03-18-2011, 08:16 PM
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]Willamette Valley/Metro- After several slow days of spring chinook fishing, the bite has picked up in recent days for Davis Bar anglers. Trolled green label herring is producing the best results but unusually high flows this time of year is keeping anglers from fully realizing their potential. It doesn’t look like flows will subside anytime either.[/size][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]With the Willamette high and muddy, the mainstem Columbia above the mouth of the Willamette may be the best bet. Anglers were reporting good catches of Chinook on Monday and Tuesday and action should continue to be steady as more fish come in. Gillnets remained dockside last week. Test netting revealed a high presence of wild steelhead and chinook in the catches. A higher portion of hatchery fish should begin showing soon.[/size][/font]
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[size 2]The lower Willamette River will be on the rise and muddy this week. Spring chinook fishing will be difficult in these conditions but won't hamper catch-and-release sturgeon efforts now that retention season has closed. Summer and winter steelhead are crossing at the Falls in fair numbers. Middle Willamette trout fishing is good on bead-head nymphs.[/size]
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[size 2]Expect to find McKenzie flows to be in the 5,000 cfs range at Vida over the coming weekend. Nymphs will draw strikes until trout key on the recent March Brown hatches.[/size]
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[size 2]High but dropping water is predicted for the Clackamas this week as broodstock steelhead mingle with wild fish. Good fishing should come through April with summer steelhead beginning to show later into April.[/size]
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[size 2]Sandy levels are fishable but clarity is contingent upon freezing level on this glacial river. Quality broodstock fish should begin to make a stronger showing in the coming weeks.[/size]
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[size 2][font "Tahoma"]The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is stocking many lakes and ponds in preparation for spring break. See http://tinyurl.com/4c3avxg for details.[/font][/size]
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Northwest – Most north coast tributaries remained too high for good fishing, despite healthy sighs indicating a good return. Smaller streams, namely the Kilchis and Necanicum, produced fair results up until March 17th. Another surge of rain rose rivers again but main systems should be fishing again by the weekend. Wild steelhead will dominate the catches on these systems.[/font]
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[font "Tahoma"]The Wilson will top the districts most popular watershed but the Nestucca should also have good numbers of hatchery fish as well as wild steelhead available. Upper stretches should produce the best early and fish should be well distributed throughout the systems with the prolonged period of high water we are coming off of.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"]The Trask should also be a fair option although this system is primarily managed for wild fish but a few Wilson strays are checked here every year. Like other systems, the upper reaches should produce the best catches. The Trask stays productive through the majority of April.[/font]
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[font "Tahoma"]More rough weather kept anglers from fishing sturgeon on Tillamook Bay. Effort will remain on the rivers as rough seas are once again predicted through the weekend. Crabbing on the lower Columbia should become more challenging with the tides and rainfall though the weekend.[/font]
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[size 2]Southwest – Depoe Bay suffered damage to Dock One from tidal surges as a result of the tsunami. Deep water bottom fishing will continue through the month of March contingent upon offshore conditions.[/size]
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[size 2]Winchester Bay has been fair for crabbing. The North Umpqua is a good place to catch-and-release wild steelhead while the South Umpqua holds the best chance for hatchery fish as the system recovers from the current freshet.[/size]
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[size 2]High and muddy earlier this week, the lower Rogue is forecast to begin dropping and clearing into the coming weekend although it may not be fishable until sometime next week. A similar scenario is predicted for fishing on the middle Rogue. With winter steelheading wrapped up here, target spring chinook as the river recovers. Springer catches will continue to improve into April. Winter steelhead are into the upper river but fishing has been slow.[/size]
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[size 2]Expect the Elk and Sixes to produce winter steelhead whenever these rivers drop into shape although catches will be winding down through the remainder of March.[/size]
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[font "Tahoma"][size 2]While some boats sunk and docks were damaged or worse, the Port of Brookings is recovering from tsunami damage. As the Chetco River drops back into shape over the coming weekend, high water will limit efforts to plunking. Steelheading will be slow to spotty this late in the season for primarily spawned-out fish.[/size][/font]
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[size 2]Eastern – Mid-day has been most productive for redsides on the lower Deschutes. Blue-Winged-Olives are predominant although March Browns are appearing in greater number. Nymph fishing has produced consistent results in the absence of hatches.[/size]
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[size 2]Bull trout fishing was been good for trollers over the past weekend at Lake Billy Chinook.[/size]
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Fishing is slow to fair for lake trout at Crescent Lake. Deep trolling is required and snow on the ground has periodically required four-wheel-drive launch vehicles.
SW Washington – Like many Oregon river systems, high water has plagued steelheaders looking for opportunities in district rivers. Anglers reported good catches on the Kalama prior to the high water but the Cowlitz and Lewis systems may also kick in when the water clears.
Spring chinook should be available when rivers clear although the peak is still several weeks away. The Cowlitz and Kalama should produce fair results this spring.
Forty-seven spring chinook have passed Bonneville Dam now; hardly enough to satisfy a target fishery around the Wind River but this fishery should produce fair results in another month.
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[font "Tahoma"][size 2]With the Willamette high and muddy, the mainstem Columbia above the mouth of the Willamette may be the best bet. Anglers were reporting good catches of Chinook on Monday and Tuesday and action should continue to be steady as more fish come in. Gillnets remained dockside last week. Test netting revealed a high presence of wild steelhead and chinook in the catches. A higher portion of hatchery fish should begin showing soon.[/size][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2] [/size][/font]
[size 2]The lower Willamette River will be on the rise and muddy this week. Spring chinook fishing will be difficult in these conditions but won't hamper catch-and-release sturgeon efforts now that retention season has closed. Summer and winter steelhead are crossing at the Falls in fair numbers. Middle Willamette trout fishing is good on bead-head nymphs.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Expect to find McKenzie flows to be in the 5,000 cfs range at Vida over the coming weekend. Nymphs will draw strikes until trout key on the recent March Brown hatches.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]High but dropping water is predicted for the Clackamas this week as broodstock steelhead mingle with wild fish. Good fishing should come through April with summer steelhead beginning to show later into April.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Sandy levels are fishable but clarity is contingent upon freezing level on this glacial river. Quality broodstock fish should begin to make a stronger showing in the coming weeks.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2][font "Tahoma"]The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is stocking many lakes and ponds in preparation for spring break. See http://tinyurl.com/4c3avxg for details.[/font][/size]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font][font "Tahoma"]
Northwest – Most north coast tributaries remained too high for good fishing, despite healthy sighs indicating a good return. Smaller streams, namely the Kilchis and Necanicum, produced fair results up until March 17th. Another surge of rain rose rivers again but main systems should be fishing again by the weekend. Wild steelhead will dominate the catches on these systems.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[font "Tahoma"]The Wilson will top the districts most popular watershed but the Nestucca should also have good numbers of hatchery fish as well as wild steelhead available. Upper stretches should produce the best early and fish should be well distributed throughout the systems with the prolonged period of high water we are coming off of.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"]The Trask should also be a fair option although this system is primarily managed for wild fish but a few Wilson strays are checked here every year. Like other systems, the upper reaches should produce the best catches. The Trask stays productive through the majority of April.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[font "Tahoma"]More rough weather kept anglers from fishing sturgeon on Tillamook Bay. Effort will remain on the rivers as rough seas are once again predicted through the weekend. Crabbing on the lower Columbia should become more challenging with the tides and rainfall though the weekend.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[size 2]Southwest – Depoe Bay suffered damage to Dock One from tidal surges as a result of the tsunami. Deep water bottom fishing will continue through the month of March contingent upon offshore conditions.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Winchester Bay has been fair for crabbing. The North Umpqua is a good place to catch-and-release wild steelhead while the South Umpqua holds the best chance for hatchery fish as the system recovers from the current freshet.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]High and muddy earlier this week, the lower Rogue is forecast to begin dropping and clearing into the coming weekend although it may not be fishable until sometime next week. A similar scenario is predicted for fishing on the middle Rogue. With winter steelheading wrapped up here, target spring chinook as the river recovers. Springer catches will continue to improve into April. Winter steelhead are into the upper river but fishing has been slow.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Expect the Elk and Sixes to produce winter steelhead whenever these rivers drop into shape although catches will be winding down through the remainder of March.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]While some boats sunk and docks were damaged or worse, the Port of Brookings is recovering from tsunami damage. As the Chetco River drops back into shape over the coming weekend, high water will limit efforts to plunking. Steelheading will be slow to spotty this late in the season for primarily spawned-out fish.[/size][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2] [/size][/font]
[size 2]Eastern – Mid-day has been most productive for redsides on the lower Deschutes. Blue-Winged-Olives are predominant although March Browns are appearing in greater number. Nymph fishing has produced consistent results in the absence of hatches.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Bull trout fishing was been good for trollers over the past weekend at Lake Billy Chinook.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
Fishing is slow to fair for lake trout at Crescent Lake. Deep trolling is required and snow on the ground has periodically required four-wheel-drive launch vehicles.
SW Washington – Like many Oregon river systems, high water has plagued steelheaders looking for opportunities in district rivers. Anglers reported good catches on the Kalama prior to the high water but the Cowlitz and Lewis systems may also kick in when the water clears.
Spring chinook should be available when rivers clear although the peak is still several weeks away. The Cowlitz and Kalama should produce fair results this spring.
Forty-seven spring chinook have passed Bonneville Dam now; hardly enough to satisfy a target fishery around the Wind River but this fishery should produce fair results in another month.
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