02-19-2012, 12:50 AM
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Willamette Valley/Metro- Interest is growingon the lower Columbia for early run spring chinook but mainstem anglers arereporting poor results. Although salmon and sturgeon are clearly present in theriver, anglers focused on the lower Willamette are finding greater success.
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WillametteRiver water level and visibility have continued to gradually improve. The riveris expected to be jammed with anglers this weekend for the sturgeon retentionopener. The Portland Harbor should produce good results.
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Avidangler John Shmilenko claimed the first spring chinook taken at Sellwood Bridgethis season. Shmilenko caught the fish in 18 feet of water using a green labelherring fished near the bottom. Several more springers have been reported onthe Willamette since; mostly on green label herring. These early returningspring chinook are often 5-year olds, tipping the scales to 20+ poundsconsistently. The smaller 4-year old component typically shows up later inApril.
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TheBonneville Pool will close beginning Saturday for catch and keep opportunities.Catch and release action should remain good.
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TheMcKenzie River is fishing well for fly-rodders tossing nymphs to wild redsides.
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NorthSantiam steelheaders will find the best water conditions yet this year and afew wild steelhead in the system.
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Clackamaslevels will be dropping through the coming weekend. Steelheading has been slowwith returns low so far this year.
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SandyRiver water levels rose over the weekend but has since dropped to lower levels.Steelheading is slow to fair.
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Be sure toturn in 2011 tags, filled or not, for a chance at winning a drift boat from theODFW.
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Northwest – Measureableprecipitation kept most north coast steelhead rivers in good shape with mixedreports coming from each system. The Wilson and Nestucca remain fan favoriteswith broodstock steelhead an option as well as a quality wild run. The lowerreaches will continue to fish the best until the next significant rainfallwhich may come over the weekend.
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The North ForkNehalem continues to report fresh steelhead into the hatchery trap butconditions are low and clear, making for low catch rates. Most smaller streamsthat support earlier returns are done for the season but a token wild returnshould offer up some quality catch and release options.
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The mainstem Nehalem should become more consistent in the coming weeks. Thisriver gets a good run of wild fish but it’s sheer size allows steelhead tododge offerings more easily than smaller systems. There is good bank access inthe upper reaches but boaters frequently fish from the Beaver Slide to RoyCreek or Mohler Sand and Gravel but access to their take-out only exists on theweekdays during business hours.
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The Siletz River hasbeen producing steady catches of steelhead but not like anglers remember ashatchery plants are fewer under state policy. Wild fish can certainlysupplement a quality day on the river.
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Another round ofgood sturgeon tides will fall upon Tillamook Bay this weekend, but will makecrabbing a poor option in most estuaries. High winds and a big swell will keepocean enthusiasts off the seas and could compromise a good razor clamopportunity along Clatsop Beaches.
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Southwest – Boatswill remain inshore with ocean swells forecast to increase over the comingweekend.
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Streamsand rivers are in fair shape for steelheaders with mild weather and periodicshowers in the forecast which should keep options viable through the weekend.This is prime time for winter steelhead at many locations with conditionspredicted to improve somewhat in the week to come.
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Sturgeonfishers are doing well on Winchester Bay around the Highway 101 Bridge formostly oversized fish. Crabbing is fair to good. Winter steelhead catches havebeen fair to good with best results reported from the mainstem Umpqua aroundElkton.
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Coos Baycrabbing is worthwhile with salinity returning to normal levels. Steelheadinghas slowed in low water conditions.
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Roguesteelheaders may expect to find low water dropping even further through thecoming weekend. Despite challenging conditions, a few fresh fish are beingtaken on the lower river. Middle Rogue anglers are taking the occasional winterby drifting small baits or lures. Upper river fishing is spotty in skinnyflows.
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TheChetco River which is low and clear this week is forecast to be falling throughthe weekend. It should rise sufficiently to provide some fair fishing in theweek to come. Anything over 1,000 cfs will produce winter steelhead to stealthyanglers using light leaders.
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Smallerstreams such as the Elk and Sixes were too low to fish well mid-week. Rain willprovide short-lived windows of opportunity for steelheaders.
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Eastern – Nymphs are taking a few trout on the Deschutes butcheck the regulations for closed stretches.
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Lake Billy Chinook has produced some large bulltrout to trollers recently.
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Steelhead trollers in The Dalles Pool continue toscore fish with a fish per rod average still being checked.
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Eastern Oregon rivers such as the Grande Ronde andWallowa are still offering good steelhead opportunities for boaters and bankanglers. As long as rivers don’t receive a lot of precipitation, they couldproduce good results for the next several weeks.
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SW Washington – For tributaries upstream of theCowlitz, hatchery returns remain lower than last year. The Washougal producedabout a fish per rod over the weekend with almost half of those fish wild.
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The North Fork of theLewis should start to see some large natives showing and the Kalama might be afair late season option.
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Smelt seem to be making astrong showing in the Cowlitz with interested observers claiming returns notseen in recent history. It’s quite a spectacle with eagles, sea gulls and sealsall taking part in the bounty. Harvest remains closed to recreational andcommercial fishers.
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Willamette Valley/Metro- Interest is growingon the lower Columbia for early run spring chinook but mainstem anglers arereporting poor results. Although salmon and sturgeon are clearly present in theriver, anglers focused on the lower Willamette are finding greater success.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
WillametteRiver water level and visibility have continued to gradually improve. The riveris expected to be jammed with anglers this weekend for the sturgeon retentionopener. The Portland Harbor should produce good results.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Avidangler John Shmilenko claimed the first spring chinook taken at Sellwood Bridgethis season. Shmilenko caught the fish in 18 feet of water using a green labelherring fished near the bottom. Several more springers have been reported onthe Willamette since; mostly on green label herring. These early returningspring chinook are often 5-year olds, tipping the scales to 20+ poundsconsistently. The smaller 4-year old component typically shows up later inApril.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
TheBonneville Pool will close beginning Saturday for catch and keep opportunities.Catch and release action should remain good.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
TheMcKenzie River is fishing well for fly-rodders tossing nymphs to wild redsides.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
NorthSantiam steelheaders will find the best water conditions yet this year and afew wild steelhead in the system.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Clackamaslevels will be dropping through the coming weekend. Steelheading has been slowwith returns low so far this year.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
SandyRiver water levels rose over the weekend but has since dropped to lower levels.Steelheading is slow to fair.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Be sure toturn in 2011 tags, filled or not, for a chance at winning a drift boat from theODFW.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Northwest – Measureableprecipitation kept most north coast steelhead rivers in good shape with mixedreports coming from each system. The Wilson and Nestucca remain fan favoriteswith broodstock steelhead an option as well as a quality wild run. The lowerreaches will continue to fish the best until the next significant rainfallwhich may come over the weekend.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
The North ForkNehalem continues to report fresh steelhead into the hatchery trap butconditions are low and clear, making for low catch rates. Most smaller streamsthat support earlier returns are done for the season but a token wild returnshould offer up some quality catch and release options.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
The mainstem Nehalem should become more consistent in the coming weeks. Thisriver gets a good run of wild fish but it’s sheer size allows steelhead tododge offerings more easily than smaller systems. There is good bank access inthe upper reaches but boaters frequently fish from the Beaver Slide to RoyCreek or Mohler Sand and Gravel but access to their take-out only exists on theweekdays during business hours.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
The Siletz River hasbeen producing steady catches of steelhead but not like anglers remember ashatchery plants are fewer under state policy. Wild fish can certainlysupplement a quality day on the river.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Another round ofgood sturgeon tides will fall upon Tillamook Bay this weekend, but will makecrabbing a poor option in most estuaries. High winds and a big swell will keepocean enthusiasts off the seas and could compromise a good razor clamopportunity along Clatsop Beaches.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Southwest – Boatswill remain inshore with ocean swells forecast to increase over the comingweekend.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Streamsand rivers are in fair shape for steelheaders with mild weather and periodicshowers in the forecast which should keep options viable through the weekend.This is prime time for winter steelhead at many locations with conditionspredicted to improve somewhat in the week to come.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Sturgeonfishers are doing well on Winchester Bay around the Highway 101 Bridge formostly oversized fish. Crabbing is fair to good. Winter steelhead catches havebeen fair to good with best results reported from the mainstem Umpqua aroundElkton.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Coos Baycrabbing is worthwhile with salinity returning to normal levels. Steelheadinghas slowed in low water conditions.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Roguesteelheaders may expect to find low water dropping even further through thecoming weekend. Despite challenging conditions, a few fresh fish are beingtaken on the lower river. Middle Rogue anglers are taking the occasional winterby drifting small baits or lures. Upper river fishing is spotty in skinnyflows.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
TheChetco River which is low and clear this week is forecast to be falling throughthe weekend. It should rise sufficiently to provide some fair fishing in theweek to come. Anything over 1,000 cfs will produce winter steelhead to stealthyanglers using light leaders.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Smallerstreams such as the Elk and Sixes were too low to fish well mid-week. Rain willprovide short-lived windows of opportunity for steelheaders.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Eastern – Nymphs are taking a few trout on the Deschutes butcheck the regulations for closed stretches.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Lake Billy Chinook has produced some large bulltrout to trollers recently.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Steelhead trollers in The Dalles Pool continue toscore fish with a fish per rod average still being checked.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Eastern Oregon rivers such as the Grande Ronde andWallowa are still offering good steelhead opportunities for boaters and bankanglers. As long as rivers don’t receive a lot of precipitation, they couldproduce good results for the next several weeks.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
SW Washington – For tributaries upstream of theCowlitz, hatchery returns remain lower than last year. The Washougal producedabout a fish per rod over the weekend with almost half of those fish wild.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
The North Fork of theLewis should start to see some large natives showing and the Kalama might be afair late season option.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
Smelt seem to be making astrong showing in the Cowlitz with interested observers claiming returns notseen in recent history. It’s quite a spectacle with eagles, sea gulls and sealsall taking part in the bounty. Harvest remains closed to recreational andcommercial fishers.
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
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