Portland, Oregon Metro Fishing Report
Well, even Bonneville Pool salmon fishing has slowed down, metro anglers are left with catch and release Willamette River sturgeon fishing, or simply head to the coast, where Chinook season is on its last legs, and catchable numbers of winter steelhead have yet to show.
Find all our fishing reports and forecasts for Members on this page.
Clackamas and Sandy
Clackamas River Fishing Report – It’s mostly quiet on the Clackamas River, with few anglers in pursuit of late running coho (still bright) and early returning winter steelhead (nearly non-existent). If you do get out on the Clackamas, you won’t have much competition to deal with. The river is running at a good level.
Late run coho are still crossing the NF facility in good number. They’ll continue well into December and although they don’t return in the numbers that we see early season coho come back in, there are still aggressive biters for the few that pursue them this time of year.
Although there hasn’t been any rumor of winter steelhead just yet in the Clackamas, there was one rumored from Meldrum Bar the previous week. It won’t be long, but it also won’t be soon, when anglers will be out in bigger numbers in pursuit of some quality hatchery winter steelhead here.
Sandy River Fishing Report – Avid angler Jeff Stoeger shares: Anglers enjoyed productive fishing on the Sandy River this past week, with good numbers of fish being caught throughout the entire river. The latest hatchery report indicates that nearly 3,000 hatchery fish have been counted, and more are arriving each day.
The coho run remains noteworthy, with the hatchery passing 520 wild fish upstream. While the run appears to be tapering off, occasional small groups of fish are still showing up. Overall, conditions have supported strong fishing activity.
If you’re searching for great fishing deals, be sure to check out the Black Friday specials—most sporting goods retailers will kick off their sales early Friday morning with limited stock available. Fisherman’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and Bob’s in Longview will all offer a variety of discounts.
The Sandy River Chapter of NW Steelheaders holds its monthly meetings on the first Thursday of each month. For the December 4th meeting, guest speaker EJ Snider from Catch Zone, a handy app you can download, will present. This app provides comprehensive information about rivers across Oregon and Washington, including regulations, current fish runs, and the most effective methods for catching active species.
Meetings are held at 7 p.m. at Glenn Otto Park in Troutdale, inside the Sam Cox Building. These gatherings are free and open to everyone.
If you catch a steelhead on the Sandy and would like to share your experience, please send in a photo and describe the method you used. The fish must be bright and fresh; you aren’t required to disclose the exact location, as long as the catch was made on the Sandy River.
Find the full report and forecast for Members on this page here for the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers.
North & Central Coast Fishing Report
With Chinook season nearly over (Closes December 1st), anglers are already searching for what’s next on the menu. It’s no surprise that fall Chinook fishing has been challenging on most north coast rivers, the run size on most rivers remains depressed.
Reports from north coast systems aren’t encouraging. Fresh Chinook are a unicorn, with only small pockets of fish found by a select few anglers.
Chum salmon fishing is closed, but there are still a fair number still being caught incidentally while pursuing the last of the fall Chinook run.
There are still some bright coho coming in and broodstock (hatchery) coho are still being found on the Trask and North Fork Nehalem systems, although in short supply.
The Nestucca seems to be void of all salmon, says one guide that recently drifted from Three Rivers to Cloverdale. No wonder he didn’t see another boat.
The Trask has very few fresh Chinook but plenty of old ones, be cognizant of actively spawning fish, there seems to be a shortage of these precious gems.
Overall, there hasn’t been much other activity in the region, most Chinook anglers have given up on fall Chinook, the vast majority of the Chinook are upriver and scouting out their spawning grounds right now.
The Kilchis is closed to the targeting of chum salmon although there remains a bunch in there, along with some Chinook, but the north coast rivers, even the bigger systems, are low and clear now, making a smaller stream like the Kilchis quite challenging to catch Chinook from.
The mainstem Nehalem would be the perfect option now, but that Chinook run is long gone. No doubt however, there’s likely a pile of wild coho in the system right now.
The NF Nehalem hatchery hotline stated that 3 coho were caught at the hatchery earlier this week, but the river is getting low and clear with very light pressure.
There is a little bit of effort on the central coast systems, such as the Siletz and Alsea systems, but it too is very light pressure.
And speaking of steelhead, a reliable resource reported that some steelhead have already shown in some north coast systems. Read all about it in the paid version, including our much appreciated steelhead matrix graph that shows the peak season for wild and hatchery fish for every north and central coast river that anglers typically pursue steelhead in.
That’s a good start and indication for early season streams.
Estuary crabbing remains good in most bays, but the lower Columbia is OFF THE HOOK! Tides and weather look on again, off again favorable for the next several days.
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.
Find the complete report and forecast for Members in the Northwest Oregon section.
Much more on the site for Chinook Members:
- Buzz Ramsey’s latest post (video) – Winter Trout Tactics.IBuzz talks winter trout tactics, an often overlooked opportunity, but perfect for between-season fisheries this time of year. Chinook Members can see his post HERE.
- Bill Monroe’s latest post – Do you know where your urine is tonight? From turkey hunts to salmon runs, discover how nature’s food chain connects in the most unexpected ways… Chinook Members can see his post HERE.
You can find all the articles from these two professionals on this page.
- The Salmon Trout Steelheader article of the week: HERB GOOD: ONE HELL OF A GUIDE, STORYTELLER AND CHARACTER by Darryl Choronzey . A tribute to legendary Oregon fishing guide Herb Good, celebrating his charisma, storytelling, and decades-long influence on West Coast angling culture. Chinook Members can see this post HERE.
All the STS articles are located here.
Not a Chinook Member? Become a Member or Upgrade here.
Central-Eastern Oregon Fishing Report by Terry Otto
Deschutes steelhead slowing, but trout good. High country trout lakes are either closed, or will be soon as the snow comes in. Spring rivers may be best bet this weekend.
Winter weather is setting in, and the snow will soon be too deep to access many central Oregon Lakes. The Deschutes and the spring rivers will provide the best action this winter, although low elevation lakes will still provide some action for trout and some warm water fishes.
Best bets for weekend fishing
Steelhead anglers have been doing okay on the lower Deschutes all the way up to Mecca Flat, but the fish are getting dark.
Fall is great time to fish the Crooked and Metolius Rivers.
Anglers report excellent dry fly and nymphing opportunities on Fall River.
The Metolius is another great option.
Trout stocking
Stocked the week of Oct 27-31:
Pine Hollow Reservoir, Taylor Lake.
Stocking will resume in March, 2026.
Check out the 2025 stocking schedule.
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 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 the fishing in the Columbia River is pretty much over until December at least. Salmon runs are over, catch and release sturgeon fishing is very poor right now, and the walleye bite may begin in late December, but January will be the better bet. The big female walleye will make their show then.
Lower Deschutes River
Amy Hazel of the Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin said that steelheading is still pretty good, but that most anglers have quit for the year. “Steelhead fishing is over by late December,” she said. “People don’t like to fish for those steelhead that have been in the river for 3 or 4 months.” Those fish are getting dark and getting ready to spawn. In addition to the poor condition of the steelhead, it is best not to disturb those fish once they begin their spawn.
Metolius River
The fly Fishers report the surface action is good most afternoons with a mixing of mayfly hatches including #20-22 Blue Wing Olives, #16-18 Cinygmula’s and #16 PMD’s. All of these hatches will get the fish fired up between noon and 3 most days. For whatever reason, somedays the hatch is on fire and there are few fish looking up, and others days the hatch is a trickle and the fish want to eat every single one of them. Spinners: I think there is not a more important phase of the hatch to match size than on the egg layers.
Crooked River
The river is running at 94 cfs, which is low for this time of year, but it has been a dry fall, relatively speaking. Many afternoons the dry fly bite is good on BWO’s including the BDE and Purple Comparadun, Film Critics and Sparkle Duns.
Whitefish are spawning so there are a lot of small yellowish eggs in the drift and it is a top nymph choice along with Scuds, Zebra Midges, Winkers, Micro May’s and small Black or Purple Perdigons.
Crescent Lake
Anglers report improved fall Brown and Lake Trout fishing as water temperatures cool. Crescent Lake is currently 22 percent full and access to the main boat launch at Crescent Lake campground remains limited by low water levels. Boaters will need to seek alternative low water launch locations at the campground, Tranquil Cove, or Crescent Lake Resort.
Eastern 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.
Imnaha River
Fishing for trout and whitefish can be good throughout the year in the Imnaha. Both can be caught using a variety of methods. Steelhead fishing has been good in the lower portion of the river. Anglers can find fish throughout the lower river using a variety of techniques including casting spinners, drifting jigs, and drifting bait.
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
Mid to Upper Rogue River Best Bet for Weekend Fishing
With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re seeing the seasonal shift from Chinook, coho, and summer steelhead toward winter steelhead. It’s a good time to take a breather, clean out the boat, sort through tackle boxes, and get ready for what’s next.
Recent river conditions have offered windows of opportunity. The Chetco, Elk, Sixes, and middle Rogue have all produced Chinook, and coho are still showing in the Rogue. Heading into the weekend, most rivers—except the mid-Rogue—are low and clear, making things tough for boaters but still workable for bank anglers.
🌤️ The weather looks favorable across southwest Oregon. If you’re staying local for Thanksgiving, it’s worth getting out. The mid-Rogue is in good shape, with improved catches of coho and even a few summer steelhead still around.
🌊 Offshore anglers should enjoy calm seas and mild weather—ideal for bottom fishing. Crabbing at Winchester Bay continues to be excellent, with strong reports coming in.
🎣 For trout and bass, Lost Creek Lake and Lake Selmac are your best bets right now. Both are holding steady and offer solid late-season action. The mid and even upper Rogue would be my best bet for some beautiful fall fishing. Twitching jigs in the slower deep holes have been productive for scrappy coho.
Steelhead catches, although not hot, have improved and should be steady until new arriving winter steelhead start coming in very soon. The weather and ocean conditions are looking good for the weekend. I’d be hitting the bays for some excellent crabbing 🦀🦀 The Chetco, Elk and Sixes are dropping into non-boatable condition.
Bank anglers on the Chetco will have the best opportunity. For trout anglers, Lost Creek Lake remains an excellent option, and Lake Selmac for bass.
Be safe, be nice, and enjoy!
Tight Lines 🎣 – Romer
Jeff’s expanded reports, multiple lake updates, and forecasts, including his past reports, can be found here for Members!