Northwest Zone
Table of Contents
Recreation Report
May 22, 2024
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Best bets for weekend fishing
- Spring Chinook fishing on the North Coast is showing signs of improvement. Tillamook Bay, Nestucca Bay, Nestucca River, Little Nestucca River, Trask River and Big Creek (Lower Columbia) are probably the best opportunities for hatchery spring Chinook. 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 multiple times 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!
- Many coastal streams open to trout fishing on May 22. Be sure to check regulations for open areas and bait restrictions.
- Summer steelhead should be showing up in the Wilson and Nestucca rivers, but fishing has been slow thus far.
- Warmwater fishing in the North Coast lakes is getting started with a few reports of fish being caught. Water temperatures are still a little cool for prime fish activity but are warming. Cape Meares Lake, Coffenbury Lake, Cullaby Lake, Lake Lytle, Town Lake and Vernonia Pond all have warmwater species and fishing opportunity.
- The Mid Coast steelhead bite has slowed down and continued to remain fair. The remaining steelhead in the basins will soon be heading 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 May 20:
Dune Lake, Scout Lake, Perkins Lake, Alder Lake, Cleawox Lake, Buck Lake
Recently stocked:
Big Creek Reservoir 1&2, Olalla Reservoir, Eckman Lake
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
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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.
LOWER COLUMBIA TRIBUTARIES (Big Creek, Gnat Creek, Klaskanine River): spring Chinook
Spring Chinook are coming into Big Creek. Another 50+ entered the trap last week and fish are being caught. There have been a few fish caught in Gnat Creek, but overall fishing has been slow although effort is picking up. No Springers have returned to the Klaskanine hatchery yet. Last updated 5/22/24.
KILCHIS RIVER: cutthroat trout
Angling for cutthroat trout should be fair to good throughout the river. Be stealthy in the clear water. No bait is allowed upstream of tidewater May 22-Aug. 31. Last updated 5/22/24
NECANICUM RIVER: cutthroat trout
Trout fishing should be fair to good. No bait is allowed above tidewater May 22-Aug 31. Last updated 5/22/24
NESTUCCA RIVER: summer steelhead, spring Chinook, cutthroat trout
Spring Chinook fishing in the Nestucca has been slow to fair so far but there are some fish being caught both in the Bay and in the lower river. 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. Some fish are showing up, but numbers are low so far and fishing is slow..
Cutthroat trout fishing should be fair to good, with fish spread through the river system. Last updated 5/22/24.
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 got last week, going into the sunny 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 5/8/24.
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 went 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 has a spring Chinook or summer steelhead showing up, but very few so far. Numbers should increase soon. Last updated 5/22/24.
TILLAMOOK BAY: spring Chinook; marine species
The spring Chinook fishery on Tillamook Bay has picked up noticeably in the last week, with overall fair fishing depending on the day. Fishing should continue to improve as the month goes on. Effort has picked up in all areas.
Spring is also a good time of year to fish the jetty for rockfish, lingcod and surfperch. Last updated 5/22/24.
TRASK RIVER: spring Chinook, cutthroat trout
The Salmon/Steelhead Bobber Fishing Rule (page 18 of the regulation booklet) went 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 has a few spring Chinook in the system, fishing has been slowly improving as more fish move upstream. The Trask does not have a release of hatchery summer steelhead but is known to get the occasional stray.
Cutthroat trout fishing should be fair to good, with fish spread through mainstem and forks of the river. Just remember no bait is allowed May 22-Aug 31 in the North, South, and East Forks. Last updated 5/22/24.
WILSON RIVER: summer steelhead
The Wilson gets a release of hatchery summer steelhead that should be coming into the river, but fishing has been slow thus far. Last updated 5/15/24.
The Wilson does not get a hatchery spring Chinook release. An occasional stray fish caught, however.
Trout fishing should be fair to good throughout the river. Last Updated 5/22/24.
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).