Fishing for trout and whitefish can be good in the spring

Wallowa River - Wallowa , OR


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
5-22-2025
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Fishing the Wallowa River for trout and whitefish can be good in the spring especially when flows are moderate and water clarity is good. Trout and whitefish can be caught on a variety of baits, lures, and flies. Casting flies like wooly buggers and nymphs to pockets of slower moving water near shore can be good ways to catch trout and whitefish on the Wallowa River in the spring.

Like the Imnaha River, it's still too early to know if enough Chinook salmon will return to the Wallowa River watershed to allow for a salmon fishing season this year, but we will be monitoring returns closely in the coming weeks.

Steelhead fishing closed on April 30 and will reopen on September 1, 2024. 





OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, May 21st

Nestucca River: There is a run of hatchery summer steelhead in the Nestucca
Three Rivers: Spring Chinook and summer steelhead are starting to show up
Quartzville Creek: Flows have increased from recent rains.
Sunnyside Park Pond: This pond was recently stocked
Walter Wirth Lake: Good access all the way around