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Anglers have begun looking to harvest summer steelheads on the north Umpqua River, and Smallmouth bass fishing has been steady on the main Umpqua.
Crawfish, crankbaits and worms have been the best bets for anglers on the Umpqua. Sturgeon fishing near the Umpqua Estuary has slowed.
Following is the weekly fishing report, compiled by fisheries and biologists associated with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and posted every Wednesday on its Web site:
SOUTHWEST ZONE
AGATE RESERVOIR: Fishing for largemouth bass and panfish should be good. At Agate, flies, crappie jigs and bait all work for crappie.
ALL SPORTS POND: Fishing for and bass and panfish should be good.
APPLEGATE RESERVOIR: Applegate Reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout. The reservoir also offers land-locked juvenile spring chinook salmon, along with bass and panfish.
COOS COUNTY LAKES : Bass fishing at Tenmile has been good recently but the weedline is starting to show just out from the shore. Bluegill angling has also been good. Tenmile anglers are reminded that largemouth bass over 15 inches must be released unharmed back into the lake.
COOS RIVER BASIN : Chinook should start entering the bay soon. Anglers typically start picking up fish trolling or mooching between the jetties this time of year. Bar conditions can be dangerous and change suddenly so use caution if boating in this vicinity. From Late August through September, Chinook should be spread throughout the bay with most angling effort concentrated from the railroad bridge up through the Marshfield Channel.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: Chinook fishing in the Coquille River around Rocky Point is spotty but fish are being caught. This fishery will gradually improve over the coming weeks and should be good through September. Retention of coho is prohibited above Lampa Creek at river mile 11.5.
EMIGRANT RESERVOIR: Fishing for bass and panfish should be good. Anglers should be aware that recent testing by the Department of Human Services has found elevated levels of mercury in smallmouth bass at Emigrant, and a health advisory has been issued recommending limits on consumption of all fish from Emigrant except rainbow trout. Information on the Emigrant Reservoir advisory, along with general information on mercury and fish can be found on the DHS website at www.healthoregon.org/fishadv.
HIGH LAKES : Fishing should be good at these lakes before water temperatures start to increase. High lake fishing has been good, be aware of the increased fire danger when traveling to these lakes. Brown trout fishing at Lemolo, Toketee, and Soda Springs has been good. The best time to fish is early morning and late evening.
HOWARD PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: Trout fishing is slow at Howard Prairie, but anglers are having some success by fishing deep water. Legal-sized trout have been released to supplement the fingerling-based fishery. The reservoir is still nearly full, so fishing conditions will be good.
HYATT LAKE: Hyatt Lake has been stocked with legal-sized rainbow trout as a special opportunity this year. Numerous small-sized bass are dominating the catch at this time, however. Largemouth bass anglers have done very well at Hyatt. Spinner baits are a good bet at Hyatt for bass. The reservoir is still nearly full, so fishing conditions will be good.
ILLINOIS RIVER: The Illinois River up to Pomeroy Dam is open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead. Artificial flies and lures only.
LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: The public health advisory for algae has been lifted at Lost Creek Reservoir. Trout anglers will likely want to fish deep or at the upper end of the reservoir above the bridge, where trout will seek cooler water temperatures. Bass fishing should be good.
MEDCO POND: Medco Pond is stocked with legal-sized rainbow trout, and largemouth bass and bluegill also available.
PACIFIC OCEAN & BEACHES: Ocean salmon fishing has been fair recently. In addition to salmon, bottom fishing continues to be excellent and some boats have been out for tuna and done well. Anglers should use extreme caution and consider going with other boats if targeting tuna. This years salmon continue to run large with many in the 30 pound range.
No more than two single point barbless hooks may be used.
COOS COUNTY LAKES : Warm water temps and weed growth in some water bodies has made lake angling a challenge recently. Anglers should concentrate their efforts in the morning and evening. Tenmile anglers are reminded that largemouth bass over 15 inches must be released unharmed back into the lake.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: Chinook fishing in the Rogue Bay continues to be slow. Fortunately the northwest winds have died down making fishing conditions much better for catching. The few fish that have been caught have been big. Anchovy and spinner are still the top choice bait.
Summer steelhead fishing has greatly improved this last week as "half-pounders" and adult steelhead started to move. Water temperatures have been running in the high 60's.
ODFW has begun the annual Rogue River Seining Project. Three times a week ODFW personnel seine the Rogue River at Huntley Park, approximately eight miles upstream of the Rogue River mouth. Anglers interested in information on the upstream movement of salmon and steelhead should contact the ODFW Gold Beach Field Office.
ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: Good numbers of early run summer steelhead are available, and the harvest of adipose fin-clipped steelhead is allowed year round on the Rogue. Anglers are reminded that only adipose fin-clipped chinook can be taken between Hog Creek and Gold Ray Dam through Aug. 14. Flows at Grants Pass are averaging 1,650 cubic feet per second on Monday morning. 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: Good numbers of summer steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray for this point in the run, and anglers are having some success on these early run fish. The harvest of adipose fin-clipped steelhead is allowed on the Rogue year-round. Anglers are reminded that chinook fishing closed above Gold Ray Dam as of Aug. 1. Reservoir outflows are averaging 1,850 cubic feet per second on Monday morning. A total of 5,039 summer steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray Dam as of Aug. 4. The Rogue is open for trout fishing with a limit of five adipose fin-clipped trout per day, 8-inch minimum length. All non adipose fin-clipped rainbow and all cutthroat trout must be released unharmed.
ROGUE RIVER ABOVE LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: The mainstem and tributaries above Lost Creek Reservoir are open, with a limit of five trout per day, 8-inch minimum length, and no limit on the size or number of brook trout taken. The North Fork Rogue above Prospect will be stocked this week, and fishing in locations such as Hamaker Meadows has been good. The use of bait is allowed.
SMITH RIVER : Trout fishing has been good. Smallmouth are available in Smith River below the falls and fishing should be good.
SOUTH COAST BEACHES: Perch fishing has slowed, but fishing conditions have improved as the strong north winds have decreased.
SOUTH COAST LAKES AND PONDS: Anglers should expect slow fishing at most South Coast lakes as water and weed growth continues to rise. Southard, Babyfoot and Laird Lakes should hold up through the summer and continue to produce good catches of rainbow trout.
SOUTH COAST STREAMS: Anglers interested in cooling off may want to consider wet wading some the upper reaches of Sixes, Elk, Pistol, and Chetco Rivers for some excellent resident cutthroat fishing. Don't expect to catch anything bigger than 14 inches, but action will be con stant. Anglers should try using flies or small spinners.
TENMILE BASIN : Trout angling in Tenmile Creek is open, with flies and lures required above tidewater.
UMPQUA ESTUARY: Sturgeon fishing is slow. The river opened for fin-clipped coho on Aug. 1. Some chinook and coho are currently being caught in the bay below the 101 bridge. Coho and chinook fishing will continue to improve.
UMPQUA RIVER MAINSTEM: Main-stem Umpqua closed to the retention of all non-fin-clipped steelhead, but remains open year round for fin-clipped steelhead. Smallmouth fishing has been very good. Rapalas, crawfish crankbaits, and worms are the best bets for catching smallmouth.
UMPQUA RIVER , NORTH: The majority of people fishing have switched over to summer steelhead. The North Umpqua fly water is now unweighted fly only. Winchester Dam counts show 5,271 spring chinook and 3,239 summer steelhead through July 12.
UMPQUA RIVER , SOUTH: Smallmouth fishing has been excellent. Crawfish crankbaits and worms are working the best at this time.
SHELLFISH
As of Aug. 7, razor clam harvest is open from Cape Perpetua (located south of Yachats) to the California border. Bay clamming and mussel harvest is open state wide. Domoic acid levels in razor clams north of Cape Perpetua have exceeded the range safe for human consumption. Always check for health advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 800-448-2474 for updates. For more information about razor clams and current status of particular areas see the ODFW razor clam web page at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/razorclams
Crabbing is fair but quality and quantity of crab may be less than what would be expected in the fall or winter. Crabbers should consider releasing crabs that have little meat in their legs. The Coos Bay shoreline along the inside of the North Spit from Empire to Charleston is a good area for crabbing. Public crabbing docks can be found in Winchester Bay, Bandon, Charleston, and Empire.
Crawfish, crankbaits and worms have been the best bets for anglers on the Umpqua. Sturgeon fishing near the Umpqua Estuary has slowed.
Following is the weekly fishing report, compiled by fisheries and biologists associated with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and posted every Wednesday on its Web site:
SOUTHWEST ZONE
AGATE RESERVOIR: Fishing for largemouth bass and panfish should be good. At Agate, flies, crappie jigs and bait all work for crappie.
ALL SPORTS POND: Fishing for and bass and panfish should be good.
APPLEGATE RESERVOIR: Applegate Reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout. The reservoir also offers land-locked juvenile spring chinook salmon, along with bass and panfish.
COOS COUNTY LAKES : Bass fishing at Tenmile has been good recently but the weedline is starting to show just out from the shore. Bluegill angling has also been good. Tenmile anglers are reminded that largemouth bass over 15 inches must be released unharmed back into the lake.
COOS RIVER BASIN : Chinook should start entering the bay soon. Anglers typically start picking up fish trolling or mooching between the jetties this time of year. Bar conditions can be dangerous and change suddenly so use caution if boating in this vicinity. From Late August through September, Chinook should be spread throughout the bay with most angling effort concentrated from the railroad bridge up through the Marshfield Channel.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: Chinook fishing in the Coquille River around Rocky Point is spotty but fish are being caught. This fishery will gradually improve over the coming weeks and should be good through September. Retention of coho is prohibited above Lampa Creek at river mile 11.5.
EMIGRANT RESERVOIR: Fishing for bass and panfish should be good. Anglers should be aware that recent testing by the Department of Human Services has found elevated levels of mercury in smallmouth bass at Emigrant, and a health advisory has been issued recommending limits on consumption of all fish from Emigrant except rainbow trout. Information on the Emigrant Reservoir advisory, along with general information on mercury and fish can be found on the DHS website at www.healthoregon.org/fishadv.
HIGH LAKES : Fishing should be good at these lakes before water temperatures start to increase. High lake fishing has been good, be aware of the increased fire danger when traveling to these lakes. Brown trout fishing at Lemolo, Toketee, and Soda Springs has been good. The best time to fish is early morning and late evening.
HOWARD PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: Trout fishing is slow at Howard Prairie, but anglers are having some success by fishing deep water. Legal-sized trout have been released to supplement the fingerling-based fishery. The reservoir is still nearly full, so fishing conditions will be good.
HYATT LAKE: Hyatt Lake has been stocked with legal-sized rainbow trout as a special opportunity this year. Numerous small-sized bass are dominating the catch at this time, however. Largemouth bass anglers have done very well at Hyatt. Spinner baits are a good bet at Hyatt for bass. The reservoir is still nearly full, so fishing conditions will be good.
ILLINOIS RIVER: The Illinois River up to Pomeroy Dam is open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead. Artificial flies and lures only.
LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: The public health advisory for algae has been lifted at Lost Creek Reservoir. Trout anglers will likely want to fish deep or at the upper end of the reservoir above the bridge, where trout will seek cooler water temperatures. Bass fishing should be good.
MEDCO POND: Medco Pond is stocked with legal-sized rainbow trout, and largemouth bass and bluegill also available.
PACIFIC OCEAN & BEACHES: Ocean salmon fishing has been fair recently. In addition to salmon, bottom fishing continues to be excellent and some boats have been out for tuna and done well. Anglers should use extreme caution and consider going with other boats if targeting tuna. This years salmon continue to run large with many in the 30 pound range.
No more than two single point barbless hooks may be used.
COOS COUNTY LAKES : Warm water temps and weed growth in some water bodies has made lake angling a challenge recently. Anglers should concentrate their efforts in the morning and evening. Tenmile anglers are reminded that largemouth bass over 15 inches must be released unharmed back into the lake.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: Chinook fishing in the Rogue Bay continues to be slow. Fortunately the northwest winds have died down making fishing conditions much better for catching. The few fish that have been caught have been big. Anchovy and spinner are still the top choice bait.
Summer steelhead fishing has greatly improved this last week as "half-pounders" and adult steelhead started to move. Water temperatures have been running in the high 60's.
ODFW has begun the annual Rogue River Seining Project. Three times a week ODFW personnel seine the Rogue River at Huntley Park, approximately eight miles upstream of the Rogue River mouth. Anglers interested in information on the upstream movement of salmon and steelhead should contact the ODFW Gold Beach Field Office.
ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: Good numbers of early run summer steelhead are available, and the harvest of adipose fin-clipped steelhead is allowed year round on the Rogue. Anglers are reminded that only adipose fin-clipped chinook can be taken between Hog Creek and Gold Ray Dam through Aug. 14. Flows at Grants Pass are averaging 1,650 cubic feet per second on Monday morning. 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: Good numbers of summer steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray for this point in the run, and anglers are having some success on these early run fish. The harvest of adipose fin-clipped steelhead is allowed on the Rogue year-round. Anglers are reminded that chinook fishing closed above Gold Ray Dam as of Aug. 1. Reservoir outflows are averaging 1,850 cubic feet per second on Monday morning. A total of 5,039 summer steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray Dam as of Aug. 4. The Rogue is open for trout fishing with a limit of five adipose fin-clipped trout per day, 8-inch minimum length. All non adipose fin-clipped rainbow and all cutthroat trout must be released unharmed.
ROGUE RIVER ABOVE LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: The mainstem and tributaries above Lost Creek Reservoir are open, with a limit of five trout per day, 8-inch minimum length, and no limit on the size or number of brook trout taken. The North Fork Rogue above Prospect will be stocked this week, and fishing in locations such as Hamaker Meadows has been good. The use of bait is allowed.
SMITH RIVER : Trout fishing has been good. Smallmouth are available in Smith River below the falls and fishing should be good.
SOUTH COAST BEACHES: Perch fishing has slowed, but fishing conditions have improved as the strong north winds have decreased.
SOUTH COAST LAKES AND PONDS: Anglers should expect slow fishing at most South Coast lakes as water and weed growth continues to rise. Southard, Babyfoot and Laird Lakes should hold up through the summer and continue to produce good catches of rainbow trout.
SOUTH COAST STREAMS: Anglers interested in cooling off may want to consider wet wading some the upper reaches of Sixes, Elk, Pistol, and Chetco Rivers for some excellent resident cutthroat fishing. Don't expect to catch anything bigger than 14 inches, but action will be con stant. Anglers should try using flies or small spinners.
TENMILE BASIN : Trout angling in Tenmile Creek is open, with flies and lures required above tidewater.
UMPQUA ESTUARY: Sturgeon fishing is slow. The river opened for fin-clipped coho on Aug. 1. Some chinook and coho are currently being caught in the bay below the 101 bridge. Coho and chinook fishing will continue to improve.
UMPQUA RIVER MAINSTEM: Main-stem Umpqua closed to the retention of all non-fin-clipped steelhead, but remains open year round for fin-clipped steelhead. Smallmouth fishing has been very good. Rapalas, crawfish crankbaits, and worms are the best bets for catching smallmouth.
UMPQUA RIVER , NORTH: The majority of people fishing have switched over to summer steelhead. The North Umpqua fly water is now unweighted fly only. Winchester Dam counts show 5,271 spring chinook and 3,239 summer steelhead through July 12.
UMPQUA RIVER , SOUTH: Smallmouth fishing has been excellent. Crawfish crankbaits and worms are working the best at this time.
SHELLFISH
As of Aug. 7, razor clam harvest is open from Cape Perpetua (located south of Yachats) to the California border. Bay clamming and mussel harvest is open state wide. Domoic acid levels in razor clams north of Cape Perpetua have exceeded the range safe for human consumption. Always check for health advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 800-448-2474 for updates. For more information about razor clams and current status of particular areas see the ODFW razor clam web page at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/razorclams
Crabbing is fair but quality and quantity of crab may be less than what would be expected in the fall or winter. Crabbers should consider releasing crabs that have little meat in their legs. The Coos Bay shoreline along the inside of the North Spit from Empire to Charleston is a good area for crabbing. Public crabbing docks can be found in Winchester Bay, Bandon, Charleston, and Empire.
