Fishing report 4-26

Fishing report 4-26

Spring Chinook 

Spring Chinook fishing all across the region has been picking up day by day, and folks have been finding great success. We’ve had Pro Staff throughout the Willamette, and the success has been consistent all along the river. Pro Josiah Darr has been finding fish daily while trolling triangle flashers with cutplug herring. Pro Terry Mulkey has seen success backtrolling divers and eggs in Oregon City. In the middle river, Pro Tim Juarez has also been trolling triangle flashers with cutplug herring. They all say that experimenting with different scent combos has been a recipe for success as the fish are seeing more and more bait.  

Tributary fishermen are spending most of their time backtrolling either bait and divers or smaller plugs like K11 Kwikfish, 3.5 Maglips, or Wiggle Warts. A variety of fish are being caught, from late-returning Winter Steelhead and fresh Summer Steelhead to a few platinum Springers. Backbouncing eggs at the top of holes has started to account for some of these fresh Springers. Early-returning fish are often very snappy and will bite a well-presented bait on the first or second pass through a likely holding spot. 

 Top Techniques: Willamette River Action 

  • Trolling Triangle Flashers + Cutplug Herring
       • Where: Upper and Middle Willamette
       • Pro Tip: Josiah Darr and Tim Juarez recommend fine-tuning your trolling speed and adding scent combinations to stand out as baitfish numbers increase. 

  • Backtrolling Divers + Eggs
       • Where: Oregon City area
       • Pro Tip: Terry Mulkey’s go-to setup. Focus on travel lanes and keep your bait fresh—early season Springers love a well-cured egg. 

  • Scent Experimentation
       • All pros agree: rotating through different scent combos can turn a slow day into a productive one. Think anchovy, garlic, or anise blends to trigger bites as fish grow wary of standard presentations. 

Top Techniques: Steelhead & Springer Mix 

  • Backtrolling Bait & Divers
       • Classic and effective—run sand shrimp, eggs, or prawns behind a diver through deep runs and tailouts. 

  • Running Small Plugs
       • Plugs: K11 Kwikfish, 3.5 Maglips, Wiggle Warts
       • Perfect for enticing aggressive fish holding in deeper slots or structure. 

  • Backbouncing Eggs
       • Target the heads of holes where fresh Springers like to stage. Early returners are known to crush a well-presented bait on the first or second pass—don’t linger too long in unproductive water. 

 

Sturgeon 

Catch-and-release Sturgeon fishing continues to be one of those springtime fisheries that doesn’t disappoint. These prehistoric dinosaurs love to bite, and as the Willamette warms up, the action should only improve. Pro Steve Leonard has been chasing them and reports great success fishing herring, sand shrimp, or smelt. 

 Clamming 

Razor Clamming is opening back up on April 26th for 8 days along Washington beaches. With AM digs scheduled, the clamming is sure to be phenomenal!  

 Bottom Fish 

Bottom fishing remains a stellar option along the Oregon Coast. Pro Andy Martin has been splitting his time between the rivers and the ocean, finding success in both. He’s been landing a wide variety of bottomfish, including some impressive Lingcod lately. Shrimp flies, Farallon feathers, and large curly tail grubs have been key to his success. 

 Kokanee 

Kokanee fishing at Lake Merwin just keeps plugging along. This underutilized fishery produces an impressive number of fish but doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Trolling dodgers with small Spin-N-Glos, spinner blades, mini cutplugs, or wiggle hoochies has been the hot ticket. Tip your bait with Shoepeg corn or use Berkley Gulp maggots for a noticeable boost in hookups. 

 Trout 

Trout fishing continues to improve daily as ODFW maintains its feverish pace of stocking. Green Peter Reservoir just received over 5,000 legal trout, and Dexter Reservoir had more than 3,000 trophy trout planted. These are just a couple of examples of how the department is working to keep trout fishing strong near you. Plunking nightcrawlers or PowerBait is a surefire way to find success, but if you want something more interactive, try casting a spinner or Kastmaster. Freshly planted trout are typically very aggressive and love to smash a well-placed spinner.