Fishing Report 06-02-2023
Brothers Liam and Adam Sabol recently had a hoot catching Shad from the Willamette River near Oregon City. Nice job Team Sabol!
Fishing Report:
Spring Chinook are still being caught all around the Northwest. Folks in Southwest Washington have found fresh Springers in the Lewis and Cowlitz Rivers. In many tributaries of the Willamette, anglers have been finding willing biters as well. Bobber fishing eggs and shrimp, backbouncing eggs, diver fishing eggs, sand shrimp or coon stripe shrimp have all been go-to baits. Some folks have found success running Kwikfish as well, specifically in the fast, choppy water near the head of a run where Chinook will ride out the heat of the day. In the Willamette, anglers are still finding success down in the Multnomah Channel, Portland Harbor and Sellwood area. These anglers are almost exclusively trolling. Trolling a 360 flasher with small 3.5 size spinners, prawn spinners, Brad’s Cutplugs, Spinfish and Spindawgs have all been working well. Trolling with triangle flashers and a herring or prawn spinner also works well. These fish are definitely in the Oregon City area as well. Backtrolling divers and bait is a very popular choice, however, you will start to see anglers vertical jigging, hover fishing and even a few folks bobber fishing up near the falls. On the Columbia, fisheries managers opened the river from Bonneville Dam down and anglers started finding success on day one. The river started out really high but dropped over the course of last week and folks sitting on an anchor with Kwikfish, Maglips or Flat fish were finding success. Focusing your efforts on shallow was the best option as fish were wanting a reprieve from the hard charging current. The Columbia is now shut down again but look for it to reopen towards the middle of June.
Shad are here! The catch has started over in Oregon City on the Willamette this past week. Soon the river will be flooded with them, giving anglers ample opportunity to take home a pile of Crab or Sturgeon bait. These hard-fighting fish eat a wide variety of lures, like bright-colored jig heads, Dick Nite spoons, Baby Simons, and small curly tail grubs.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing has been good in the Willamette, and soon, the estuary on the Columbia will be awesome as well. Sand Shrimp, squid, herring, smelt and anchovies will all be good baits.
Bottom fishing remains an excellent choice for anglers wanting a saltier option. Lingcod have been getting caught all along the Oregon Coast as well as a wide variety of other bottom fish. Fisherman’s Pro, Ted Teufel, has been getting his clients into boat loads of bottom fish, including the occasional Halibut. This fishery makes for a lot of meat that the individual angler can take home. Couple that with dropping a few Crab pots on your way out and you could have more seafood then you know what to do with.
Surf Perch fishing is a great spring activity. Being able to spend a sunny day at the beach, knee high in the surf catching dinner plate size Surf Perch is what some folks wait all year for. Berkley Gulp Sandworms, sand shrimp and clam necks are all perfect perch baits. Focus your efforts on the incoming tide as the waves crash up the beach it will kick up new treats in the surf for the perch to devour.
Spring Chinook are also getting caught in Tillamook Bay. Fisherman’s Pro, Tim Juarez, reports that the fishing isn’t “white hot” but that he is consistently getting into fish. Trolling 3.5 size spinners and 360 flashers has been the ticket to his success lately.
Smallmouth Bass fishing is rockin and a rollin in the Columbia Gorge as well as the Willamette. These easy to target and feisty fish, are moving into the many shallower bays and coves that make up the river shoreline as you head up the Gorge. As they move up shallow to spawn they become extremely aggressive and anglers will find success deploying numerous techniques. Soft plastics is always a go-to, as well as lipless or shallow diving crankbaits. Spinnerbaits and topwater baits should also find a spot in the Smallmouth angler’s arsenal.
Walleye anglers are finding great success in the Columbia Gorge as well. Folks in the middle to upper river have really been dialing it in trolling bottom walkers with worm harnesses. The long, flat, even bottom sections that can make up the middle Columbia River is where many anglers try to target these delicious Yellow Eyes.
Trout fishing in the spring is a staple fishery here in the Northwest. ODFW is extremely busy stocking bodies of water all across the state and this week they had a few lakes that stood out on the stocking schedule. Detroit Reservoir and Timothy Lake both got stocked exclusively with trophy size Trout. Between the two bodies of water they stocked over 9,000 Trophy Trout! Trolling is a great way to target these fish. Wedding rings tipped with a nightcrawler, Flatfish, Mag Lips and even slow trolling flies still all be good options when hunting down Trophy Rainbows. Bank anglers can always go the bait route as it’s a sure fire bet. But casting spinners, spoons and Kastmasters is another option that definitely deserves addressing. Fish will be traveling shorelines looking for an easy meal. A well presented spinners triggers that feeding instinct and can bring on some vicious grabs.
Kokanee fishing up at Lake Merwin, Swift and Yale Reservoirs has been productive for anglers looking at taking home a brace of landlocked Salmon. These great tasting Kokanee are starting their descent into deeper sections of water in search of cooler temps. You can still find them high in the water column early in the morning. But as soon as the sun comes up they tend to start going a little bit deeper. Staggering your rod depths will be very beneficial in finding exactly what depth the massive schools of Kokanee are holding. Trolling is still going to be the most popular technique, however, bringing along the jigging rods could be the difference maker of you can find the fish and they are having a hard time biting.
Remember, this weekend is Free Fishing Weekend! From June 3rd-4th enjoy free fishing, crabbing, and clamming without a license or a tag anywhere in Oregon. Make sure to follow local regulations and for more information check out ODFW’s events website.
