Powers Pond in Coos County offers excellent fishing for stocked rainbow trout during the prime seasons and also has a self-sustaining population of warm-water fish species, including largemouth bass and bluegill.
It’s the trout that bring the most excitement. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife often will schedule the first stocking near the end of February or start of March and keep the fish coming with several more plantings well into spring.
Recent seasons have seen this small lake get more than 12,000 trout stocked during the season, bringing fairly easy limits for many anglers during the peak times.
Most stocked trout will come in the form of pan-sized keepers early in the year. However, this lake is also among a handful in the region that can be planted with a smaller number of trophy trout during the spring and then with a fair number of larger “pounder” trout in the fall.
Check the ODFW’s stocking schedule closely, because the best fishing occurs during the days and weeks after fish are planted and can taper off quickly, especially as the water warms into late spring.
Also see: Trout Fishing: Basic How-To Techniques and Tips.
Unlike trout, bass and other warm-water species will start biting best as the water begins to warm. These fish are active throughout the summer and early fall but get harder to catch when the water temperature drops.
Powers Pond is known to have good a bluegill population, and these sunfish are easy for beginners to catch. They will readily bite a piece of worm, mealworm or cricket suspended below a bobber when the water is fairly warm.
Powers Pond, located right in the small city of Powers, has absolutely excellent bank access. Powers County Park sits at the north end of town just off Highway 542, and easy trails encircle the entire 30-acre water body. There is more bank access along a dike that nearly bisects the pond.
You also can launch a small boat for excellent access to the entire pond, but note that gasoline motors are not allowed here.
Note that the pond can get quite weedy during the warmest months, making fishing more difficult, but warmwater fish should be on the bite where you can get to them.
Powers County Park offers day-use and overnight camping and other amenities. Get more info from Coos County.
Powers Pond and the community are located along the South Fork Coquille River (a superb winter steelhead stream), about a half hour’s drive south from Myrtle Point and about an hour from the coast at either Bandon or Coos Bay.
2024 Powers Pond Trout Stocking
| Date Range | Total |
|---|---|
| Feb 26-Mar 1 | 3,000 |
| Mar 18-22 | 3,150* |
| Apr 15-19 | 3,000 |
| May 13-17 | 3,100* |
| Oct 14-18 | 1,300** |
**This stocking date includes 1,300 trophy-sized rainbows.
Stocked fish are legal-sized rainbow trout unless otherwise noted. Stocking schedules are subject to change for a variety of reasons. The ODFW Weekly Fishing Report linked under Oregon Resources below may provide updated information.
Oregon Resources
ODFW Weekly Fishing Report
ODFW Trout Stocking Schedule
Oregon Fishing Regulations
National Weather Service