Portland/Metro Fishing Report
With little to fish for in the Portland/Metro area, anglers are not disappointed to be staying warm and dry this week, and they certainly won’t be anxious to recreate outside with the pending “Atmospheric River” headed our way.
With the pending river rise, plunkers on Meldrum Bar will disappear, but there were some fish caught here recently, mostly late-run coho. When Willamette River flows subside, they’ll be anxious to return to the banks where early run steelhead may be an option.
Clackamas and Sandy
Clackamas River Fishing Report – The Clackamas has been in ideal condition all week, but few anglers get excited about the limited opportunities this time of year for salmon and steelhead. For consumptive fishers, there isn’t really any option, for catch and release fishers, the B-run wild coho offer a nice late-season option, and tend to bite a bit better than their cousins that return during a warmer water period of the season. They are quality fish too, but number more than half of the early returning fish.
In short, few are in pursuit of these late-run fish so reports are sparse.
There hasn’t been any new winter steelhead reported but 8 wild ones were counted at the NF facility on December 1st. There’s a lot more to come.
Sandy River Fishing Report – Avid angler Jeff Stoeger shares: I hope everyone had an opportunity to get out on the water this week. The river maintained ideal levels for much of the week, but conditions changed heading into the weekend. On Friday, I floated the lower section of the river, only to find that water levels rose dramatically—over a foot—and the river turned a chocolate brown, carrying plenty of debris. Despite these challenges, there are still some quality fish to be found in the upper and middle stretches of the river.
So far, there haven’t been any reports of winter steelhead being caught on the Sandy. However, some late winter chinook have been landed, along with a few late coho and downstream summer steelhead. As of today, the river is running at 8.7 feet and 42°F, a notable drop from last Friday’s 11.3 feet and 46°F. The weather forecast calls for rain over the weekend, with a good chance of snow as the freezing level drops.
North & Central Coast Fishing Report
With the closure of North Coast Chinook, anglers are anxious to get the early returning steelhead run underway, where it actually is on some north coast systems.
The North Fork Nehalem, Necanicum and Klaskanine Rivers, along with Big and Gnat Creek are all options for early returning steelhead. All of these systems already have steelhead present, but this next “Atmospheric River” will likely jumpstart the run.
These early returnees aren’t known to be the best biters, but persistence pays dividends if you put the time in.
Most other systems are closed for Chinook and too early for winter steelhead, not to mention the fact they’ll be heading out of reach after the weekend. Those systems, such as the Wilson, Trask, Nestucca and Siletz will be on hold for a few weeks before broodstock steelhead start to show.
The Alsea River is also an early season system and should be one of the better options for early season steelhead over the weekend.
Razor clam digging was good on Wednesday, but diggers reported a lot of smaller clams. The king tides this weekend would be good for clamming, but a bump in swell height will likely damper down feeding clams in the rough surf.
Meanwhile, as you may have read in the Columbia River report, the lower Columbia is producing EXCELLENT catches of crab right now. King tides this weekend will make it more challenging, coupled with forecasted winds which could make for some dicey conditions.
People should always call the Shellfish Safety Hotline at 1-800-448-2474 before heading out to harvest any shellfish or visit the ODA Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures Webpage.
| Much more on the site for Chinook Members: Buzz Ramsey’s latest post – Guide Tips for Steelhead Success. Discover pro guide secrets to landing bigger winter steelhead on Oregon’s top rivers… Chinook Members can see his post HERE. Bill Monroe’s latest post – Clam Up and Eat Those Peas. Tiny “pea crabs” hiding inside razor clams turn out to be edible delicacies, and Oregon’s shellfish season is booming with surprises. Chinook Members can see his post HERE. You can find all the articles from these two professionals on this page. The article of the week: Join our conversation with ODF&W’s Mike Hazen as he details early-season steelheading. Check out this 38:00 video on Gnat Creek. Chinook Members can see this post 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
Winter time patterns evolving on the spring rivers. Trout good, steelhead slowing on the Deschutes. Most lake fishing for trout is over, but a few lakes are still accessible.
Best bets for weekend fishing
Steelhead anglers have been doing okay on the lower Deschutes, but it is slowing
Fall is great time to fish the Crooked and Metolius Rivers.
Anglers report excellent dry fly and nymphing opportunities on Fall River.
Anglers report good bank fishing opportunities for trout at Haystack Reservoir
Anglers report excellent kokanee fishing at Lake Billy Chinook.
Trout stocking
Weekly fish stocking will resume in March, 2026.
You can check the ODFW trout stocking schedule here.
Seasonal Road Closures
The road to Newberry National Monument accessing East and Paulina Lakes and the Cascade Lakes Highway closed on November 18th. The road to Three Creeks Lake (NF-16) remains open until mid-November but is not maintained for winter travel. For additional information see the Deschutes County Road Department website: https://www.deschutes.org/road
Columbia River
The good folks at the Gorge Outfitters Supply in Rufus report that there is no fishing going on until at least mid-December, which is when the winter walleye bite starts.
Lower Deschutes River
The good folks at the Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupinreport that the trout fishing is “pretty damn good right now”, but the steelhead are getting harder to find. Also, many anglers look to keep from disturbing them as they head into the spawn.
Trout anglers are seeing some Blue Wing Olives hatching now and then, but nymphing is what most anglers are doing. Bead heads, girdle bugs, and stone flies are good bets. Also, egg patterns will work as the steelhead spawn begins. Pink and orange are the best colors.
Metolius River
The Fly Fishers report that hatches are slowing down a little but keep looking for BWO’s and Caddis every day it is above freezing for the winter months. CInygmula hatches are sporadic and probably going to end their consistent daily emergences quite soon. Stonefly nymphs are also really important, especially #8-12 Golden Stones. #6 Black stones have their day to shine too, and the fish are used to seeing them, but if you fish the Met in the Summer and Fall you are aware the Salmonfly population is way smaller than the Golden Stone population and that makes the Golden Stone nymphs the top choice 365, and especially so in December and January when a lot of the mayfly nymphs are in tiny, early instar phases and not as available in the drift.
Crooked River
Anglers report excellent fall fishing for trout and whitefish. Flows have been holding steady since irrigation storage season began around 95cfs. Nymphing fall mayfly hatch patterns and midges has been the most effective method, but fly-anglers should keep an eye out for fishing rising in afternoon. Try blue wing olive or midge patterns. November and December is Mountain whitefish spawning season and yellowish egg patterns can be an effective tactic.
Haystack Reservoir
Anglers report good fishing for rainbow trout in the 16 to 17-inch range. Fall sampling also indicated good numbers of largemouth bass averaging 10-12 inches and smallmouth bass averaging 9-11 inches. Keep an eye on the recreation report for winter announcements for rainbow trout broodstock opportunities at Pine Nursery Pond and Haystack Reservoir.
Northeastern Oregon
Best bets for weekend fishing
Trout and whitefish fishing should be good throughout the fall on the Wallowa River.
Steelhead fishing has been good on the Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers
Steelhead fishing is good on the Umatilla River.
Trout can still be found on Willow Creek Reservoir.
Grande Ronde River
Fishing for steelhead has been good lately. Now through December (when colder temperatures settle in) is likely to be some of the best steelhead fishing on the Grande Ronde. A few Coho salmon are being caught also. Swinging flies and drifting nymphs has been effective for fly anglers, and jigs drifted under bobbers works well for anglers using spinning rods or bait casters.
You can check the Grande Ronde River gauge below clear creek here.
Willow Creek Reservoir
The reservoir’s water temperature has cooled down but there are still fish to be caught. Anglers have been catching trout from the shore near the boat launch. As a reminder, there is a 25 fish limit for crappie on Willow Creek Reservoir.
SW Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Jeff Rome reports
With Thanksgiving behind us, we now turn the page to winter steelhead season. For this weekend, fishing opportunities remain fairly limited, but the outlook improves as we head into the following weekend. A significant round of rain is forecast, which should raise river flows to respectable fishing conditions and, with luck, get some winter steelhead moving.
Rogue River (Mid & Upper): Still the best bet for anglers eager to wet a line. Summer steelhead and coho are being caught with fair success, offering some steady action while we wait for winter fish to arrive.
Ocean Conditions: Depending on where you launch, Sunday could provide a window to get out. Big lingcod and excellent bottom fish catches have been the norm lately, making it worth keeping an eye on the marine forecast. Crabbing from Brookings on up to Winchester Bay has been excellent!
Late-Season Chinook: The Chetco, Elk, and Sixes rivers remain too low and clear to justify much effort right now. The same goes for the Umpqua, Coos, and Coquille systems. These rivers should fish better after next weekend’s rains, so patience will pay off.
Be safe, be nice, and enjoy!
Tight Lines 🎣 – Romer