**WillametteValley/Metro- **There have been confirmed reports ofsport caught spring chinook on the mainstem Columbia near Caterpillar Island.With the Willamette clearing and weather moderating, there will likely beseveral more caught before another winter storm turns the river brown again.Early spring chinook often respond best to herring but anglers should stillpursue fish in slower flows as returning adults will seek the path of leastresistance.
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**Bonneville Pool sturgeon catcheshave slowed but the east wind hasn’t been helping matters. The staff proposalof a February 15th shutdown for this fishery will likely get adoptedbut a sufficient number of fish will likely remain to conduct a summercatch-and-keep fishery.
Waterflow is moderating with the visibility gradually improving on the lowerWillamette. Winter steelhead counts at the Falls are picking up. It’s highlylikely spring chinook will be caught any day at Sellwood Bridge but be aware ofthe in-water work being conducted in the area; boat with care.
McKenziewater level and clarity are good for winter trout fishing this coming weekend.
TheSantiams are forecast to drop rapidly through the weekend. There should be afew steelhead available.
Steelheadingis slow and spotty on the Clackamas with boat anglers doing better than thosefishing from the bank.
TheSandy has been providing a fair number of hookups but about half of the fishlanded recently have been natives. A stronger showing of broodstock fish islikely in another few weeks.
**Northwest – **District riverswere in ideal shape through the weekend but produced varied results. The Wilsonwas predictably crowded but produced better in the high water versus the idealgreen water conditions over the weekend. Some sizeable fish have been takenrecently. Plugs may become more effective in the dropping and clearing flowsbut anglers should remain vigilant in targeting any water that has a brokensurface.
The Nestucca was crowded too with fair fishing for thisearly in the broodstock season. Fishing for late season natives and hatcherybroodstock fish will steadily improve into the month of March. Given the robustreturns we’ve already seen however, good action should be expected this month,traditionally a slower, transitional period before the bulk of the late seasonfish return.
Rivers that produce early returning steelhead like the NorthFork Nehalem, Necanicum and Three Rivers are really starting to wane, withspent adults making up the bulk of the catch. They are easy prey however,providing good sport for newcomers.
The mainstem Nehalem should become a good option but anglershave to realize it’s a significantly bigger body of water and results aren’t aspredictable. With the continued dry trend predicted, it could be a highlightover the weekend. The extreme tide series could motivate fish to return.
Despite good tides over the weekend, sturgeon fishing wasn’tgreat on Tillamook Bay over the weekend. Pressure was light with no reports ofsuccess. Weekend tides look favorable but will be in the early morning.
Crabbing was surprisingly good on Tillamook Bay over theweekend with little effort by other boats. The offshore forecast should havecrabbers inland again this weekend although extreme tides may limit success.
**Southwest– **Offshore boats have been unable to get out due to rough oceanconditions. Ocean crabbing has not been possible in the high wind and waves.When boats have gotten out, rockfish and lingcod catches have been excellent.
Crabbingis picking up in bays and estuaries as the salinity levels return to normal.
We havea really nice window of weather and numerous dropping and clearing riversaround the state. Locally, Lake Creek and the Siuslaw are coming around, theSouth Coast is in fine shape and the Alsea system has been fishing well for severaldays.
WinchesterBay crabbing is fair to good and improving. Hatchery steelhead catches havebeen good on the South Umpqua. While good catches are being made on themainstem and North Umpqua, almost all are unclipped which require release aswild fish cannot be kept anywhere on the Umpqua system.
Wintersteelhead are scattered on the Rogue with fish being caught from everylocation; low, middle and upper. Side drifters and plug pullers are hooking upregularly. Two steelhead per day are allowed, one which may be wild. The wateris forecast to be dropping and clearing through the week to come.
Boatershave been unable to access the ocean out of Brookings for the most part butthose who have done so made good catches of lingcod. Chetco water levels aretoo low to fish well but precipitation is predicted to improve flows somewhatmid-month.
Elk andSixes water levels are low and clear which has slowed winter steelheading.These volatile systems change rapidly with dry or wet weather.
Eastern– Fly anglers are taking browns, rainbowswhitefish and the occasional bull trout on the challenging Metolius.
It’s too early for kokanee at Green Peter buttrollers are taking some rainbows. The water is fairly low at this time ofyear.
The Dalles Pool continues to kick out steelhead although the fish are not ofthe highest grade.
**SW Washington – **The Cowlitz has slowed for steelhead but mayprovide some late season opportunity later this month.
Other district streams are recovering but only offering limited successfor anglers willing to work for their quarry. The Kalama did put out a few fishover the weekend and the East Fork of the Lewis should start to produce somelarger fish in the next few weeks.
Smelt have showed up in force in the Cowlitz River but no sport orcommercial harvest is allowed. This return often sparks good sturgeon fishingin the lower reaches but since anglers may not use fresh smelt, success will belimited. Several years of strong returns are necessary for federal restrictionsto be lifted.
**Soapbox Update: **The Association of NW Steelheaders is doing wonderful work here inOregon and Washington. Take advantage of the offer below and contribute to theorganization that’s working hard on behalf of the NW angler. Then, go to theAssociation of NW Steelheaders home page and see what else you can do to becomea better sportsman or sportswoman. Go to: http://www.nwsteelheaders.org/
Besure and bring your knife to the Sportsman Show Feb 8-12 at the Portland ExpoCenter. Kershaw is doing a knife sharpening and is donating the proceeds to theSteelheaders. Cost is $3 per knife and 100% of the proceeds are donated to theSteelheaders. The knife sharpening is happening at the Fred Meyer booth. Stay sharpand give back to the resource!