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Willamette Valley/Metro – Don’t let the dropping levels of the lower Willamette lull you into thinking it won’t rise again for rise it shall, just more slowly than smaller rivers. Sturgeon fishing has been good but must wait until the water drops.

As with many rivers, the McKenzie River has been on a dropping trend over the past two weeks but will be effected by precipitation over the next several days. Trout fishing is available here.

The Santiam system, reported as high for several weeks here and elsewhere, will blow out with rain and will be too high to fish.

Water level and flow at the Clackamas River, dropping since December 5th, have just started to rise with precipitation. Expect the river to be too high to fish this weekend but there may be a few winter steelhead around as it drops and clears.

Pro fishing guide Jeff Stoeger of O2BFISHN Guide Service (503-704-7920), our man on the Sandy, reports this week that the river has winter steelhead scattered throughout the entire river and says the lower river is producing some real nice size fish.

Northwest – North coast anglers are still struggling for consistent results. A drop in air and water temperatures didn’t help much, but the fact remains, it’s still early in the season to be expecting great results. Early season steelhead should start to pick up with more consistent results, but anymore, the serious steelheaders concentrate more on later returning broodstock and wild fish. Regardless, interest will remain high if there’s fish to catch.

The north coast barometer, the North Fork Nehalem is still only producing mediocre results. The hatchery hotline reports only a few fish a day being caught and pressure remains light. If the NF Nehalem is mediocre at best, then so is the other systems on the north coast. The Necanicum, the Highway 30 streams and Three Rivers should all have fish in them, maybe not so many however. That can all change as we enter high season for early winter fish, and a warming trend along with it.

Larger systems, such as the Wilson and Trask should be coming on line this weekend. Chinook remains an option through the end of this month lawfully, but realistically, fresh fish will become more difficult to come by after mid-month. Steelhead will be an option on the Wilson and a few strays will find their way into the Trask River. Action should pick up when temperatures moderate.

High winds and swell remains in a familiar forecast but an east wind influence seems to be on the horizon, maybe early next week. We might finally get a chance to recreate on big blue for rockfish in the near future.

Crabbing is dropping off in the lower Columbia, there goes the best prospects for Christmas crab. Other areas south of Tillamook Head remain closed due to domoic acid.

Southwest – The ODFW held a meeting on December 2nd to discuss new regulations for rockfish in the ocean off the Oregon coast. We’ll let readers know what they are when the new regs are finalized.

Harvest of razor clams is closed coast wide in both beaches and bays due to a naturally-occurring biotoxin.

Author, publisher and prolific blogger, Pete Heley (peteheley.com) writes again this week from Reedsport to remind us, “The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the opening of the ocean and bay recreational crab fishery along the southern Oregon coast from Floras Creek (just north of Port Orford) to the California border.” (ODA Posting)

Steelhead have been caught on every part of the Rogue River recently. A few winters near Agness while those fishing the middle and upper Rogue report catching summer steelhead. With the storm hitting today, fishing will be delayed here for a while.

Winter steelheaders fishing the Chetco River report catching a few just prior to the water starting to rise early Thursday, December 8th.

When water conditions have been good, fishing at Elk River has been productive. It will drop and clear rapidly following a freshet.

Snow on the ground at Diamond Lake does not mean ice fishing and won’t for a while. When the water hardens, we’ll write about it here.

Eastern – Fishing for trout on the lower Deschutes has been slow but not as slow a results for summer steelhead here.

One of the challenges facing anglers who want to fish east of the Cascades is weather so be certain to check it, particularly wind and temperature which can combine to send anglers scurrying.

Steelheaders are advised to try elsewhere than the Grande Ronde River at this time of year as it does not fish its best.

The water is low at Detroit Lake, making the lower Mongold Ramp the only option for boaters until the Corps of Engineers starts to fill it again in February.

SW Washington – Steelhead have yet to make a strong showing in district rivers, but salmon anglers are still finding a few Chinook in the North Fork Lewis. Bright Chinook can often be found here through mid-December.

The Cowlitz is still showing a few coho to folks, but like other systems, steelhead returns come in greater abundance during late winter. Angler effort reflects that.

The Washougal is often an early season favorite. Action should ramp up here through the first week of January.

Razor clams may be an option this weekend. Dig information can be found here.

The Guide’s Forecast

from Oregon Fishing http://ift.tt/2gJ9gFP

NOTE: This content is automatically by NewsBot1600. If there are any inaccuracies or issues, please let us no through the contact link.

Willamette Valley/Metro – Don’t let the dropping levels of the lower Willamette lull you into thinking it won’t rise again for rise it shall, just more slowly than smaller rivers. Sturgeon fishing has been good but must wait until the water drops.

As with many rivers, the McKenzie River has been on a dropping trend over the past two weeks but will be effected by precipitation over the next several days. Trout fishing is available here.

The Santiam system, reported as high for several weeks here and elsewhere, will blow out with rain and will be too high to fish.

Water level and flow at the Clackamas River, dropping since December 5th, have just started to rise with precipitation. Expect the river to be too high to fish this weekend but there may be a few winter steelhead around as it drops and clears.

Pro fishing guide Jeff Stoeger of O2BFISHN Guide Service (503-704-7920), our man on the Sandy, reports this week that the river has winter steelhead scattered throughout the entire river and says the lower river is producing some real nice size fish.

Northwest – North coast anglers are still struggling for consistent results. A drop in air and water temperatures didn’t help much, but the fact remains, it’s still early in the season to be expecting great results. Early season steelhead should start to pick up with more consistent results, but anymore, the serious steelheaders concentrate more on later returning broodstock and wild fish. Regardless, interest will remain high if there’s fish to catch.

The north coast barometer, the North Fork Nehalem is still only producing mediocre results. The hatchery hotline reports only a few fish a day being caught and pressure remains light. If the NF Nehalem is mediocre at best, then so is the other systems on the north coast. The Necanicum, the Highway 30 streams and Three Rivers should all have fish in them, maybe not so many however. That can all change as we enter high season for early winter fish, and a warming trend along with it.

Larger systems, such as the Wilson and Trask should be coming on line this weekend. Chinook remains an option through the end of this month lawfully, but realistically, fresh fish will become more difficult to come by after mid-month. Steelhead will be an option on the Wilson and a few strays will find their way into the Trask River. Action should pick up when temperatures moderate.

High winds and swell remains in a familiar forecast but an east wind influence seems to be on the horizon, maybe early next week. We might finally get a chance to recreate on big blue for rockfish in the near future.

Crabbing is dropping off in the lower Columbia, there goes the best prospects for Christmas crab. Other areas south of Tillamook Head remain closed due to domoic acid.

Southwest – The ODFW held a meeting on December 2nd to discuss new regulations for rockfish in the ocean off the Oregon coast. We’ll let readers know what they are when the new regs are finalized.

Harvest of razor clams is closed coast wide in both beaches and bays due to a naturally-occurring biotoxin.

Author, publisher and prolific blogger, Pete Heley (peteheley.com) writes again this week from Reedsport to remind us, “The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the opening of the ocean and bay recreational crab fishery along the southern Oregon coast from Floras Creek (just north of Port Orford) to the California border.” (ODA Posting)

Steelhead have been caught on every part of the Rogue River recently. A few winters near Agness while those fishing the middle and upper Rogue report catching summer steelhead. With the storm hitting today, fishing will be delayed here for a while.

Winter steelheaders fishing the Chetco River report catching a few just prior to the water starting to rise early Thursday, December 8th.

When water conditions have been good, fishing at Elk River has been productive. It will drop and clear rapidly following a freshet.

Snow on the ground at Diamond Lake does not mean ice fishing and won’t for a while. When the water hardens, we’ll write about it here.

Eastern – Fishing for trout on the lower Deschutes has been slow but not as slow a results for summer steelhead here.

One of the challenges facing anglers who want to fish east of the Cascades is weather so be certain to check it, particularly wind and temperature which can combine to send anglers scurrying.

Steelheaders are advised to try elsewhere than the Grande Ronde River at this time of year as it does not fish its best.

The water is low at Detroit Lake, making the lower Mongold Ramp the only option for boaters until the Corps of Engineers starts to fill it again in February.

SW Washington – Steelhead have yet to make a strong showing in district rivers, but salmon anglers are still finding a few Chinook in the North Fork Lewis. Bright Chinook can often be found here through mid-December.

The Cowlitz is still showing a few coho to folks, but like other systems, steelhead returns come in greater abundance during late winter. Angler effort reflects that.

The Washougal is often an early season favorite. Action should ramp up here through the first week of January.

Razor clams may be an option this weekend. Dig information can be found here.

The Guide’s Forecast

from Oregon Fishing http://ift.tt/2gJ9gFP

NOTE: This content is automatically by NewsBot1600. If there are any inaccuracies or issues, please let us no through the contact link.

Willamette Valley/Metro – Not much on the Columbia River to fish for, anglers will focus their catch and release sturgeon efforts on the Willamette throughout the rest of the fall and winter months.

Biggest news is Free Fishing Weekend which allows all to calm or fish for any species without license or ‘tags’ Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25th and 26th. Crabbing is included but south coast bays are closed for now.

Expect to find high, muddy water on the lower Willamette and with it, debris washing down from upriver. This can be a hazardous time for boaters so exercise extreme caution until the waters start to drop. When conditions allow, catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is expected to be good.

Clackamas levels are on the rise and won’t be fishable until late in the coming week. With a couple of winters reported, this one is a possibility but these fish run later in the year than they once did.

Sandy River conditions are fairly challenging and deteriorating rapidly. Our man on the river, Pro fishing guide Jeff Stoeger of O2BFISHN Guide Service (503-704-7920), advises shopping (of all things) on Black Friday. Scarf up some tackle bargains to use when the river drops.

Fly anglers can’t catch a break this week as the McKenzie is currently getting clobbered by the storm and may not fish in the coming week. We’ll keep an eye on it and advise anglers the same.

Once again, there’s no doubt about the Santiams as the entire system, barely recovered from the last freshet, has blown out and is forecast to remain in that state, at least until we report on it again.

Northwest – With anglers still struggling to find late season Chinook, steelhead will soon draw hoards of anglers to district rivers. The run is just getting underway.

The Wilson and Kilchis Rivers remain the best bets, but if recent success is any indication, you’ll have to put in many hours if you expect results. The Kilchis remains choked with chum salmon, but anglers may no longer target them. The predicted rain storm starting Thursday, will likely put the area’s rivers out of reach for most of the holiday weekend.

Steelhead have been trapped at the North Fork Nehalem hatchery, but there are no reports of anglers catching them just yet. Steelhead have reportedly been taken in the lower Wilson River however, along with some Chinook by side-drifting small baits and colorful yarnies.

Tillamook Bay is slow for Chinook trollers and likely won’t pick back up again.

Bay crabbing is closed but clamming remains open although we won’t see productive clam tides until the following weekend.

Don’t even think about recreating on the ocean.

Southwest – Crabbing is closed in south coast bays due to a naturally-occurring bio-toxin. Unless there’s a reversal, the option is to wait for the ocean opener on December 1.

The ODFW announced this week, “The traditional Dec. 1 opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season along the entire Oregon coast will be delayed due to concerns about domoic acid levels in some areas. During recent testing, domoic acid in crab viscera from the Garibaldi area was above the alert level that normally triggers action. In addition, the overall trend indicates domoic acid in other areas may be increasing as well.”

From Reedsport, author, publisher and prolific blogger, Pete Heley (peteheley.com) recommends for anglers to head for the ponds, enjoy Free Fishing weekend, entertain the kids and have some family fun!

Rogue River levels are rising rapidly but anglers may catch a break midweek as the level and flow is predicted to drop and should be fishable Wednesday and/or Thursday this week. Keep an eye on it and get out there if you can.

Local Chetco Chinook anglers are lamenting the heavy rain this week, said to be due to El Nino. This may mark the end of the season here.

Eastern – Trout fishing (for redsides, of course) has been fairly productive on the Deschutes River which is a good thing because fishing for summer steelhead remains slow.

Trolling Crescent Lake with large plugs of herring will produce large lake trout (called Mackinaw locally) in the winter but is recommended for hearty anglers.

John Day steelheading has been poor recently but is expected to improve in December and fish into the first month or two of 2017.

SW Washington – District rivers started to show signs of a hopeful winter steelhead season. The upcoming storm however will blow out prospects for the weekend and beyond however. When rivers drop, look for the Washougal, Lewis, Kalama and Cowlitz to start producing a few winter steelhead.

Coho and Chinook seasons are on the brink of blinking out for the year.

Look to the WDF&W web site for updated trout stocking information. Area lakes will receive generous plants of trout to counter Black Friday, where kids should NOT be. It’s been a great tradition for several years now.

From The Guide’s Forecast

from Oregon Fishing http://ift.tt/2gquNDY

NOTE: This content is automatically by NewsBot1600. If there are any inaccuracies or issues, please let us no through the contact link.