Spring Chinook Fishing Has Peaked

Willamette River - Portland, OR (Lane County)

Photo Credit: Courtesy of ODFW

by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
6-6-2019
Website

Spring Chinook fishing has peaked and both effort and catch have declined significantly in the past two weeks.

The week of May 20, anglers caught and kept 4,160 hatchery spring Chinook and just 91 hatchery steelhead between Willamette Falls and the river mouth, including the Multnomah Channel. Counts at Willamette Falls are below average for this time of year with approximately 2,000 summer steelhead and 15,000+ spring Chinook at Willamette Falls.

Warmwater fishing can be another option for anglers in the lower Willamette, Multnomah Channel and surrounding sloughs during the spring and on into the summer. Successful warmwater anglers tend to fish around bridges, pilings, wing dams, and other structures, which can be good spots to find warmwater fish, including walleye, crappie, and bass, which are plentiful in the Willamette.

Further upstream, the section between Albany and Harrisburg is open year-round for trout fishing, which can be very good when flows are cooperating. Anglers are allowed to keep two trout per day. Smallmouth bass fishing can be excellent between Salem and Albany starting in May.

Hydrological data for the Willamette at Willamette Falls on May 31 showed flows declining for another week to 14,500 cfs, visibility holding at around 7 ft., and a water temperature of around 60 degrees.




More Reports

OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Thursday, June 6th, 2019

: Best Fishing Bets for The Weekend
Ana Reservoir: Reservoir is Full
Ana River: Fishing Should Be Good
Gerber Reservoir: Crappie Fishing Has Been Excellent
Heart Lake: All Methods Producing Fish
Holbrook Reservoir: Fishing Has Been Good
John C Boyle Reservoir: Crappie Fishing Has Been Excellent
Sprague River: Flows Are Perfect
Wood River: Fishing Remains Fair
Ben Irving Reservoir: Trout Anglers Having Success
Chetco River: Chetco River Fishing Report
Emigrant Reservoir: Water Clarity is Good
Lake Selmac: Fishing Has Been Good
Lost Creek Lake: Fishing Continues to Be Good
Canby Pond: Last Stocked April 29th
Clackamas River: Steelhead Fishing Conditions Are Improving
EE Wilson Angling Pond: No Bad Limit on Trout Through June 9
Freeway Lake East: One of The Best Places in the Valley For Crappie
Green Peter Reservoir: Green Peter Fishing Report
Henry Hagg Lake: Both Boat Ramps Are Open
Upper McKenzie: Upper McKenzie Fishing Report
McKenzie River: Spring Chinook Fishing is Heating Up
Middle Fork Willamette: Spring Chinook Fishing Has Been Good
Olallie Lake: Olallie Lake Fishing Report
Santiam River ( North Fork) : North Santiam River Fishing Report

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