Oregon fishing report
Portland/Metro Fishing Report by Bob Rees
With nobody out fishing in recent days, we don’t really have an accurate angler count for how the fishery is performing. The kind-of-good news is however, after the previous fishery prosecuted, it under-performed enough to where managers could look at an extended opportunity for mainstem sport fishers once again.
Managers met on Wednesday, rewarding sport anglers with the national 11 days of opportunity for the tail end of the spring Chinook run. Spring Chinook, according to genetic analysis, are running through the 15th of June, no matter what the fish passenger website says. There should be another 11,000 to 15,000 fish coming back to the system, with plenty of impacts to give the sport fleet the additional opportunity.HERE is the official press release.
Despite declining catch rates and interest, we’re still in a peak period for lower Willamette River spring Chinook anglers. Looking at the statistics however, you wouldn’t know it. ODF&W’s Eric Ollrenshaw summarizes the fishery:
May 25-May 31 preliminary estimates-
Most effort and Chinook catch was Multnomah Channel/below St. Johns bridge area. Shad catch is mostly in the Oregon City area.
1,533 Boats: Chinook- 315 kept, 69 rel. / Steelhead – 5 kept, 0 rel.
97 Bank Anglers: Chinook- 0 kept, 0 rel./ Steelhead – 0 kept, 0 rel.
541 Boats: Shad- 4,593 kept, 1,422 rel.
117 Bank Anglers: Shad- 58 kept, 214 rel.
It’ll likely come as no surprise that all but 27 of the 315 keepers retained in the below Willamette Falls fishery came from downstream of the St. Johns Bridge. It’s become all too easy to predict, and therefore plan, where you want to put in your effort.
Also noteworthy, the mark rate got progressively worse the farther upstream you fished. Just one in 3 Chinook caught in the Oregon City area were hatchery fish, while 87% of the ones kept downstream of the St. Johns Bridge were hatchery fish.
Upper Willamette Valley Fishing Report by Terry Otto (from last week)
Spring Chinook moving into upper Willamette systems, steelhead coming in, too. Spring trout fishing boosted by heavy stockings. Warm water species biting in local lakes.
Best bets this weekend
Spring Chinook are now in all the upper Willamette systems in good numbers.
River system trout are becoming more active, good hatches increasing.
Trout lakes fishing very well.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting in warm water lakes.
Panfish are beginning to feed hard as they enter the spring spawn.
Willamette Falls fish counts
As of Tuesday, May 18th, total spring Chinook counts are rising strongly, with a total of 14,000 plus springers having crossed the falls. Daily counts have surged, following reports that the springer fishing in the lower Willamette has finally picked up quite a bit.
Over 10,000 steelhead have crossed the falls, and over 7,000 of those have been clipped summer fish. Numbers across the falls are better than they were last year this time. Will we see a better summer run this year?
You can check the Willamette Falls fish counts here. You can check the Willamette River Gauge at Salem here.
Trout stocking
Drought conditions are already impacting Oregon waterways. The Trout Stocking Schedule is subject to change. Check the field notes below or contact the local ODFW office for questions about a specific area.
Scheduled to be stocked May 4-29:
Alton Baker Canal, Blue River, Breitenbush R, Carmen Res, Clear Lake, Detroit Res, EE Wilson Pond, Fall Creek (Willamette River), Foster Res, Green Peter Res, Junction City Pond, Leaburg Lake, McKenzie River 1 and 2 (Above and Below Leaburg Dam), Progress Lake, Quartzville Creek, Salmon Creek, Santiam R, N Fork 2, Silver Creek Res, Small Fry Lake, Smith R Res, Sunnyside Park Pond, Timber Linn Lake, Turner Lake, Waverly Lake, Willamette River, coast fork.
You can check the ODFW trout stocking schedule here.
South Fork Santiam River
Fishing is generally best when flows are below 3,000cfs, with current flows at 1480cfs, following a series of changes in flow. These changes may have led to slower action for spring Chinook, when the river is changing continuously, it can affect the fishing. Fishing guide Matt Halseth of Matt Halseth Guide Service has been fishing the South Fork for a couple weeks, and he reports that it has been typical springer fishing, with good days and poor days mixed in.
He reported getting 4 springers for his clients the day before. He said the fish are spread throughout the river up to Mill City. He has been getting the fish by fishing salmon eggs or hardware. He fishes the eggs mostly below a bobber, but also does some bobber-dogging.
He reports that the fish are nice, and in great shape. He also said they were now getting some summer steelhead, and the numbers of steelhead are climbing. “I have already caught more steelhead this year than I did all of last year,” said Halseth. He is hopeful for a better steelhead year.
You can check the river gage at Waterloo here.
North Fork Santiam River
The river is currently running at 1360cfs, and is expected to stay at that level all week. This system is also seeing a good return of both summer steelhead and spring Chinook. The schools are moving up slowly, but there have been some good days when the springers want to bite. Salmon eggs and hardware are both effective, and the fish are now staging in the many deep holes of the river, from the upper sections down to the mouth. Anglers are getting them on salmon eggs and hardware.
You can check the gauge at Mahama here
Detroit Reservoir
Water levels are currently just below full pool and slowly rising. Mongold State Park boat ramps, the main boat ramp at Detroit Lake State Park, as well as Hoover and Kane’s Marina are all available. When the weather is nice, especially on weekends, the boat ramps can get crowded, so give yourself some extra time to launch.
Kokanee fishing continues to be rated as fair to good, and the fish are growing. They have still been holding fairly shallow, but the early warm temps and the sun this week could push the schools deeper. Trolling kokanee spinners tipped with corn and fished behind a dodger has been the go-to method.
Coast Fork Willamette River
Spring Chinook have moved into the coast fork, and summer steelhead are showing as well. The springers are taking salmon eggs fished below a bobber, while the summer steelhead are taking a wider variety of baits, including salmon eggs, sand shrimp, hardware, and beads.
The river was stocked the week of April 27th and will be stocked again the week of May 18th with 1,000 hatchery rainbow trout. Look for the trout to be looking up for caddis hatches, yellow mayflies, and a few stoneflies.
Sandy and Clackamas River reports by Jeff Stoeger and Bob Rees
Clackamas River Fishing Report – More reliable statistics are coming in from Clackamas River creel counts and they are encouraging. ODF&W’s Eric Ollerenshaw reports:
Total estimated catch through May is 99 Chinook kept. Most effort is from the bank by Dog Creek. There has been some effort behind 24 Fitness Club in Gladstone.
May 18th– May 31st Clackamas River, Highway 99 Bridge-Rivermill Dam Chinook/Steelhead Catch Estimates
47 Boats: Chinook- 10 kept, 10 rel. / Steelhead – 5 kept, 0 rel.
540 Bank Anglers: Chinook- 56 kept, 4 rel./ Steelhead – 52 kept, 4 rel.
These are some of the better early season catches we’ve seen in the last several years. Might the Clackamas River spring Chinook fishery rebound?
Summer steelhead action on the Clackamas is improving as well, as indicated by the robust creel counts mentioned above.
Sandy River Fishing Report – Avid angler Jeff Stoeger shares the following: The Sandy River is currently running at 8.70 feet with a water temperature of 62.78 degrees. Conditions are overcast, which is making fish movement more visible and active.
Fishing has slowed overall, with most fish concentrated between Dodger Park and Dabney Park. A few springers were spotted navigating upstream in the upper Dabney stretch, some moving through water so shallow their backs were breaking the surface.
Cedar Creek still holds some summer steelhead, with a mix of downriver winter fish also in that area. Both native and hatchery fish have been landed this week.
A couple of boats are still floating the Oxbow to Dabney stretch, though low water is creating rock hazard conditions for aluminum hulls.
ODFW will be placing a trap at Bull Run to begin trapping springers.
North & Central Coast Fishing Report by Bob Rees
With the arrival of June, spring Chinook anglers can fish with greater confidence that there are fish present and accounted for in the Tillamook District.
That said, although there have been a handful of spring Chinook reported in Tillamook Bay, it’s far from great fishing, given it seems the run timing has shifted in recent years. You’re much more likely to catch them around mid-month through the middle of July.
The lower bay fishes better on softer tide exchanges, which certainly wasn’t the billing this week. We’ll talk more about that in the forecast section for next week.
Summer steelhead are present in the Wilson, Nestucca and Siletz River systems too, but in these low, clear waters, are challenging to catch. Anglers are after them, but reports are always sparse, not just due to the fact anglers are tight-lipped about their success, but there simply aren’t that many that return to these systems.
With spring Chinook season just getting underway, coastal folks are still largely focused on saltwater opportunities. The weather has been turbulent for much of the week, keeping most boats at bay.
Ocean salmon
The ocean recreational mark-selective (fin-clipped) coho fishery opens on June 6 from Cape Falcon to the Oregon/California border. The bag limit is 2 salmon per day, all retained coho salmon must be adipose fin-clipped. There is no fin-clip requirement for Chinook salmon. Minimum size limits are 24″ for Chinook, 16″ for coho, and 20″ for steelhead.
Port by port weekly average catch for the week beginning May 25:
Again last week, ocean conditions severely limited access and catch rates in the ocean salmon fishery. The only port with observed ocean Chinook catch was Brookings, with an estimate of 0.09 Chinook per angler.
As the statistics will show, halibut fishing out of Garibaldi has also been a challenge. Some years, you can effectively target halibut nearshore by doing long trolls from north to south in water 90 to 220 foot deep. It definitely varies by year, and this doesn’t look to be one of the more productive ones.
As far as bottomfishing goes, we are beginning to enter the time frame when lingcod and sea bass get more attention, therefore get more challenging to catch. Lingcod averages are slowing coast wide but we still managed to get our 15 fish for five anglers fishing with pro guide Rob Gerlitz (503-812-4950) on Thursday. Rob has a certain strategy that has worked real well for him all season long, but hitting the right spots has everything to do with your success.
Although we did not target sea bass, he has had some great success for large sea bass not far from the tips of Tillamook Bay. That too is a bit of a technical fishery, but the grade of fish make it worth the effort. We stayed focused on lingcod (15) and caught about 19 crab for three crab pots. The crab remained in ideal condition for the most part.
| Much more on the site for Chinook Members:Buzz Ramsey’s latest post – Columbia River Walleye and Bass Trolling.Non‑stop Columbia River action: see how a family trip turned into 60‑plus walleye and bass in a single day. Chinook Members can read Buzz’s post HERE. Bill Monroe’s latest post – A fly-fishing double take! Dry‑fly halibut and wheat‑eating carp: two unbelievable but totally real fly‑fishing adventures you’ll want on your bucket list. Chinook Members can read Bill’s post HERE. You can find all the articles from these two professionals on this page. Salmon Trout Steelheader article of the week: A Steelheaders Time Machine by Bill Herzog. Bill covers the good old days and the gear we used to rely on for success. You can read his article HERE. All the STS articles are located here.Not a Chinook Member? Become a Member or Upgrade here. Members head to the Member’s Landing Page to find everything you have access to. |
Central-Eastern Oregon Fishing Report by Terry Otto
Lake fishing very good. Columbia walleye still biting, spring bug hatches mostly over. Rivers settling into summer patterns, high elevation lakes fishing well now.
Best bets for weekend fishing
Hike-in high country lakes offer fine fishing, less pressure.
Hood River spring Chinook season is here, peak of the season will be late May – early June.
The salmon fly hatch on the lower Deschutes is underway! Great fishing and lots of anglers
North and South Twin Lakes were recently stocked in late April with both legal and trophy rainbow trout.
Anglers report excellent fishing for trout and kokanee at Paulina Lake. Kokanee at Paulina Lake are amongst the largest in Central Oregon this year averaging 13-14 inches.
Recent ODFW sampling indicate good numbers of 17-22″ holdover rainbow trout at Antelope Flat Reservoir
The Crooked and Metolius Rivers continue to provide excellent early spring angling opportunities for redband trout and mountain whitefish.
Fall River was recently stocked, and anglers report excellent nymphing opportunities near the hatchery and the headwaters.
Weather
The Bend area is expecting a cool off over the next week, with highs mostly in the mid-60’s, and partly cloudy conditions. Anglers can expect a warm-up starting the following week, with highs supposedly reaching into the 80’s.
Trout Stocking
You can check the ODFW weekly stocking report here.
Scheduled to be stocked May 18- June 12:
Aldrich Ponds, Anson Wright Pond, Bull Prairie Res, Cutsforth Pond, Hog Creek Pond, Holliday Park Pond, Honeymoon Pond, Kinney Lake, Marr Pond, McNary Channel Ponds, Morgan Lake, Seventh St. Pond, Teepee Pond, Twin Ponds, Umatilla Forest Pond N and S, Victor Pond, Walla Walla Forest Pond N and S, Wallowa Lake, Wallowa Wildlife Pond (Weavers Pond), Wildcat Pond,
Columbia River Walleye
Wendy Boyer at the Gorge Outfitters Supply in Rufus reports that the walleye bite continues to be very good for eating-sized fish. The schools are still holding from 12 feet to about 30 feet. The best bite is still coming on the worm harnesses, which is the most effective method for summer walleyes.
Shad
Shad fishing continues to heat up, and now over 260,000 shad have crossed Bonneville. Most of these are still in the Bonneville Pool, since none have crossed The Dalles Dam as yet. Daily counts are now close to 60,000 at Bonneville. The best bite is at the Bonneville Dam fishing deadline, where anglers are tossing shad darts, Dick Nite spoons, and small jigs for the fish. In a survey at Kalama, 3 boats/8 rods kept 10 shad and released one shad.
Lower Deschutes River
Amy Hazel of the Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin reported that the crowds are thinning, now that the spring hatches are winding down. The crowds are also thinning. “We’ve seen a lot of good hatches,” said Hazel, “and the fish have seen a lot of pressure, but the crowds are thinning out. The spring hatches are just about done, but I saw a few flying around yesterday, and the fish are still eating them, but they are waning.”
Southeastern Oregon
Best bets for weekend fishing
Willow Valley Reservoir should be good for largemouth bass
Black drake mayflies should be hatching in various rivers in the Klamath Basin.
Lake of the Woods, MIller Lake and Fourmile Lake all should be good for hatchery rainbow trout
Salmonflies and golden stoneflies are hatching in the Klamath River.
The Wood River below Weed Road is fishing well for Brown Trout.
Crappie fishing is big hit or big miss in Gerber Reservoir with the sporadic weather.
Nice holdover trout in the Malheur River below Warmsprings right now.
Crappie fishing in Owhyee Reservoir has been good.
Bank fishing for rainbow trout has been good at Ana Reservoir.
The Cascade Ramp at Hyatt is open. This year at Howard Prairie, the Grizzly, Willow Point and Klum Landing ramps will be available for the first time in many years. Biologists expect a temporary boost in productivity at Howard and Hyatt as large stretches of inundation zone are rewatered and producing aquatic food items again. Trout should be fat and happy!
Trout Stocking
May 25- June 19:
Burns Gravel Pond, Fish Lake, Fourmile Lake, Holbrook Res, Lake of the Woods, Lofton Res, Miller Lake, PowdEr River-2, Summit Prairie Pond, Vee Lake.
Check out the Trout stocking schedule.
Blitzen River
The Blitzen River is currently flowing around 180 cfs and water temperatures are in the 50’s There are some quality fish out there right now. Fly fishing around Page Springs has been good recently. Should be some nice incest hatches occurring right now. If you are looking for some solitude the Blitzen will not disappoint.
SW Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Jeff Rome
As the title says, everyone can fish, clam, and crab for free in Oregon this Saturday and Sunday, June 6–7. No licenses, tags, or validations are required — that includes the Combined Angling Tag, Columbia River Basin Endorsement, Ocean Endorsement, and two‑rod validation (where allowed). Both residents and nonresidents can participate.
Bonus: Oregon State Parks is offering free parking on Saturday, June 6, making it an ideal weekend to get outdoors. With that in mind, here are some top opportunities around Southern Oregon and the coast:
Ocean & Bay Fishing The ocean forecast looks favorable for getting out after bottom fish. Halibut season is open, so keep that in mind if the wind cooperates. Chinook in the 15–20 lb range have been biting out of Brookings, and fish are also being caught out of Coos Bay, Charleston, and Winchester Bay. Winchester Bay continues to offer excellent ocean crabbing, and pinkfin perch are biting well inside the bay. Further up the Umpqua, striper fishing has been good to excellent, especially at night, and shad are in strong.
Lakes & Reservoirs Trout fishing remains very good across the region, with both stocked and holdover fish biting well.
Best bets: Lost Creek Lake
Applegate Lake Fish Lake Hyatt Lake Howard Prairie Diamond Lake Bass fishing has improved at Lake Selmac and Lost Creek. All lakes have now peaked at their highest levels and will begin dropping weekly, so now is the time to take advantage of good water conditions and healthy fish.
Rivers The standout river action right now is on the main Umpqua: Stripers are biting well, especially at night near Reedsport. Shad fishing is strong in the lower river. On the
Rogue River: It’s still a bit early for summer steelhead, though a few are around. Springer anglers are working hard in the upper Rogue around Casey Park and the Slide Hole, but success has been slow. Fly anglers are having more fun swinging stonefly patterns in the Holy Water, picking up trout and the occasional steelhead. The mid Rogue is best suited for recreational river floaters right now.
The lower Rogue has anglers waiting for the first push of fall Chinook and more summer steelhead.