Northwest Zone
Table of Contents
Recreation Report
May 1, 2024
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Best bets for weekend fishing
- Spring Chinook fishing is getting started on the North Coast although it's still early and fishing is slow. Tillamook Bay and Nestucca Bay are probably the best opportunities for hatchery spring Chinook but there are a few moving up into the Trask and Nestucca Rivers with this week's rain. There is also some opportunity on the lower Columbia tributaries. Coastal spring Chinook are known to be challenging but their hard fight and excellent food quality make them worth the effort.
- Most of the North Coast lakes have been stocked with rainbow trout, and stocking will continue through May. Water conditions and temperatures are good for fishing and the weeds haven't gotten going yet, so it is great time to take advantage of the stockings listed below and go catch some trout!
- Surplus hatchery steelhead have been planted in Town Lake, Coffenbury Lake, Vernonia Pond, Lost Lake, and Lake Lytle. Catching a steelhead out of still water can be a fun and unique experience.
- Summer steelhead should start showing up in the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers anytime now.
- Warmwater fishing in the North Coast lakes should get started soon. Warm water fish get more active, and thus fishing improves, as water temperatures get in the mid to upper 50s and we are still a little cooler than that, especially with the recent rains. In the early season, concentrate on deeper parts of the lakes.
- The Mid Coast steelhead bite has slowed down and continued to remain fair. We are supposed to get a decent amount of rain going into this weekend and most of the midcoast rivers will jump about a foot. The remaining steelhead in the basins will take advantage of this and head into higher waters in the upper basins.
- Several more Mid Coast Basins will close to steelhead fishing April 30. Be sure to check your regulations before heading out!
- Anglers that catch a hatchery steelhead are encouraged to donate the snout at the ODFW office in Roseburg. Collection barrels are at many boat ramps on the South Umpqua. These snouts may contain a coded-wire tag that will help inform managers on the best release strategy to improve the program. Those who contribute snouts with coded-wire tags are entered into a monthly drawing for a gift card to Sportsman's Warehouse. Last updated 2/28/24.
- Lakes up and down the Mid Coast are back on stocking schedule. As rivers are blown out lake fishing offers additional opportunity to catch some fish! Check the stocking schedule for an up-to-date look at recently stocked lakes!
- If you're striking out on the rivers, the Mid Coast beaches offer some great opportunity for surfperch and other near shore species and clamming as well. Check out this link for more information on clamming during the minus tides.
Trout stocking
Scheduled to be stocked the week of April 29:
Sutton Lake, Hebo Lake, Cleawox Lake, Town Lake, Carter Lake, Vernonia Lake, Cape Meares Lake, Munsel Lake
Recently stocked:
Big Creek Reservoir 2, Munsel Lake, Devil's Lake, Lost Lake (Clatsop County)
See the 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
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.
Watch for boating hazards
Boaters should use extreme caution following winter storms and high water events. The high water may have brought down new trees and created new obstacles. Check the Oregon State Marine Boards, Boating Obstructions map.
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.
Updates by waterbody
ALSEA RIVER: winter steelhead
The Alsea River closed to steelhead on April 30. The fishery was fair overall and really picked up late February and into March. Overall, it was a decent season for steelhead on the Alsea. Last updated 5/1/24.
KILCHIS RIVER:
There won't be much fishing opportunity here until trout season opens in the streams on May 22. Last updated 5/1/24.
LOWER COLUMBIA TRIBUTARIES (Big Creek, Gnat Creek, Klaskanine River): spring Chinook
A few spring Chinook are starting to show up in Big Cree.. It's still early and numbers are low but there is the chance of catching a springer. There haven't been any fish back to Gnat Creek yet but there are rumors of some down in tidewater. No reports from the Klaskanine yet. Last updated 5/1/24.
NEHALEM RIVER AND BAY:
There are no spring Chinook releases in the Nehalem. The "summer" run (actually and early component of the fall run) doesn't get going until July.
There won't be much fishing opportunity in this basin until the streams open for trout on May 22. Last updated 5/1/24.
River levels and predictions for the Nehalem are available here.
NORTH FORK NEHALEM RIVER:
There won't be much fishing opportunity here until trout season opens in the streams on May 22. Last updated 5/1/24.
NESTUCCA RIVER: summer steelhead, spring Chinook
Spring Chinook fishing in the Nestucca is just getting started. There are reports of fish showing in the bay but not many being caught yet. There should be a few moving into the river with this week's rain but numbers will be low this early. The Little Nestucca also gets a release of hatchery spring Chinook and those fish should be showing up as well.
The Nestucca also gets a release of hatchery summer steelhead and that run should be starting. With good counts showing in the valley, we are hopeful the coastal streams may get a better run than in recent history. Last updated 5/1/24.
River levels and predictions for the Nestucca are available here.
SALMON RIVER: steelhead
The Salmon River is now closed for steelhead. It was a decent season with some nice fish being caught once the winter rains slowed.
Check your regulations before you head out. Last updated 4/3/24.
SILETZ RIVER: winter steelhead, spring Chinook
The Siletz has been remaining fair and steady throughout March and April.
We are still seeing fresh fish reaching the trap, which bodes well for bank angling along the upper gorge road! The obstruction land slide at mile post 12.1 has been removed allowing full access to the fishery.
Spring Chinook fishing has begun on the Siletz. Although it's still early in the season we have had a few reports of fish being caught lower in the system. With the rains we are getting this week going into the weekend we should see some fresh fish moving into the system. Springer fishing won't really pick up until later May and into June.
Trout fishing will reopen May 22. Last updated 5/1/24.
SIUSLAW RIVER: steelhead
The Siuslaw is now closed for steelhead. Like its neighbors the Siuslaw was a fair and steady fishery with most fish being caught in and around late February into March.
Trout fishing will reopen May 22. Last updated 4/3/24.
THREE RIVERS: spring Chinook; summer steelhead
The Anti-Snagging Gear Restriction goes into effect on Three Rivers on May 1. Leader length must be between 18 and 36 inches and only one single point hook 3/8 inch gap or less may be used. See Anti-Snagging Gear Restriction Rules on page 18 of the regulation booklet.
Three Rivers could have a spring Chinook or summer steelhead showing up anytime now but numbers will be very low this early in the run. Last updated 5/1/24.
TILLAMOOK BAY: spring Chinook; marine species
The spring Chinook fishery on Tillamook Bay is getting started. We are hearing of a few fish being caught, although sporadically. Fishing in the bay should improve as we get further into May.
Spring is also a good time of year to fish the jetty for rock fish, ling cod and surf perch. Last updated 5/1/24.
TRASK RIVER: spring Chinook
The Salmon/Steelhead Bobber Fishing Rule (page 18 of the regulation booklet) goes into effect May 1 on part of the Trask River. Angling is restricted to fly fishing or bobber fishing from the marker at Loren's Drift (River Mile 9) up to Cedar Creek boat slide (River Mile 10.9).
The Trask River is just getting started for spring Chinook. This early, the best fishing will be in tidewater but there have been a few caught at the hatchery. The past week's rain should move a few more fish in, but numbers will still be low until we get further into the run. The Trask does not have a release of hatchery summer steelhead but is known to get the occasional stray. Trout fishing will open on the Trask on May 22. Last updated 45/1/24.
WILSON RIVER: summer steelhead
The Wilson gets a release of hatchery summer steelhead and that run should be starting. With good counts showing in the valley, we are hopeful the coastal streams may get a better run than in recent history.
The Wilson does not get a hatchery spring Chinook release. Trout fishing will open in the Wison River on May 22. Last Updated 4/30/24.
Wilson River levels and predictions are available here.
YAQUINA RIVER: winter steelhead
Steelhead fishery is now closed on the Big Elk. It was a fair fishery overall. Last updated 4/3/24.
Regulation Updates
Regulation updates as of December 8, 2023.
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.
As part of the wild coho salmon aggregate bag limit, no more than 5 wild coho salmon may be harvested per year in the Northwest and Southwest Zones with open wild coho salmon fisheries. Wild coho jacks may only be retained on days open to adult wild coho retention.
Hatchery steelhead, hatchery coho salmon, pink salmon, and sockeye salmon, may be retained as part of the adult and jack salmon daily bag limit in all Northwest Zone waters that are currently open to angling for Chinook salmon or steelhead, except as specified in Exceptions.
Aggregate: The total number of fish or shellfish in a bag limit. Generally used where several species make up a combined bag limit, or where a single species bag limit is set for the combined harvest from a specified group of water bodies.
For more information contact your local ODFW office:
- Tillamook North Coast Watershed District Office (503) 842-2741 (north of the Salmon River).
- Newport District Office Annex (541) 812-8689 (Salmon River south to Umpqua Basin).