Oregon Fishing Reports

ODFW Recreation Report - March 24, 2009

Go Whale Watching!  

The traditional spring break period during late March signals the unofficial beginning of the gray whale migration along the northern Oregon coast. These large mammals are on the move from their wintering and calving grounds off the coasts of Mexico and southern California bound for the food-rich waters of the northern Pacific and Bering Sea. Visit www.abproguides.com to book a trip.

Start scouting for turkeys

Now is the time to be scouting for turkeys. General spring turkey season opens April 15 and youth hunters get the field to themselves the weekend of April 11-12. See ODFW’s online brochure for more information about turkey hunting in Oregon. Visit www.abproguides.com to book a trip.

Northwest Zone

§         Rivers dropped into shape late last week and were in good fishing condition over the weekend. Fishing for winter steelhead was generally fair to good.

ALSEA RIVER: winter steelhead

Steelhead fishing picked up a little last week with a rise in river level and good fishing conditions. Angling should remain fair for the week with the best opportunities in the upper river. Most fish are colored up and close to or actively spawning this time of year. Wild steelhead numbers tend to increase and can offer good catch and release opportunities. Anglers are encouraged to handle wild fish carefully and not take them out of the water if possible.

KILCHIS RIVER: steelhead

Winter steelhead angling improved after recent rains. Fish have moved through the system and are well spread out. Mostly wild fish are available, with only the occasional stray hatchery fish.

NECANICUM RIVER: steelhead

Winter steelhead angling should be fair to good. The stream should be in one of the first to drop into shape. The catch is mostly wild fish this time of year.

NEHALEM RIVER: steelhead

The peak of the wild steelhead run should occur over the next few weeks. River conditions will be marginal until the river drops. Plunking may be the most productive until flows recede.

NORTH FORK NEHALEM RIVER: steelhead

Winter steelhead fishing is fair. Fish should be available throughout the fishery area. Call 503-368-5670 for recorded fishing information.

NESTUCCA RIVER AND THREE RIVERS: steelhead

Winter steelhead angling is fair. Fish are moving upstream quickly with recent higher water. Fish have moved well upstream, and are available up to the deadline at Elk Creek. The upper river will be the first to clear. Larger, more colorful baits are likely to the best until the water drops.

SILETZ RIVER: winter steelhead

Steelhead fishing was good last week but has slowed a little now. Steelhead are spread out in the upper basin as many fish are close to or are actively spawning. River conditions are good especially for bank fishing in the upper river. Good numbers of wild fish are being caught and anglers are encouraged to handle these fish carefully and not taken out of the water if possible. The best opportunity for bank anglers is from Moonshine Park up to the deadline and for boaters from the park on down to the town of Siletz.

TILLAMOOK BAY: sturgeon

Angling for sturgeon has been slow. Recent storms may stir up the bay and draw more fish in. Sand shrimp fished on the bottom in the deeper channels will produce the best results. Move frequently to find fish if you are not getting bites.

TRASK RIVER: steelhead

Winter steelhead angling is fair to good. Fish seem to be spread out through the river system, with some fish available in the north and south forks. Wild steelhead are being tagged as part of a research project in the East Fork Trask. Anglers catching a tagged fish should report the tag number to ODFW in Tillamook at 503-842-2741. Do not remove the tag from fish.

WILSON RIVER: steelhead

Winter steelhead angling is fair to good. Fishing effort has been moderate to heavy. Fish are spread through the system. Fish larger, more colorful baits and lures while the water has some color.

Southwest Zone

COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: winter steelhead

Steelhead fishing has been good in the Coquille basin but there are quite a few spawned out steelhead moving back to the ocean.  Drifting eggs or sand shrimp along the bottom or drifting a jig under a bobber are the preferred ways to fish in the forks of the Coquille. ODFW is currently under way with a steelhead radio telemetry project and will be tagging both hatchery and wild steelhead for the next month. Just a reminder that all radio tagged steelhead must be released alive.

ELK/SIXES RIVER: steelhead

Both the Elk and Sixes can fish very well in March, with anglers picking up both fresh and spawned out steelhead. Anglers can call Elk River Hatchery (541-332-7025) for the latest river heights and water color. Anglers will want to target Elk River when the river gauge at Elk River Hatchery is reading five feet and dropping. 

ROGUE RIVER, LOWER:  spring chinook, steelhead

Spring chinook fishing continues to be pretty good and should remain good until river conditions change. Anglers will want to keep an eye on flows and water temperatures. As water temperatures and flow drop it will get harder to get spring chinook to bite. Steelhead are still being picked up, but mainly by bank anglers. Look for the steelhead fishing to wind down in the next couple of weeks.

Rogue River flows

ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: trout, steelhead

Anglers near Galice have been catching steelhead on yarn balls or back-trolling plugs. The flow at Grants Pass on March 23 was 3269 cubic feet per second.  Bank access for steelhead angling can be found at Chinook Park, Matson Park, Griffin Park and Robertson Bridge. Additional access is available below Hellgate Canyon. Gold Hill to Rogue River and Robertson Bridge to Hog Creek are popular drifts for boat anglers. 

ROGUE RIVER, UPPER: trout, steelhead

Angling has been slow. Side-drifting roe or egg patterns near the banks can be effective for winter steelhead. As of March 23, the flow out of William Jess Dam (Lost Creek) was 1000 cfs and the outflow temperature was 43 degrees. At Gold Ray Dam, the Rogue was flowing at 2647 cfs.

As of March 19, 2958 winter steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray Dam. The river is open to the harvest of adipose fin-clipped steelhead year-round. The Rogue is also open for trout fishing with a limit of five adipose fin-clipped trout per day, 8 inch minimum length, but all non-adipose fin-clipped rainbow and all cutthroat trout must be released unharmed.  Bank anglers can enjoy good success between the hatchery and the Highway 62 Bridge, and at public access points such as Casey State Park, Rogue Elk Park, and Touvelle State Park.

UMPQUA ESTUARY: sturgeon, bass, chinook,

Both sturgeon and striped bass fishing have been slow in the lower Umpqua. With higher river flows during the winter months, sturgeon success should be improving. Striped bass have started becoming more active. Crabbing is fair to slow. Note change in measuring sturgeon on page 19 of the 2009 Angling Regulations booklet.

UMPQUA RIVER MAINSTEM: steelhead, spring chinook, smallmouth bass

Umpqua Basin Note:

Due to high mortality of hatchery steelhead, smolt releases in 2007 were much lower than normal. Consequently, fewer hatchery steelhead will be returning to the Umpqua basin this winter. Angling opportunity and catch rates throughout the basin will still be good due to the strong wild steelhead population, however only hatchery steelhead can be harvested.

Mainstem:

River conditions have improved, but will be variable based on temperature. The fish tend to bite more when the water temperature is increasing versus when it is dropping. Recently the water temperature has bounced between 43 and 47 degrees with the best bite on the warmer days. Some chinook have been caught now lower in the Umpqua. Most of the chinook are still below Yellow Creek, but the first chinook did cross Winchester Dam on March 20. Striped bass are beginning to become active in the lower Umpqua. Anglers will start seeing a lot of smolts moving through since Rock Creek recently released its spring chinook and summer steelhead smolts. Remember to release the smolts! For bank anglers, plunking with eggs or spin-n-glo’s is the preferred method. Remember the main stem Umpqua is closed to wild steelhead harvest, but remains open year-round for adipose fin-clipped steelhead.

Umpqua River flows near Elkton

UMPQUA RIVER, NORTH: steelhead

As of March 20, nearly 6,000 winter steelhead had crossed Winchester Dam. The fish are actively moving now with the increased flows and warmer water. The North has maintained its color so it should be good for both bank and boat anglers, but more rain is in the forecast. Remember that only adipose fin-clipped steelhead can be harvested on the North Umpqua. The best flows for fishing tend to be between 1,600 – 6,400 cfs. The North is open to catch and release trout fishing from the mouth upstream to Soda Springs Dam. Spring chinook opened Jan. 1, but the first fish isn’t usually seen at the dam until the first week of April.

North Umpqua River water levels at Winchester Dam

UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH: winter steelhead

The South Umpqua opened Dec. 1 for winter steelhead fishing. Only adipose-clipped steelhead can be harvested. The warmer water temperature should have the fish moving. Plunking will be the best angling method until the water drops.  Best boat fishing flows tend to be between 3,000 – 6,500 cfs. Steelhead are being caught from Canyonville Park down, with the most success occurring in the first 30 river miles.

South Umpqua River water levels near Riddle

WINCHESTER BAY: sturgeon, coho, chinook

Fishing is picking up a little for sturgeon. Note new sturgeon measuring method in the 2009 Angling Regulations. Crabbing has been good.

Crabbing has been a little slow but picked up recently. Crabbers are encouraged to return soft crabs with little meat back to the water. Crabbing from public docks or boat if available is a great opportunity for families to catch a delicious dinner. Kids often enjoy sorting out the smaller crab that can be abundant. Public crabbing docks can be found in Winchester Bay, Bandon, Charleston, and Empire.

Willamette Zone

·         Sturgeon fishing has been fair to good on the lower Willamette River. Remember, the season is now open 3 days a week – Thursday, Friday and Saturday – and the new fork length standard for keepers is now in effect.

WARM WATER ANGLING:

Warmwater fishing is slow at most locations in the Willamette Zone.

CLACKAMAS RIVER: steelhead

Winter steelhead angling held up fairly well last week as the conditions remained favorable. Some good catches were reported between Riverside and Barton.

The Clackamas River gradually dropped and cleared over the past week. It’s in great shape for sleds or drift boats and is forecast to only rise moderately over the next few days. Monday readings for the Clackamas showed flows at 3,110 cfs (12.76) with a water temperature of 39°.

Bank anglers can find access to the river in the Gladstone/Cross Park area, at Carver near the mouth of Clear Creek, along Clackamas River Rd, at Barton Park, at Bonnie Lure Park, at McIver Park.

NORTH AND SOUTH SANTIAM: steelhead

Prospects fair for catch and release angling for wild winter steelhead in both the North and South Forks.

SANDY RIVER: steelhead

Winter steelhead fishing has been slow to fair on the Sandy, with a few fish reported in the Cedar Creek and Dodge Park areas. Overall most anglers have had to work hard for their fish. The hatchery has seen about 200 adults return. Monday flows on the Sandy River were reported at 2,900 cfs (10.24 ft) with the water at 39°.

Anglers can access the river from many parks including Lewis and Clark, Dabney, Oxbow, and Dodge. Bank access is also available to the Cedar Creek area at the Sandy Hatchery. When fishing the Oxbow Park area, remember that there is no angling from a floating device upstream from a point that is 200 feet below the Oxbow Park boat ramp.

WILLAMETTE RIVER: sturgeon, steelhead, warmwater species

Sturgeon angling continued to be the more fruitful endeavor versus salmon fishing on the Willamette. Some of this is attributable to water conditions, as the water was high, cold, and somewhat turbid during the last retention period. Sturgeon angler effort was strong with a total of 258 boats landing 1,802 sub-legals, 92 legals and 4 oversize sturgeon.

Sturgeon anglers are reminded that effective Jan. 1, 2009, sturgeon fishing on the Willamette is allowed 3 days a week – Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Winter steelhead passage over Willamette Falls picked up somewhat over the past week, with 262 fish making passage. As of March 22, a total of 1,791 steelhead had moved beyond the falls.

With conditions less than ideal for their passage, only five spring chinook ventured through the ladder at the falls in the past week.

Despite low harvest rates, angling effort has been quite high. During the past week surveys showed 126 boats pursuing salmon, and only three steelhead and two chinook caught.

Hatchery winter steelhead returning to Eagle Creek hatchery on the Clackamas as well as early wild winter steelhead can provide good opportunity in the Willamette between the mouth of the Clackamas and Meldrum Bar. Fish will tend to hold in this area as they wait for cues to move into tributaries or above Willamette Falls. Low river flows or cold snaps will tend to slow fish down and the big water of the Willamette can provide some intriguing opportunities early in the year.

Hydro readings at Willamette Falls on Monday showed flow at 26,000 cfs, a temperature of 43° and visibility at 2.8 feet.

The Willamette provides an excellent warm water fishery in the summer and early fall months. You can expect to find an abundance of bass, crappie, and bluegill available. Target the rocky outcroppings, structures, or old pilings. Casting a variety of plugs or jigs near the shoreline can be successful. A simple bobber and night crawler might prove to be the right choice also. The local tackle shops can set you up with the right gear and direct you to the best spots. Lately, warm water anglers have reported catching primarily smallmouth bass at depths of 30 to 40 feet.

Central Zone

• Anglers are reporting catch of bright winter steelhead in the lower Hood River from the mouth upstream to Powerdale Dam.

DESCHUTES RIVER: steelhead, rainbow trout

Mouth to Warm Springs: steelhead, trout

Winter angling for trout, whitefish and steelhead on the lower Deschutes can be a fun way to enjoy a quiet winter day. Angling is open for these species year round in the Deschutes from the Columbia River upstream to the Northern Boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation. The highest concentration of trout and whitefish are from around Maupin upstream to the reservation boundary. Steelhead can occasionally be caught in these areas as well. Trout anglers should focus on the slower water due to the colder water temperatures, back eddies are typically the most productive in winter. Fly anglers can be successful using an indicator with a large stonefly and a small dropper.      

HOOD RIVER: summer steelhead, winter steelhead

Anglers are reporting catch of bright winter steelhead in the lower Hood River from the mouth upstream to Powerdale Dam. Recent rains have improved river conditions.   Counts at Bonneville Dam have been improving, and anglers should be seeing increased numbers of fish. Anglers should watch for warmer air temperatures later to warm the water and improve fishing.  Winter steelhead numbers will continue to increase throughout the remaining winter.

Find out how many fish are being captured at the Powerdale Dam trap.

METOLIUS RIVER: redband trout, bull trout

No recent reports. February and March can provide a nice midday opportunity for anglers. As day time temperatures start climbing into the higher 50s and lower 60s insect and hatch activity will increase. Please note that the reach of river from Allingham Bridge upstream to the Metolius headspring is currently closed to angling to protect spawning redband.

Southeast Zone

Wood River: redband trout, brown trout, brook trout.

The Wood River is closed until April 25, 2009. The Wood River was accidentally omitted from the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. The Wood River angling regulations remain catch-and-release for trout from April 25- October 31.

Northeast Zone

• Steelhead are well distributed in the Grande Ronde, Wallowa and Imnaha rivers.

GRANDE RONDE, WALLOWA, IMNAHA RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES: steelhead

Steelhead are distributed throughout the open fishing areas of the lower Grande Ronde, Wallowa, and Imnaha Rivers. Steelhead angling is fair to good. On the Wallowa River, anglers averaged 7.8 hours per steelhead landed in the canyon area and 9.4 hours per steelhead near Rondowa in last week’s creel surveys.  Steelhead catch rates averaged a little over 5 hours per fish in the Imnaha River and lower Grande Ronde. This week’s weather forecast calls for warmer and wetter conditions, so river flows could increase.

Check river flows

JOHN DAY RIVER: bass and steelhead

Stream flows are fluctuating daily dependent on rain and snowmelt.  Anglers have been catching steelhead between Service Creek and Kimberly on the John Day River and in the North Fork John Day River below Monument when water conditions allow.  Drifting jigs and bait has been the most productive method. Remember to keep all clipped hatchery fish and release the unmarked ones. 

Stream flow levels at Service Creek

UMATILLA RIVER: steelhead  

High river flows hampered anglers this past week. Steelhead angling effort was light, and no fish were reported caught in last weeks creel survey. The steelhead return to Threemile Dam is currently at 2,131 for the season. With the completion of fish passage improvements at Feed Canal Dam all steelhead are being released directly above Threemile Dam.

Snake River Zone

HELLS CANYON RESERVOIR: trout, crappie, bass, catfish

Fishing is generally slow but some trout can be caught near stream mouths

SNAKE RIVER below HELLS CANYON RESERVOIR: trout, smallmouth bass

A few 16-inch trout are showing up in catches.

Get updated information on flow levels.

SNAKE RIVER (Above Brownlee Reservoir): channel catfish, flathead catfish, smallmouth bass

Flows near Nyssa ranged from approximately 7,700 to 9,700 cfs from March 18 through March 23. Flows near Weiser ranged from approximately 12,400 to 15,800 cfs from March 18 through March 23. Catch rates are slow due to cool water temperatures. 

Columbia River Zone

• Spring Chinook and winter steelhead are available in the lower Columbia River for both boat and bank anglers.
• Walleye are available in the Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day Pools.

Columbia River Fish Counts:

Regulations:

Salmon, Steelhead and Shad:

On the lower Columbia River this past weekend there were 1,403 salmonid boats and 286 Oregon bank anglers counted on Saturday’s (3/21) flight.  Salmonid anglers were the most successful in the Portland area above Hayden Island where boat anglers averaged 0.28 spring chinook caught per boat. Boat anglers fishing between Portland (below Hayden Island) and Longview averaged 0.27 spring chinook caught per boat.  In the Gorge boat anglers averaged 0.2 spring chinook caught per boat, while anglers in Troutdale averaged 0.11 spring chinook caught per boat.  In the estuary boat anglers averaged 0.09 spring chinook caught per boat.  Bank anglers are catching a few spring chinook and steelhead.

STURGEON:

Sturgeon effort on the lower Columbia River has slowed with the arrival of spring chinook. On Saturday’s (3/21) flight, 57 boats and 22 Oregon bank anglers were counted.

 MARINE ZONE

MARINE FISHING

When ocean conditions allowed, anglers were rewarded with good catches of lingcod, rockfish and kelp greenling. Fishing for rockfish, lingcod and other groundfish species inside jetties and along rocky shore can also be productive this time of year. A list of fish included in the six-fish marine bag limit is found in the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (page 100) and online at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp

Remember: yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish may not be retained. The Stonewall Bank Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area approximately 15 miles west of Newport is closed to the harvest of rockfish, lingcod, flatfish and others.

Spring is also the time to fish for saltwater perch in estuaries. Try a small hook size of #4 or #2 secured 24 to 30 inches below a 1- or 2-ounce sinker on 8- to 10-pound test line. Alternatively, hooks may be secured a foot or so above the sinker. Popular baits include sand shrimp, sand worms, kelp worms, clam necks and mussels. Keep the bait close to structure such as rocks, jetties, pilings or sunken ships. Most anglers fish an incoming tide. The daily bag limit is 15.

All salmon and Pacific halibut fishing in the ocean is closed. The recreational ocean salmon fishery that had been scheduled to open March 15 was cancelled due to very low Chinook salmon forecasts. The structure of the 2009 salmon season will be decided by the Pacific Fishery Management Council during the week of April 4-9.

The 2009 season map for Pacific halibut is available at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/finfish/halibut/index.asp. Open dates for the all-depth Pacific halibut fishery on the central coast will be adopted in March.

CRABS

Bay crabbing continues to be fairly slow. Recent survey data show Coos Bay catches averaged five crab per boat.  Recreational Bay Crab Survey data on catch statistics are updated every month during the winter on the ODFW Web site at the recently-launched Crabbing Reports page. This provides prospective crabbers some information on the recent success of other crabbers in the three bays that are sampled during the winter: Yaquina Bay, Alsea Bay and Coos Bay.

Sport crabbing is also open in the ocean.

Some sport crabbers have difficulty correctly measuring the minimum size for Dungeness crab, which is 5 3⁄4 inches measured in a straight line across the back immediately in front of, but not including, the points. For a photograph and diagram see page 96 of the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.

 For more information or to book a trip call 971-235-0941