Willamette Valley/Metro – With Portland area rivers on the high side all week, spring Chinook fishing as well as steelheading has come to a screeching halt. Anglers have been side-lined with the exception of the mainstem Columbia, where fishers had a weekend opportunity to once again try for the region’s most prized fish. Success rates…
Willamette Valley/Metro – With all metro fisheries winding down for the year, anglers will be looking forward to the next run of fish due into the rivers in the coming weeks. Late-run coho should still be available in both the Sandy and Clackamas Rivers but most of the remaining coho are likely of wild origin, requiring…
Willamette Valley/Metro – With so few options for salmon in the Portland/Metro area, anglers are looking to the coast for a fall chance at chrome, with most effort falling on Tillamook and Nehalem Bays. Passage at Bonneville remains depressed, that will surely have consequences for next year. The Sandy and Clackamas remain options for coho anglers…
Willamette Valley/Metro – Summer steelhead remain the only viable option for Portland/Metro anglers for the near future. The mainstem Columbia at Bonneville Dam is still passing better than 1,000 fish per day, but the bite remains challenging for those fishing the warm waters of the river. The Columbia River Gorge is often the best reach…
Willamette Valley/Metro – Fishing on the Willamette and Columbia remains challenging, and the Columbia is slated to close on June 6th, but managers met on Tuesday to discuss more options. Managers extended the season through the 15th of June, full details are here. The best reach remains the Longview to Astoria reach and the current tide…
Willamette Valley/Metro – As promising water conditions persisted on the Willamette, so does the excitement and subsequent effort. Anglers are taking home a few spring Chinook, mostly from the Hawthorne Bridge to Milwaukie stretch, but salmon are also being reported from the Multnomah Channel and mainstem Columbia. With most of these early returning fish destined…
Willamette Valley/Metro – With a stable Willamette River comes an excited effort for spring Chinook in the Sellwood area. Sellwood is often one of the better early season producers and although a far cry from its historical significance, it has produced some spring Chinook in the last week. Small, red and green label herring remain…
This weekend (Feb. 17 & 18) is a Free Fishing Weekend. You won’t need a license, tag or endorsement to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. But remember, all other regulations and area closures still apply. Willamette Valley/Metro – The big news has been what is likely the season’s first spring Chinook. It was…
Willamette Valley/Metro – Although the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show will take front and center next week, steelhead fishing on the metro rivers is heating up. It’s peak season time for the Sandy and Clackamas Rivers, and it will only get better into February. Sandy River anglers seem to still be faring the best, with good…
Willamette Valley/Metro – Volatile weather systems have caused metro rivers to fluctuate, but steelheading has remained an option for anglers in the know on how to effectively pursue fish in high water conditions. Plunkers commonly produce the better catches, as fish are constantly on the move in higher flows. Plunkers using spin-n-glos in bright colors,…
Willamette Valley/Metro – Sandy River steelheaders saw some fair action last week, and guides were able to keep it hush for most of the time. The word is out now however, some good catches were falling downstream of Dabney State Park. High flows call for big beads and brilliant colors, but as flows drop, make…
Willamette Valley/Metro – Following the wintery blast, temperatures warmed and coupled with a good batch of rain, caused metro rivers to rise and become out of reach for most steelheaders. Action wasn’t great anyway, as most of the metro steelhead stocks have switched to later returning broodstock fish, which are due to peak later in…
Willamette Valley/Metro – With little to fish for on the mainstem Columbia and Willamette Rivers, anglers are biding their time for more abundant winter steelhead runs, and a reasonable chance at a spring Chinook, which won’t come for at least another 2 months. The Willamette River spring Chinook prediction is in, calling for nearly 56,000…
Willamette Valley/Metro – There remains no activity on the lower Columbia River. The Willamette River is still harboring sturgeon, and in good numbers. Few still pursue them however, despite the good action and quality size. We’ve become a keeper society. We hope to have more information on 2018 catch and keep seasons by next week.…
Willamette Valley/Metro – Although the Columbia is done for the season, the Willamette is yielding good catches of sturgeon for this interested in this great catch and release fishery. Sturgeon to 5 foot are not uncommon, but the action is good throughout the Portland Harbor. Smelt and sand shrimp are the preferred baits. The Willamette and…
