fishing report

Willamette Valley – Anticipation is running high for the Friday the 13th opener of nearly the entire Columbia River. Anglers need to realize however that the bulk of the returning adults is upriver of Bonneville Dam and the 2nd half of the run is focused on upstream migration, not biting. None-the-less. there are some quality fish to be had and a May opener is a welcome chance at them. All reaches of the river will likely offer up equal opportunity but Friday is likely to be the best day.

Spring Chinook are in the lower Willamette and with double digit daily counts since the 1st of the month, there seems to be quite a few. Finding biters has been a challenge, though, but persistent anglers are getting a few.

McKenzie level and flow are excellent for fly fishers. While rain is in the forecast for the first of the coming week, it should have little effect on water conditions here.

Summer steelhead are available in the Santiam system and with good numbers of springers crossing at the Falls, catches will be reflected here soon.

Clackamas River level and flow are low and the water is quite clear. Fishing has been slow but it is hoped the freshet due in a few days will improve prospects here.

Springer fishing has been slow on the Sandy but there are many weeks ahead, during which these fish will continue to enter.

Northwest Oregon – Spring Chinook fishing is about to enter peak season on the north coast with Tillamook Bay offering up the best opportunity. Catches to date however have been slow. It’s due to break open however and with a calm ocean, lower bay options are the best.

Rivers remain low and unproductive for spring Chinook but there remains a few fish to be had nearly every morning up at the hatchery hole on the Trask River. The Wilson and Nestucca have isolated pockets of springers as well but the low water will keep them spooked.

The halibut opener out of Garibaldi wasn’t all that impressive. It likely won’t get much better either but there are some quality fish coming to the dock. Calm seas will make for a great experience, whether or not you catch your single keeper.

Razor clam digging was excellent last week but softer tides this weekend will be more conducive to crabbing; too bad that’s not all that productive.

Central & South Coast Reports – The first all-depth, three day fishery opens May 12th through 14th off the central Oregon coast with more openings scheduled as the quota allows.

Blogger, author and self-publisher of numerous Oregon fishing books, Pete Heley (peteheley.com) reports that spring Chinook catches slowed a bit this week but will bounce back.

Clamming was great in bays along the coast during the last minus tide. The next chance for extra-low tides will come in the third week of May.

Central & Eastern – Trout fishing has been good on the Deschutes this week as large Salmon Flies and Stoneflies are hatching now. This is a once-a-year event.

O’Dell has remained good for kokanee fishers. Jigging is a favorite technique here but if it’s too windy to jig, try trolling for them.

Smallmouth bass fishing remains good on the John Day both for number of fish and extra-large smallies.

A Free Family Fishing Event at Howard Prairie Reservoir will take place on Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Two 30-minute talks are also offered in a covered area at the marina.

McNary Channel Ponds near Hermiston will also have a free fishing event on Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. The event is co-sponsored by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Surf perch fishing gas been ongoing off beaches u and down the coast. Many beach casters are taking limits of these tasty fish.

Bottom fishing has been yielding good catches of rockfish and ling cod for most ocean-worthy vessels launching out of central Oregon ports.

Rogue River has been slow for spring Chinook fishing ut best for those who know what stretch to fish. Summer steelhead are also available here.

SW Washington – The Cowlitz remains the best prospect in the district but catches are not living up to the 25,000 returning adults predicted. None-the-less, we’re in peak season here and some summer steelhead are starting to show. The winter run is fading.

The Kalama remains slow but some summer steelhead are showing here as well.

The Drano Lake and Wind River fisheries are still producing fair to good catches. Bank angling at time is as good, if not better than boat angling.

The Klickitat and Yakima Rivers are coming on line too.

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Willamette Valley – Spring Chinook passage at Bonneville is dismal. Peak passage is supposed to happen during the first week of May and if that’s when the peak happens this year, it’s likely to be a bust of a run. Keep your fingers crossed, a lot is at stake.

Spring Chinook fishing is slow on the lower Willamette although catch-and-release sturgeon fishing remains good. There has been reports of better action at Oregon City but with the sea lions awaiting you to hook up, anglers are becoming quickly discouraged. A really good day is 2 or 3 fish, and we’re in peak season. Can you say mis-prediction?

McKenzie fly fishers may expect good and improving water conditions over the coming weekend with fair to good results for trout. Although the Santiam system will be gradually dropping over the coming week, there are too few fish in the system to expect great results here.

Fishing on the Clackamas has been slow not that winter steelheading is all but over and summer steelhead and spring season has barely started.

Pro guide Jeff Stoeger of O2Bfishin Guide Service (503-704-7920), reporting on the Sandy River, tells us that fishing is slow but more summer steelhead will be coming into the river in coming weeks.

Northwest Oregon – It’s early for good numbers of spring Chinook in Tillamook Bay but given the poor results in the Willamette and tributary fisheries, you still may want to consider it. It’s late for steelhead as most of the winter run is spawning although there are some summer runs available in the Wilson and Nestucca systems.

Bottom fishing is excellent however, especially for sea bass. Garibaldi Charters writes, “Garibaldi Charters 1-800-900-HOOK . The weather pattern has prevented us from doing much ocean fishing this last week, but when it was nice enough to get out we were able to get easy limits of rockfish on the nearshore reefs around Three Arch Rocks.”

Razor clam digging has been good on the minus tides. Unfortunately, we don’t have those this weekend. Crabbing has been fair at best.

There are some spring Chinook available in Clatsop County, on Big Creek and the Klaskanine Rivers.

Central & South Coast Reports – Surf perch fishing has been producing many limits for anglers fishing off most of the south coast beaches.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife announced regulations for offshore salmon and halibut for 2016. It looks a little bleak for coho fishing this season.

In his regular weekly report, author of several books on fishing, Pete Heley (PeteHeley.com) reports that pinkfin perch have yet to make their annual appearance in Winchester Bay although spring Chinook catches have been decent on the Umpqua. Warmwater fishing is really picking up and trout are available in most area lakes and ponds

Bottomfishing has been outstanding out of most south coast ports. With lingcod spawning now, they are aggressive and anxious to cooperate with anglers.

The spring Chinook season on the lower Rogue is just getting underway, although there are a few springers clear up to the hatchery. Fishing on the middle river has been spotty with upper Rogue results being fair to good.

Now clear of ice, Diamond Lake trout fishing is slow to fair but is expected to improve.

Central & Eastern – Deschutes conditions are decent with some fly anglers catching redsides, although they aren’t in good shape now. They are just coming off of the spawn.

Owyhee River is receiving a great deal of pressure now on the stretch below the dam.

With Timothy Lake open and accessible now, this is another opportunity for eastside stillwater fly fishers.

Fishing has been fair to good and very good at times at Wickiup Reservoir. The opener over the past weekend was a hottie.

Odell Lake has been very productive, producing fairly consistent limits of kokanee.

SW Washington – The Cowlitz is still clicking along but spring Chinook are now starting to make up a more significant amount of the catch. The run is tracking well with about double the number returning to date to the hatchery as they had last year at this time. The overall forecast is for 25,000 returning adults, which may be a bit of a stretch but it seems the fishery is performing well and may be the best bet in town. Don’t forget to bring your own rock however, it’s crowded!

The Lewis and Kalama remain petty and not likely to change.

The Wind River and Drano Lake fisheries are nothing to write home about either. You can’t expect much however, when Bonneville Dam is only passing about 1,000 adults per day. This fishery should really be turning on now but anglers won’t get too excited until about 3,000 adults or better per day are passing the facility.

The Guide’s Forecast

 

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Willamette Valley – Spring Chinook passage at Bonneville Dam is now concerning. It’s understandable that we’re lagging behind last years under-predicted run, but to lag behind the 10-year average by more than double, it makes you wonder. Regardless, either a late returning run or diminished returns will spell lower opportunity for sportanglers when that peak passage date actually does come, commonly, in the first week of May. We’ll need a strong uptick in passage really soon to remain optimistic.

Willamette River water levels and flow are good, Trollers are catching spring Chinook daily in the lower Willamette but not a great many of them although there was an 18 Chinook for 24 boat check on the lower Channel on Thursday. Catch-and release sturgeon fishing is still producing many fish.

McKenzie fly fishers will face a little challenge with rising water over the next few days but as the river comes into shape, trout fishing will be good.

North Santiam river levels are rising and will pit the river out of shape through much of the coming week. After recovery, there should be some steelhead available.

Sandy water conditions are good although it remains to be seen what effect rainfall over the next several will have. Up to now, steelheading and springer fishing have been slow. Much the same on the Clackamas River.

Northwest Oregon – Steelheaders have hung it up for the season on the north coast. There should be some summer steelhead available in the Wilson and Nestucca systems but anglers are starting to focus on spring Chinook in the region. Although it’s still a bit early, there have been reports from a few locations in Tillamook Bay and the Nestucca system. Peak season is still 3 weeks away.

Bottomfishing has been off the hook but consistent catches of lingcod are hard to come by. The mouth of the Columbia and the Port of Garibaldi have both been putting out easy limits of sea bass.

Low tides through the weekend could prove productive for razor clam diggers but if the ocean swell prediction comes through with the low pressure system, all bets are off.

Central & South Coast Reports – Fishery managers set salmon fishing seasons this week. Chinook on the central coast will last through Oct. 31. An un-marked coho season Sept. 3-30, or quota of 7,500 fish.The Oregon commission will be asked to approve an Elk/Sixes River ocean bubble fishery the same as last year, but reduce the Chetco bubble fishery to two weekends, Oct. 1-3 and 8-9.

Rockfish and lingcod catches are excellent off the central Oregon coast with ocean crabbing picking up slightly.

The lower Umpqua has produced a few spring Chinook and will be steadily picking up in the coming weeks as we move into the season. Crabbing is poor in Winchester Bay.

Spring Chinook will be entering the lower Rogue but anglers should be aware of fluctuating water levels and fish accordingly. The Grants Pass stretches have been producing some winter steelhead. Prospects for steelheaders are fair to good on the upper Rogue. The chance to keep one wild winter steelhead 24 inches or longer per day and five per year is over at the end of April.

Boats launching out of the Port of Brookings have been doing well for rockfish and lingcod. Anglers are reminded that the Chetco River is closed for now.

Fishing is closed for now on the Elk River.

Diamond Lake is nearly ice-free although trout fishing has been slow in the cold water here.

Central & Eastern – Trout fishing on the Deschutes has been fair to good although prospects look to be improving over the week to come.

Kokanee fishing has remained good all week at Odell Lake with jigs most effective.

Among other high lakes, Lava Lake will be accessible for the coming weekend.

The John Day River has been producing good catches of large smallmouth.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will open the upper Snake River for spring Chinook fishing on Saturday, April 23rd. Be certain to check the regulations for this fishery.

SW Washington – The Cowlitz River continues to boot out fantastic catches of steelhead for boaters and spring Chinook fishing is good too. It may not be 25,000 returning adults good however. This writer is starting to speculate that the prediction of springers to the mouth may have been over-estimated. Bank anglers are doing well too, with both steelhead and springers hitting the bank.

There are some fish coming from the Kalama and pressure is much lighter here than on the Cowlitz.

The Wind and Drano Lake fisheries are under-performing, not unexpected given passage over Bonneville Dam. We should start to see numbers climb to 1,000 to 2,000 adults per day if this prediction is going to come through.

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Willamette Valley – With the recent Columbia River closure, spring Chinook effort will now shift to the Willamette and Multnomah Channel for the next 6 weeks. After the peak passage of upper Columbia bound springers, likely the first week of May. Fishery managers will evaluate whether the sport fleet gets any additional time in pursuit of the regions most prized salmonid.

Willamette water conditions have improved this week, with water clarity and temperature conducive to fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon.

Fly fishers may expect to enjoy a good weekend on the McKenzie River, there won’t be swarms of hatches but there should be decent results.

Finally, the Santiam system is at good level and condition for anglers. There are both summer and winter steelhead in the system.

Clackamas levels will be rising overnight on Thursday, April 14th but will start dropping mid-day on Friday, the 15th, with water conditions continuing to improve over the weekend. Fish for steelhead or salmon with results expected to improve late in April.

Pro guide Jeff Stoeger of O2Bfishin Guide Service (503-704-7920), reporting on the Sandy River, tells us that stealth will be required as the water level will be dropping and is extremely clear. With winter steelhead winding down, summers are starting to enter.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a free family fishing event Saturday, April 16 at St. Louis Ponds near Woodburn from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Northwest Oregon – Even though we’re on the waning days of winter steelhead season, a Thursday rain freshet should stimulate a last-ditch opportunity for hatchery and wild fish on North Coast systems.

It’s been a great steelhead season and anglers are likely to begin to find more spawned out fish than fresh ones in the coming weeks for the remaining systems that are still open.

Anglers will soon shift their attention to Tillamook spring Chinook but fishable numbers typically don’t show up until early May.

Bottomfishing remains predictably terrific with mostly limits of seabass falling to anglers. Lingcod success has been hit or miss in the nearshore but should become more consistent in the coming weeks.

Central & South Coast Reports – When boats have been able to launch out of central Oregon ports, bottom fishing has been good to excellent.

With a quota increase of 15% in 2016 over the 2015 quota, halibut anglers are anxious for the offshore opener scheduled for May 12th.

In his regular weekly report, author of several books on fishing, Pete Heley (PeteHeley.com) reports that bass fishing has been quite good in temperate coastal lakes while many lakes that receive trout have been planted this week

Coos Bay rock and jetty fishers have been catching bottom fish. Crabbers in the bay report poor to slow results.

Spring Chinook have started entering the lower Rogue with anglers taking a few this week. Catches will improve a few weeks into the season. There are a few winter steelhead on the Grants Pass stretch but the best steelhead remains on the upper Rogue. This time of year, many steelhead have spawned or are darkening.

The Chetco and Elk rivers closed for the season on April 1.

Diamond Lake Resort reported this week that ice is melting rapidly and trout fishers may soon be able to fish and ice-free lake.

Central & Eastern – While the Stone Fly hatch is some ways off on the lower Deschutes, Caddis and March Brown imitations continue to be effective.

Water levels at Crooked River are once again too high to fish.

Odell Lake, which reported good catches of kokanee last week, has continued to produce good numbers including some limits.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been good on the John Day River with several anglers landing larch fish recently.

SW Washington – on the Cowlitz, anglers continue to produce great catches of late-season steelhead and spring Chinook are starting to show with more regularity. Some anglers are questioning whether the return predicted on the Cowlitz will actually ever come through.

The Kalama is another district favorite but results here look disappointing. Hopefully summer steelhead make a stronger showing in the coming weeks.

Effort is climbing for the Wind River and Drano Lake fisheries. Once passage at Bonneville eclipses 1,000 adults per day, we’ll see a noticeable uptick in Chinook catch rates.

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Willamette Valley – All the rage now is where to go fishing on Saturday. Following an emergency closure following Friday’s fishery, effort will certainly switch to the Willamette. You have just a few more hours to take advantage of the mainstem Columbia spring Chinook fishery, good luck with it.

Guides are reporting slower fishing by the day however but fish seem most plentiful downstream of Washougal. The gorge and Troutdale fisheries have not been productive, which is not typically the case for these easy on the eyes areas. Regardless, it seems for the last day, you’d best be suited to stay downstream of the I-205 Bridge. Trolled herring remains the key bait but anchor fishermen were doing better on Thursday, using plugs to entice strikes.

Water conditions are good on the lower Willamette, clear with good visibility. A few spring Chinook and steelhead have been taken but fishing has been slow this week. Fishing for smallmouth bass has been considerably more productive.

Water level, clarity and color are good on the McKenzie River, giving fly fishers every reason to be optimistic about a productive weekend here.

Now that a better number of winter steelhead have crossed at the Falls and run up the Willamette to enter the Santiams, there’s a fair chance to enjoy catch-and-release fishing here for wild fish.

With winter steelhead fishing all but a memory on the Clackamas River and numbers of summer steelhead and spring Chinook yet to reach mid-season levels, this might be an option best fished a little later in the season.

Pro guide Jeff Stoeger of O2 Guide Service (503-704-7920), reporting on the Sandy River, states that while it’s been slow recently, that water conditions have been good and an improvement is expected.

Northwest Oregon – With dropping flows and clearing rivers, steelheaders aren’t out of the game on the north coast but fish are much more wary under the current river and weather conditions. This is when plug fishing can become more productive. Side-drifters can certainly still score results but you’ll have to tone down the size and color of your presentation.

Given the size of the run this year, we should still have another fair week of opportunity. The Wilson and Nestucca should still headline the options and some summer steelhead may even be present. There are April 1st closures in effect so check your water body accordingly. Steelhead are certainly entering the spawning phase about now but there should still be some bright ones available in the lower reaches. Upper stretches will be treacherous to boat.

Spring Chinook fishing is now open in the Tillamook district and it’s likely there are a few around. Don’t bank on easy fishing however, we’re still a month away from better fishing. The Trask, Wilson and Nestucca Rivers are your best bets but again, don’t count on results.

Bottomfishing remains excellent when conditions allow. Although the deep reefs are now closed, hungry bass and some lingcod should be very willing to bite in the shallower waters. Ocean crabbing remains challenging.

Razor clam diggers have a nice set of tides to work with. If the surf remains subdued, digging should be very productive.

Central & South Coast Reports – Bottom fishing has been stellar out of Depoe Bay although most reports indicates slow crabbing.

Without a spring Chinook run and to protect other species, the Siuslaw River closed to fishing on April 1.

In his regular weekly report, author of several books on fishing, Pete Heley (PeteHeley.com) tells us smallmouth bass fishing is fair to good on the Umpqua and will be as good as it gets from now into June,

There are spring Chinook entering the lower Rogue as the run begins to get underway, Catches are fair now but should improve as more springers join the party, Fishing is fair to good on the middle and upper Rogue.

Bots launching out of Brookings Harbor have been making excellent catches of ling cod although rockfish numbers have been spotty.

With seasons changing and runs wrapping up, the Chetco and Elk rivers closed to fishing on April 1.

Warm weather this week has pretty much dashed the hopes of those who enjoy ice fishing at Diamond Lake. It’s melting now and will be gone in a matter of weeks.

Central & Eastern – High water has been a problem for anglers trying to catch trout on the lower Deschutes. With water dropping this week, fishing is expected to improve.

Odell Lake has been producing good catches of kokanee and, occasionally, lake trout on jigs.

Trolling for kokanee at Lake Billy Chinook has been producing good numbers of fish,

Kokanee fishing is slow at Green Peter Reservoir.

SW Washington – The Cowlitz River continues to boot out big numbers of steelhead for boat anglers and fair numbers of steelhead and spring Chinook for bank anglers. We’re entering peak season for steelhead and just a few weeks away from peak spring Chinook action. Observers are feeling pessimistic about a 25k return to the Cowlitz for spring Chinook but it may be a bit early to be judgmental just yet.

Other district rivers are not worth the ink we’re expending on this report. There are a few steelhead in the Kalama however, and I do mean a few.

Wind River and Drano Lake fisheries are non-existent. It’ll stay that way until we get 800 to 1,200 or more springers passing by each day. Hopefully, that won’t be too far off.

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Willamette Valley – Spring Chinook fishing in the Portland area is nearing its peak, at least for the time frame when sport anglers will be able to access them. Once sporadic catches are becoming more regular and guides and anglers have been reporting an unusual number of larger fish this season. All areas from the Gorge downstream to Westport, Oregon have produced nice catches recently but the better fishing will take place now through the modeled closure on April 9th.

The Columbia River gillnet fleet harvested nearly 1,200 fish for a 9-hour opener, a clear indication that there are a lot of fish in the river. Dam counts are slow to accumulate, but that is likely due to high flows and cold water. Peak passage at Bonneville is still over a month away but the next 9 days should be productive for trollers. Anchor anglers using plugs should start to see improving catches when water temperatures eclipse 50 degrees.

Lower Willamette flow is good, allowing spring Chinook hopefuls to enjoy using a variety of techniques. Anglers are less interested un sturgeon fishing with salmon in the river.

Now that rainfall is a thing of the past (OK, the recent past, but still), conditions of most metro rivers is improving as water drops and clears. So it is on the McKenzie where fly fishers will be having a great weekend.

Waters of the Santiam system have been dropping and clearing since the middle of the past week putting it in good shape for fishing.

Clackamas level and flow are excellent for angers to chase fish this weekend and long-term forecasts indicate it will be dropping through the coming week.

Pro guide Jeff Stoeger of O2 Guide Service (503-704-7920) reports again this week from the Sandy River, noting that as it drops below 10 feet for the first time this season, it’s in great shape for drift boating.

Northwest Oregon – Chinook fishers in the lower Columbia are starting to see improving water conditions and catches downstream of Longview. The fishing will only get more consistent until the likely closure on April 9th. Small tides this weekend will make boaters the stronger option but beach plunkers have been doing well on the stronger minus tides. Steelhead have been falling too, mostly to beach plunkers.

Spring Chinook opens on April 1st in some Tillamook area streams although catches likely won’t get good until mid-May. Steelheaders are still doing great as crowds thin, heading for a tastier salmonids on the Willamette Valley (spring Chinook). Rivers are forecasted to continue to drop but action should remain good for anglers versed in low-water techniques. The Wilson and Nestucca will remain the most popular for the obvious hatchery fish option.

Bottomfishers have been pounding limits of lingcod and bottomfish in the deep reef areas but that offshore option closed on April 1st. Nearshore reefs should produce well as they have not been fished all winter. Ocean crabbing is fairly slow and so is bay crabbing on the north coast.

Central & South Coast Reports – Bottom fishing has been excellent out of Depoe Bay but will only improve with calm waves and wind.

Bay crabbing which was poor after rainfall over the past week will be improving as even coastal bays suffered with too much water.

Offshore conditions should be good for just about any endeavor over the weekend and into the coming week as it will be warmer and a lot drier.

Author, blogger and TGF regular contributor Pete Heley (www.PeteHeley.com) reports from the Umpqua River where several springers have been taken to 25 pounds this week.

Rogue anglers will find the level and flow and visibility good for fishing over the coming weekend. The lower and middle (Grants Pass) stretches hold the greater promise, particularly with spring Chinook entering now.

As ocean conditions improve, recreational and charter boats will be able to launch out of the Port of Brookings where bottom fishing has been excellent.

Central & Eastern – Spring Chinook fishing will be allowed on the Deschutes River and Hood River starting April 1, 2016. Be sure to check the regulations on these fisheries prior to making the trip.

Kokanee catches for trollers at Detroit Lake have been fair to good with some taking limits.

As water level and flow continues to improve along with visibility on the John Day River, smallmouth bass fishing will get hot soon.

SW Washington – An excellent report from WDF&W, coming from the Cowlitz River:

Cowlitz River – 93 boat anglers kept 83 steelhead and 9 adult spring Chinook and released 5 steelhead. 97 bank anglers kept 16 steelhead and 10 adult spring Chinook and released 1 steelhead. Most of the steelhead catch was around the trout hatchery while spring Chinook were caught throughout the river.

Kalama River anglers are catching a few steelhead and an occasional spring Chinook.

Wind River and Drano Lake spring Chinook fisheries are not quite underway. Trollers and anxiously awaiting for better numbers to cross Bonneville Dam. Not even 200 salmon have crossed just yet.

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Willamette Valley – After a brief slow-down on spring Chinook catches, action has ramped up once again, largely in the cleaner waters above the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Anglers working from Caterpillar Island into the gorge are reporting fair catches of spring Chinook, some even eclipsing the 30-pound mark. Trolled herring are responsible for the most fish but anglers sitting on anchor are also taking fish.

Spring Chinook counts at Bonneville are lagging significantly behind last years total but that’s to be expected, given the reduced run size prediction and higher, cooler flows we’re experiencing this season. We’re still weeks away from peak migration on the lower Columbia and we likely won’t even get to fish during that time-frame.

While water conditions aren’t conducive to trolling for springers as its high and muddy now, sturgeon fishing is as near a sure thing as anyone could ask for. While sturgeon is a strictly catch-and-release fishery, youngsters love hooking these big fish. It puts a smile on adult faces as well.

As water conditions improve on the McKenzie River in the week to come, fly anglers should consider a foray to this location as the change of seasons will become evident this week.

There is a cadre of winter steelhead anglers who devote themselves to catch-and-release of wild steelhead and this is the week to consider doing so on the Santiam system.

Waters of the Clackamas are fairly high and will get higher before showing some improvement late in the coming week. This is good news for anglers, though, particularly if they time their trip right.

Regarding the Sandy River, as much as we would like to have the power to see through weather conditions, freezing levels, snowpack and all other elements which have an effect on this location, it’s not always possible. Even our regular contributor, pro guide Jeff Stoeger of O2 Guide Service (503-704-7920) advises anglers to just keep an eye on the river gauge.

Northwest Oregon – Steelheaders had a good week on the north coast. Although size wise, the fish weren’t averaging all that large, quantities made up for the lack of quality. We’re in peak season right now and given the magnitude of the run-size this year, we shouldn’t be surprised that action is so good. It is likely to taper however as dropping flows and a whole-heck-of-a-lot of fish passed through last week.

The Wilson and Nestucca will remain primary targets for anglers desiring to take fish home. The Trask and Kilchis will be good options for those wishing to avoid crowds. New still have several more good weeks of steelheading ahead.

Offshore weather conditions allowed for access to hungry lingcod and sea bass late last week. Not so much the case this week as rough seas, including gale force winds will make bar crossings illegal. It’ll be great fishing when the weather cooperates.

Don’t count on good crabbing or clamming given the tides and weather factors coming up this weekend. There will be better times ahead however.

A BUNCH of trout got stocked for spring break on the north coast this week. It’s a great time to pursue them for those wanting better action. Check here for all your options.

Central & South Coast Reports – Central coast charters report excellent bottom fishing this week whenever they have been able to get out. There have been limits for all on these trips although crabbing has been a little slow.

This should be a great week to fish for surf perch. These fish are not too particular about which beaches they prefer although they do like a place where the water is a little deeper close to shore. Many baits work including shrimp, mussels and sand worms.

Author, blogger and TGF regular contributor Pete Heley (www.PeteHeley.com) reports the Umpqua River is muddy at this time. As water conditions improve, he mentions that springers have been caught below Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua so that might be a good place to start.

Rogue River waters are running high this week and, according to river forecasts, will be somewhat slow in recovering. As conditions improve, so will steelheading. Springers are starting to enter as well so angers may expect prospects to pick up in coming weeks.

Conditions on the Chetco river have already started to improve with winter steelhead widely scattered throughout the system.

Most south coast lakes have been planted with hatchery and larger trout and are providing good fishing for big and little folks alike. Warm water fish are also becoming active.

Central & Eastern – Fly fishers on the lower Deschutes report fair to good fishing for redsides. March Browns are starting to hatch now.

Trollers at Detroit Reservoir have been catching a mix of mostly kokanee and some rainbow trout but doing pretty well for this time of year.

As well-known as the John Day River is for producing summer steelhead, this is the time of year when it starts to produce jumbo smallmouth bass.

SW Washington – Steelhead catches on the Cowlitz remain impressive with a fish for every other boat over the weekend. Spring Chinook are starting to fall with more regularity too. The Cowlitz hatchery is well ahead of last years start, a good indication that the bumper crop is indeed coming.

Other tributaries are still not producing well. The Lewis and Kalama remain sub-par with little likelihood of improvement.

Despite low numbers of salmon over Bonneville, there is some effort at Wind River and Drano Lake. Catches are nil however.

Lower Columbia River data shows that mainstem “black-chins” are starting to make up a larger percentage of the catch. Nothing surprising here.

The Guide’s Forecast

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Willamette Valley – A series of storms and a turbid Willamette River have slowed effort for spring Chinook on the mainstem Columbia. Catches had been fair but you’ll likely find effort waning this weekend, especially below the mouth of the Willamette, which is currently spewing mud. Run timing however, would suggest an uptick in success rates and that should certainly start to get reflected in the above Davis Bar fishery across from the mouth of the Willamette.

Fish passage at Bonneville is still a trickle but more Columbia River bound fish are due to come in. Keep in mind however, that the run size for upper Columbia basin spring Chinook is not impressive this year.

The Willamette River is still quite cool and off-color but springer trollers are hoping that the water will clear as the height doesn’t matter as long as Chinook can see the bait or lure.

High at this time, the North Santiam is forecast to drop and clear over the coming weekend, there aren’t a great many fish here bit conditions will be good to catch them.

Clackamas steelheaders have had it tough this week between high levels and off-color water. That will improve over the weekend to come and there should be steelhead to catch.

While steelheading has slowed a little on the Sandy River, with water conditions improving in the next few days there is a possibility that more winters will push in.

Northwest Oregon – Steelheaders largely had the week off as north coast streams and rivers were running too high for success for much of the fishing period. Smaller systems came into play at mid-week and the Wilson was fishing well on Thursday. With all the high water we’ve experienced this season however, what would normally be a very productive time of the year, was consistent, not explosive. Many anglers, both from the bank and boat, enjoyed some quality steelhead from the Wilson on Thursday. There were some spawned out steelhead in the catches as well; a product of a strong early season return (January/February).

The Nestucca should begin to fish well on Friday and through the weekend.

Smaller streams such as the Kilchis, North Fork Nehalem and Necanicum, should start to get surprisingly low by the weekend. This should offer bank anglers throughout these systems, fair opportunity for catch and release fishing. The hatchery run is over on these rivers.

Friday looks to offer a rare opportunity for offshore bottomfish too. The forecast is calling for friendly seas but many aren’t likely to be prepared for the opportunity. Lingcod and seabass will be readily sacrificial however but the ocean blows back up again by the weekend.

Clam diggers and crabbers don’t have much to get excited about this weekend. Fresh water inundation and medium tides don’t offer up much in the way of excitement.

Central & South Coast Reports – With the ocean laying down now, charter boats one again got out this weekend to catch limits of ling cod.

With the ocean fairly calm and winds dying down over the weekend to come, pinkfin surf perch will be targeted by some anglers fishing right off the beach.

This week, Pete Heley joins the staff as a contributor, telling our readers to expect spring Chinook on the Umpqua and for crappie fishing to improve in local lakes and ponds.

Rogue level and flows ramped way up this week, from Lost Creek Reservoir to the mouth. Conditions are on the mend, however, and the lower and middle stretches should fish over the next few days although it will rise again on Monday next week.

Winter steelheading was good before the last storm front passed, dropping rain and causing the river to rise and roil. Conditions will be improving over the weekend and there are still steelhead to be caught.

Most of the lakes and ponds on the south coast are being planted in anticipation of spring break, Take the kids & have some fun!

Central & Eastern – One can’t reasonably expect red-hot trout fishing on the Deschutes at this time of year but despite the water being high, it hasn’t been too bad.

The Metolius is a favorite east-side destination for off-season fly anglers. Living up to its reputation, fishing here has been fair to good, but always challenging.

While the John Day River is high and muddy today, it will be dropping and clearing. In a few weeks, some really large smallmouth will be landed here.

Wickiup Reservoir will open in late April.

SW Washington – The Cowlitz is really coming on-line for steelhead right now. Catch rates are impressive as we see the fruits of a run timing change from early to late stock returning steelhead. The WDF&W check goes as follows:

132 boat anglers kept 85 hatchery winter run steelhead and released 1 wild fish. 64 bank anglers kept 5 hatchery adult spring Chinook and 10 hatchery winter run steelhead plus released 1 hatchery winter run steelhead. The spring Chinook were caught at the barrier dam while the steelhead were mainly caught around the trout hatchery though some fish were also caught downriver.

Other district streams continue to produce poorly for winter steelhead.

There have been catches of spring Chinook punched at Wind River and Drano Lakes this year but it’s way too early to put in a strong effort. It will be another month before this fishery really ramps up.

The Guide’s Forecast

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Willamette Valley – Spring Chinook are starting to fall with more regularity on the lower Columbia. Reports from the mainstem, downstream of Portland, show fairly consistent success for the water conditions and yet early timing of the run. Counts at Bonneville are ahead of the 10-year average but only 1/3 of last years total at this time. Water conditions were very different last year, with the drought and all. There have been fish caught above I-5.

Water will start rising on the lower Willamette but will also get muddy. This is not great news for springer anglers but shouldn’t effect the sturgeon fishing which has been good in the lower river.

Trout fishing on the McKenzie has been slow but that’s to be expected at this time of year. Angling will continue as the river drops and clears.

Although the North Santiam is currently very high and is forecast to remain that way over the next few days, it will start dropping late in the coming week.

While the Clackamas River is expected to come up to a level which won’t allow fishing for a while, once it starts to drop and clear, steelheading will resume.

Steelheading on the Sandy River has-been pretty good but slowed somewhat this week. While it may return to what it was a few weeks ago, winter steelhead will be available once water conditions improve. The hatchery run is largely over however.

Northwest Oregon – Steelheaders put up with high flows for much of the week, including a significant river rise on Wednesday, putting most systems out until at least Friday. With the prolonged period of high water, there is no large concentration of fish but consistent catches are keeping anglers interested. The Wilson and Nestucca are producing best in the upper reaches with bank anglers having good access to fresh fish so far this month.

Smaller systems like the Kilchis and upper Trask will remain good bets during periods of high flow but the chance for a hatchery fish remains slim. There should be ample numbers of wild fish available however, as we enter peak season for both of these systems.

The Necanicum and North Fork Nehalem are also good options for wild fish during the late season. These are challenging for boaters however but doable if you have a smaller pontoon boat or raft for these more technical stretches.

Still no sign of calming seas. Bottomfish and ocean crab will remain on hold. A high surf will make clamming a poor prospect as well.

Central & South Coast Reports – Ocean conditions and high winds may not allow boats to get out to the ocean for bottomfish or crab in the coming week.

The trick to catching fish on coastal rivers is to time fishing to when the water level is dropping and clearing.

Fishing for rockfish, kelp greenling and even lingcod has been fair to good along the jetties at Winchester Bay. Crabbing is expected to slow with rainfall.

While winter steelhead were caught earlier this week at various locations on the Coos River system, steelheading will be on pause here until the rivers drop and clear.

The entire Rogue system is expected to take quite a wallop from storm systems over the next few days. Fishing should resume as the weather breaks with the middle river as good a bet as any.

Chetco water will be similarly effected although this system has the advantage of dropping and clearing rapidly.

Any hope of ice fishing at Diamond Lake has been put on hold as rain has softened the frozen surface, making it unsafe at this time.

Central & Eastern – Trout fishing is wintertime slow on the lower Deschutes with few opportunities for dry fly fishing.

The John Day River is predicted to crest today, March 10th at which time it is expected to be a muddy mess. It can only improve from here.

Detroit Lake has started producing a few trout and kokanee to winter trollers this week, Fishing will improve into springtime.

SW Washington – The Cowlitz River is starting to produce fine catches of winter steelhead and some spring Chinook as well. Creel checks showed 38 boat anglers with 27 hatchery winter run steelhead kept. 59 bank anglers landed 3 hatchery spring chinook and 9 hatchery winter run steelhead.

The Kalama and Lewis Rivers remain slow for steelhead

The Wind River and Drano Lake fisheries open on March 16th and although numbers past Bonneville remain low, there are fish in the region. The run will build steadily into late April.

Creel checkers working the mainstem Columbia tallied 151 Chinook for the month of February; the largest catches for February since 2011.

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Willamette Valley – Spring Chinook are starting to fall with more regularity now. Recent precipitation however will put the Willamette out of shape but the mainstem Columbia is producing enough fish to create an early season frenzy. As is common, larger 5-year and even 6-year old fish show in the early portion of the run. This is evidenced by the 20 – 30-pounders hitting the deck this time of year. Of course these fish only make up a small portion of the run, catching one in early March and certainly February, is quite a treat! Springers have been reported from the gorge downstream to Longview. Do remember however, it’s early, so don’t go into it with high expectations.

We’re going to start reporting on Columbia River spring Chinook again so look for that new addition this week!

The big news is spring Chinook on the lower Willamette and that trollers and anchor fishers are catching a few every day.

Fly anglers will be able to catch some winter trout once the McKenzie starts to recover from precipitation this week With water high and rising on the North Santiam, it is not a good choice at this time.

Winter steelheading has been decent on the Clackamas and should continue although the water will be on the rise in the coming week.

Steelhead stalled on the Sandy with rainfall starting over the past weekend. It’s still high and rising at this writing.

Northwest Oregon – Steelheaders have had to endure high water conditions in recent days but the strong steelhead showing continues on in NW Oregon systems. The Wilson and Nestucca remain the busiest waterways, due to the late season hatchery option which continues to prove itself worthy this year. Action was good on the Wilson and Nestucca last weekend and early in the week and will likely produce good results again when flows subside.

Wild fish should start to show in better numbers on most other north coast streams with the Trask, Kilchis and Necanicum Rivers all good options, especially when the larger rivers such as the Wilson, Trask and Nehalem remain too big for good success.

Bank anglers should find success in any accessible river reaches. With the recent high flows, fish will be well distributed in all systems, well into the upper areas.

Another strong weather system will keep boats from recreating on the ocean this weekend and next week. Bottomfish will be readily available if the ocean ever cooperates.

Coastal estuaries won’t be all the pleasant to recreate on either. Bay crabbing is fair at best anyway.

Central & South Coast Reports – Rough offshore conditions are forecast for the coming week which will prevent offshore forays.

While winter is the time of year to think of surf perch fishing, it has continued whenever conditions allow over this winter.

Crabbing has been improving slowly on Winchester Bay but rainfall in the coming week won’t do the crabbers any good.

With spring Chinook starting up on the Umpqua, that is what most anglers are fishing for now.

Steelheaders are catching fish on the lower Rogue but now that the first spring Chinook of the year has been landed, their focus may change. The Grants Pass stretch has been producing winter steelhead.

Offshore anglers launching out of the Port of Brookings are doing well for bottomfish, particularly lingcod. The Chetco is expected to fish well once it recovers from the effects of passing storm fronts. The Medford newspaper reported the Diamond Lake has sufficiently frozen to once again allow ice fishing.

Central & Eastern – While wintertime trout fishing is a sport to test anyone’s patience, fishing for redsides on the lower Deschutes can be quite rewarding for fly anglers.

Winter fly anglers often fish the Metolius as it has a history of producing trout at this time of year.

Wallowa River steelheaders report that the river is in good conditions and producing summer steelhead.

Kokanee fishing is quite good at Odell where anglers also have a chance to catch large lake trout.

Lake Billy Chinook has continued to produce fair to good numbers of kokanee as well as the occasional smallish bull trout.

SW Washington – The Cowlitz River remains the main target for late-run winter steelhead for district anglers. No recent reports of spring Chinook and action for salmon likely won’t pick up until later this month.

Other systems such as the Kalama and Lewis are only putting out an occasional steelhead. Returns to these rivers in recent years have been depressing.

The commercial smelt fishery only harvested a little over 4,700 pounds. That’s about 1/4 of the poundage caught in the previous 2 years.

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