Customer Jeff Bird decided to take a couple days to explore the upper Deschutes River this week. He took advantage of the ongoing Salmon Fly hatch and managed to catch some nice Trout! Including this beautiful 19" Redside Trout caught on a Salmon Fly pattern. Way to go Jeff!
Fishing Report:
Spring Chinook fishing remains a consistent option in the Willamette, with anglers finding success all throughout the river. Folks are still finding fish trolling herring and triangle flashers as well as 360 flashers and small spinners. These fish are suspended in the water column so stagger your rods a bit to find what depth they are sitting at on any specific day. Oregon City has been spitting out some nice fish with folks using several different techniques to find their success. Backtrolling eggs and Sand Shrimp have been accounting for a good portion of the success as well as folks backbouncing bait, backtrolling Kwikfish, trolling 360 flashers and small spinners as well as vertically jigging.
The Columbia is set to open for Chinook, Steelhead and Sockeye on June 16th.Traditionally this is a great time to target these fish as you will usually have a good mix of all three species. Anchor fishing is the main technique that anglers use for all three of them. Small Spin-N-Glos and prawns or coon-stripe shrimp are what most folks are using for Sockeye. Steelhead will eat the exact same baits as well as small Kwikfish and small spinners. Chinook will incidentally be caught on those baits also, however Kwikfish, spinners, and wobblers are the three most popular baits.
Tributaries like the Lewis, Cowlitz, Kalama, Clackamas, and Sandy Rivers have been putting out fish for anglers who want a more interactive fishery. Bobber fishing, backbouncing, casting spinners and backtrolling diver and bait have all been putting out fish. Depending on the river system you may be dealing with warmer water or ice cold glacial water. This can change where the fish like to hold, and even where in the river system they may stage.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers has also been good. As we move further into June, the estuary on the Columbia will morph into a world class Sturgeon fishery. This is when huge fish move into shallow water and anglers can at times sight fish them. You will even see some Sturgeon tailing in very shallow water like warm water species will do. Squid, Sand Shrimp, herring, anchovies and smelt are all great baits.
Bottom fishing has been great along the coast with many anglers finding success chasing Halibut, Lingcod, and a wide variety of other bottom fish species. Vertical jigging has been quite good, casting swimbaits and large curly tail grubs has also been a proven technique. Nothing beats a warm sunny day and a boat full of delicious bottom fish!
Trout fishing has been killer across the state, especially with several lakes receiving large plants of legal Trout. One of the most notable bodies of water to get stocked was North Fork Reservoir which was stocked with over 4,600 legal Trout! These Trout are typically quite aggressive and will readily strike several baits and techniques. Of course, the go-to bait is Powerbait or nightcrawlers which will always be a solid option. Trout fishing offers a more interactive type of fishing which caters to those who enjoy casting spoons, spinners or Kastmasters. You will usually get the more aggressive fish to strike these offerings and at times the larger more aggressive fish.
Kokanee fishing at Lake Merwin and Yale Reservoir has been very consistent and gives anglers a shot at some Salmon when the Columbia is closed. These delicious landlocked Salmon provide great sport and great table fare. Trolling still seems to be the most popular technique at the moment. Dodgers and Wedding Rings, Brad’s Kokanee Cutplugs, bright-colored hoochies and even small spinner blades tipped with Shoepeg corn have all been proving effective.
Walleye fishing remains a solid option for anglers in the middle to upper Columbia River. The long, even bottomed flats that make up the Columbia in many areas are home to generous populations of Walleye. These areas are best fished with a worm harness and bottom walker rig to keep from snagging too often and effectively cover lots of water.
Smallmouth Bass fishing has been really good as well. The Columbia River has been great and over time this fishery has become world class. Shallow diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, tube baits, spinnerbaits, and worms all work extremely well for these fish.
