Willamette Valley/Metro- Gillnet test fishing
reveals that a larger number of steelhead remain in the mainstem. Although some
upriver spring chinook are appearing in both sport and test net fisheries, it’s
not the number most were expecting for this time of year. Although the fish may
be present, strong sport catches are not reflecting this, likely due to cold
water conditions. Catches should continue to ramp up with the last week of
March and the first week of April to produce good catches as long as the season
stays open.
Sturgeon fishing
remains slow although some keepers are coming from the Portland to Kalama stretch.
Water
temperature at Willamette
Falls is hovering in the
mid-40s with the level on the rise. About 200 summer steelhead have been
counted along with over 4,300 winters. A few summer steelhead have been taken
on the Town Run near Eugene.
Prior to
the deluge this week and with the March Brown hatch imminent, lower McKenzie
anglers took large redsides on nymphs. Water levels are rising this week.
The
Santiams are on the rise and will be out of shape through the coming weekend.
The
Clackamas and Sandy have been producing fair to good results but will be out of
shape and unfishable until sometime next week. Low level snow will keep
temperatures cold but when temperatures rise and levels stabilize, the action
should be good.
Northwest – Steelheaders have
been met with challenging conditions lately, with wind and snow deterring many Willamette Valley anglers from making the trip.
Action has been good however although anglers were faced with low water
conditions over the weekend.
The Wilson continues to be a
top producer although the Nestucca is a close second. Both systems have good
runs of hatchery fish right now with a fair sampling of wild fish mixed in.
ODF&W has indicated production goals are on target to meet next year’s
needs for the broodstock program, indicating that a healthy return of wild fish
are coming back to the Wilson and Nestucca basins.
Low water conditions
late last week were cause enough to pull plugs when most anglers continue to
side-drift. Charlie McCormick and his fishing partner Colby took their 2-fish
limits on K11x Kwikfish on Friday working the water between Siskeyville and Sollie Smith
Bridge. The largest fish
tipped the scales at 10-pounds.
The Trask has been
producing fair numbers of wild fish recently. Less crowded, anglers have a few
different sections of the river to float based on river heights. This system
will only get more productive as April approaches.
Smaller streams such
as the Kilchis, Necanicum and North Fork of
the Nehalem may be the best options over the weekend as another round of high
water is expected mid-week. Boaters need to exercise extreme caution however as
recent high winds and moisture-laden snow have likely downed large conifers
into the river systems.
Although the
offshore chinook season south of Cape
Falcon opens this week,
wind and wave action will keep all participants in port. Ocean waters were hard
on fisherman last week as 6 people lost their lives off the coast of Oregon and Washington;
be fully prepared and don’t take chances.
Southwest – When
boats have been able to get out, it has been "lights out" for lingcod
and near limits on rockfish for all. Rough ocean conditions this week will
intensify into the coming weekend.
Ocean
Chinook opens on March 15th off the central coast and promises excellent fishing
as the season gets underway. A strong return is forecast with the season
extending through September and possibly into October. The opener south of Port
Orford will open May 1st.
Winchester Bay has been producing good crab
catches but rain this week will slow results. The Umpqua
system is swelling this week as storms move through. Steelheading on the South Umpqua slowed in low water last week but will fish
well once conditions improve from this week’s freshet. Catch and release
fishing will be good on the north Umpqua when
it drops as large numbers of winter steelhead were observed at Winchester Dam
on Monday this week.
Crabbing
has been good in Coos
Bay but a flush of fresh
water is likely to drive Dungeness back out to the ocean.
Rogue spring chinook, while not yet available in great numbers, had being taken
through the past weekend. Storms will blow out the lower and middle rivers for
the weekend to come. The upper Rogue will be the best bet if it doesn’t get too
swift.
Fresh
steelhead entered the Chetco with rain this week. While steelheading is usually
winding down this late in the season, it was good once again over the past
weekend.
Eastern – Fishing has been very slow on the middle Deschutes with the water high and swift. However, on
Monday this week, irrigation started and the water level has dropped
considerably. Blue-Winged Olives are hatching along with midges in this
stretch. Prospects and water conditions will improve in April.
SW Washington – With most anglers focusing on
spring chinook on the mainstem Columbia,
late arriving winter steelhead in the districts rivers are often overlooked.
The Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis Rivers are still
producing fair catches of steelhead for the few that are participating in the
fishery.
Many streams close to
steelhead fishing on March 15th while tributaries upstream of
Bonneville Dam open to spring chinook. Fair returns are forecasted for the Wind
and Drano systems but only 7 salmon have passed Bonneville so far so anglers
are still weeks away from productive fishing in these areas.
