Willamette Zone
South Willamette Zone Fishing Information
The salmon-steelhead bag limit has been increased to include one additional adipose fin-clipped steelhead, in those areas open to steelhead angling, in the mainstem Willamette River above Willamette Falls and its tributaries through Dec. 31, 2002. Elsewhere in the Willamette Zone, anglers are limited to two adipose fin-clipped steelhead per day.
CLACKAMAS RIVER: The river is in great shape. Anglers are catching a number of summer steelhead and spring chinook from Feldheimer to River Mill Dam.
SANDY RIVER: The river is slowly clearing and a few spring chinook and summer steelhead are being caught.
WILLAMETTE RIVER: The river is in great shape. A few spring chinook, summer steelhead, and shad are being caught near the deadline at Willamette Falls. Angling for bass and crappie is improving in the lower river.
LAKES AND PONDS: Several hundred summer steelhead have been recycled from North Fork Trap to Faraday Lake. Estacada Lake, Faraday Lake, and North Fork Reservoir will be stocked this
week with legal rainbows. Roslyn Lake was stocked earlier in the year and remaiins open to angling and other recreational activities.
Mid-Willamette Area:
SANTIAM RIVER: About 70,000 spring chinook and 24,000 summer steelhead have passed the falls at Oregon City, putting a lot of fish into the upper Willamette system.
SOUTH SANTIAM: In the South Santiam anglers have been doing well from Waterloo upstream to Foster Dam.
NORTH SANTIAM: There are lots of fish in the lower and middle reaches of the North Santiam. Both steelhead and chinook have been moving upstream past the Bennett dams in good numbers since the water has warmed. Steelhead are being recycled from the trap at Minto back downstream to various locations to increase availability of the fish.
DETROIT RESERVOIR: Kokanee are also available if you can get down to about 80 feet where the water is cooler.
GREEN PETER RESERVOIR: The reservoir has been producing good catches of 11-14-inch kokanee. Best results have come from trolling at 40-50 feet.
QUARTZVILLE CREEK: Quartzville Creek was stocked with catchable rainbow last week.
South Willamette Area:
McKENZIE RIVER: Turbidity levels have dropped to a level that makes dry fly fishing possible. Good catches of trout are being reported.
Both the McKenzie below Leaburg and the Middle Fork Willamette below Dexter are producing a great opportunity for fin-clipped salmon and steelhead. Limits are being caught by many anglers from boats and bank.