**Willamette Valley/Metro- **Under permanentrule, the mainstem Columbia is open now to spring chinook fishing but effortwill be very low, at least until March brings more promise. Sport seasons wererecently set through the bi-state process allowing boat angling seven days perweek from March 1 through April 6 from Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock. Bankangling will be allowed during the same time frame from Buoy 10 upstream toBonneville Dam. There will be three Tuesday closures – Mar. 20, Mar. 27 andApr. 3 – to accommodate commercial fisheries. The first spring chinook of theseason passed Bonneville Dam last week.
Thelower Willamette water level has been on thedrop but remains swift and muddy. In the recent decision by fishery managersregarding the spring chinook season, the lower Willamettefishery remained unscathed. It will be open seven days a week with a 2-fish baglimit for as long as the run lasts.
TheMcKenzie has yet to recover from the high water event although there is hopefor the week to come.
TheSantiam System will remain too high to be of interest through the coming week.
Still alittle high but with good color, the Clackamas will be dropping through thecoming weekend. Steelheading has been slow but broodstock fish should beginshowing in better numbers in the weeks ahead.
Hardwareand fly fishers are taking steelhead on the Sandy River.Use caution on soft sand riverbanks. Snow levels dictate river conditions butconditions should remain favorable for a while.
**Northwest – **Anglers receiveda glimmer of hope as river levels on some north coast streams dipped low enoughto produce unexpectedly good results last weekend. Steelheaders side-driftingfrom boats and drift- fishing from shore did exceptionally well around Mills Bridgeon the Wilsonlast Saturday. The river started to rise from another storm however and justbegan to fish again mid-week. The conditions should be ideal for weekendanglers and although there should be fair numbers of fish available in whatwill certainly be an excellent year for winter steelhead, don’t expect easylimits this time of year. The ideal conditions will draw a significant crowd.
The North ForkNehalem also received another shot of hatchery steelhead and anglers fishingnear the hatchery deadline produced good results. This system and the Necanicummay be too clear for great results over the weekend and low water typicallymakes boating more hazardous. Bank anglers should continue to do well howeveras fish are well distributed throughout these systems. The North Fork Nehalemhatchery is recycling fresh fish back downstream and darker fish to Lake Lytlein Rockaway. Spent fish in these systems do bite well but aren’t good foreating.
The Nestucca andupper Trask Rivers should also have fishable numbersof steelhead available. The Trask will primarily produce wild fish along withthe Nestucca but the Nestucca should have a fair shot of broodstock fishentering the system as well.
Weekend tides andweather look conducive to a sturgeon outing for Tillamook Bay anglers. Although the fishery is more challenging to figureout, success can be good in a relatively un-crowded water body.
Offshore fishing andcrabbing remain a poor option through the weekend.
**Southwest – **Bottomfishing has been good offshore but not a given. Charter boats have had to movearound to find rockfish and lingcod but once located, limits have been therule.
Oceancrabbing has been slow due to rough ocean conditions almost daily over the pastseveral weeks.
A fewDungeness have been taken in Winchester Bay but it’s still slow.Now that the Umpqua has dropped into shape, steelheading has improved with the South Umpqua reliably producing hatchery fish.Steelheaders hooked up with wild fish over the past weekend on the North Umpqua.
Whenocean conditions have allowed, lingcod limits have been taken out of Charleston. Coos Baycrabbing has yet to recover from the freshet resulting from recent storms.
Plunkersdid well for winter steelhead over the past weekend on the lower Rogue but inthe absence of precipitation, all forms of bank and boat fishing will takefish. Water conditions on the middle Rogue were coming into shape late lastweek with plug-pullers and side-drifters taking fish recently. With goodnumbers of winter steelhead already snug in the Cole Rivers Hatchery, there areenough in the upper Rogue to create a worthwhile fishery.
Steelheadingon the Elk and Sixes rivers will improve into the coming weekend as rainfallhas stopped, allowing the water to drop and clear. One wild steelhead per daymay be retained from either river.
Eastern – Nymphing has been marginally effective in the cold,high water of the Deschutes. Steelheading isdone as fish have moved into tributaries to spawn.
Boat anglers fishing The Dalles Poolwere averaging an unprecedented 3 fish per rod on the last creel check.Although 2/3 of the fish are wild, the ratio still worked out to be a keeperhatchery fish per angler.
Fishing is good on the Crooked River despite low, clearwater. Typical winter hatches of midges and Blue-Winged-Olives are occurringearly in the afternoon.
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**SW Washington – **The Cowlitzsaw a rebound in steelhead catches once flows dropped. Boat anglers averagednearly a steelhead per rod and bank anglers did about half that good.
The Kalama and Lewisshould produce some results over the weekend. These rivers are dropping intoexcellent shape right now.
The Washougal is also an option but high effort only produced fair results onthe last check.