyon Market(509-369-4400) a call. He will let you know if the river is in fishable condition. Coolidge also offers a shuttle service.
Check out Terry’s detailed report (he crushes it every week!) and forecast in this week’s paid version for SW Washington Members!
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