Willamette Valley/Metro – With most metro rivers on hiatus for the fall, there isn’t much to report on from the mainstem Columbia or Willamette Rivers. Coho continue to pass at both Bonneville and Willamette Falls, but numbers are dwindling at both barriers. Over 70,000 have passed Bonneville, over 7,000 coho adults at Willamette Falls. Fishing above Bonneville Dam is not allowed and the upper Willamette success is sparse.
Winter sturgeon should be congregating in the lower Willamette, but there are few in pursuit.
Coho fishing on the Clackamas is largely over with mainly wild fish remaining in the system. Hatchery fish are largely focused at the hatchery, awaiting their final act of spawning before becoming marine nutrients. Winter steelhead are still over a month away but late-run wild coho can offer pretty good sport for those willing to try.
Sandy River angling effort has slowed recently. There are coho still available, mostly near Cedar Creek as fish stage before making their way to the hatchery. With the low water, small baits and jigs as well as hardware will likely be the best producers. Wild fish are still available in the lower reaches, but the river is becoming too low and clear to effectively drift.
More TROUT STOCKING of both legals and trophy trout in the Willamette Valley and throughout the state. Fall is a great time to take advantage of these fish that are wanting to put on some winter pounds before the weather hits.
Northwest Oregon – The fall Chinook run is on its last legs for many coastal systems with few exceptions. Tillamook Bay remains the last, best option and late run, Wilson and Kilchis River bound Chinook should continue through Thanksgiving.
All other systems are on their last legs with winter steelhead well over a month away from making a strong appearance.
With little measurable rain in sight, what few fresh fish entering the system should stay low in the river system or in the estuaries of most watersheds. There should be some late returning fresh fish in nearly every system, but not in large numbers, be sure of that.
The current weather pattern is offering up some fall bottomfishing options and fishing is good. From Astoria to Newport, effort is light and success is good. Too bad ocean crabbing remains closed until early December. Bay crabbing is good, especially on the lower Columbia.
See the full Tillamook report AND FORECAST by being a paid subscriber or see last week’s edition here.
Central and Eastern Oregon Fishing Reports
From ODF&W
Steelhead are spread out in the lower Deschutes as far upriver as South Junction. Fishing should pick up soon in the North Junction, South Junction and Warm Springs areas.
Fall can be some of the best trout fishing of the year in the area’s lakes and reservoirs.
It won’t be long before snow will limit access to central Oregon’s high elevation, hike-in lakes. Until then fish will be feeding aggressively as they get ready for the winter, and fishing can be good.
Prineville Youth Fishing Pond, Pinehollow Reservoir and Taylor Lake were scheduled to be stocked last week.
Umatilla River Coho made a strong push this past week with over 750 adults returning to Three Mile Dam.
Steelhead are starting to move into the John Day River.
Campbell, Cottonwood Meadows and Deadhorse lakes are good choices for some great fall trout fishing.
Best bet in the Klamath Basin is to target brook trout in the upper areas of the Sprague, Williamson or Sycan.
Recent sampling at Fish Lake (Wallowa Mountains) showed there are good numbers of both stocked rainbow and naturally-produced brook trout. Combine with cooler fall temperatures and fishing should be great.
Southwest – From ODF&W
Bottomfishing is now open to fish at all depths. Fishing for lingcod and rockfish was very good this past weekend. Many anglers caught big lingcod while fishing out past 40 fathoms. The daily bag limit for marine fish is 5 plus 2 lingcod.
The harvest of cabezon along with copper, quillback, and China rockfish are now all closed to boat anglers. Shore anglers will still be able to harvest these rockfish species (but are encouraged to release them) and 1 cabezon a day.
Anglers may also choose to fish the offshore longleader fishery outside of the 40-fathom regulatory line, which is open year round. The longleader fishery has a daily bag limit of 10 fish made of yellowtail, widow, canary, blue, deacon, redstripe, greenstripe, silvergray, and bocaccio rockfish. No other groundfish are allowed and offshore longleader fishing trips cannot be combined with traditional bottomfish, flatfish or halibut trips. Find information about a longleader setup here.
Ocean salmon fishing is closed.
Halibut fishing is now closed.
Lost Creek Reservoir is sill the best lake for launching larger trailered boats at this time. Trout fishing should be good
Expo Pond, Reinhardt Park Pond and Fish Lake remain good bets for trout fishing.
Summer steelhead fishing continues in the middle and upper Roque continues to be worth a mention.
Several rivers and streams closed to trout fishing after Oct. 31 – be sure to check the regulations before heading out.
2019 Stocking schedule and Stocking Maps
SW Washington – From the WDF&W web site, November 4th.
For regulation updates, go HERE.
Fishery Updates
Columbia River Tributaries
Salmon/Steelhead:
Grays River – 6 bank anglers released six coho.
Cowlitz River – I-5 Br downstream – 35 bank rods kept one coho and released one coho. 7 boats/20 rods kept 24 coho and released one Chinook and four coho.
Above the I-5 Br – 17 bank rods kept two coho and released 18 Chinook and 1 coho. 1 boat/1 rod had no catch.
Kalama River – 18 bank anglers had no catch. 2 boats/5 rods had no catch.
Lewis River – 19 bank anglers kept two coho and one coho jack. 13 boats/44 rods kept five Chinook, 2
Chinook jacks, 5 coho, 3 coho jacks and released one Chinook and four coho.
Wind River – 1 boat/1 rod had no catch.
Klickitat below Fisher Hill Bridge – 16 bank anglers kept seven coho and released two Chinook.
Tributaries not listed: Creel checks not conducted.