Northeast Zone
Table of Contents
Recreation Report
May 1, 2024
If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen
Submit your fishing photo to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com.
Best bets for weekend fishing
- Kokanee fishing at Wallowa Lake can be good throughout the spring.
- Wallowa County ponds have been stocked with rainbow trout.
- Fishing for holdover trout at Aldrich Ponds can be very good this time of year.
- Magone Lake can be a hot spot for early spring trout fishing.
Trout stocking
Scheduled to be stocked the week of April 29:
Ladd (Peach) Pond, Morrow Co. Ponds, Morgan Lake, Anson Wright Pond, Hat Rock Pond, McNary Channel Pond, Blue Prairie Reservoir, Weston Hwy Pond, Willow Creek Reservoir, Cutsforth Pond
Recently stocked:
Marr Pond, Morgan Lake, Wallowa Wildlife Pond
Check the 2024 trout stocking schedule.
Trout stocking maps
Check out the ODFW fishing and trout stocking maps to find nearby fishing locations, driving directions and descriptions of amenities.
Announcements
Fish consumption advisories
The Oregon Health Authority has issued consumption guidelines for various waterbodies in Oregon including the Snake and Columbia Rivers due to high levels of mercury and/or PCBs. Fish with these chemicals look, act, smell and taste like any other fish, so caution is important.
- Statewide advisories
- Bonneville Dam fish advisory
- Safe fish choices for pregnancy and young children
E-tagging tips for anglers
It's important for anglers to tag their salmon and steelhead immediately, which means you'll need to know how to navigate the MyODFW app outside of cell phone range. Here are some tips for e-tagging in the field.
Sign up for the latest information on boater access
Marine Board's Opportunities and Access Report incorporates information from federal and state agencies, local facility operators and fellow boaters to provide up-to-date information so boaters can decide where to recreate and what to expect this season. Subscribe to receive email updates.
Got a good fish story?
If you have been out fishing and have a recent fishing report you would like to share, we would love to hear it! Please send your fishing updates to: odfw.info@odfw.oregon.gov.
Updates by waterbody
ALDRICH PONDS (Roosevelt and Stewart Lakes): trout (2 fish limit)
The access road to the ponds is now open. Both ponds will be stocked towards the end of May, but these ponds can be great this time of year with plenty of holdover trout available. Last updated 4/17/24.
GRANDE RONDE RIVER: trout, whitefish
Spring can be a great time of year to catch trout and whitefish on the Grande Ronde River when flows are not too high. Anglers should target areas near shore with slower moving water. Fly-fishing with nymphs or streamers may work well as could casting spinners near likely holding areas.
The last day of steelhead fishing was April 30 and steelhead fishing will remain closed on the Grande Ronde River until Sept. 1. Last updated 5/1/24.
HAT ROCK POND: trout
Hat Rock Pond will be stocked during the week of May 1. Anglers should find success using PowerBait, worms or spinners and focusing their efforts in the mornings or evenings. Last updated 5/3/23.
IMNAHA RIVER: trout, whitefish
Trout and whitefish can be caught in the Imnaha River throughout the spring. Like other locations, fishing near shore and in areas of slower flow will be best during periods of high flow. Steelhead fishing closed on April 30 and will reopen on Sept. 1.
Although spring Chinook have started to arrive on the mainstem Columbia River, not enough fish have begun to make their way upstream to know whether a salmon fishing season on the Imnaha River can be opened this year. Forecasted returns to the Imnaha River suggest that a salmon season on the Imnaha River may not happen in 2024. However, we will be monitoring returns closely over the coming weeks.
Anglers should remember they might encounter bull trout in the Imnaha River. They cannot be harvested and must be released. Last updated 5/1/24.
JOHN DAY RIVER: steelhead
Weather and river conditions remain highly variable. The John Day has generally been slightly murky, but steelhead are being caught. Fishing has been a little slow likely due to river conditions, and flows will likely remain high and turbid through the end of steelhead season which closes on April 30, 2024.
Bass fishing is still an option, but fishing will likely be slow until flows stabilize, which is usually around May and June coinciding with some of the best early summer months to target bass. Last updated 4/17/24.
MAGONE LAKE: rainbow and brook trout
The road to the lake is now accessible to vehicles. Early spring fishing is usually excellent at this location. Last updated on 4/17/24.
McNARY PONDS: walleye, bass and trout.
Trout are likely to be the most active in the morning and late evening hours. Anglers should find success using PowerBait, worms or spinning lures. Last updated 5/3/23.
MORGAN LAKE: rainbow trout and bass
Morgan Lake opened for fishing on April 22. It will be stocked throughout the year and should provide some good trout fishing. Follow this link for more information about recreation at Morgan Lake. Last updated 5/1/24.
UMATILLA RIVER: fall Chinook, coho, summer steelhead, trout, bass, walleye
With flows still low and water temperatures starting to finally cool, anglers should head to upper headwaters this Labor Day weekend in search of trout. Anglers should focus on deeper holes. If you catch a bull trout, recognized by its white spots, please keep it in the water and release it as quickly as possible.
The fall Chinook, coho and summer steelhead fishery on the Umatilla River opens Sept. 1, 2023. The bag limit is 3 adult fall Chinook salmon, coho salmon or hatchery summer steelhead in aggregate per day and jack salmon.
The fall fisheries will be monitored very closely by fisheries managers to make sure that enough fish are returning for the Umatilla broodstock programs, but returns should provide angling opportunities to harvest fall Chinook, coho and steelhead this year. Last updated 8/30/23.
WALLA WALLA RIVER:
Steelhead fishing is now closed and due to the very low returns over the past number of years the fishery will remain closed to protect the small number of wild fish that are still returning. Last updated 5/22/23.
WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout
Stocked trout are available at local ponds including Marr Pond and Kinney Lake. Kinney Lake may be one of the best local trout fishing spots as it gets a healthy stocking of fish in the fall that grow all winter. Fishing will be good at local Wallowa County ponds throughout the spring with several locations being stocked multiple times. Last updated 5/1/24.
WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout
We have heard recent reports of anglers catching good sized kokanee that were up to 19 inches although most were smaller. Kokanee are deep and anglers may do best by jigging in 80 – 120 feet of water. As the year warms, many kokanee will move into shallower water and may be near the surface until the top layer of the lake warms in late spring. Trout anglers can do best near the south end of the lake whereas kokanee and lake trout will be more dispersed. Last updated 4/3/24.
WALLOWA RIVER: whitefish, trout
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. Pre-season forecasts suggest there may not be enough fish returning in 2024, but we will be monitoring returns closely in the coming weeks.
Steelhead fishing closed on April 30 and will reopen on September 1, 2024. Last updated 5/1/24.
WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR: trout, crappie, bass
No recent reports. Last updated 11/8/23.
Regulation Updates
Regulation updates as of January 2, 2024.
The following regulations reflect changes or additions to the permanent regulations listed in the 2023 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. All other permanent regulations remain in effect. Please see e-regulations.
McKay Creek
Reminder: McKay Creek is closed to angling for salmon and steelhead by permanent rule.
For more information contact your local ODFW office:
- Enterprise (541) 426-3279
- John Day (541) 575-1167
- La Grande (541) 963-2138
- Pendleton (541) 276-2344