03-26-2004, 02:33 PM
Oregon Fisheries Update
March 26th – April 1st , 2004
Columbia fishing has finally taken a turn for the better. Sport boats and commercial netters had some good days of fishing this week on the lower Columbia. From the catch stats, it looks like most of the bag is made up of Willamette spring chinook so look for action to pick up in the Multnomah Channel and the mouth of the Willamette itself!
Sturgeon fishing on the mainstem remains steady but not close to previous years success rates. The gorge continues to be the best place to seek keepers. Willamette River sturgeon anglers are doing somewhat better, but all are at the mercy of bait dealers and fish markets for fresh bait.
Smelt dipping on the Cowlitz has been restricted, leaving only Saturday, March 27th and Wednesday, March 31st as open days for dipping. Unfortunately, there are no baitfish present in the Cowlitz and commercial fishermen report that the schools of smelt in the Columbia have vanished.
Spring chinook fishing seems to be improving daily on the lower Willamette. Trollers using cut-plug herring and anchor fishermen soaking bait-wrapped Kwikfish and prawn spinners are reporting additional chances at fish from Multnomah Channel to Oregon City.
The Sandy River is still producing some nice native steelhead and some more summer steelhead are showing in the mix. About a half of a dozen springers have been reported in the Sandy.
The Clackamas River also has a mix of summer and winter steelhead. Pressure is rather light with much focus taking place on the Willamette system for spring chinook. The mainstem Columbia will also draw boats away from the Clackamas fishery.
The North Coast continued to produce steady (but not big numbers) of steelhead despite the low water. If the rain freshet that is predicted comes through, the coastal river systems could produce excellent results over the weekend!
South coast rivers will benefit from the rain falling currently as all are low and clear. The Coquillle, Elk and Sixes Rivers should fish well following a freshet. Umpqua and Rogue River anglers are catching steelhead and waiting for the spring chinook run to get underway.
Snowmelt is taking its toll on NE Oregon steelhead streams like the Wallowa and Grande Ronde. When flows subside a bit more, steelheading will be back on track in those area streams.
Smallmouth are tearing up soft plastics in the lower Willamette. With the attention is on spring chinook, this fishery is wide open.
Most of the lakes and ponds in the Northwest and Willamette Zones were stocked last week in anticipation of spring break. Only Lorens Pond on the coast will be planted this week.
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March 26th – April 1st , 2004
Columbia fishing has finally taken a turn for the better. Sport boats and commercial netters had some good days of fishing this week on the lower Columbia. From the catch stats, it looks like most of the bag is made up of Willamette spring chinook so look for action to pick up in the Multnomah Channel and the mouth of the Willamette itself!
Sturgeon fishing on the mainstem remains steady but not close to previous years success rates. The gorge continues to be the best place to seek keepers. Willamette River sturgeon anglers are doing somewhat better, but all are at the mercy of bait dealers and fish markets for fresh bait.
Smelt dipping on the Cowlitz has been restricted, leaving only Saturday, March 27th and Wednesday, March 31st as open days for dipping. Unfortunately, there are no baitfish present in the Cowlitz and commercial fishermen report that the schools of smelt in the Columbia have vanished.
Spring chinook fishing seems to be improving daily on the lower Willamette. Trollers using cut-plug herring and anchor fishermen soaking bait-wrapped Kwikfish and prawn spinners are reporting additional chances at fish from Multnomah Channel to Oregon City.
The Sandy River is still producing some nice native steelhead and some more summer steelhead are showing in the mix. About a half of a dozen springers have been reported in the Sandy.
The Clackamas River also has a mix of summer and winter steelhead. Pressure is rather light with much focus taking place on the Willamette system for spring chinook. The mainstem Columbia will also draw boats away from the Clackamas fishery.
The North Coast continued to produce steady (but not big numbers) of steelhead despite the low water. If the rain freshet that is predicted comes through, the coastal river systems could produce excellent results over the weekend!
South coast rivers will benefit from the rain falling currently as all are low and clear. The Coquillle, Elk and Sixes Rivers should fish well following a freshet. Umpqua and Rogue River anglers are catching steelhead and waiting for the spring chinook run to get underway.
Snowmelt is taking its toll on NE Oregon steelhead streams like the Wallowa and Grande Ronde. When flows subside a bit more, steelheading will be back on track in those area streams.
Smallmouth are tearing up soft plastics in the lower Willamette. With the attention is on spring chinook, this fishery is wide open.
Most of the lakes and ponds in the Northwest and Willamette Zones were stocked last week in anticipation of spring break. Only Lorens Pond on the coast will be planted this week.
More on the site:
[url "http://www.TheGuidesForecast.com/"]http://www.TheGuidesForecast.com/[/url]
Go to -
[url "http://www.TheGuidesForecast.com/"]http://www.TheGuidesForecast.com/[/url] and sign up to have this report e-mailed to you every Thursday night for FREE.
You can also subscribe to the full version of the TGF report giving you much more detail and access to professional guide's tips and tricks.
The Guide's Forecast
Helping you catch more fish!
[signature]