Oregon fishing report
Portland/Metro Fishing Report by Bob Rees
As we enter the late season peak for Willamette River spring Chinook, passage at Willamette Falls, along with catch rates we’re witnessing in the Portland Harbor indicate we’re in for another couple of productive weeks of salmon fishing in the region.
It’s an early morning show, but this is a fishery anyone can figure out if you have a boat. We’re just on the front of a productive month and with returns surpassing expectations, metro anglers should take advantage of this opportunity.
Willamette River sturgeon fishing is fading, but shad fishing is still going strong in the Oregon City area.
The mainstem Columbia is now closed to adult spring Chinook, but remains open for hatchery jack Chinook and summer steelhead. Action will get better by the week, but these early run summer steelhead are best targeted downstream of Longview. There is some opportunity upstream of Longview, but with the bulk returns headed toward SW Washington systems, the better action will be downstream.
Upper Willamette Valley Fishing Report by Terry Otto
Spring Chinook moving into upper Willamette systems, steelhead coming in, too. Spring trout fishing boosted by heavy stockings. Warm water species biting in local lakes.
Best bets this weekend
Spring Chinook are now in all the upper Willamette systems and biting well.
Summer steelheading is rated as fair in the systems.
River trout are settling into summer patterns, crowds are thinning.
Trout lakes fishing very well.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting in warm water lakes.
Panfish are beginning to feed hard as they spawn.
Willamette Falls fish counts
Over 24,000 spring Chinook have crossed over the Willamette Falls, although crossings now seem to be slowing. However, there are still springers being caught in the lower Willamette, and some of those fish are heading upriver. Over 12,000 steelhead have crossed the falls, although 7,000 of those were unclipped winter steelhead. About 100 steelhead a day are crossing the falls.
Weather
The upper Willamette Valley near Eugene is expected to see the first true summer weather of the year, with highs in the upper 80’s to the mid 90’s for the weekend and into early next week. A cool-down is expected later in the week. There is no rain in the forecast.
Trout stocking
Drought conditions are already impacting Oregon waterways. The Trout Stocking Schedule is subject to change. Check the field notes below or contact the local ODFW office for questions about a specific area.
You can check the ODFW trout stocking schedule here.
To be stocked May 25-June 12:
Alton Baker Canal, Blue River, Blue River Res, Breitenbush River, Carmen Res, Detroit Res, Fall Creek (Willamette R), Junction City Pond, Leaburg Lake, McKenzie R-1 and 2 (Above and below Leaburg Dam), Quartzville Creek, Santiam River N Fk-2, Small Fry Lake, Smith River Res, Sunnyside Park Pond, Willamette River Coast Fork.
Dexter Pond road closure
No public access into the Dexter Ponds Hatchery at least through Summer 2026 due to construction. Please call the USACE Park Ranger Office at (541) 942-5631 with questions.
South Fork Santiam River
Fishing is generally best when flows are below 3,000cfs, and flows are currently at around 1,500 cfs at the gage in Waterloo. The 2026 Chinook run is arriving in good numbers now and can be found throughout the basin, with more arriving every day. Fishing guide Matt Halseth of Matt Halseth Guide Service has been fishing the South Fork for a couple weeks, and he reports that it has been good. He said the fish are spread throughout the river up to Mill City. He has been getting the fish by fishing salmon eggs or hardware. He fishes the eggs mostly below a bobber, but also does some bobber-dogging.
He also said they were now getting some summer steelhead, and the numbers of steelhead are climbing. “I have already caught more steelhead this year than I did all of last year,” said Halseth.
You can check the river gage at Waterloo here.
North Fork Santiam River
The river is currently running at 1300cfs, and is expected to stay at that level all week. This system is also seeing a good return of both summer steelhead and spring Chinook. There have been some good days lately when the springers want to bite. Salmon eggs and hardware have both been effective, and the fish are now staging in the many deep holes of the river, from the upper sections down to the mouth. Anglers are getting them on salmon eggs and hardware.
You can check the gauge at Mahama here
Detroit Reservoir
Detroit Lake was stocked last week with 8,0000 trophy trout and will receive another 3,000 this week. Mike Ferris of Fishermen Mike’s Guide Service reports that his most recent outing to the lake produced a quick limit of trout up to 16 inches in length. As a reminder, anglers are allowed to keep up to five trout, with an additional ten kokanee. Anglers are also reporting a decent kokanee catch. Juvenile spring Chinook are also active this time of year, feeding and trying to figure out how to migrate downstream. Anglers need to be able to tell them apart from kokanee and release any Chinook unharmed.
McKenzie River
Jeff at The Fly Fishers Place in Sisters reports that they have been seeing their best days on the McKenzie on perdigons, baby got bead, tungsten leeches and swinging soft hackles and small streamers. If you see a hatch, it could be yellow mayflies #12-14, olive or amber caddis #12-16, stoneflies #6-12, drakes #8-10 but there has not been very good dry fly action lately.
Sandy and Clackamas River reports by Jeff Stoeger and Bob Rees
Clackamas River Fishing Report – We’re entering the summer doldrums for Clackamas River anglers, with school out and warmer weather on the horizon, expect more tubers and rafters starting about mid-morning for the remainder of the season. For that reason, getting out early is the appropriate strategy if you plan on having a chance at a salmon or steelhead.
Overall, the bite has slowed from previous weeks, with the early morning Dog Creek bite still viable for those most motivated for an early rise. Anglers pitching bobbers and bait are finding both springers and summer steelhead, although they hold in different water types for the most part.
There remains a smattering of effort, mostly targeting summer steelhead from the bank, downstream of Barton, but the serious anglers are finding themselves trouncing the Dog Creek/McIver Park area in hopes of finding an early morning biter.
Sandy River Fishing Report – Avid angler Jeff Stoeger shares the following: With heat and heavy recreational traffic expected to continue, this coming week favors anglers who hit the river early and seek out less crowded stretches.
Beads and sand shrimp have been the main producers this week and remain the go-to approach. For springers, Dodge Park to Oxbow Park is the most productive area. Sand shrimp, either drifted or fished under a bobber, have been most effective, and plugs wrapped with tuna have also been producing fish.
If you plan to raft any stretch of the river, carry a repair kit and pump, given the exposed hazards and rocks.
Get out early, fish quiet water, and watch for more springers to start showing as the month progresses into July.
North & Central Coast Fishing Report by Bob Rees
North coast anglers are entering the peak 4 weeks of coastal spring Chinook season. It’s been a decent season already, and with stronger tides on tap through Saturday, the upper bay morning bite should have its day in court for trollers working the Memaloose area.
Starting early next week however, a softer tide series will promote better fishing in the lower reaches of Tillamook and Nestucca Bay, for herring trollers working the last half of outgoing tide. It’s about to get interesting for coastal spring Chinook anglers.
Meanwhile, freshwater fisheries are still underway, despite low, clear water conditions. Spring Chinook are in the Trask, but are constantly getting barraged with gear and becoming less likely to bite at the hatchery hole. Have you seen our Trask River hatchery hole cam? The link is on our home page, but go HERE to see how the crowd is doing. The springers are jumping like crazy there!
Summer steelhead seekers on the Wilson, Nestucca and Siletz are catching some fish, but like most summer freshwater fisheries, getting to your desired location early in the morning is key to your success. Some summer steelhead are being recycled on the Siletz system.
Rough weather stifled ocean effort last week, but a few boats got out for salmon, fishing fairly close to shore. The coho bite was far from spectacular but Depoe Bay produced some of the better catches at almost .5 fish per rod average.
Not much halibut effort with all the wind last week, flattie fishers have barely put a dent in the quota.
Ocean crabbing is slowing for quality keepers are we close in on the big summer molt. It’s hard to find hard-shelled keepers as the weeks progress.
Razor clam digging was great earlier this week, but now that we’re on the back-side of the tide series, success rates are starting to slow.
Much more on the site for Chinook Members:
- Buzz Ramsey’s latest post – a video – Buzz describes his recent trout outing and subsequent success at East and Paulina Lakes. Chinook Members can read Buzz’s post HERE.
- Bill Monroe’s latest post – Boat ramps we’ve come to love – some not so much! From pristine free launches with fuel docks to absolute “horror story” zones, discover the best and worst boat ramps along the Columbia and Willamette. Chinook Members can read Bill’s post HERE.
You can find all the articles from these two professionals on this page.
- Salmon Trout Steelheader article of the week: Respecting the Catch by Sharon Trammell. This article really resonated with me as I have a thriving garden this year, likely due to salmon and crab left overs I’ve been composting since last year. – Bob Rees. You can read her article 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
Best bets for weekend fishing
Hike-in high country lakes offer fine fishing, less pressure.
Still spring Chinook throughout the Hood River. The last day of the season is June 30.
Stonefly season is winding down but good reports of nymph fishing on the lower Deschutes
Anglers report excellent early season fishing at Lava and Little Lava Lakes for large holdover trout
Shevlin Park youth and disabled fishing pond, Prineville youth pond, Metolius youth and disabled fishing pond and Pine Nursery Pond were recently stocked to provide excellent angling opportunities.
Anglers report smaller than average (12-16-in) but abundant rainbow trout and good fishing at Crane Prairie Reservoir.
Anglers report good trout fishing and excellent kokanee fishing at Paulina Lake. Kokanee at Paulina Lake is amongst the largest in Central Oregon this year averaging 13-14 inches.
Positive reports keep rolling in from East Lake with large numbers of rainbow trout in the 16-18-inch range, trophy brown trout over 24-inches, and kokanee 13-15-inches.
The Crooked and Metolius Rivers continue to provide excellent early spring angling opportunities for redband trout and mountain whitefish.
Fall River was recently stocked, and anglers report excellent nymphing opportunities near the hatchery and the headwaters.
Trout stocking
June 8-12: Lost Lake, Olallie Lake, Lava Lake
June 15-19: Olallie Lake, Deer Lake, Shevlin Pond, Fall River
Weather
The Bend area is slowly seeing a cool-down after the recent hot weather. The coming week will see highs in the 80’s, with a lot of bright, sunny, summer time weather.
Columbia River Walleye
The good folks at the Gorge Outfitters Supply in Rufus reports that the walleye bite continues to be very good for eating-sized fish, with a good bite recently just below the John Day Dam. The schools are still holding from 12 feet to about 30 feet. The best bite is still coming on the worm harnesses, which is the most effective method for summer walleyes. Fishing guide Buddy Dupell of Columbia River Fishing Adventures also reports excellent fishing for walleyes, with catches topping 20 fish a day at times.
Lower Deschutes River
The good folks at the Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin report that the crowds have thinned out, now that the spring bugs are gone. Anglers looking for surface action will find caddis hatching in the early morning, and at dusk. The bite continues to be strong right up until dark. You can find a few scattered hatches mid-day, but the early and late bite is best. Nymphing is good mid-day. Purple Haze, X Caddis, Fin Fetcher Caddis, Light Cahill, Yellow Para Wulff, Sparkle Dun, Elk Hair Caddis, Rusty Spinners are some good dry flies to play with.
Metolius River
On the Metolius River there is good news on the Green Drake front. Hatches are spread out from Canyon Creek to Candle Creek and seem to favor late day emergence, so don’t give up at 4, wait until at least 5:30. You’ll want nymphs pre hatch, emergers and duns during the hatch and a spent wing for the end of the hatch crippled duns, or if you are lucky enough to run into a drake spinner fall.
Lake Reports
Hosmer Lake
Hosmer is a good bet now and rated as good. Callibaetis hatches were later in the day, about 2 PM. Alderflies were hatching Thursday and Friday and splashy rises indicated the fish are eating them. Hosmer is a good Traveling Sedge lake, and make sure to have some Goddard caddis to skitter when the hatch is on either in the afternoon or evening.
East Lake
This lake is one of our best places to fish currently, and hopefully this trend continues all month. Sometimes July can get a little off at East, but August often bounces back as one of my favorite times to be on the lake. For now the callibaetis hatch is going well, and fish are eating all the stages. Chironomids under an indicator on stripped slowly on an emerger tip is a good method.
North Eastern Oregon
Best bets for weekend fishing:
Kokanee fishing has been good on Wallowa Lake.
Perch fishing has been good at Phillips Reservoir with some large fish caught.
Some nice trout are being caught on Willow Creek Reservoir.
Spring Chinook are being caught on the lower Umatilla River.
Smallmouth bass fishing on the John Day is currently very good
Trout stocking
June 8-12: Wallowa Wildlife Pond (Weavers Pond), Victor Pond, Wallowa Lake
June 15-19: Teepee Pond, Honeymoon Pond
Imnaha River
Fishing for trout and whitefish can be good throughout the middle and upper Imnaha River. Trout can be caught on a variety of flies and lures. Anglers targeting whitefish should drift weighted nymphs through deeper holes. Bass can be caught by anglers in the lower portion of the river especially downstream of Cow Creek.
SW Oregon Fishing Report – Contributor Jeff Rome
It’s shaping up to be a repeat of last week’s pattern: hot inland weather and wind making the ocean an iffy call, depending on where and when you launch. The good news is that several inland lakes are fishing extremely well right now, and they remain the best bet for consistent action.
Inland Lakes — Top Picks
Trout fishing continues to be excellent across multiple reservoirs, though water levels are dropping daily — so now is the time to get after it.
My top recommendations:
Lost Creek Lake — still the standout. Check out the main photo of my longtime fishing buddies (40+ years strong) who came down from the Portland area to fish and camp at Lost Creek with me and get in some much‑needed male bonding.
Fish Lake — steady trout action and cooler temps.
Howard Prairie — producing quality trout for those willing to explore.
Hyatt Lake — another solid option before levels drop further.
These lakes are giving up great catches, and conditions won’t stay this good for long as they’re dropping daily.
Ocean & Coast — Wind Dictates the Plan
The wind has been stubborn all week, and the weekend looks like more of the same. Ocean access will depend heavily on where you launch and which day you choose. Out of Brookings, you might get a choppy day to get out.
Your best chances:
Charleston
Winchester Bay
If you can’t get outside the bar at Winchester Bay, don’t pack it in — there’s excellent striper and perch fishing happening right now. The Coquille is also producing good striper and smallmouth bass.
Rogue River — Transition Mode
We’re still in that in‑between period on the Rogue: the tail end of the spring Chinook run and the early trickle of fall Chinook.
Here’s the breakdown:
Upper Rogue — a few “long in the tooth” springers are still being caught. Summer steelhead are present but only a handful have been picked up so far.
Lower Rogue — more boats are trolling the bay, but success has been challenging.
Mid‑Rogue — at this point, it’s mostly river floaters. Fishing pressure is light, and catches are few.
Summer steelhead are scattered throughout the system, but it’s still early for any real numbers.
You have the N and S Fork of the Santiam River mixed up.