ODFW Recreation Report


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
11-4-2021
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Best bets for weekend fishing

  • Salmon fishing – coho and Chinook – has been good in rivers along the coast, in the Willamette Valley and in northeast Oregon. Plan to hit the river as water levels start dropping after a major rain event.
     
  • Fall can be one of the best seasons of the year for trout fishing.
    • Some waterbodies in the SW and Willamette zones will be stocked with trout for fall fishing.
    • Popular fisheries that were stocked heavily in the spring and summer will still have fish available to catch. With cooler temperatures, these holdover fish should be active and hungry as the try to bulk up for the winter.
    • With recent rains, water levels in rivers and streams are starting to return to normal. Look for trout to be active throughout the fall.
  • The catch-and-release chum fishery is open in a handful of north coast rivers. Chum is one of five Pacific salmon species and an unusual catch for most salmon anglers.

November means elk hunting

General Any Legal Weapon seasons start Saturday with West Cascade Elk and Rocky Mtn second season, followed by Coast Elk seasons the next two Saturdays—plus many controlled elk hunts are happening. Don’t forget West Cascade elk is now in November (Nov. 6-12 this year), rather than the middle of Western Oregon deer season, a change made to improve hunt quality. Remember to get your elk tag or redeem your SportsPac voucher no later than the day before the hunt begins. 

Extended deer season for youth this weekend

Youth hunters with their own unfilled general Western Oregon Buck Deer Any Legal Weapon tag or W High Cascade (119A) tag may hunt this additional weekend (not open to Mentored Youth hunters).

Game bird harvest statistics at ODFW wildlife areas

As upland bird and waterfowl hunting continue, hunters can use the harvest statistics from ODFW wildlife areas to help plan their next hunting trip.

Take a duck hunting workshop

Duck hunting can be a great way to begin your hunting career – it’s accessible and there’s lots of opportunity. Take our two-day duck hunting workshop at the Coquille Wildlife Area on Nov. 20-21 and you’ll get the know-how and hands-on experience to go duck hunting on your own. For more information and to register.

Tips for e-tagging

Whether you plan to hit the field for elk or the water for salmon this weekend, here are some tips for tagging your harvest





More Reports


10-29-2021
Best bets for weekend fishing The coho salmon run has been a bright spot this season, with a strong return and...... Read More

OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Thursday, October 28th, 2021

Snake River- Below Hells Canyon Reservoir: Bass fishing will be good throughout the Oregon section of the Snake River
Chewaucan River: Fishing will be poor this week due to rain
Upper Klamath Lake: Redband trout are scattering throughout Upper Klamath Lake
Klamath River - Upper - OR: Catch rates were low on opening day and effort was very high
Lake Of The Woods: Fishing for yellow perch will be your best bet
Sprague River: Opened to fishing through Oct. 31
Williamson River: Flows are very low, fishing is good
Wood River: Best section is from Fort Klamath to Weed Road for brown trout
Arizona Pond: The pond was stocked heavily this spring
Ben Irving Reservoir: Lots of rain has likely muddied the waters
Bradley Lake: Trout fishing has been good at Bradley Lake
Butterfield Lake: Anglers are reported great fishing at Butterfield Lake
Chetco River: Water levels have risen and color up some
Cooper Creek Reservoir: Cooper Creek Reservoir Report
Coos River: Boat and bank anglers (on the jetty) are still catching rockfish inside lower Coos Bay
Coquille River: There are still a few striped bass in the lower river
Diamond Lake: Recent reports show that anglers are easily finding fish
Elk River: Recent rain most likely brought the first few groups of early Chinook into the river
Galesville Reservoir: The boat ramp is unusable at this time!
Lemolo Lake: Lemolo Lake Report
Sixes River: Recent significant rainfall was enough to warrant lifting the low water closure
Tenmile Lakes: Yellow perch anglers are reporting decent catches
Umpqua River: Umpqua River Report
Kilchis River: Chinook salmon should be moving into the Kilchis river following these rains
Miami River: There should be some Chinook moving into the river with the recent rains
Necanicum River: There should be fish throughout the system
Nehalem River: Chinook and coho fishing in the bay has really slowed
Nestucca River: There should be good numbers of Chinook pushing into the Nestucca basin this week
Wilson River: Conditions may be challenging, but there should still be some opportunity to catch
Detroit Reservoir: Detroit Reservoir Report
Santiam River ( North Fork) : The coho salmon run this year appears to be shaping up well
Santiam River ( North Fork) Above Detroit Lake: The river level has increased from recent rains but should still be clear
Timber Linn Lake: Will be stocked this week
Grande Ronde River: Coho season opened on the Grande Ronde on Oct. 1
Imnaha River: Steelhead season is opened on the Imnaha
Umatilla River: The fall Chinook salmon and coho salmon fisheries will remain open through Nov. 30
Wallowa Lake : Wallowa Lake has continued to produce trout into the fall
Wallowa River: Fall fishing on the Wallowa River can be very good
Van Duzen River: Will be on a slow drop through the weekend
Eel River - South Fork: Probably the best opportunity for green water this weekend