Portland, Oregon Metro Fishing Report – With nothing but high water in the metro area, anglers will take the weekend off for fishing, it’s just too wild out there. By the middle of next week however, assuming rains subside, anglers that like to target winter steelhead at Meldrum Bar may be looking at some favorable conditions. We’ll have to wait and see just how wild the weather continues to be however.
Mainstem Columbia anglers will be looking forward to the January 1st sturgeon opener upstream of Bonneville Dam. The action will depend on weather and fish behavior, but the fishery performed very well last year, some might say too good. It was short lived.
Anglers are researching their favorite spots in preparation for the derby fishery, anglers are hopeful the weather cooperates. See the press release HERE.
Clackamas River Fishing Report – The Clackamas has remained fairly high for the last many days, and now it’s heading into a muddy abyss. As of late, effort has been next to nothing, so, few, actually, no reports.
Fish counts are about the only thing to report on, and they’re far from making headline news too.
All is quiet on the Clackamas front, and it won’t change much at all over the weekend, it may even get more challenging. Sorry folks, it’s sideline city on the Clackamas this weekend, into early next week as well.
Sandy River Fishing Report from Jeff Stoeger – “I hope that everyone had a great Christmas as of this report. Well, the river blew up and is on the drop and is expected to climb again up to possibly 14 ft. There have been fish caught over the last few days by both gear guys and fly guys. Hope that everyone has had a great Christmas and hope that you got all the new fishing gear you needed or wanted.”
North & Central Coast Fishing Report – Ample amounts of rain have swollen north coast systems once again. Big rivers were big for much of the week. Small systems are running high too, but should be in good shape for weekend angling.
Fortunately, the smaller systems are the ones that have the most productive returns this time of year, with the North Fork Nehalem, Necancium, Alsea and Klaskanine Rivers as well as Big and Gnat Creek all great options for weekend steelheaders. It’s peak season on these streams and returns look robust this year, exciting anglers for weekend opportunities.
With few other options, especially with an incredible offshore swell and whippy winds, steelhead will be the only game in town, and really only on these smaller systems.
New bottomfishing regulations go into effect on January 1st, but the first order of business is getting your new fishing and hunting licenses. Be prepared for that!
Chinook Members also have access to…
- Last week, Buzz Ramsey wrote about gearing up for winter steelhead. Winter steelhead fishing has improved significantly, with many anglers reporting successful trips. The best time to fish is typically from January to March, especially in rivers with early-returning hatchery programs. Find out much more in his post right HERE.
- Bill Monroe writes this week about the coho that are coming. Forget Kris Kringle, “Kris Kisutch” (Christmas coho) is the gift that keeps on giving, with record-breaking salmon runs across Oregon’s rivers and tributaries. From pioneering new spawning grounds to shattering records at Willamette Falls, coho are demonstrating remarkable resilience and adaptability, offering a hopeful sign for the future of wild salmon. You can read more about it HERE.
You can find all the articles from these two professionals on this page.
- The Salmon Trout Steelheader article of the week is a video: Steelhead Plug Fishing Basics by Josiah Darr. Watch it HERE.
All the STS articles are located here.
SW Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Jeff Rome reports:
Well, after a brief limited opportunity to wet a line, it’s looking quite bleak for just about any and all fishing opportunities until at least after the new year. Yet another huge rainstorm is forecasted to raise most rivers to flood stage (or very close to it) this weekend. That being said, this report isn’t much but “wait”. Now would be the time to straighten up and organize drift boats and tackle boxes with the new fishing gifts received. Winter steelhead season is here, and fingers crossed 🤞, should be present in better numbers when the rivers get back into fishing shape.
It’s also a good time to get together with fishing buddies and talk about the ones that got away, new fishing techniques, and even tie up some steelhead rigs.
Thank you all for your suggestions to make this report better and your readership. Many tight lines to a great New Year!🎣🎣🎣
Be safe, be nice and enjoy! Tight Lines 🎣 – Romer
Read this week’s SW Washington fishing report.