Garth Wyatt, a fish biologist, knows when and how to get his kids excited about fishing. Photo credit Alison Wyatt
Three young dads, three identical questions, three somewhat different answers.
“Where can I take the kids fishing?”
Dad one, Garth Wyatt of Oregon City, already had the answer dialed, as well he should.
Wyatt is a fish biologist for PGE’s Clackamas River Project (or has been for many years. He was just promoted into a management position with the project’s hydro power operations).
He knows Oregon well, including all the ins and outs of taking his three youngsters fishing in a location offering them the best chance to have something wiggle at the other end of the rod.
Canby Pond was his choice last weekend.
It’s not far from home, is stocked regularly and is specifically, by regulation, for youngsters and those with disabilities.
The sun shone, the fish bit, the kids grinned.
Note! Kids under 6 or 7 (or even 13) don’t need to start fishing at the end of a salmon rod, although many do. They get bored. Fishing shouldn’t be boring. Take them where something will happen, even if it’s just a trout farm.
Dad two is Mike Colbach of Portland, who grew up fishing (I took him salmon fishing as a youngster) and now is a successful accident lawyer with a tuna charter business and a young daughter.
He’s not much into salmon these days, much less trout, bass or panfish.
But he is into getting his daughter started, especially since a friend of his, dad three, just moved to the Portland area and Mike’s note to me read:
“My buddy just moved here from Louisiana and needs help…Do you know any good lakes or ponds within an hour of Portland (to) take a kid and fish for sunfish and crappie, catfish, things like that?”
Sound familiar?
Know someone new to the area with the same questions? A family member you’d like to help tear their youngsters away from their iPads? Single mom eager to get them outside?
Here’s what I told Mike:
There are lots of places to fish for warmwater fish close to Portland.
It’s worth a WANDER THROUGH THIS (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife):
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/warm_water_fishing/index.asp
It gives some LINKS TO LOCATIONS:
https://myodfw.com/articles/warmwater-fishing-north-willamette-area
Most of them are within an hour (of Portland)…the access (ease of bank fishing, e.g.,) codes are relatively accurate.
That might get your Louisianan into a comfort zone. (The assumption is that’s what he knows best from fishing in the south.)
A couple of possibilities that aren’t mentioned are Commonwealth and Bethany ponds in the Beaverton area right below you.
Hartman Pond, out near Multnomah Falls is warmwater-specific, although some of the shoreline might be tougher for toddlers.
It’s also trout-stocking time and there are plenty of locations for that as well.
Here’s a MAP OF FISHING LOCATIONS, what they are, where they are, directions etc. Northwest zone is at the top of the list:
https://myodfw.com/articles/trout-stocking-maps
Here are the STOCKING SCHEDULES FOR TROUT (they don’t stock panfish anywhere). Stocking usually occurs on Monday and Tuesday:
https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/trout/stocking-schedule
Canby Pond is for kids only (and disabled anglers) and is pretty kid-friendly.
There’s a free family fish-in on April 16 from 9 to noon at St. Louis Ponds near Woodburn. Pond 6 gets the trout until the water gets too warm, but there are panfish in the other ponds…fishing can be a little slower there, but it’s pretty safe for bank anglers.
Hagg Lake near Forest Grove has just about everything, but can be crowded sometimes.
Bethany and Commonwealth also get stocked through the spring.
Good luck! Let me know if you or the Cajun have any more questions…
For those Chinook members who may have missed it, The Guide’s Forecast has also produced a series of webinars on beginning trout and steelhead fishing. It’s an excellent primer for getting started fishing in Oregon.
FIND IT HERE: https://www.theguidesforecast.com/product/tgf101/
A wave of pandemic-generated interest in getting outdoors is perfect timing.
The importance of getting youths outside and into fishing (and hunting) cannot be understated if we want to preserve this unique and wonderful signature Northwest lifestyle.