09-27-2004, 12:31 AM
WALTER WIRTH LAKE ( Salem ): The lake still holds some trout, as well as bass and sunfish, which should provide good opportunity for anglers.
WILLAMETTE RIVER : The Willamette flows have come up with recent rainfall. As of Sept. 20 flows were at 12,800 cfs, the water temperature was down to 60 degrees, and the visibility decreased to 5.3 feet. The official end of spring chinook passage counting took place on Aug. 15. The final cumulative count for 2004 was 95,968 spring chinook. This is a record passage number for the Willamette Falls Fishway, surpassing the previous record by over 10,000 chinook. The summer steelhead counts have been slow but steady lately with the cumulative passage through Sept. 15 totaling 33,078. This number is the third best summer steelhead passage count on record for the Willamette Falls Fishway. The first coho of the season passed through the fishway on Aug. 26. Daily coho passage remains slow but will increase in the coming days.
Salmon and steelhead angling effort has ended on the mainstem Willamette River . The best opportunities for angling are likely to be for steelhead in Willamette tributaries above the Falls. Look for coho angling to steadily improve in the Oregon City area now that they are entering the system in catchable numbers. Most of these fish will be heading up the Clackamas River so fishing near or below the Clackamas mouth will likely be the best spots.
Sturgeon angling has been slow throughout the river with the Oregon City/Milwaukie area and the St. Johns area producing some catch. The Willamette is now closed to sturgeon retention until Oct. 1, but you are allowed to fish on a catch-and-release basis.
WILLAMETTE RIVER : The Willamette flows have come up with recent rainfall. As of Sept. 20 flows were at 12,800 cfs, the water temperature was down to 60 degrees, and the visibility decreased to 5.3 feet. The official end of spring chinook passage counting took place on Aug. 15. The final cumulative count for 2004 was 95,968 spring chinook. This is a record passage number for the Willamette Falls Fishway, surpassing the previous record by over 10,000 chinook. The summer steelhead counts have been slow but steady lately with the cumulative passage through Sept. 15 totaling 33,078. This number is the third best summer steelhead passage count on record for the Willamette Falls Fishway. The first coho of the season passed through the fishway on Aug. 26. Daily coho passage remains slow but will increase in the coming days.
Salmon and steelhead angling effort has ended on the mainstem Willamette River . The best opportunities for angling are likely to be for steelhead in Willamette tributaries above the Falls. Look for coho angling to steadily improve in the Oregon City area now that they are entering the system in catchable numbers. Most of these fish will be heading up the Clackamas River so fishing near or below the Clackamas mouth will likely be the best spots.
Sturgeon angling has been slow throughout the river with the Oregon City/Milwaukie area and the St. Johns area producing some catch. The Willamette is now closed to sturgeon retention until Oct. 1, but you are allowed to fish on a catch-and-release basis.