Portland/Metro Oregon Fishing Report – Although fall Chinook are making their way up the mainstem Columbia, effort remains low until dam passage improves. Although still early, passage at Bonneville has already surpassed last year’s to date totals, it’s off to a good start.
The Willamette is still weeks away from seeing meaningful coho returns but anglers are hopeful they’ll see some of the same opportunities they saw in previous years, both above and below Willamette Falls.
Clackamas River Fishing Report – Same stuff, different day… The Clackamas continues to slow yield some summer steelhead in the upper reaches of the river, particularly around Dog Creek, where darkening spring Chinook are also taunting Clackamas River anglers. Springers are still a few weeks away from spawning, but with all the warm water the salmon have experienced this spring, let’s hope we haven’t lost a lot to thermal pollution.
The wild run of Clackamas spring Chinook seems to continue to be resilient. Spring Chinook continue to ascend the Clackamas and are outpacing last year’s good return so far. It’s great to see this wild run thrive under PGE’s recovery efforts, let’s hope by integrating new wild genetics into the Clackamas River broodstock, we’re able to salvage this awesome run of fish.
Sandy River Fishing Report – Jeff Stoeger reports – “Good morning All. I hope that you all had time to get out and fish this past week. This week’s report shows that there is still good numbers of springers in the river with most hatchery fish stacked up from Dodge Park to Oxbow Park. The river went off color due to warmer weather and the forecast is for the weather to turn warmer over the weekend. The forecast is for the weather to reach the lower 90’s, which will start the glacial green and light brown to reappear. The river is running at 7.76ft and the river temp is around 67 degrees. There is still summer steelhead roaming the entire river as well.”
Check out the lake stocking schedule. Go HERE to see if your favorite is on the list this week.Find the full report and forecast for Members on this page here for the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers.
North Coast Fishing Report – Offshore catches of coho dipped coastwide this week. Chinook catches improved off of the mouth of the Columbia as the mother lode nears its final destination over the next few weeks. Most recently however, catches on the lower Columbia and just offshore took a dip, puzzling anglers as we near peak season. Undoubtedly, improved catches are just days away.
The Buoy 10 fishery has been productive, with the exception of Wednesday and Thursday. Catches fell flat but will certainly improve as we near peak season over the next 3 weeks. It’s still early for river coho, they’re not even making a strong showing offshore just yet.
Nehalem Bay is entering its peak season, with low tide exchanges favoring bay entrance trollers. The next 10 days should prove fruitful for trollers from the mouth to the town of Nehalem.
The Siletz is also putting out some early returning Chinook, a good sign for this north coast staple that has provided good catches comparatively speaking to adjacent estuaries up and down the north and central coast.
Halibut remains a great option, but anglers are more focused on salmon right now. Die-hard halibut anglers have likely attained their 6-fish annual bag limit, mostly out of Newport.
Albacore are close in, and providing good catches for anglers from Newport to Astoria. They’re about 25 miles out.
TGF wants you to STAY SAFE OUT THERE! Have you seen our FREE webinar on ocean and bar safety? Check it out HERE!
See the full North Coast Report and Forecast for Members right here.
Upper Willamette River System Report – Contributor Glenn Zinkus reports
Green Peter Closed To Boating – Scooping Water For Wiley Fire Control. Willamette River Slough Bass Again This Week. Detroit Reservoir Kokes. Upper McKenzie – The Best Bet For Trout.
Alton Baker Canal: Alton Baker was stocked with 900 legal size rainbows this week, and will be stocked with the same next week.
Note thatAlton Baker Canal was stocked earlier in January with 700 one pounders.
Detroit Reservoir:
Detroit is currently at 1542.9. feet. Docks are in. Check the water levels here:
Detroit kokanee fishing has been good. The kokes are bigger and biting better mid-lake, away from the dam.
Detroit was stocked during the last week of June with 4,000 trophy trout. Reports mainly continue to be the same – some good trout fishing.
Green Peter Reservoir: Green Peter is closed to boating until further notice. Air tankers are scooping water for fighting the nearby Wiley Fire. Whitcombe is closed. Water level can be found here:
Green Peter was stocked end of May with 2,800 legal size trout. Stocking for the season is complete.
Quartzville Creek: Caution – the nearby Wiley Fire may effect access. Quartzville Creek is open all year, and just stocked last week with 2200 legal size trout . Stocking is complete for the season.
Flows are at summertime levels, and still dropping, currently at 22.6 CFS. Okay for trout fishing, but start fishing the pools a bit more and this is into summertime levels.
South Santiam Steelhead/Salmon: Reports of good springer fishing continue.
Small numbers of steelhead are present in the South Santiam now, with 333 at the dam on August 1st. Running at less than last year – at about 1/3rd of last year’s numbers.
Chinook, however, is better – looking 4002 at Foster on August 1. Angling success on the South Santiam is good. Most of the run is complete – peaking earlier in July.
Willamette River – Middle Fork: The Middle Fork flow is currently 2060 CFS – at a good fishing level and same flow as last week. Upper portions of the Middle Fork, including parts of the North Fork of the Middle Fork are effected by the Bedrock Fire. Look carefully at conditions, expect smoke in the area, and heed fire closure signs and stay away from these areas.
Willamette River – From Harrisburg, to Corvallis, to Albany: The Willamette River is at 4090 CFS at Harrisburg, and has flow/level and has slowly dropped. Lower water now, but fishable levels. Anglers have been catching a few steelhead here and there, as some incidental catches. Anglers in the Eugene area are also getting some walleye below the dams in the Willamette system. Steelhead numbers are down from last year.
It’s primetime for bass in the sloughs – evenings are best with a topwater. Sloughs from Peoria to Corvallis to Albany are holding active bass.
Members – find the latest full report and forecast as well as past reports for Members on the Willamette Valley/Metro start on this page here.
Central Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Glenn Zinkus reports
East Lake Trout! Columbia River Bass Are Red Hot. Metolius Hatches Getting Better. Hike-In High Lakes With Incoming Hot Weather.
Weather Outlook Across Central and Eastern Oregon:
There are continued on and off smoke issues from the Bedrock Fire.
The big weather news is the incoming heat, that we will start to see more of later in the weekend and especially next week. The highest elevation lakes will provide an angler with some respite with the heat.
Temperatures will go from the current widespread 80s into the 90s on Sunday, and continues in the mid to high 90s through all of next week. The Deschutes River Canyon turns into an oven starting Monday with temperatures in the 100s.
Lower Deschutes River: The Lower Deschutes continues with good fishing levels – at typical summertime levels. Flows are currently at 3610 CFS at Madras. Flow is currently at 4,060 at Moody. Water is clear.
Water temperatures near Madras remain in the range from 56 to 57.5 F, with the range staying consistent through the week. The flow regime continues with a blend of bottom water and top water from the dam.
Waters warm in the lowest stretches near Moody to a range of 64 to 69 F.
Caddis, as in the last report, are the main event. Evening bites remain good – very active around sunset and dusk. Range from just a scant few minutes to a half hour of action. Some of the thickest clouds of caddis are starting to wane, but are still present. There is typically more caddis activity during July.
Caddis is the main game Warm Springs to Maupin and likely continue downriver. There is consistent dry fly-topwater action on the Deschutes wit PEDs and caddis – mainly in the evening.
Steelhead reports so far indicate slow fishing.Middle Deschutes River: Jeff Perin reports some good fishing on the Middle D all the way to Lake Billy Chinook. Steelhead Falls area can be good this time of year. I do recommend mornings. Jeff says there are BWOs and caddis in the evenings.
Upper Deschutes River: Upper Deschutes is providing some good nymphing right now, and euronymphing is producing.
Lake Billy Chinook: The smallmouth bass fishing in the Crooked River Arm has been good. Trout and kokes are good in the Deschutes Arm. ODFW is reporting some algal blooms.
There have been reports within the last week of kokanee catches in the Metolius Arm – depths of about 80 feet. Some of the kokes are in the 12-inch range, and a few bigger one around 15 inches.
Crooked River: Crooked River flow are around 250ish CFS – at 252 CFS currently.
Lots of fish. We have continued good reports last week and this week of very good fishing – lots on nymphs.
Metolius River: Hatches are picking up as we are getting well into August. PMDs are going strong afternoon and evenings. Caddis are getting thicker – being present through the day, but especially active in the evenings. Now is the time that there are rises and some caddis activity around sunset.
Bull trout are present throughout the river, even all the way up in the deeper pools up to Allingham, and grabbing caught fish, flies, and some streamers. Jeff Perin says the lake run bulls are starting to come up the Metolius now……my favorite. Give the euro jig streamers a try. I think these are looking different and I have confidence that I have better shots at fish that are on the fence about biting a fly.
Members can always see so much more in the complete report as well as the forecast for central Oregon by starting right here.
SW Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Jeff Rome reports:
The best fishing action lately has been on the ocean and in the Rogue Bay. Anglers looking for a reprieve from near triple digit temps in the valley have been scoring excellent catches of bottom/ rockfish, lings, halibut and tuna. Some best of the year halibut action came out of Brookings and Winchester Bay this week where a 100-pound slab was caught Wednesday.
😲 The coho anglers are having a tougher time finding them and when they do, most are wild. The Rogue Bay is also attraction more and more attention to Fall Chinook which has been good this week with many 30+ pounders bending rods. Further up the Rogue, summer steelhead catches are fair. There’s lots of bass in the Umpqua and the lakes are starting to drop more rapidly making fish more concentrated. There are still abundant opportunities for anglers!
The Rogue Bay had it’s best day of the season on Wednesday with over 75 Chinook caught (and probably more)! As for the middle and upper Rogue, river floaters make up the majority of action, but those anglers targeting summer steelhead are having fair to good success on the upper from Dodge Park up to Shady cove.
Most lakes are starting to drop about 5% a week now. Lakes such as Applegate, Lost Creek, Galesville, Fish and Willow have been decent and popular for trout. Selmac is giving up some decent bass and bluegill are also on the bite.
The ocean looks to be decent at least through Saturday with wind maybe an issue Sunday depending where you go out of. Ling cod, bottom fish, tuna, perch and halibut are all on the option out there.
Bass fishing on the Coquille and S. Umpqua have been good to excellent. Pink fin perch are still biting well at Winchester Bay.
The North Umpqua is closed to all fishing!
Be safe, be nice and enjoy!
Tight Lines 🎣 – Romer
Jeff’s expanded report, multiple lake updates, and forecast in this week’s version for Members! There is SO much more.
Read our latest SW Washington fishing report.