Fishing in May: Many opportunities are available this month as another record run of spring Chinook continue their trek into Oregon and Washington streams.  Spring salmon are in the Willamette River up to Oregon City and good numbers of late fish continue entering the lower Columbia River.  In the Willamette, from the falls to Meldrum Bar, troll hardware or back bounce fresh salmon eggs.  Bank anglers plunk with spinners.  Martin’s Thin-Twins are best during slower currents or high tide. 

Columbia River:  Sturgeon fishing has been very good for some really nice size fish below Bonneville Dam.  The lower river near Astoria should also start seeing good action this month.

Columbia River Closure: According to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife -- Effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, May 6, the mainstem Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam will be closed to angling for salmon and steelhead through May 15.

The mainstem Columbia River from I-5 Bridge downstream to Buoy 10 remains closed to angling for salmon, steelhead, and shad through May 15.

The mainstem Columbia River from I-5 Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam remains closed to angling for salmon, steelhead, and shad through May 15.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Re-opens to fishing for hatchery steelhead and hatchery chinook jacks from I-5 Bridge to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line beginning May 16 and from the I-5 Bridge upstream to the Hwy. 395 Bridge on June 16.  Open to fishing for shad from Bonneville Dam downstream beginning May 16.  Adult hatchery summer chinook season is scheduled to open from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Priest Rapids Dam beginning June 16. 

Commercial Spring Chinook Fisheries: In addition, select area fisheries at Youngs Bay, Blind Slough/Knappa Slough and Deep River will also be closed to salmon fishing effective 12:01a.m. May 6, 2004.
 

Important note! The BPA is planning to reduce water flows on the Columbia River this summer. This action will kill thousands of salmon and steelhead as they pass through the turbines. Concerned anglers are encouraged to contact the governorsoffice, as well as their congress person, to protest this action.

Willamette River:  The river is dropping, current is slowing and water temperatures are rising.  Currently 60 degrees, flow is 15,500 cfs. Visibility 5.5 feet.  Not good news for anglers fishing  the river below Willamette Falls, where the bite has been very sporadic and spotty, but anglers upstream of the falls should see excellent fishing in the days ahead.  

Last week, April 26th through the 30th, a furious bite was experienced by anglers fishing the Garbage Hole near Oregon City.  Anglers there reported witnessing over 30 fish hooked each day.  The bite slowed by the weekend to 5 to 7 fish a day.  Large daily passage at the falls has been experienced over the past week.

Willamette River Fisheries Biologist, Dale Nelson, at the Clackamas Fish and Wildlife office said it is very unusual to see such large passage numbers at the falls this early in the season.

“On April 27 we had a passage of 3,883 spring salmon then on the 28th 3,677 went over,” Nelson said.  “On May 2nd the daily passage of salmon was 2,500 and a very early and large passage of 1,900 fish was recorded on April 12, 2004.”

“In the last 30 years we have never reached a passage of 3,000 fish a day, or observed such high totals for this early in the season,” Nelson said. 

“According to records there was only one or two days, I believe it was back in 1971, when the highest passages ever, around 5,000 fish a day were noted.  This was very unusual not onlybecause of the high numbers but because the springers passed the falls very late, around July.”

For week #16 (April 12th-18th) boat anglers in the lower Willamette (channel and mouth to St. Johns) kept a total of 1,095 spring salmon. In the mid river (St. Johns to Milwaukee) anglers kept 1,217 salmon and in the upper river (Milwaukee to falls at Oregon City) anglers kept 1,383 hatchery spring Chinook.

A total of more than 30,604 adult spring Chinook, and about 80 jacks, had passed above the falls at Oregon City as of May 4, 2004.  Over 6,270 summer steelhead and about 11,000 winters, heading to the north and south Santiams, have also passed the falls.

Best fishing and higest concentrations of anglers is currently in the upper river from Sellwood to the falls at Oregon City. 

Sandy River:  The nice shot of summer steelhead action in March was followed by decent numbers of spring salmon the last week of April.  The lower river has been great for spring Chinook, providing limits for many.  Oxbow to Dodge Park has been really good for salmon and steelhead, and anglers at the mouth of Cedar Creek have hooked numerous fish during the
early morning hours.   The Sandy should continue to see increasing action for salmon in the lower river and for summer steelhead up high.  In 2003, total of about 560 springers were caught in the Sandy during the month of May.

Clackamas River:  Very good numbers of summer steelhead are available throughout the system and the catch has been great for the past week or so.  According to Robert Campbell atOregon City Fisherman’s Marine (503-557-3313), a fellow employee fished the Bowling Alley Hole on Wednesday and hooked a total of six summers, landing three. 

Cowlitz River:  Spring Chinook are in the river in good numbers but the bite has been off.  Lots of fish were reported jumping at the barrier dam on May 2nd.  Through April 28, a total of 1,241 adult and 24 jack hatchery spring chinook had returned.  This is the second highest cumulative count through that period since at least 1986.  On average only 6 percent of the run would have returned to the hatchery by this time.   

Lewis River:  Hot spots have been the Hatchery and Cedar Creek holes, good numbers of 10-20 pound springers are available in the North Fork.  Summer steelhead are starting to show also.  As of April 27th a total of 28 adult spring Chinook 1 jack salmon and 14 hatchery summer-run steelhead had been trapped at Merwin Dam.  Kokanee fishing has been very good
at Merwin.

Kalama River: (49° F) Fishing for summer steelhead and spring salmon has been very good this week.  Over 30 salmon were caught on May 1st.  As of April 28th a total of 14 spring chinook had returned to the Hatchery.   

Drano Lake:  Fishing was great on Sunday, May 2nd, but slowed on Saturday.  The Drano Lake and Wind River sport fisheries, as well as other Columbia River tributaries, will remain open during the Columbia River closure May 6-15.  A total of 900 salmon were landed at Drano during the Treaty Indian Fishery on April 27th.       

Down the Valley 

The North and South Santiams are providing very good action for spring salmon and numerous summer steelhead are also available.  Water temperatures are still a bit low on the North Santiam so the best fishing for summer steelhead is currentlybeing found below Bennett Dams.

Coast watersheds:

The Umpqua River is primed for some fantastic spring Chinook fishing as spring freshets continue to bring in good size pods of fish.  

The Rogue River will also provide some action for springers from Elephant Rock to Gold Ray Dam.  On April 20th bank anglers at river mile 7 experienced a flurry of action, over 30 springers were landed.  Flows had increased from recent rains and water releases from Gold Ray Dam.  Look for increasing numbers of fish to be available after each significant rise in riverlevels, from rains or dam releases.

Tillamook Bay should provide fair action for spring Chinook this month.  Two 30 pound spring chinook were caught in the upper bay on Sunday, May 2nd, according to Jeff Folkema at Garibaldi Marina (800-383-3828).

Central Oregon: 

Paulina Lake opened April 24th and is snow free.  Several 7-9 pound brown trout, a 10 pounder and a 4 pound rainbow have been caught.  Water is 36-40 degrees. Kokanee are starting to bite.  

Clear Lake on Mt. Hood is accessible by car.

Upcoming events: 

3rd Annual Fishing Derby (May 22, 2004) Pelton Park (Lake Simtustus): Registration Friday, May 21 all day and Saturday, May 22 till 10:00 a.m. Entry fee $10.00 (Tribal Fishing Permits not required for event).  Entry fee/prize money will be split between anglers with largest trout and largest kokanee.  

4th Annual Perch Derby (Long Beach Washington May 15th):  Pre registration $20.00 includes all you can eat pancake breakfast. Call 360-642-8322.

7th Annual Sturgeon Derby (June 19, 2004) Lower Columbia River: Entry fee $32.00, thru June 6th.  All proceeds benefit sportsfishing projects by Southwest Washington Anglers.  The derby will be held in the lower Columbia River estuary only.  Limited entry, first 200 paid teams!
 

 © 2004 Rick Martin