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Fall chinook salmon fishing in the Winchester Bay area has picked up recently.
Upriver, bass fishing continues to remain hot in the main Umpqua River.
Following is the weekly Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fishing report that is compiled by regional fisheries biologists.
Southwest Zone
COOPER CREEK RESERVOIR and PLAT I RESERVOIR: Largemouth bass and bluegill fishing is fair in early morning and late evenings. Plastics worms, jigs, and top water baits are all are working well. Mealworms work best for bluegill.
COOS RIVER BASIN: The chinook salmon bite was sporadic last weekend during the COOS BASIN STEP Salmon Derby. Overall the bite was slow, but some good catches were reported around McCullogh Bridge during certain parts of the tide. Most anglers are trolling cut-plug herring with flashers. Adipose fin-clipped coho salmon (adults or jacks) may be harvested in COOS BAY and lower COOS RIVER up to the Chandler Bridge through Dec. 31. Coho can be caught on pink spinners.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: Chinook salmon catch is fair in the COQUILLE RIVER , with most fish in the lower river below Coquille. Adipose fin-clipped coho (adults or jacks) may be harvested in the lower river up to the mouth of Lampa Creek through Dec. 31. Coho can be caught on pink spinners. Striped bass catches are still being reported from Riverton to Rocky Point.
DIAMOND LAKE: Fishing is fair. Successful anglers have been finding fish 20 feet down. One good boating technique is to free drift with the wind working Powerbait. Trolling needlefish at the same depth also is a good bet. Fishing at the mouths of tributaries has been productive as trout congregate in the cooler water.
GALESVILLE RESERVOIR: Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Bass are now in the summer holding patterns located on points and deep wood. Senko's, jigs, and small plastic worms are working best. Fish deep around the trees.
HEMLOCK LAKE: Fishing is fair. Fly fishing with woolly buggers, streamers, and midges should produce well. Bobbers and night crawlers are still producing the best
HIGH MOUNTAIN LAKES (DOUGLAS COUNTY): Fishing has been very fair. Powerbait is working best. Float-tubes provide the best access.
HOWARD PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: Rainbow trout are available, averaging 12-14 inches and running up to 20 inches. Many anglers are concentrating their efforts at specific areas of the reservoir such as Hoxie Cove. Fishing for introduced smallmouth bass is good.
LOON LAKE : Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Fish shaded waters early mornings and late evenings. Some fish are coming off docks. Top water, spinner baits, and plastics all work well.
PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: For the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain , the Chinook General Season (all salmon except coho) is open from March 15 to Oct. 31 with a bag limit of two salmon per day. Anglers going offshore should be very cautious of bar and ocean conditions. Minimum lengths for chinook and steelhead are 20 inches in the ocean. No more than two hooks may be used, and they must be single-point, single-shank, and barbless.
For the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain , the "All-Depth" sport season for Pacific Halibut will be open every Friday through Sunday until announced closed. All other regulations pertaining to previous "All-Depth" openings are still in effect.
The "Inside 40-Fathom Line" Pacific halibut season runs through Oct. 31, or until a quota of 20,101 pounds are harvested. Sport halibut openings are posted on the ODFW website, www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP and on the NMFS hotline (1-800-662-9825).
ROGUE RIVER ABOVE LOST CREEK DAM: Fishing should be good for rainbow trout. The limit is five trout per day, eight-inch minimum length, and no limit on the size or number of brook trout taken. The use of bait is allowed.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: Most fishing effort has moved above tidewater. Anglers are reporting mixed catches of chinook and steelhead. Most anglers are fishing eggs and spinners. A few coho are showing up in the bay and anglers have reported some coho caught in the lower river. Chinook anglers should start looking around the mouth of Indian Creek for early returning hatchery fish. Indian Creek flows directly into the Rogue Estuary.
ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: Summer steelhead are available, and fishing is spotty to fair. Flows at Grants Pass were 1,400 cubic feet per second on Monday morning. Fall chinook salmon are migrating into the area, and the Rogue is open for trout fishing with a limit of five adipose fin-clipped trout per day, eight-inch minimum length. All non-adipose fin-clipped rainbow and all cutthroat trout must be released unharmed.
ROGUE RIVER, UPPER: Outflows at Lost Creek are averaging 1,400 cubic feet per second on Monday morning, and are scheduled to drop to 1,100 cfs on Sept. 21. The lower flows should improve angling for summer steelhead throughout the river. A total of 4,866 summer steelhead have passed Gold Ray dam as of Sept. 17. Anglers are reminded that as of Sept. 1, fishing between Gold Ray and Cole Rivers Hatchery is restricted to artificial flies and any type rod or reel per the regulations. Anglers have caught fish on nymphs and egg imitation patterns in the last week. Rainbow trout also are available, with a limit of five adipose fin-clipped trout per day, eight-inch minimum length. All non-adipose fin-clipped rainbow and all cutthroat trout must be released unharmed. Anglers are reminded that fishing for chinook between Gold Ray Dam and Cole Rivers Hatchery is closed Aug. 1-Oct. 31.
SODA SPRINGS: Fishing in the reservoir is good. Brown trout fishing has picked up some due to a hatch. Casting flies and may be the best technique right now. Worms fished on the bottom is always a standby.
SOUTH COAST STREAMS: No reports of chinook in Winchuck, Chetco, Pistol, Sixes, or Elk River estuaries. Cutthroat fishing is still best in estuaries. Try hitting the estuaries on an incoming tide.
UMPQUA RIVER, MAINSTEM: Smallmouth bass is excellent throwing rooster tails and panther martins or night crawlers. Fall chinook fishing is good from the Big Bend area to Dean Creek . The fishing is sporadic with varied success each day. Anglers are reporting cleaning their lines frequently as weeds and debris are fouling trolling gear. Fall chinook also are being harvest in the river from River Forks Park to Sawyers Rapids.
UMPQUA RIVER, NORTH: Summer steelhead fishing is slow. Fishing in the early morning and late evening is best. Excellent bank access is located near Idleyld Park .
WINCHESTER BAY: Crab fishing has slowed. Fall chinook fishing throughout the bay has picked up. Fish are being caught from the bank in Salmon Harbor and on Osprey Point. Fishing with bobbers and eggs is best.
SHELLFISH
Harvest of razor clams found on beaches, spits, jetties, and estuaries along the Oregon Coast remains closed due high levels of domoic acid. Harvest of mussels and other shellfish species is open at this time. Always check for health advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 800-448-2474 for updates, as toxin levels are changing rapidly at this time .
Crabbing is good in the estuaries at Charleston and Bandon. Crab quality should improve overall as fall approaches, with more solid meat in the legs.
Information:
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
3406 Cherry Avenue N.E.
Salem, Ore. 97303
Telephone (503) 947-6000 or (800) 720-ODFW
Web site: www.dfw.state.or.us
Fall chinook salmon fishing in the Winchester Bay area has picked up recently.
Upriver, bass fishing continues to remain hot in the main Umpqua River.
Following is the weekly Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fishing report that is compiled by regional fisheries biologists.
Southwest Zone
COOPER CREEK RESERVOIR and PLAT I RESERVOIR: Largemouth bass and bluegill fishing is fair in early morning and late evenings. Plastics worms, jigs, and top water baits are all are working well. Mealworms work best for bluegill.
COOS RIVER BASIN: The chinook salmon bite was sporadic last weekend during the COOS BASIN STEP Salmon Derby. Overall the bite was slow, but some good catches were reported around McCullogh Bridge during certain parts of the tide. Most anglers are trolling cut-plug herring with flashers. Adipose fin-clipped coho salmon (adults or jacks) may be harvested in COOS BAY and lower COOS RIVER up to the Chandler Bridge through Dec. 31. Coho can be caught on pink spinners.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: Chinook salmon catch is fair in the COQUILLE RIVER , with most fish in the lower river below Coquille. Adipose fin-clipped coho (adults or jacks) may be harvested in the lower river up to the mouth of Lampa Creek through Dec. 31. Coho can be caught on pink spinners. Striped bass catches are still being reported from Riverton to Rocky Point.
DIAMOND LAKE: Fishing is fair. Successful anglers have been finding fish 20 feet down. One good boating technique is to free drift with the wind working Powerbait. Trolling needlefish at the same depth also is a good bet. Fishing at the mouths of tributaries has been productive as trout congregate in the cooler water.
GALESVILLE RESERVOIR: Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Bass are now in the summer holding patterns located on points and deep wood. Senko's, jigs, and small plastic worms are working best. Fish deep around the trees.
HEMLOCK LAKE: Fishing is fair. Fly fishing with woolly buggers, streamers, and midges should produce well. Bobbers and night crawlers are still producing the best
HIGH MOUNTAIN LAKES (DOUGLAS COUNTY): Fishing has been very fair. Powerbait is working best. Float-tubes provide the best access.
HOWARD PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: Rainbow trout are available, averaging 12-14 inches and running up to 20 inches. Many anglers are concentrating their efforts at specific areas of the reservoir such as Hoxie Cove. Fishing for introduced smallmouth bass is good.
LOON LAKE : Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Fish shaded waters early mornings and late evenings. Some fish are coming off docks. Top water, spinner baits, and plastics all work well.
PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: For the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain , the Chinook General Season (all salmon except coho) is open from March 15 to Oct. 31 with a bag limit of two salmon per day. Anglers going offshore should be very cautious of bar and ocean conditions. Minimum lengths for chinook and steelhead are 20 inches in the ocean. No more than two hooks may be used, and they must be single-point, single-shank, and barbless.
For the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain , the "All-Depth" sport season for Pacific Halibut will be open every Friday through Sunday until announced closed. All other regulations pertaining to previous "All-Depth" openings are still in effect.
The "Inside 40-Fathom Line" Pacific halibut season runs through Oct. 31, or until a quota of 20,101 pounds are harvested. Sport halibut openings are posted on the ODFW website, www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP and on the NMFS hotline (1-800-662-9825).
ROGUE RIVER ABOVE LOST CREEK DAM: Fishing should be good for rainbow trout. The limit is five trout per day, eight-inch minimum length, and no limit on the size or number of brook trout taken. The use of bait is allowed.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: Most fishing effort has moved above tidewater. Anglers are reporting mixed catches of chinook and steelhead. Most anglers are fishing eggs and spinners. A few coho are showing up in the bay and anglers have reported some coho caught in the lower river. Chinook anglers should start looking around the mouth of Indian Creek for early returning hatchery fish. Indian Creek flows directly into the Rogue Estuary.
ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: Summer steelhead are available, and fishing is spotty to fair. Flows at Grants Pass were 1,400 cubic feet per second on Monday morning. Fall chinook salmon are migrating into the area, and the Rogue is open for trout fishing with a limit of five adipose fin-clipped trout per day, eight-inch minimum length. All non-adipose fin-clipped rainbow and all cutthroat trout must be released unharmed.
ROGUE RIVER, UPPER: Outflows at Lost Creek are averaging 1,400 cubic feet per second on Monday morning, and are scheduled to drop to 1,100 cfs on Sept. 21. The lower flows should improve angling for summer steelhead throughout the river. A total of 4,866 summer steelhead have passed Gold Ray dam as of Sept. 17. Anglers are reminded that as of Sept. 1, fishing between Gold Ray and Cole Rivers Hatchery is restricted to artificial flies and any type rod or reel per the regulations. Anglers have caught fish on nymphs and egg imitation patterns in the last week. Rainbow trout also are available, with a limit of five adipose fin-clipped trout per day, eight-inch minimum length. All non-adipose fin-clipped rainbow and all cutthroat trout must be released unharmed. Anglers are reminded that fishing for chinook between Gold Ray Dam and Cole Rivers Hatchery is closed Aug. 1-Oct. 31.
SODA SPRINGS: Fishing in the reservoir is good. Brown trout fishing has picked up some due to a hatch. Casting flies and may be the best technique right now. Worms fished on the bottom is always a standby.
SOUTH COAST STREAMS: No reports of chinook in Winchuck, Chetco, Pistol, Sixes, or Elk River estuaries. Cutthroat fishing is still best in estuaries. Try hitting the estuaries on an incoming tide.
UMPQUA RIVER, MAINSTEM: Smallmouth bass is excellent throwing rooster tails and panther martins or night crawlers. Fall chinook fishing is good from the Big Bend area to Dean Creek . The fishing is sporadic with varied success each day. Anglers are reporting cleaning their lines frequently as weeds and debris are fouling trolling gear. Fall chinook also are being harvest in the river from River Forks Park to Sawyers Rapids.
UMPQUA RIVER, NORTH: Summer steelhead fishing is slow. Fishing in the early morning and late evening is best. Excellent bank access is located near Idleyld Park .
WINCHESTER BAY: Crab fishing has slowed. Fall chinook fishing throughout the bay has picked up. Fish are being caught from the bank in Salmon Harbor and on Osprey Point. Fishing with bobbers and eggs is best.
SHELLFISH
Harvest of razor clams found on beaches, spits, jetties, and estuaries along the Oregon Coast remains closed due high levels of domoic acid. Harvest of mussels and other shellfish species is open at this time. Always check for health advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 800-448-2474 for updates, as toxin levels are changing rapidly at this time .
Crabbing is good in the estuaries at Charleston and Bandon. Crab quality should improve overall as fall approaches, with more solid meat in the legs.
Information:
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
3406 Cherry Avenue N.E.
Salem, Ore. 97303
Telephone (503) 947-6000 or (800) 720-ODFW
Web site: www.dfw.state.or.us
