Oregon fishing report
Portland/Metro Fishing Report by Bob Rees
Following a blistering hot Bonneville Chinook bite last weekend, metro anglers are left with an any coho season through mid-month if they wish to decide to recreate on the mainstem Columbia.
While this is a unique opportunity, catches are likely to be minimal, as we’re between early and late-run coho and a soft tide series may make it challenging to find willing biters. The low tide exchange may quell problematic weeds however, but fishing is likely to be challenging. Anglers are reminded that all Chinook must be released.
Willamette Falls coho passage is behind last year’s great return, but catchable numbers are upstream of the falls, and numbers will only grow from here. Early mornings produce the best opportunities and there’s room to grow this fishery if anglers do some exploratory outings.
There are some large sturgeon in the middle of the Willamette downstream of Willamette Falls for those interested in catch and release fishing.
Upper Willamette Valley Fishing Report by Terry Otto (from last week)
Willamette River and Willamette Falls
Coho are still holding in the lower Willamette River. About 5,600 adult coho have crossed Willamette Falls so far, and most guides won’t target coho in the upper systems until mid-October unless heavy rain moves them earlier. Two-rod validation has been extended through Dec. 31 upstream of Willamette Falls. Between Salem and Corvallis, walleye and smallmouth bass fishing has been productive.
Valley Ponds
ODFW stocked Blue Lake, St. Louis Ponds, Adair Pond, and Bond Butte Pond in July with channel catfish averaging about a pound each, sourced from an approved facility. Good summer fishing is expected to continue in these ponds.
North Santiam River
Flows are at 1,100 cfs at the Mehama gage; best fishing is at or below 3,000 cfs. Chinook fishing is closed until mid-October; steelhead fishing is open year-round. Only a handful of coho have crossed the falls so far, but a strong run is expected to build over the next few weeks. Guide Mike Ferris (Fisherman Mike’s Guide Service) reports a few steelhead in the mix, though numbers were thin to begin with, and trout are biting well. Bait is allowed April 22 through Oct. 31. Several large downed trees are creating hazards for boaters in the lower river; check the Oregon State Marine Board site for details.
North Fork Santiam River (above Detroit Lake)
Flows are around 320 cfs. The river was recently stocked with about 2,000 hatchery trout across several release points.
South Fork Santiam River
Flows are around 833 cfs at the Waterloo gage. The summer steelhead run came in below average and is mostly over. Guide Matt Halseth (Matt Halseth Guide Service) says salmon and steelhead will be scarce until the fall coho run arrives, typically mid-October, but trout are biting well. Bait is allowed April 22 through Oct. 31; artificial lures and flies only after that.
McKenzie River
Flows are 1,700-1,900 cfs, low but navigable for drift boats. The river was stocked the week of Sept. 1 with 2,000 hatchery rainbow trout. Above Leaburg Lake (R2), it was stocked the week of Sept. 7 with another 2,000 hatchery rainbow trout, and ODFW is passing summer steelhead above Leaburg Dam this season. All non-adipose fin-clipped trout must be released. Bait is allowed from Leaburg Dam to Forest Glen Boat Ramp April 22 through Oct. 31; lures and flies only starting Nov. 1.
Middle Fork Willamette River
The USACE refurbished the boat ramp on the south side of the river just below Dexter Dam, restoring drift boat and raft access. The stretch above Lookout Point and Hills Creek reservoirs is open to lures and artificial flies only, with all wild trout required to be released above Lookout Point Reservoir.
Detroit Lake
Post-Labor Day crowds are thinning but the bite remains strong. The Mongold main ramp is closed; the winter ramp is open. Kokanee are biting well on an early-morning bite, with anglers recently limiting on 12-14″ fish by 9 a.m., fishing schools sitting 75-85 feet down. The bite dies off by mid-afternoon.
Alton Baker Canoe Canal
The canal is being stocked weekly through August and September with 900 hatchery rainbow trout. It’s open to fishing year-round within Alton Baker Park, fishable along its full two-mile length from Day Island Road in Eugene to Aspen Street in Springfield, with a 4-acre pond at the midpoint near the old Kowloon Restaurant.
Fern Ridge Reservoir
This 9,000-acre lake 12 miles west of Eugene is the Willamette Basin’s largest waterbody. Orchard Park, Richardson Park, and Perkins Peninsula boat ramps are all open. With fall arriving, fishing should improve early and late in the day as fish move shallower. Crappie are holding along the weedy edges on the south side; the south shore near Perkins Peninsula and along the dam face are good spots.
Leaburg Lake
Stocked the week of Aug. 24 with 1,000 hatchery rainbow trout. Open year-round; bait is allowed April 22 through Oct. 31, lures and flies only after Nov. 1. All wild trout must be released; only hatchery fish may be kept.
Green Peter Reservoir
Drought conditions have water levels lower than normal and still dropping. Both seasonal boat ramps are effectively out of the water and will stay that way until at least Feb. 1.
Hills Creek Reservoir
Will be stocked the week of Sept. 28 with 3,000 hatchery rainbow trout. Hatchery Chinook can be kept from the reservoir, which also gets 60,000 adipose fin-clipped rainbow fingerlings and 100,000 adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook fingerlings annually. Trout and salmon must be adipose fin-clipped to harvest. The Packard Boat Ramp (USFS) is generally accessible but may go dry after early September due to low inflow.
Foster Reservoir
The lake is in great shape and full, with all boat ramps available. Only adipose fin-clipped trout may be kept toward the 5-trout limit, but there’s no size or number limit on bass. Warmwater species (bluegill, pumpkinseed, catfish, crappie, yellow perch) can be kept without limit. Anglers are doing well in both arms of the reservoir and the shoreline between them; trout and yellow perch bite year-round.
Weather
A cooling trend is moving in, with rain expected Saturday as conditions turn fall-like. Highs Saturday will be in the 60s, with a slight chance of rain through the week, then drier but cooler weather with highs back in the 70s.
Stocking and Access Notes
Drought conditions are affecting the trout stocking schedule statewide, so it’s subject to change; check with the local ODFW office for specifics. For Aug. 31-Sept. 11, stocking is planned for the Alton Baker Canal and McKenzie River sections 1 and 2 (above and below Leaburg Dam). The Dexter Ponds Hatchery remains closed to public access through at least summer 2026 for construction; call the USACE Park Ranger Office at (541) 942-5631 with questions.
Sandy and Clackamas River reports by Jeff Stoeger and Bob Rees
Clackamas River Fishing Report – So far, coho fishing on the Clackamas isn’t impressing anyone. Compared to previous years, effort is low and catches even lower. It’s perplexing, given the good coho fishing for wild and hatchery fish that we experienced in the ocean and lower Columbia River this season.
Mike Roberson of Oregon City’s Fisherman’s Marine had this sad report, “The Clackamas is dead. The river remains super low, doesn’t seem like a lot of guys are even trying. I tried the mouth of the Clackamas for a copule of minutes today, nobody is even fishing that right now, it should be packed this time of year.”
We got some disappointing news about Eagle Creek, which likely won’t come as a surprise to those that have fished the Clackamas watershed before, ODF&W is calling for a blanket closure. See the press release HERE.
Sandy River Fishing Report – Jeff Stoeger shares: The Sandy River has been red hot, with good numbers of coho and late springers plus a few fall chinook. The river is at 7.57 feet with a water temperature of 55.9 degrees.
Guides report fish scattered from Cedar Creek to the mouth. Dodge Park has both chinook and coho stacked up, as do the deeper holes on the lower river. One angler went 8 for 10 and another landed 15 fish, a mix of coho and chinook.
The entrance to Cedar Creek Park was fenced off as of this report after a couple of anglers had an encounter with a black bear. Confirm it has reopened before you go.
Water is low enough that floaters on the lower river should plan on getting out to push their boat or raft. Kai Christensen and Mason Maddox took the fish pictured below while floating the lower river yesterday.
The Columbia River is open again for coho retention, with fish stacked at the mouth of the Sandy River. Through Oct. 15, retention of coho is allowed; starting Oct. 16 it is hatchery coho only. All chinook must be released.
If you have a Sandy River coho photo you want to share, please send it to Jeff here.
North & Central Coast Fishing Report by Bob Rees
It’s been a good season on Tillamook Bay and the pictures are coming in telling a story. Photo at top – Pro guide Greg Hublou 503-730-8628 is back in action, after a short hiatus from a profession he dominated in. Greg got these two into their limits in upper Tillamook Bay last week, trolling flashers and spinners. If you wish to learn a few tricks of the trade, give Greg a call and book a trip.
Early returning Chinook are largely destined for the Trask and Tillamook Rivers, making the upper bay at Memaloose a good place to try your luck. Flashers and spinners have been working well, but softer tides in recent days has slowed the bite. Anglers are disappointed that the coho have yet to show, but the wild returnees start in force at the first part of October so hold on, here they come.
The Nehalem is putting out more coho than Chinook, but it’s about to get a bunch more crazier as October rolls on. Softer tides this weekend will put more anglers at the jaws.
The Siletz is having another good Chinook season. Trollers working the lower tidewater reach have had a good week, with the best yet to come. It’s crowded here so prepare for that if you choose to fish in the most consistent fishery on the Oregon coast this fall. Coho action is slow here too.
The Nestucca and Salmon River systems have Chinook available, but they are a bit lock-jawed most days. That’s not slowing interest however, as anglers that have a history here are putting in their hours.
The Alsea is also producing good Chinook catches this season, we’ve seen a rebound here in recent years.
Saltwater fisheries are starting to slow and we near the end of albacore season. There’s next to no interest for halibut and bottomfishing remains on the back burner as salmon start nearing land.
Ocean crabbing is excellent, but the crab could still use a few more weeks to fill out. Estuary crabbing should be good this weekend.
Razor clam digging opened on October 1st but tides are late at night. The next good tide series happens in about a week.
Subscriber Dave Shuldes of Oceanside sent in this report and photo (below). Today (Wed Sep 30) was a good morning at Memaloose (as Bob tends to predict with these bigger tide changes). I witnessed many wild Chinook brought to the boats between 6 am and 10 am. The wild Coho are showing in limited numbers still; hopefully more to come.
| Much more on the site for Chinook Members:Buzz Ramsey’s latest post – Above Bonneville Salmon – Discover where and how to target prized Up-River-Bright Fall Chinook salmon, including expert leader lengths, bait setups, and reel tactics, while major Columbia River sections remain closed. Chinook Members can read Buzz’s post HERE. Bill Monroe’s latest post – Life never gives lemons to anglers in Oregon– Even when the salmon aren’t biting, discover how Oregon’s year-round bounty of jetty rockfish, coastal crabbing, and stocked fall trout guarantees you’ll never go home empty-handed. Chinook Members can read Bill’s post HERE. You can find all the articles from these two professionals on this page. Salmon Trout Steelheader feature of the week: Go crabbing with the STS crew, a video from STS. Chinook Members can see the latest 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
Best weekend bets:
- North Twin Lake and South Twin Lake for recently stocked trout
- Three Creek Lake for excellent fishing on stocked and holdover trout
- Crane Prairie Reservoir, where rainbow trout fishing has improved
- Paulina Lake for good trout and excellent kokanee, averaging 13-14 inches and among the largest in Central Oregon this year
- East Lake for rainbows in the 16-18 inch range, trophy browns over 24 inches, and kokanee at 13-15 inches
The Upper Deschutes River above Benham Falls closed as of today, October 1. Correction to last week’s report: the stretch from Sheep’s Bridge to the dam at Crane Prairie was open through September 30 and did not close until October 1. Fall River below the falls also closed October 1 to protect spawning trout.
Indian summer has arrived. Expect highs in the low 80s this weekend and through next week under sunny to partly cloudy skies, with no rain in the forecast. Check TripCheck for road conditions.
Jeff at The Fly Fishers Place in Sisters reports water temperatures are finally coming down after a relentless summer, so lake temperature concerns should be behind us. Check water quality conditions on the Oregon Health Authority website before you go.
Trout stocking has been affected by lower-than-normal water levels and higher temperatures. September stockings included Walton Lake, Pine Nursery Pond, Prineville Fishing Pond, Metolius Pond, Bikini Pond, Fall River, Pine Hollow Reservoir, and Taylor Lake.
Lower Deschutes River: Steelhead angling has been closed since August 15 due to poor returns. Fisheries managers will reassess as numbers climb, but low counts of wild A and B run steelhead could keep it closed into 2027. Trout fishing remains open throughout the lower river.
Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin reports very good trout fishing with light pressure, since many of the usual spey anglers are off the river. Caddis and BWOs are the main hatches, with surface action best in the evening.
Middle Deschutes: The stretch from Bend to Lake Billy Chinook is fishing nicely. Flows will bump a bit once the irrigation canals are shut off.
Metolius River: An excellent trout fishery in October. Plenty of kokanee are arriving to spawn (please don’t target them), adding protein to the diet for rainbows, browns, bull trout, and whitefish. Drakes, Flavs, PMDs, BWOs, mahogany duns, and caddis are all hatching, stoneflies are coming in, and bull trout action has been very good.
Crooked River: Down to 99 cfs, a comfortable flow to fish and wade. Afternoon PMD and BWO hatches are producing good dry fly action mid-day.
Fall River: Recently restocked and fishing very well above the closed section, especially near the hatchery and the headwaters. It should keep producing well into November.
Hosmer Lake: Some callibaetis are hatching in the upper lake, and the lower lake is in fine shape and fishing well.
Paulina Lake: Chironomid action has been good lately.
East Lake: Callibaetis hatches are slowing but still strong enough on the white slide to plan a trip this week. Launching is tough: drift boats can get in on the steeper ramp at Hot Springs, and pontoons are fine at the East Lake Campground.
Little Lava Lake: Still green this week, but clearer than last week.
Columbia River
Chinook are closed on the mainstem Columbia, while coho remain open through October. Walleye remain good with light pressure, and Gorge Outfitters Supply reports a few anglers are still targeting them. Late coho should start showing at the mouth of the Klickitat River in mid-October.
Northeast Oregon
Best weekend bets:
- Morgan Lake has reopened with bass and trout
- Wallowa Lake trout, best near shore at the south end near the Wallowa River inlet
- Willow Creek Reservoir for trout, bass, and crappie
- Penland Lake is producing limits of rainbow trout
- Warmwater bass fishing in the lower Grande Ronde
Kokanee have started spawning in the Wallowa River above the lake and are easy to spot throughout Wallowa Lake State Park, making for great fall wildlife viewing.
Stocking from September 21-25 included Honeymoon Pond, Kinney Lake, McGraw Pond, Salt Creek Summit Pond, and Teepee Pond. Additional stocking resumes in March 2027.
Imnaha River: Trout and whitefish fishing can be good throughout the middle and upper river, with bass in the lower river, especially below Cow Creek. Salmon angling is prohibited throughout the river, including catch and release. Steelhead opened September 1, but most Imnaha-bound fish are still working their way up the Columbia and Snake rivers.
Umatilla River: Salmon and steelhead opened September 1, with catch rates expected to climb heading into October. Targeting bull trout is not allowed.
Wallowa Lake: Recently stocked with rainbow trout, and anglers are still catching some very nice kokanee.
SW Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Jeff Rome
Chetco Chinook Hot- Rogue Bay- Not Posted on October 1, 2026 by Jeffrey Rome Rogue Bay: The fall Chinook run is tapering to about 10 fish per day, but it’s not finished yet. Coho numbers remain strong, though only about 20% are hatchery. Anglers are watching for the first fall rains to boost hatchery returns, but with no rain in the 10‑day forecast, conditions may stay steady for a bit.
Chinook Action Shifts to the Chetco Increasing numbers of Chinook are being caught consistently in the Chetco estuary, making it the best bet for Chinook right now. Expect combat boating — heavy traffic, tight quarters, and the need for patience. The bite has been worth it for those willing to navigate the crowds.
Ocean Outlook: Weekend weather looks decent for ocean anglers, with opportunities for excellent bottom fishing and big lingcod. Depending on your port of launch, you may encounter some wind chop, but overall conditions should allow for productive trips. Winchester Bay Crabbing remains good, and anglers working the tidewater are finding fair to good success on Chinook, coho, and even striped bass. A great multi‑species option if you’re heading north.
Inland: Summer Still Hanging On Temperatures in the Rogue Valley are expected to climb into the mid‑90s, keeping summer alive a bit longer. Rogue River (mid‑section): Salmon anglers are seeing limited success from the canyon down to Grave Creek, focusing on deeper holes with wrapped Kwikfish. Steelhead: Low flows and heavy weedage will challenge those targeting summer steelhead in the mid and upper Rogue, but persistent anglers may still find opportunities.
Lakes Most popular lakes are very low, but two standouts continue to shine: Diamond Lake — producing fat trout with light pressure Howard Prairie — still offering quality trout and quiet water Lake Selmac — giving up nice largemouth bass despite the weedage A great weekend to enjoy open water and peaceful conditions.