SW Washington fishing reports

Willamette Valley/Metro- All the local rivers are swollen from the rains, leaving few options for fishing this week.  Last week a handful of anglers reported good catch and release sturgeon fishing in the Portland Harbor. Most are undersize and barely legal size with the occasional larger fish. Even with the rise in water levels, these fish will likely still be hanging around and may offer some action. Barbless hooks are required and bait is legal. Smelt is the top bait if you can find them but herring, squid, sand shrimp, anchovies and good old earthworms will catch sturgeon any day. Most action happens just above and below the St Johns Bridge so launching at Cathedral Park or Swan Island would be the norm. Anchor in water from 30-80 feet of depth and use 4-12 ounces of lead. Steer clear of the shipping channel as ship traffic will remain steady.

McKenzie River levels should start to drop late this week as precipitation moderates. Caddis will remain the predominant pattern, whether nymphs, emergers or dries.

The Santiams are high and muddy, with conditions forecast to remain that way into the first full week of November.

When the rain begins to subside and the Sandy and Clackamas begin to drop, look for a few remnant silvers and expect the first winter steelhead to be caught from Meldrum Bar. Regulations change for salmon and trout on these systems beginning November 1^st.

Northwest – Although effort has been light at mid-week, chinook remain available for the few willing to brave torrent conditions on Tillamook Bay. Rivers remain high, contributing to a stained estuary but chinook often stage at Bay City, the Ghost Hole and at the mouths of these rivers until river flows subside. Herring will take fish in turbid conditions but employ the use of scents for further attraction.

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods in Lake Oswego will host a fall chinook seminar on November 8^th, detailing the best methods to employ when pursuing these fish in fresh water. The event runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

 

Tillamook area rivers are currently blown out, forcing a cancellation of the North Coast Rendezvous. Rivers, especially smaller tributaries such as the Necanicum and Kilchis, should provide some opportunity as early as Friday although leafy debris will likely hamper success for several more days. Watch for dangerous sweeper logs however as drenched stream banks and high winds certainly caused hazardous blow-downs for driftboaters.

 

The Trask and Wilson may fish by the weekend but plan on clearing lures and baits of leafy debris constantly to fish effectively. Both plugs and bait should be effective and fish should be plentiful when flows subside.

 

The Nehalem fishery is effectively over. This system will take a long time to clear and with fall rains underway, ideal conditions may not be witnessed for a long while.   

 

Southwest- Offshore conditions have kept recreational and charter craft inshore over the past week. Forecasts indicate un-friendly ocean conditions off the central coast this week.

 

The Siuslaw wild coho fishery may be closing in the near future, depending on river conditions. As of October 28th, 1,590 or 93.5% of the 1,700-fish quota had been taken. The Alsea closed earlier but the Siletz, Yaquina Umpqua Coos and Coquille will fish for a while.

 

The wild coho troll fishery at Siltcoos has been producing for a few weeks while Tahkenitch and Tenmile will start putting out fish in the next week or two.

 

Chinook and coho catches have slowed in Winchester Bay and the Umpqua mainstem. Smallmouth bass fishing is slowing as water temperatures drop in the Elkton stretch. Summer steelheading is fair on the North Umpqua where chinook fishing is disallowed.

 

Catches of coho and chinook have slowed on the lower Coquille and in Coos Bay and River.

 

Trollers in the Rogue estuary have been experiencing fair results for chinook and coho. Rogue levels are forecast to spike over the coming weekend, and then drop in the week to come. Freshets are luring salmon upstream where anglers are intercepting them. A combination of chinook, adult steelhead and half-pounders are being caught around Agness. Steelheading has improved on the middle Rogue with eggs or egg imitations effective. Gear fishing will once again be allowed on the upper Rogue as the flies-only restriction ends November 1st. Fishing is expected to be quite good as upper river summers have seen only feathery offerings and egg imitations for months.

 

Chetco estuary trollers have been taking fair but steady numbers of chinook on anchovies or herring with best results occurring on an incoming tide. The Chetco, scheduled to open above River Mile 2.2 on Saturday, November 2nd, opens today thanks to decent river volume and should provide chinook opportunities as rain continues to fall in the southwest. Following an increase to roughly 5,000 cfs, long range projections have the water dropping shortly after the opener but plunking will probably be the technique of choice at first. Last season, salmon to 40 pounds or better were landed.

 

Eastern – Fishing has been slow to fair on the Deschutes as anglers deal with periodic turbidity as a result of periodic rainfall and a mobilization of glacial sediment.

 

While northwest Oregon has endured a deluge recently, the Crooked River has remained low and stable. It is fishing well. Clouds and rain will trigger BWO hatches.

 

SW Washington- With most lower Columbia tributaries on a steady rise, anglers will have some additional opportunity for coho and chinook following the drop. That drop however may not take place until late in the weekend.

District rivers are far from the coho counts of 2011 confirming a downturn in returning trends this year. None-the-less, fair action can still be anticipated on the Cowlitz with limited opportunity on the other systems.

 

Anglers may want to look to the more controlled reservoirs upstream of The Dalles and the Bonneville Pool. Coho catches at the mouth of the Klickitat should remain consistent.

 

Soapbox Update: Two noteworthy events coming up this week:

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods in Lake Oswego will host a fall chinook seminar on November 8^th, detailing the best methods to employ when pursuing these fish in fresh water. The event runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Pro guide and publisher of The Guide’s Forecast Bob Rees will deliver this critical information to help you catch more fish. North Coast State Forest Coalition organizer Chris Smith will co-present with Bob on actions the coalition are doing in order to  fully protect sensitive spawning and rearing grounds for wild salmon on state forest lands. More info can be found at the coalition’s web site and check out the other outings we’re offering in the following weeks: www.forestlegacy.org

 

The other big upcoming event is the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife commission meeting in Salem on November 9^th. At this meeting the public will get an opportunity to testify on behalf of Governor Kitzhaber’s initiative for a sportfishing priority for the Columbia River. This is an unprecedented opportunity for anglers to advocate for drastic changes on allocation, thus meaningful fishing time for spring chinook, summer chinook, sturgeon and coho on the river that produces more angler trips than any other body of water in Oregon. For more information on how you can join this effort most effectively, contact Bob Rees at brees@pacifier.com