Portland, Oregon Metro Fishing Report – With a rain freshet in the works, plunkers at Meldum Bar will welcome a renewed opportunity to catch Clackamas bound hatchery steelhead, certainly, some wild ones will be in the catch as well.
Meldrum Bar has been consistently fair, but following the upcoming high water event should be in peak production for plunkers that prefer higher, more off-color water.
Spring Chinook could very well be in the Willamette system too, the larger 5-year-olds are often the ones making a February appearance, but there hasn’t been a confirmed catch just yet.
There aren’t many anglers sturgeon fishing, but it can be a good February option.
Clackamas River Fishing Report – The Clackamas remains low and clear, but that’s about to change. For such a big river, it can handle “low and clear” conditions better than many coastal systems. There are still places for fish to hide on the bigger river systems.
That said, reliable reporter Mike Roberson of Fisherman’s Marine at Oregon City had this to report about the Clackamas. Mike reports, “The Clackamas is still producing but the bite is very tough. Obviously, everything is low and clear. Fortunately, that should all change this weekend. I fished the early morning bite on Sunday with John Shmilenko (AKA the Sultan of Sellwood) and was able to find this beautiful hatchery hen. It weighed 11.4# gutted. This is definitely the year for big fish. Most of my Clackamas fish are 3-salt fish, averaging over 10 pounds.”
Other anglers also report challenging conditions, anglers are waiting for better conditions so the river hasn’t been all that crowded, although folks can’t overlook the reality that there are quality keepers in the river, and we’re entering peak season.
Sandy River fishing report, avid angler Jeff Stoeger reports – I want to start this week’s article with a comment about the photo posted last week of a buddy who had caught a beautiful native fish. I had posted it and one of the readers of The Guide’s Forecast brought it to my attention that we should keep all native fish in the water and take photos with the fish in the river. I know that fishermen want a photo with their catch, but please be mindful that natives should stay in the river and I will leave it at that.
Now to this week’s report. The river is running extremely cold. The water temp has been around 36 or 37 degrees, and the river has been on the drop. The river is currently running at 8.66 ft. With the forecasted rain, they are predicting the river to climb up to 12ft.
Weather forecasts show possible snow Monday and Tuesday with 12 to 24 inches predicted in the lower foothills. The Temps have been in the high twenties and low thirties and you will most likely have your guides freeze up and line freeze on your spools. Carry a variety of products to help keep your guides and line from freezing up. Vaseline, chapstick, and scent sticks placed on your guides will help keep things smooth and help with casting.
With the rivers being so cold you will have to put your bait or presentation right in front of the fish.
North & Central Coast Fishing Report – It’s been a low and slow week for north and central coast steelheaders this week. There’s always a few fresh fish trickling into our coastal systems, but they’re skittish in the low flows and sparse in number as the bulk of the return awaits better migration options once the water arrives.
It’s been several weeks since north/central coast systems fished “steelhead green” waters, and steelheaders are quite excited about weekend prospects.
As far as reports for this week, there was certainly some steelhead caught, and those that followed low water protocol did the best. That means fishing the lower reaches of our rivers, even tidewater if you have any knowledge on how to fish those reaches of the river.
One guide reported how cold the temperatures have been, weeding out the under-dressed clientele that often comes to the boat not fully prepared for what comes with a stiff east wind. Those east winds often subside by late morning (hence, why I do a lot of late starts when guiding), giving anglers (and fish) a more active environment for fish to bite and anglers to move in with greater comfort.
Other larger systems, such as the mainstem Nehalem, Trask, Nestucca, Siletz, and Alsea saw tough conditions to fish under (low, clear water), with many guides canceling most or all of their trips, waiting in hopes of better water conditions. For those reasons, reports are sparse.
Smaller streams were in an even tougher situation. The NF Nehalem reports on their recording that the water remains low and clear, with few fishing and fewer catching.
The mainstem Nehalem has been the best option on the north coast. The fact that the Nehalem is the biggest on the north coast makes it the best option for higher flows and more colored water than other systems on the north coast.
Maybe the most exciting option for north coast anglers was a flat calm ocean for bottomfishers and ocean crabbers. I (Bob Rees) went on Monday but most of the week was dreamy for anglers to take advantage of. It was GOOD. We (4 anglers) had our 8 lings and almost 4 fish/person sea bass limits (we quit at 15 bass instead of 16), along with 30 nice keeper crabs for 7 pots along the Bay Ocean spit, in the ocean. The grade of fish wasn’t spectacular, lingcod were mostly between 22 and 24″ and most of the sea bass, set aside a few large black bass, were also small. We caught China, Canary, and Deacon rockfish, besides the black sea bass.
Razor clam diggers had a good opportunity this week, to take advantage of great minus tides and calm surf. There were some diggers out under these ideal conditions and for the most part, digging was good. As always, the best digging happens along the Clatsop Beaches, between Seaside and the south jetty at the mouth of the Columbia. One guide reported getting his 15-clam limit in 30 minutes today (1/30). That’s pretty good digging! I have it from more than one resource, it was a great week to dig razor clams.
Upper Willamette River System Report – The Willamette Valley area in Oregon is experiencing a promising fishing season. The 2025 forecast for Willamette-origin spring Chinook is positive, with 51,200 adult fish expected to return to the Columbia River mouth. Steelhead numbers are also looking good, with better returns than the previous five years. Anglers can use their two-rod validation for hatchery spring Chinook starting March 1, 2025, downstream of Willamette Falls, and May 1, 2025, upstream.
Specific waterways are offering good fishing opportunities. The McKenzie River has favorable conditions for trout and steelhead, while Detroit Reservoir is producing nice catches of kokanee and trout. Both Santiam Rivers are seeing increased steelhead numbers. The Willamette River system, including its Middle Fork and the stretch from Harrisburg to Albany, is providing good chances for various species, including walleye and warm water fish. Early mornings are generally the best time for fishing due to current weather conditions.
SW Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Jeff Rome reports:
River Conditions Expected to Improve by Sunday
Weekend rain is forecast to give our steelhead holding rivers and streams the much-needed boost in flow to get anxious anglers back on for near peak of season winter steelhead. All of the major systems like the Chetco, Elk, Sixes, Coos Rogue, Umpqua, and Coquille will see significant rain into the weekend with Sunday possibly being a good opportunity to wet a line. We all know that usually, the best bite is when the river is dropping after a good rain, so those conditions should go into at least mid to later next week! This rain should not only increase the water temperature but also bring in more winter fish. February and into March is the usual “peak of season” for winter steelhead. The ocean has been calm most of the week saw some spectacular ling cod catches. It will be off-limits until probably Sunday after this storm passes.
The mid-section of Rogue from Rogue River down to Galice has been producing some nice catches of both leftover summer run and fresh winter steelhead. After the coming rain, it’s looking like Sunday and into next week, might be a good time for boaters to work some fresh water. Also, the lower end of the Applegate will also be in good fishable shape for hatchery fish. The lower section of the Rogue below Agness is expected to rise significantly, but it should be fishing well possibly Sunday, and especially into next week as it’s dropping. Plunking around Griffin Park and Finley Bend would be good options as well.
As mentioned above, coastal rivers like the Chetco, Elk, Sixes, Coos, and Coquille will also be on the dropping stage after early weekend rain. Sunday and into next week should be optimum the see what they have to offer in the way of fresh winter steelhead. The Millicoma will also be a good option for its later-season steelhead.
The main Ump will see river flow rise significantly but still remain in decent condition for steelhead. The North and South Forks that are low and clear will also improve after this coming rain. They should be fishable Sunday into next week.
Ocean Goers should be able to get out for some good winter bottom fishing and ling cod action at least on Sunday. Crabbing has been good in the ocean and bays, but expect a day or two after the rivers lower a bit to get crabs moving back in.
Tight Lines 🎣 – Romer
Read this week’s SW Washington fishing report.