Oregon Fly Fishing Reports

Oregon Fly Fishing Reports from the State with the best fly fishing opportunities.

Reports come Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, from phone calls to fishing friends, and our own observations. All reports are updated as conditions change. Rivers and lake names that are underlined are linked to pages with more details. MultiMap views may be zoomed in or out and are draggable with your cursor to show any area you may want to look at. Most maps are available as drawings or aerials so you can study road access or real details.
This service is still evolving.

MultiMap View of Alsea River, starting at Waldport
Steelhead fishing has slowed throughout the basin as very few hatchery fish remain in the system.  The mainstem Alsea and North Fork will remain open through April. Wild fish make up the bulk of the run this time of year. Anglers are advised to keep the fish in the water while releasing.

MultiMap View of Ana River, starting at Ana Dam
Ana River is open all year long; water temperatures tend to stay warmer due to spring input out of Ana Reservoir. This is a great place to fish during the early spring. Angling for rainbow trout has been good. The river level has been lowered, but is still moderately high. Rainbow trout can be very spooky so stealth is required. Bait angling is allowed and productive. Tui chub and pit roach are abundant in Ana River, large lures and flies mimicking minnows can be very successful. Also, consider trying dry-fly emerges and nymphs.

Catch and release angling through late May. Angling is fair for 10 to 16 inch redband trout. With a substantial snowpack and unpredictable spring weather conditions, anglers may have to deal with varying water conditions. Flow fluctuated between approximately 120 and 230 cfs from April 21 through April 28. Flow was 196 cfs April 28.

MultiMap View of Clackamas River, starting at Mouth
MultiMap View of Clackamas River, starting at Barton Park
MultiMap View of Clackamas River, starting at Estacada
Snow melt has the river in flood. Action is slow on the Clackamas River for spring Chinook, but winter and fresh summer steelhead are available.  Water temperature is going up which should start to bring more spring Chinook in and get steelhead more interested in going on the bite.  Conditions should be great on the river over the next couple of weeks..
Clackamas Hatchery will continue to release hatchery winter steelhead into the river over the next few weeks so keep that in mind when trying to fish with bait. Switch to artificial lures if possible to reduce unintentional catch and mortality of hatchery smolts.

Boaters will find good ramp availability at Clackamette, Riverside, Carver, Barton, Feldheimers, and McIver Park.

Bank anglers need to be aware that with the new fish ladder at Rivermill Dam there has been a change to the angling deadline. This change is particularly noticeable on the McIver Park side of the river where a new fishway entrance was installed. The new angling deadline is clearly visible in bright yellow painted rocks on both the park side and Estacada side. Anglers must adhere to this deadline, making sure to fish and cast downstream of the line. The new deadline is being strictly enforced by law enforcement.

The summer steelhead radio tracking study is all but over in the Clackamas River. We will attempt to track fish using mobile trackersperiodically, but the main focus of the study is complete. ODFW and OSU released 80 hatchery summer steelhead implanted with radio-tags into the Clackamas River downstream of River Mill Dam as part of a study to monitor adult summer steelhead behavior during the summer of 2007. The fish in the study can be identified by an antenna trailing from the abdomen, and a blue plastic tag carrying a unique number inserted just below the dorsal fin on the back of the fish. The department reminds anglers it is against the law for anyone to retain a radio-tagged fish in this river, and these fish must be released unharmed. In addition, these fish have been anesthetized for surgery to implant the radio tags and are not fit for human consumption. Anyone who catches one of the tagged summer steelhead is asked to record the number printed on the plastic tag, without removing the tag from the fish, and notify ODFW of the date and location where the fish was caught and released by calling the Clackamas Office any time at (971) 673-6000. Anyone witnessing a tagged fish in the water is also asked to call. All reports of tagged fish will provide important information for the study.

MultiMap View of Crooked River, starting at Bowman Dam
The Crooked is currently flowing at 800 cfs. Reports from anglers indicate fishing is slow with the higher flows limiting opportunity. ODFW and OSU have initiated a radio telemetry study on redband trout and whitefish, and anglers are reminded that radio-tagged fish cannot be legally harvested. To determine if a fish is radio-tagged, anglers should check for an eight-inch wire antenna protruding from the rear of both redband and mountain whitefish.

MultiMap View of Deschutes River, starting at Tumalo

MultiMap View of Deschutes River, starting at Mouth
MultiMap View of Deschutes River, starting at Maupin
MultiMap View of Deschutes River, starting at Warm Springs
Spring Chinook fishing below Sherars Falls has been slow so far due to low numbers of fish migrating early. White River is dirty with snow melt.  Expect Chinook numbers to increase dramatically in the next two weeks as water temperatures increase and more fish enter the Deschutes. Trout fishing is improving on the lower Deschutes with the warmer temperatures.  The entire Deschutes River is now open to angling. Trout anglers should be successful by using nymphs, but anglers should also be watchful for mid-day hatches. Hatches have been slowed by cooler water due to snow melt run-off, but a few caddis, march brown and blue-winged olive mayflies should be occurring. Little Olive Stones are becoming available on the lower river.

MultiMap View of Eagle Creek, starting at Clackamas River
Water temperature remains in the low 40s but is anticipated to gradually warm with the gradual increase in air temperature. Fishing pressure remains very low. Eagle Creek National Fish Hatchery processed 968 winter steelhead this year and the ladder was closed on March 27. Winter steelhead smolts will be released this week, so keep that in mind when trying to fish with bait. Switch to artificial lures if possible to reduce unintentional catch and mortality of hatchery smolts.
The most popular spots to try include the Bonnie Lure area, the water above and below the lower fish ladder, Eagle Fern Park, and up near the hatchery. Much of the creek meanders through private property so pay attention to your location and secure permission before fishing on private land.

MultiMap View of Fall River, starting at Hatchery
Fall river is a spring creek and flows are stable. Reports are that fishing is good. The banks are nearly clear of snow.  Hatches have been good on warmer, sunnier days. Be stealthy. This small stream is crystal clear. Normal early spring hatches include baetis mayflies, midges & small caddis. The portion of Fall River below the falls will reopen May 24.

MultiMap View of Grande Ronde River, starting at Troy
Steelhead anglers continue to experience good success in northeast Oregon waters. Steelhead season on the Grande Ronde, Wallowa, and Imnaha rivers closes on April 15. Anglers fishing and floating the Wallowa River should be aware of a large tree that has fallen and spans the river approximately 5.5 miles upstream of Minam. The hazard can be observed from Oregon Highway 82 in the vicinity of Johnson Wayside, mile post 39.

MultiMap View of Hood River, starting at Hood River
Snow melt has the river in flood. The river is out of shape.  Summer  steelhead and Spring Chinook should be entering the lower Hood through May and June will provide anglers good opportunities.

MultiMap View of John Day River, starting at Columbia River
Smallmouth bass angling is fair to good, but success is highly dependent on river conditions.  Anglers should expect river flows to rise with the arrival of warmer weather and increased snow melt.  The John Day River below Kimberly is open all year; however, upstream from Kimberly and the North Fork and tributaries are closed to angling until May 24.

MultiMap View of Metolius River, starting at Klamath Falls
Angling for wild redband trout is slow. Water temperatures have increased to a level that redband trout are active. Angling below Keno dam is slow due to high, turbid flows. Most adult redband trout have completed spawning but are just beginning to reenter the river. The Klamath River below JC Boyle Dam to the JC Boyle Powerhouse is your best opportunity for catching redband trout. This section is currently slightly off color. Most redband trout in this section range from 6-12 inches. Water temperature in this section remains warmer due to the large spring input. Angling below the powerhouse is slow due to high and turbid flows.

MultiMap View of Metolius River, starting at Source
This spring creek is 47-52 degrees year round.  The trout are all wild, and catch and release regulations apply. Wild fish can be spooky. Be patient. Warmer calm days produce great hatches of Baetis mayflies and midges. Cold blustery days produce doldrums. The majority of the migratory bull trout have dropped back down stream to lake Billy Chinook.

MultiMap View of Molalla River, starting at Willamette River
Anglers continued to catch fresh winter steelhead and even a few winter steelhead kelts on the Molalla in recent weeks. Counts of winter steelhead over Willamette Falls picked up early last week with over 200 being counted on Monday alone. Many of these fish will move into the Molalla and provide another shot of fresh fish to the system over the next couple of weeks. As water temperature increases in the Willamette several hundred more late winter steelhead and spring Chinook potentially destined for the Molalla will begin moving over the falls. Keep an eye on falls counts over the next couple of weeks for an indication of spring Chinook moving into the Molalla. Spring Chinook will not show up in the Molalla until May. We no longer stock the Molalla with winter or summer steelhead but wild winter steelhead are providing a small, but popular catch and release fishery. Give it a try from the Pine Creek Bridge down to Canby this time of year for both winter steelhead and fresh spring Chinook.

MultiMap View of Nehalem River, starting at Wheeler
Winter steelhead angling is fair. The river has been fishable, but on the high side. Fishing should be winding down. Virtually all fish are wild and must be released. The Nehalem River Road is closed at the Salmonberry River. Flood waters blew out the bridge over the Salmonberry. Use alternate routes.

MultiMap View of Nestucca River, starting at Pacific City
Angling for summer steelhead is improving as more fish arrive in the system. A few late winter steelhead are still available also. Spring angling is still slow. Angling should begin to pick up over the next few weeks. Spring Chinook angling opened April 1st, but expect angling to be very slow.

MultiMap View of Owyhee River, starting at Snake River
Angling for rainbow trout and brown trout is good. Anglers still need to be careful around spawning areas to protect redds. Trout fry will not emerge from the redds until mid to late April. Flow was 243 cfs April 27.

MultiMap View of Owyhee River, starting at Lake Owyhee
SSpring runoff continues on the Owyhee River. Discharge at the Rome gauge varied from approximately 1,900 to 3,100 cfs from April 23 through April 29. Angling for smallmouth and channel catfish is slow.

MultiMap View of Powder River, starting at Phillips Lake
Fishing for rainbow trout will open from Huntington–Richland road bridge to Hughes Lane bridge in Baker City on April 26. All areas in the Powder are open to bait fishing on April 26.

MultiMap View of Rogue River, starting at Gold Beach
Spring Chinook are spread throughout the lower river. The bite has been very sporadic with some of the most consistent action being reported in tidewater. Spring Chinook usually move along the inside bends of rivers, in about 4 to 6 feet of water. Anglers are reminded that there are new regulations in effect for spring Chinook on the Rogue River. 
ODFW will be radio tagging spring Chinook in April, May and June in the lower Rogue River. Spring Chinook will be captured by tangle net, seine or hook and line. Efforts to capture spring Chinook may interfere with an anglers fishing.
The Rogue Spring Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan calls for a research project that determines the relationships between (1) time of freshwater entry, (2) passage timing at Gold Ray Dam, (3) spawning time, and (4) spawning distribution for early-run, mid-run, and late-run spring Chinook salmon.

MultiMap View of Rogue River, starting at Grants Pass
The flow on May 5 was 5,000 cubic feet per second and increasing at Grants Pass. Anglers are still catching some winter steelhead; however, many of the fish are dark or down-stream migrants. Pulling plugs and side drifting yarn balls or bait remain the most productive techniques.
Anglers are reminded that the Rogue is closed to angling for trout until May 24th to protect migrating steelhead and coho salmon smolts. In addition, new regulations are in effect for spring Chinook angling on the Rogue River. Please see the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for more information.

MultiMap View of Sandy River, starting at Columbia R.
MultiMap View of Sandy River, starting at Oxbow Park
MultiMap View of Sandy River, starting at Dodge Park
MultiMap View of Sandy River, starting at Welches
The Sandy River Spey Clave is this weekend. Snow melt has the river in flood. The river is out of shape. Action is slow on the Sandy River for spring Chinook, but winter and fresh summer steelhead are available.  Water is still winter temperature 43-45 degrees because of spring snow melt. When sunshine raised water temperatures to 49-52 degrees it will bring more spring Chinook in and get steelhead more interested in going on the bite.  Water flow conditions should be great on the river over the next couple of weeks.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted new sport-fishing regulations for the Sandy River which move the fishing deadline (or boundary) upstream to the mouth of the Salmon River (near Brightwood) began Jan. 1, 2008. There are reports of a few wild fish being caught and released in the newly opened section of river above Marmot Dam. There are few hatchery winter steelhead available above Cedar Creek, but there is some opportunity for catch and release of wild fish for those interested in a more remote angling experience. The new area should provide good opportunity for hatchery spring Chinook that stray past Cedar Creek starting in May and running through early July. All current fishing regulations in the lower river apply to the newly extended area.
This provides an additional seven miles of fishing opportunity in an area that was historically popular among anglers before 1999 regulations closed the area. The changes are the result of the removal of Marmot Dam, which made the current angling deadline of “200 feet below the dam” obsolete.
The changes at the old Marmot Dam site and the movement of material have the potential to affect conditions downstream of that area. The entire section of river near the dam removal site is a hazardous construction zone with no public entrance allowed at this time. Access to the PGE property at the previous site of Marmot Dam is still closed to all public access.
Access to the river can be gained from many parks including Lewis and Clark, Dabney, Oxbow, and Dodge. Bank access is also available to the Cedar Creek area at the Sandy Hatchery. When fishing the Oxbow Park area, remember that there is no angling from a floating device upstream from a point that is 200 feet below the Oxbow Park boat ramp.
Collection/recycling receptacles for discarded or lost fishing gear can now be found along the Sandy River. Look for them near boat ramps at Lewis and Clark, Dabney, Oxbow, and Dodge parks. Any tangled fishing line or old gear can be collected and disposed of in these canisters as an effort to maintain a healthy, clean Sandy River. Please use nearby garbage cans for any other types of trash.

MultiMap View of Santiam River, starting at Willamette River
Stream flows in the North and South Santiam have been relatively stable for the last couple of weeks. Warmer river temperatures resulted in a little spike of fish coming over Willamette Falls last week. About 4,200 winter steelhead, 1,100 summer steelhead, and 80 spring Chinook have been counted so far. The number of summer steelhead for this date is an encouraging sign that it should be a good run this year. Steelhead are present in both forks and the Chinook should be increasing very soon.

MultiMap View of Siletz River, starting at Hwy 101
Steelhead fishing is slow to fair. Wild fish are most abundant this time of year as spawning peaks well into May. Anglers are advised to leave wild fish in the water while releasing. A few summer steelhead are starting to return with good numbers typically showing by early June.

MultiMap View of Siuslaw River, starting at Florence
Angling is closed above tidewater and will reopen for the trout opener on May 24th.

MultiMap View of Trask River, starting at Tillamook Bay
Winter steelhead angling is slowing down and is mostly over for this season. Angling for spring is slow, but should begin to improve in the coming weeks. Johnson Bridge is being replaced. Demolition is scheduled for the coming weeks. Boaters should use extreme caution when approaching the bridge. Passage past the work site will be provided.

MultiMap View of Umatilla River, starting at Columbia River
Spring chinook angling remained slow, high turbid river flows have limited angling success. Total spring chinook return to Threemile Dam to date is 241.Only adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook salmon may be kept. The bag limit for spring Chinook is 2 adults and 5 jacks per day and 10 adults per year.
Increased river flows have improved passage conditions at the Feed Canal Diversion Dam, allowing for the release of spring Chinook directly above Threemile Falls Dam. We will continue to monitor the passage conditions at Feed Canal.

Umpqua River (Mainstem)

MultiMap View of Umpqua River, starting at Reedsport
Remember the main stem Umpqua is now closed to wild steelhead harvest; it remains open year-round for adipose fin-clipped steelhead. Spring Chinook have started coming up the Umpqua and anglers have been catching good numbers of springers. From Scottsburg to Elkton tends to be the best angling for the early spring Chinook. Water flows will continue to drop through the weekend and water temperatures should rise as the weather warms. This should cause the fish to start moving.

Umpqua River (North Fork)

MultiMap View of North Umpqua River, starting at River Forks Park
The North has remained fishable. The most success has been from Colliding Rivers down. The warmer weather expected this week will get the fish on the move. To date, over 9,100 winter steelhead have passed Winchester Dam. Remember that only adipose fin-clipped steelhead can be harvested on the North Umpqua. The first spring Chinook has crossed Winchester Dam.

Umpqua River (South Fork)

MultiMap View of North Umpqua River, starting at River Forks Park
Angling conditions have been good recently. Hatchery fish have started to move into the South Umpqua and some nice sized fish are being caught. In addition to several good drift boat floats between Canyonville and Roseburg, there are good bank angling opportunities at Templeton Beach, the Myrtle Creek bridge, Stanton Park, and behind Seven Feathers Casino. Remember the South Umpqua is open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead only. The South Umpqua is open for steelhead through April 30.

Wilson River

MultiMap View of Wilson River, starting at Tillamook
Angling for steelhead has been fair, with the occasional good catch reported. The catch has been a mix of late winter steelhead and early summer steelhead. Spring angling is slow, with very few fish available in the river at this time.

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Our Lakes Information Section is constantly evolving.  Last Up-Dated: 04/12/08