Best Fishing in America news blog

2012 summer and fall salmon seasons set for Columbia River

by Eric Apalategui on 05/16/12

The summer and fall salmon fishing seasons have been set on the Columbia River.

Here are some dates you might want to mark on your calendar, depending on your fishery of choice:

June 16: Summer chinook and sockeye salmon fishing opens above the Astoria-Meglar Bridge to the Washington border. (Fishing for summer steelhead, sockeye salmon and spring chinook jacks opened today, May 16, in a smaller zone between Tongue Point and I-5. Shad fishing is open upriver as well but it's a little early).

July 1: Last day for adult summer chinook and sockeye fishing is below Bonneville Dam, unless a mid-season change is made.

July 31: Last day for sockeye fishing from Bonneville Dam to the Washington border. This also is the official last day of summer chinook fishing, but the fall season begins tomorrow so it's not really important.

August 1: Fall chinook and coho salmon fishing opens on the Columbia River from Buoy 10 up to the Washington border. Coho must be hatchery fin-clipped to retain anywhere below the Hood River Bridge clear downstream to Buoy 10. (Early action will be in the estuary and lower river.)

Sept. 3: Last day in September you can keep an adult chinook in the Buoy 10 area (below Tongue Point).

Sept. 9: Last day in September you can keep an adult chinook between Tongue Point and Warrior Rock Lighthouse.

Oct. 1: The Buoy 10 and lower river reopen for chinook. Two adult limit may now include two chinook.

Double-check the ODFW news release below for whichever fisheries you participate in, and watch for possible in-season changes where salmon are concerned.

2012 summer and fall salmon seasons set for Columbia River

May 15, 2012

CLACKAMAS, Ore. -- Fishery managers have announced 2012 summer and fall salmon fishing seasons on the Columbia River.

The seasons are based on results of this year's Pacific Fishery Management Councils (PFMC) process including a series of public meetings, referred to as North of Falcon, in which fishery managers from several jurisdictions convene to plan salmon fisheries on the Columbia River and parts of the ocean off the Oregon and Washington coasts.

This year's projected return of summer chinook is expected to be 91,000 fish with the retention season currently scheduled to run from June 16 through July 1.

"There's a chance the season may be extended once we get a good look at what the actual return is," according to Steve Williams, ODFW deputy Fish Division administrator. "Until then, we're planning a conservative fishery to stay within the available quota."

Similar to last year, sockeye salmon retention will be allowed during part of the summer with retention scheduled to open May 16-July 1 downstream of the I-5 Bridge and June 16-July 1 above the I-5 Bridge.

The fall season begins Aug. 1, and includes the popular Buoy 10 fishery near Astoria and the fall "upriver bright" season in the main stem Columbia. The 2012 predicted run sizes and fishing season for chinook are similar to last year, though managers expect sport anglers will be allowed to retain chinook through Labor Day at Buoy 10. Managers are predicting coho returns will be down from last year but not enough to affect season length.

Summary of 2012 summer and fall salmon regulations for the Columbia River

• Sockeye Salmon
  • Retention of sockeye allowed:
    • May 16 -- June 15 ** from a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to the I-5 Bridge.
    • June 16 -- July 1** from Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam
    • June 16 -- July 31 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.
    • All sockeye count as an adult salmonid in the daily limit.

• Summer Chinook
  • Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult (longer than 24-inches) summer chinook allowed June 16 -- July 1** from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam, and June 16 -- July 31 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.
  • Retention of adipose fin-clipped jack (12 to 24-inches long) summer chinook allowed June 16-- July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the OR/WA border.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jacks.

Fall Salmon Seasons

• Buoy 10 
  
  
  • Retention of adult (longer than 16-inches) adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed Aug. 1 -- December 31.
  • Retention of adult (longer than 24-inches) chinook allowed during Aug. 1 -- Sept. 3** and Oct. 1 -- Dec. 31.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults, only one of which may be a chinook during Aug. 1 -- Sept. 3. Beginning Oct. 1 the combined daily bag limit is two adults, both of which can be chinook. Jacks may not be retained between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30 under permanent rules.
  • All other permanent rules apply.
    
    
• Lower Columbia (Tongue Point/Rocky Point upstream to Bonneville Dam).
  
  
  • Retention of adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed Aug. 1 -- Dec. 31.
    Retention of chinook allowed:
    • Aug. 1 -- Sept. 9** and October 1-December 31 from the Rocky Point-Tongue Point line upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island.
    • Aug. 1 -- Dec. 31** from a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island, upstream to Bonneville Dam.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jack salmon. During Aug. 1 -- Sept. 9** the daily bag limit may not include more than one adult chinook. During September 10 -- December 31, the daily bag limit may include two Chinook upstream of Warrior Rock. During Oct. 1 -- Dec. 31 the daily bag limit may include up to two chinook from Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam.
  • An in-season extension may be considered for the area from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to Warrior Rock during all or part of the September 10 -- 16 timeframe under mark-selective (ad-clipped) regulations.
    
    
• Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border
  
  
  • Retention of chinook, coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed Aug. 1 -- Dec. 31**.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jack salmon.
  • All coho retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be adipose fin-clipped.

** Seasons may be subject to in-season modification.

For a complete summary of the summer and fall fisheries on the Columbia, including salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and shad, go to the ODFW website.

ODFW considers changes to Oregon angling regulations

by Eric Apalategui on 05/01/12

Fish with soft plastic lures? Like to eat a bunch of sturgeon? Have only one rod in the water when the rest of your boat party has its limit?

Your fishing lives could change, for better or worse, as ODFW considers a variety of proposals to change fishing regulations. Some are statewide. A bunch of others affect only local waters.

The potential rules will be the topic of a series of public meetings across Oregon.

Read ODFW's news release for more information:

SALEM, Ore. -- The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife invites anglers and others to comment on proposed changes to the 2013 sport fishing regulations at 11 public meeting to be held throughout the state in May.

The comments received at these meetings will be presented to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission when it considers changes to the angling regulations at its August meeting in Salem. The Commission will make its final decision on the 2013 sport fishing rules in September.

Meeting dates and locations are listed below.

ODFW initiates a comprehensive review of the sport fishing regulations every four years. The public was invited to submit their proposals throughout January and February, after which they were reviewed by agency staff and officers from the Oregon State Police. Proposals that passed the review will be presented for Commission consideration.

A total of 138 public proposals were submitted and 40 have passed ODFW /OSP review. They will be presented to the Commission, along with 61 proposals from ODFW staff.  Some of the statewide proposals that will be considered by the Commission include:

• Change Free Fishing Weekend to the first full weekend in June. This will align FFW with other outdoor events such as State Parks Day and National Trails Day (S).
• Reduce annual sturgeon catch limit to two fish per year (S).
• Revise regulations to allow each angler aboard a vessel to continue fishing until the daily limit of fish for all legally-licensed and juvenile anglers aboard has been achieved (P).
• Modify bait definition to allow use of hook-less “bait” attracters in the ocean salmon fishery (S).
• Re-define "lure" to include soft plastic and rubber imitations such as worms, grubs and eggs (P).
• Re-define "snagging" to help enforce anti-snagging regulations (S).

(S)= staff proposal, (P) = public proposal

The dates, times and locations of the meetings are listed below. Also listed are some of the proposed regulations related to local water bodies. A complete list of all proposed regulations and information about the regulation development process is available on the ODFW website.  

All public meetings will be held from 7 -- 10 p.m.

LA GRANDE: Monday, May 7 at Blue Mountain Conference Center, 404 12th St.

• Delete the special regulations for brook trout in Morgan Lake (S).
• Expand coho and fall Chinook salmon angling daily bag limit on the lower Umatilla River (S).
• Enhance bass and panfish fishery in Unity Reservoir (S).
• Bass bag limit regulation change for McKay Reservoir (P).

Contact: Tim Bailey (541) 963-2138

BEND: Tuesday, May 8 at U.S. Forest Service offices, 63095 Deschutes Market Rd.

• Create a selective, quality trout fishery in Crane Prairie Reservoir (S).
• Prohibit the use of bait in the Crooked River main stem year round (P).
• Expand trout fishing opportunities on Deschutes River in Bend (S).
• Allow retention of trophy brown trout on East Lake (P).
• Restore ODFW management for largemouth bass at Wickiup Reservoir (P).

Contact: Brett Hodgson (541) 388-6009

KLAMATH FALLS: Wednesday, May 9 at OSU Extension Service, 3328 Vandenberg Rd.

• Allow harvest of brook and brown trout on Wood and Williamson rivers, Sevenmile and Crooked creeks, and other Agency and Klamath lake tributaries (P).
• Reduce daily limits of redband trout on several rivers and streams in the Malheur Basin (S).
• Enhance bass and panfish fisheries on Dog Lake, near Lakeview (S).

Contact: Roger Smith (541) 883-5732

WHITE CITY/CENTRAL POINT: Thursday, May 10 at Jackson County Auditorium, 400 Antelope Rd., White City.

• Open Rogue River above Lost Creek Dam to all-year trout angling (S).
• Change legal angling hours on the Rogue River near Cole Rivers Hatchery (S).
• Reduce wild chinook salmon harvest on the Elk and Sixes River (S).
• Open additional 9 miles of the Illinois River to wild steelhead harvest (P).

Contact: David Haight (541) 826-8774 ext. 224 or Todd Confer (541) 247-7605

ROSEBURG: Monday, May 14 at ODFW offices, 4192 N Umpqua Hwy.

• Allow one additional hatchery steelhead in select SW Zone waters (S).
• Allow year-round fishing on Diamond Lake (P).

Contact: Laura Jackson (541) 440-3353

COOS BAY/NORTH BEND: Tuesday, May 15 at North Bend Library, 1800 Sherman Ave.

• Allow one additional hatchery steelhead in select SW Zone waters (S).
• Eliminate protective regulations for largemouth and smallmouth bass in Coquille River Basin (S).
• Allow harvest of trout greater than 20 inches in Eel Lake (S).
• See other issues under ROSEBURG.
• See other marine issues under NEWPORT.

Contact: Mike Gray (541) 888-5515

NEWPORT: Wednesday, May 16 at Hallmark Resort, 744 SW Elizabeth St.

• Establish a new angling deadline on the Alsea River (P).
• New anti-snagging rules on Salmon River (S).
• Increase the daily limit on Purple Varnish clams to first 60 or 72 taken (P).
• Return Macoma clams to immediate digging area (P).

Contact: Robert Buckman (541) 265-8306

TILLAMOOK: Thursday, May 17 at Oregon Department of Forestry, 5005 Third St.

• New anti-snagging rules on Trask and Three Rivers section of the Nestucca (S).
• Year-long catch-and-release trout fishing on select Lower Columbia River tributaries (P).
• See other marine issues under NEWPORT.

Contact: Chris Knutsen (503) 842-2741

EUGENE/SPRINGFIELD: Monday, May 21 at Lane Community College, Forum Building (#17), Room 308, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene.

• Eliminate use of bait to reduce hooking mortality on wild trout in a non-stocked wild trout rearing area on the McKenzie River (S).
• Establish a new trout, steelhead and salmon fishery on Springfield Mill Race (S).
• New anti-snagging- leader length regulations on McKenzie River below Leaburg Dam (S).
• Reduce trout daily bag limit on Middle Fork Willamette below Dexter (P).

Contact: Jeff Ziller (541) 726-3515

SALEM: Tuesday, May 22 at ODFW Headquarters, 3406 Cherry Ave. N.E.

• New bass limits in several local ponds (P).
• Establish crappie limits in Henry Hagg Lake (P).
• Expand trout fishing in Salmon River Basin above anadromous fish barrier (S).

Contact: Steve Mamoyac  (541) 757-4186

PORTLAND METRO: Wednesday, May 23 at ODFW NW Regional Headquarters, Bldg. #16, 17330 SE Evelyn St., Clackamas.

• Restore deadline for adipose fin-clipped chinook fishing on the Molalla River to Horse Creek Bridge (P).
• Extend bait area on the lower Tualatin River to enhance angling for warmwater species (S).
• Establish crappie limits on Henry Hagg Lake (P).

Contact: Todd Alsbury (971) 673-6011

ODFW sets 2012 ocean seasons for salmon, halibut

by Eric Apalategui on 04/20/12

A large section of the Oregon coast will see the most generous salmon fishing seasons in years, thanks to massive fall chinook runs expected in northern California and very good ones off much of Oregon's coast.

Offshore chinook fishing already open between Cape Falcon (near Manzanita on the North Coast) and Humbug Mountain (near Port Orford on the South Coast) and staying open through Halloween.

That same big patch of ocean also will have both a hatchery coho season in July and an all-coho (wild included) season in September.

The far-north and far-south areas will have plenty of opportunities as well, and a slightly larger halibut quota also will help put more fish fillets and steaks in Oregon freezers this summer.

Below is the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's news release. If you need to refer back to this information later on, just use the search function on this website and it should appear.

SALEM, Ore -- The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission set ocean fishing seasons for salmon and halibut during its meeting in Salem today.

The Commission set the 2012 ocean salmon seasons for Oregon's territorial waters that extend three miles from the state's shoreline. They mirror the regulations adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council on April 6 that cover ocean waters from three to 200 miles from the state's shore. The regulations must also be approved by the National Marine Fishery Service and the Secretary of Commerce.

Thanks to improved stocks from the Klamath and Sacramento rivers, both sport and commercial anglers in the area south of Cape Falcon will enjoy up to three or four weeks more fishing than in 2011.

Here is a summary of the upcoming ocean salmon sport seasons:

The Columbia River area, from Leadbetter Point, Wash. to Cape Falcon:

• Selective chinook season open June 9 - 22 or until the catch quota of 8,000 marked chinook is reached. The daily bag limit is two chinook with a healed adipose fin clip. No coho may be retained.
• Selective coho and chinook season open June 23 through Sept. 30 or until an 11,000 chinook and 34,860 marked coho quota is reached. The bag limit is two salmon per day, but no more than one chinook, and all coho must have a healed adipose fin clip.

From Cape Falcon just north of Manzanita to Humbug Mountain near Port Orford:

• Chinook season runs from March 15 through Oct. 31 with a bag limit of two salmon, closed to the retention of coho except during the selective and non-selective coho seasons.
• Selective coho season open July 1 - 31 or until 8,000 marked coho quota for Cape Falcon to Calif. border
• Non-selective coho open three days a week (Thursday through Saturday) Sept. 1-22 or 10,000 coho quota

South of Humbug Mountain to the Oregon/California border:

• Chinook season runs from is May 1 through Sept. 9.
• Selective coho will be open July 1 - 31 or until 8,000 marked coho quota for Cape Falcon to Calif. Border.

A map outlining the 2012 ocean salmon seasons approved by the Commission is posted on the ODFW website.

The Commission also adopted 2012 sport and commercial Pacific halibut seasons that are concurrent with those recently adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

For the second year in a row, Oregon halibut anglers will enjoy slightly more fishing opportunity thanks to a 9 percent increase in the harvest quota. Anglers also will see some of this quota shifted into popular fisheries in the central coast sub area.
Leadbetter Point, Wash., to Cape Falcon:

• All-Depth Seasons have a combined quota of 11,985 pounds. Spring: Open three days a week (Thursday - Saturday) May 3 to July 15 or until the quota 9,516 pounds is met. Summer: Open three days a week (Friday - Sunday), Aug. 3 to Sept. 30 or until remaining quota is met.

Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain:

• Nearshore Season (inside 40-fathom line) open seven days a week from May 1 to Oct. 31, or until harvest quota of 23,014 pounds is met.
• All-Depth Seasons have a combined quota of 168,766 pounds. Spring dates: May 10-12, May 17-19, May 24-26, and May 31-June 2. Backup days are June 14-16, June 28-30, July 12-14, and July 26-28. Spring quota is 120,821 lbs. Summer dates: every other Friday and Saturday (Aug. 3-4, Aug. 17-18, Aug. 31-Sept 1, Sept. 14-15, Sept. 28-29, Oct. 12-13, Oct. 26-27) until the quota is reached.

South of Humbug Mountain:

• The season will be open seven days a week from May 1 to Oct. 31.

Mid-April Fishing Report

by Eric Apalategui on 04/18/12

I just posted the April fishing calendar, and I have drafts done for the next six months to polish and put up. I see those pages as always open to updating, so let me know if I'm missing the boat on a great fishing opportunity any month of the year.

Meanwhile, here are some things happening right now:

Northwest Zone: Despite reports/rumors that the first coastal spring chinook have been landed in the Nestucca, Trask and Wilson rivers, you have far better chance at catching late wild and broodstock hatchery steelhead right now. (North coast springer fishing improves in May.) Best bets for a late keeper steelie (or an early summer fish) this month are the Nestucca, Siletz and Wilson rivers. Stocked trout are swimming in just about every puddle on the ODFW stocking schedule.

Southwest Zone: Spring chinook continue to fall on the Rogue and Umpqua rivers, although the latter is running a bit high. Again, it's hard to spit without hitting a stocked trout at lower-elevation lakes and ponds. Late winter steelhead are aggressively hitting on the upper Rogue River, below Lost Creek Reservoir. April is a good time of year to key in on the larger smallmouth bass in the Umpqua River, with the pre-spawn period finishing later this month and then the spawn period when bass guard their nests.

Willamette Zone: Spring chinook continue to be caught in the lower Willamette, with water levels forecasted to rise slightly. Expect excellent fishing over the next several weeks. It's a bit early for great springer fishing in the tribs below and above Willamette Falls, but late winter steelhead (and a few summers) are hitting in the Clackamas and Sandy rivers. The stocking trucks will be wearing out their odometers getting ready for the prime season on lower-elevation lakes and streams. Most stream stocking in April is in southern valley rivers and creeks.

Central Zone: Spring chinook fishing opens on the Deschutes River, where spring fly fishing for trout also can be good. Both pursuits will pick up steam in May, though, with more springers and the onset of the famous salmonfly hatch.

Southeast Zone: Did you see that big redband trout caught on Upper Klamath Lake that a reader posted on our Oregon Facebook page? ODFW indicates that one was not alone, with good spring fishing conditions. Also, the Ana, Chewaucan and Klamath rivers have been fishing well.

Northeast Zone: Spring smallmouth bass fishing in underway on the John Day River. Jigging deep is putting some kokanee limits in the boat at Wallowa Lake. Some of the district's ponds have been stocked with trout.

Snake River Zone: ODFW reported a decent crappie bite on Brownlee Reservoir, but low water levels are limited places you can launch. I suspect crappie and bass fishing will improve a notch across the state this weekend, if the warmer forecast holds.

Columbia River Zone: More and more springers are falling to recreational anglers on the lower river, and counts at Bonneville are ticking upward, signaling the start of effort farther upstream. The lower river closes after this coming weekend and will stay closed at least into May, when run updates will be available. Walleye have been biting up in The Dalles Pool and elsewhere on the big river.

Marine Zone: Offshore fishing is great this time of year ... if you can get out on the water. There have been some pockets of very good ocean chinook fishing, but you have to be a little lucky to catch it right. A minus tide series gets going this weekend for razor and bay clammers.

Kokanee Power derbies point way to reliable summer kokanee fishing

by Eric Apalategui on 04/18/12

If you want to know where to look for some great kokanee fishing during the next four months, simply go where the folks at Kokanee Power of Oregon are going.

The group has announced its 2012 derby lineup. Here are the four locations:

Green Peter Reservoir, May 19: This west-side reservoir isn't always red hot yet by May, but its low elevation and moderate weather make it a sure bet for access, angler comfort and at least fair action in the middle of spring. For those with downriggers, this spot can get even better in the summer heat. There is a 25-kokanee limit here.

For more about this fishery from a Green Peter expert: Green Peter Kokanee Fishing

Wickiup Reservoir, June 16: Known for large kokanee, this large and mostly shallow Central Oregon favorite can be tricky for newcomers but also can flat out produce lots of fish during the prime season, which includes June. It also has a 25-kokanee limit.

For more about this fishery from Wickiup kokanee experts: Wickiup Reservoir Kokanee Fishing

Crescent Lake, July 14: Crescent also can have large and, afficianados say, particularly tasty kokanee among Central Oregon waters. Kokanee here are counted as part of the daily trout limit of five. (Trout species here are brown, lake and rainbow trout).

For more on this fishery from a Crescent kokanee expert: Crescent Lake Kokanee Fishing

Odell Lake, August 18: Odell, like Green Peter, is one of the most consistent kokanee spots in Oregon and skilled anglers frequently reach its 25-kokanee limit. Although angling can be fantastic earlier in the season, especially for jiggers, Odell's landlocked sockeye spawn relatively late and are still biting strong in August, when trolling is king.

For more on this fishery from two Odell kokanee experts: Odell Lake Kokanee Fishing

There are plenty of other good kokanee fisheries in Oregon. For a nice taste of this great fishery, start with our Oregon's Best Kokanee Fishing page.

And if you want to join the fun by signing up for one or more derbies (and perhaps camp with the gang at the last three locations), you'll find everything you need at the Kokanee Power of Oregon website.