Willamette Valley/Metro -
Willamette Valley/Metro - Warm water temperatures have Willamette River salmon on the move. Passage at the falls has surpassed 10,000 fish and daily passage will increase into early June. Spinners and spoons are favorites this time of year.
Shad fishing at Oregon City is well underway with the afternoon producing the best results lately. Small green rubber grubs and small spoons will offer anglers many opportunities.
Fishing for spring chinook reopened on the 16th as managers are confident sportfishers will not exceed impacts to listed wild Snake River salmon. Steelhead and shad seasons are also underway with shad the likely target until steelhead numbers climb at Bonneville. Despite the optimum tides for beach plunkers, steelhead fishing won't pick up until mid- June.
A few oversized sturgeon and keeper sturgeon are finally showing in the gorge. Spring spill should aid anglers fishing downstream of the Marker 85 deadline when westerly winds blow.
Clackamas steelheaders are catching summers but spring Chinook fishing has been slow with the water still cold. Boaters running the river are experiencing navigational hazards in the lower flows.
The spring Chinook troll fishery is underway on the lower Sandy but it has been very slow. Summer steelhead are being hooked on the upper river but fishing is only fair.
Improved water temperatures have resulted in a better summer steelhead bite on the North Santiam. Over 300 summer steelhead have been counted at Foster Dam on the South with many of those recycled downstream.
The McKenzie is offering fair to good trout fishing for fly anglers throwing nymphs.
Waters in the North Willamette Zone scheduled for trout stocking include Faraday Lake, Huddleston Pond, North Fork Reservoir, Sheridan Pond, Small Fry Lake and Timothy Meadows.
Scheduled for planting in the South Willamette Zone are Big Cliff Reservoir, Blue River above Reservoir, Blue River Reservoir, Breitenbush River, Detroit Reservoir, E. E. Wilson Pond, Foster Reservoir, Green Peter Reservoir, Hills Creek, Junction City Pond, Leaburg Lake, McKenzie below Leaburg Lake, McKenzie above Leaburg Lake, Quartzville Creek, Salt Creek, North Fork Santiam River above Detroit, Sunnyside Park Pond, Timber Linn Lake, Trail Bridge Reservoir and Waverly Lake.
Northwest - Spring chinook have yet to make a strong showing in Tillamook Bay but given the current minus tide series, the bite will be underway by the weekend. Spinner trollers in the upper bay will fare the best in the swifter currents and the best bite will take place close to low slack.
The continued dry spell will keep salmon in the lower tidewater sections and in the estuary. Coastal streams are at summer low levels.
Ocean crabbing picked up early in the week- Tillamook Bay remains slow. Bottomfishing was also fair and another 3-day all depth halibut fishery begins today. Ocean conditions are improving until a building swell begins on Saturday.
Tualatin Valley steelheaders will be helping ODF&W at a youth angling event in Hebo on May 19th. Kids can participate in a casting contest and additional rainbow trout will be stocked in Hebo Lake. The event goes from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Razor clam digging is best early in the outgoing tide as the clam set was high on the beach. Clatsop beaches are most productive but beaches further south should also produce fair results.
Scattered sturgeon are hard to find but both Tillamook and Nehalem Bays have fish present. Effort has been running high for perch near the Ghost Hole.
Coffenbury Lake, Lost Lake, Hebo Lake, Nehalem South Lake, Town Lake, Lorens Pond, Hebo Lake are scheduled for trout stocking.
Southwest - The all-depth halibut fishery will open May 17th - 19th off the central and southern Oregon coast.
Shad are in Umpqua in decent number and anglers are catching scores of them around Yellow Creek, often in very crowded conditions.
Springer fishing has been slow in the lower Rogue with the water temperature fluctuating.
Ocean salmon fishing out of Brookings has only been fair but is getting a lot of attention. On the opener May 5th, about 75 boats launched, two thirds of which were solely fishing for salmon. Offshore crabbing has been excellent when the ocean lies down.
Rockfish limits have been tougher to come by recently but ling cod are still in the mix. Surf perch fishing is good off ocean beaches.
Launching in pre-dawn hours can beat the strong, seasonal northwest winds, but head back to port before the breeze starts to blow.
With over 60,000 trout planted so far this year, Diamond Lake seems to be producing fish for everyone.
Scheduled for planting of hatchery trout are Willow Lake, Applegate Reservoir, Lost Creek Reservoir, Lost Creek Reservoir, Fish Lake and Lake Selmac.
Eastern - Salmonflies are on the hatch on the middle Deschutes. Nymphs remain most effective on the lower river for trout with mayflies hatching but the shift is on with stone flies starting. Shears Falls is producing a few Chinook.
Afternoons have been rewarding on the Metolius with Green drakes starting to hatch.
Washington Fisheries Update:
