04-15-2008, 12:52 AM
Southwest Region
CHETCO RIVER: Steelhead fishing will be slow until the Chetco receives enough rain to bring in a few more fresh fish. The peak is over, but anglers can continue to have great action on kelts (spawned-out fish) and fresh fish. Some of the best action can be had by pulling plugs or swinging flies.
Anglers have been doing the best early morning or late afternoon when the sun is off the water. Drift boat anglers will want to hit the river once it reaches 4000 cfs and dropping.
ODFW will be collecting wild steelhead for the Chetco River winter steelhead hatchery program. At times this effort will interfere with fishing, but collecting wild steelhead is important for maintaining the Chetco River winter steelhead hatchery program.
COOS RIVER BASIN: Steelhead fishing has been good in the Coos basin when river conditions cooperate. Water conditions have been on the low and clear side but fish are still being caught.
Perch anglers have been doing well fishing in Coos Bay. Anglers should cast their bait, shrimp works well, around rock or other structure.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: Steelhead fishing has been good when the river conditions cooperate, with some large fish showing up in the catch this year. Laverne Park on the North Fork has had some good days recently and provides good bank access for anglers. The South Fork, which is popular with drift boaters and also has some bank access, was excellent the past week; it fishes best when the Powers gauge is below 4 ft. Steelhead have been observed in the East Fork, which has steelhead returning to an acclimation site near Frona Park. The Middle Fork Coquille does not have a hatchery program but is a nice place for anglers wanting more solitude that don't mind releasing their fish.
COOPER CREEK RESERVOIR: Cooper Creek was stocked with some 6 - 8 pound trophy trout and about 1,000 catchable-sized trout a month ago for the Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby Kids' Day, and not all of the fish were caught. With the warmer valley temperatures, the water should have warmed up to improve the chances of catching some of these trout.
DIAMOND LAKE: The lake is closed to fishing until April 26.
ELK/SIXES RIVER: Low and clear water has slowed steelhead fishing on the Elk. Sixes River continues to fish well, but if the flows continue to drop, drift boat anglers will have a tough time floating the river. The weather and river height play an important role in fishing success. Elk River fishes best at 5.0 feet and dropping. Anglers can call Elk River Hatchery (541-332-7025) to get the latest gauge heights.
GALESVILLE RESERVIOR: Galesville Reservoir is open to angling year-round. Fishing for trout is currently fair.
PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: Late winter/early spring is the best time for surfperch fishing from the beaches. The best areas are generally the steeper beaches. Anglers should cast into the surf with enough weight to hold your setup from moving with the current. Sand shrimp is a common and effective bait but others can work well also.
Bottom fishing is generally good in the winter when the water conditions are calm but no reports hve come in recently. Very little effort has occurred recently due to rough seas. Anglers should be cautious of the ocean and bar conditions which can change quickly.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: Bank and boat anglers are all catching fish in the lower river. Boat anglers are catching steelhead below the mouth of the Illinois side drifting eggs or anchoring on the inside bends running plugs. Most of the gravel bars between the Ferry Hole and Quosatana Creek campground have been producing fish for anglers plunking spin and glows. A few boats have been targeting spring Chinook, but no reports of any fish being caught. Anglers can expect the first spring Chinook to be caught in the next couple of weeks.
ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: The flow on Feb. 25 was 2,920 cubic feet per second at Grants Pass. Several steelhead were caught last weekend using plugs, yarn balls, and bait. Fishing has been good between Galice and Grave Creek, near Pierce Riffle, and between Baker Point and the Ferry Hole.
ROGUE RIVER, UPPER: As of Feb. 25, the flow out of William Jess Dam (Lost Creek) was 884 cubic feet per second. 678 winter steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray Dam as of Feb. 20.
Angling has picked up a bit. A few steelhead are being caught on flies or nightcrawlers. Side-drifting roe or egg patterns near the banks has also been successful. Anglers are reminded that even during high water and turbid conditions along most of the Rogue, conditions are usually good between Big Butte Creek and Cole Rivers Hatchery where reservoir outflows predominate.
SODA SPRINGS RESERVOIR: Soda Springs reservoir is open for trout angling, but tributaries upstream of the reservoir are closed to angling until April 26.
SMITH RIVER: The Smith is currently open for adipose-fin clipped steelhead from the mouth upstream to Sisters Creek on the mainstem and the North Fork Smith from the mouth upstream to Bridge 10. Good numbers of stripers have recently been sighted in the North Fork of the Smith River. Striped bass season is open year round, 2 fish per 24 hours, 30-inch minimum size. The North Fork is open to Johnson Creek for stripers.
TOKETEE LAKE: Fishing is open in Toketee all year round. Fishing has been slow but the best fishing occurs early in the morning.
UMPQUA HIGH LAKES AND FOREBAYS: Diamond Lake and Lemolo Lake are closed. The other high cascade lakes are open year-round.
UMPQUA RIVER: Good numbers of fish are being caught throughout the mainstem by bank anglers. The river is also fishable by boat, with no major storm events predicted this week to cause the water to rise or become muddy. Remember the mainstem Umpqua is now closed to wild steelhead harvest; it remains open year-round for adipose fin-clipped steelhead.
UMPQUA RIVER, NORTH: The North has remained fishable. The most success has been from Colliding Rivers down. The warmer weather has gotten the fish on the move. There have been days now where over 100 steelhead have passed Winchester Dam. As of Feb. 10, 2,730 steelhead have passed Winchester Day. Remember that only adipose fin-clipped steelhead can be harvested on the North Umpqua.
UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH: Angling conditions have been good recently. No major storms are predicted for this week so good river conditions should continue through the weekend. Hatchery fish have started to move into the South Umpqua and some nice sized fish are being caught. In addition to several good drift boat floats between Canyonville and Roseburg, there are good bank angling opportunities at Templeton Beach, the Myrtle Creek bridge, Stanton Park, and behind Seven Feathers Casino. Remember the South Umpqua is open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead only.
WINCHESTER BAY: Fishing remains slow, although spring chinook should start arriving soon.
RECREATIONAL SHELLFISH: The entire Oregon coast is open for recreational shellfishing. Always check for health advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 1-800-448-2474 for updates.
Dock crabbers have been reporting some success. The Coos Bay shoals (20-30 feet deep) along the inside of the North Spit from Empire to Charleston is a good area for crabbing. Public crabbing docks can be found in Winchester Bay, Bandon, Charleston, and Empire.
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CHETCO RIVER: Steelhead fishing will be slow until the Chetco receives enough rain to bring in a few more fresh fish. The peak is over, but anglers can continue to have great action on kelts (spawned-out fish) and fresh fish. Some of the best action can be had by pulling plugs or swinging flies.
Anglers have been doing the best early morning or late afternoon when the sun is off the water. Drift boat anglers will want to hit the river once it reaches 4000 cfs and dropping.
ODFW will be collecting wild steelhead for the Chetco River winter steelhead hatchery program. At times this effort will interfere with fishing, but collecting wild steelhead is important for maintaining the Chetco River winter steelhead hatchery program.
COOS RIVER BASIN: Steelhead fishing has been good in the Coos basin when river conditions cooperate. Water conditions have been on the low and clear side but fish are still being caught.
Perch anglers have been doing well fishing in Coos Bay. Anglers should cast their bait, shrimp works well, around rock or other structure.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: Steelhead fishing has been good when the river conditions cooperate, with some large fish showing up in the catch this year. Laverne Park on the North Fork has had some good days recently and provides good bank access for anglers. The South Fork, which is popular with drift boaters and also has some bank access, was excellent the past week; it fishes best when the Powers gauge is below 4 ft. Steelhead have been observed in the East Fork, which has steelhead returning to an acclimation site near Frona Park. The Middle Fork Coquille does not have a hatchery program but is a nice place for anglers wanting more solitude that don't mind releasing their fish.
COOPER CREEK RESERVOIR: Cooper Creek was stocked with some 6 - 8 pound trophy trout and about 1,000 catchable-sized trout a month ago for the Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby Kids' Day, and not all of the fish were caught. With the warmer valley temperatures, the water should have warmed up to improve the chances of catching some of these trout.
DIAMOND LAKE: The lake is closed to fishing until April 26.
ELK/SIXES RIVER: Low and clear water has slowed steelhead fishing on the Elk. Sixes River continues to fish well, but if the flows continue to drop, drift boat anglers will have a tough time floating the river. The weather and river height play an important role in fishing success. Elk River fishes best at 5.0 feet and dropping. Anglers can call Elk River Hatchery (541-332-7025) to get the latest gauge heights.
GALESVILLE RESERVIOR: Galesville Reservoir is open to angling year-round. Fishing for trout is currently fair.
PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: Late winter/early spring is the best time for surfperch fishing from the beaches. The best areas are generally the steeper beaches. Anglers should cast into the surf with enough weight to hold your setup from moving with the current. Sand shrimp is a common and effective bait but others can work well also.
Bottom fishing is generally good in the winter when the water conditions are calm but no reports hve come in recently. Very little effort has occurred recently due to rough seas. Anglers should be cautious of the ocean and bar conditions which can change quickly.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: Bank and boat anglers are all catching fish in the lower river. Boat anglers are catching steelhead below the mouth of the Illinois side drifting eggs or anchoring on the inside bends running plugs. Most of the gravel bars between the Ferry Hole and Quosatana Creek campground have been producing fish for anglers plunking spin and glows. A few boats have been targeting spring Chinook, but no reports of any fish being caught. Anglers can expect the first spring Chinook to be caught in the next couple of weeks.
ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: The flow on Feb. 25 was 2,920 cubic feet per second at Grants Pass. Several steelhead were caught last weekend using plugs, yarn balls, and bait. Fishing has been good between Galice and Grave Creek, near Pierce Riffle, and between Baker Point and the Ferry Hole.
ROGUE RIVER, UPPER: As of Feb. 25, the flow out of William Jess Dam (Lost Creek) was 884 cubic feet per second. 678 winter steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray Dam as of Feb. 20.
Angling has picked up a bit. A few steelhead are being caught on flies or nightcrawlers. Side-drifting roe or egg patterns near the banks has also been successful. Anglers are reminded that even during high water and turbid conditions along most of the Rogue, conditions are usually good between Big Butte Creek and Cole Rivers Hatchery where reservoir outflows predominate.
SODA SPRINGS RESERVOIR: Soda Springs reservoir is open for trout angling, but tributaries upstream of the reservoir are closed to angling until April 26.
SMITH RIVER: The Smith is currently open for adipose-fin clipped steelhead from the mouth upstream to Sisters Creek on the mainstem and the North Fork Smith from the mouth upstream to Bridge 10. Good numbers of stripers have recently been sighted in the North Fork of the Smith River. Striped bass season is open year round, 2 fish per 24 hours, 30-inch minimum size. The North Fork is open to Johnson Creek for stripers.
TOKETEE LAKE: Fishing is open in Toketee all year round. Fishing has been slow but the best fishing occurs early in the morning.
UMPQUA HIGH LAKES AND FOREBAYS: Diamond Lake and Lemolo Lake are closed. The other high cascade lakes are open year-round.
UMPQUA RIVER: Good numbers of fish are being caught throughout the mainstem by bank anglers. The river is also fishable by boat, with no major storm events predicted this week to cause the water to rise or become muddy. Remember the mainstem Umpqua is now closed to wild steelhead harvest; it remains open year-round for adipose fin-clipped steelhead.
UMPQUA RIVER, NORTH: The North has remained fishable. The most success has been from Colliding Rivers down. The warmer weather has gotten the fish on the move. There have been days now where over 100 steelhead have passed Winchester Dam. As of Feb. 10, 2,730 steelhead have passed Winchester Day. Remember that only adipose fin-clipped steelhead can be harvested on the North Umpqua.
UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH: Angling conditions have been good recently. No major storms are predicted for this week so good river conditions should continue through the weekend. Hatchery fish have started to move into the South Umpqua and some nice sized fish are being caught. In addition to several good drift boat floats between Canyonville and Roseburg, there are good bank angling opportunities at Templeton Beach, the Myrtle Creek bridge, Stanton Park, and behind Seven Feathers Casino. Remember the South Umpqua is open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead only.
WINCHESTER BAY: Fishing remains slow, although spring chinook should start arriving soon.
RECREATIONAL SHELLFISH: The entire Oregon coast is open for recreational shellfishing. Always check for health advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 1-800-448-2474 for updates.
Dock crabbers have been reporting some success. The Coos Bay shoals (20-30 feet deep) along the inside of the North Spit from Empire to Charleston is a good area for crabbing. Public crabbing docks can be found in Winchester Bay, Bandon, Charleston, and Empire.
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