What fish are running in the Willamette River right now?

You’ll find Chinook and Coho salmon, various kinds of trout including Steelhead, rainbow, and cutthroat, sturgeon, smallmouth and largemouth bass, crappie, walleye, catfish, and American shad when fishing the Willamette River.

Is the Willamette River open for fishing?

The river is open to fishing all year for trout, hatchery Chinook salmon, hatchery steelhead, and wild steelhead over 24 inches.

Can you keep wild coho in the Willamette River?

Under the 2013 Oregon sport fishing rules, anglers are allowed to keep up to two coho per day in the Willamette and its tributaries above Willamette Falls. And these coho do not need to be fin-marked as both wild and hatchery coho may be retained in the open fishing areas above the falls.

Is sturgeon fishing open on the Willamette?

The Willamette River sturgeon spawning sanctuary from Willamette Falls downstream to the Oak Grove Railroad Bridge is in place from May 1 through Aug. The Gilbert River remains closed to sturgeon angling. The daily bag limit is one white sturgeon with a fork length of 44-50 inches. The annual bag limit is two fish.

Is North Fork Reservoir open for fishing?

Fishing Regulations North Fork Reservoir, in ODFW’s Willamette Zone, uses the same river opener applied to salmon and steelhead rivers in the region. It is open from the fourth Saturday in May through Oct. The daily limit is five hatchery rainbow trout trout, which must have a clipped and healed adipose fin.

Are there steelhead in the Willamette River?

The Willamette run is largely comprised of an impressive contingent of hatchery summer steelhead bound for the valley’s largest tributaries near Salem and Eugene. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife allows anglers to keep three adult steelhead in the system above Willamette Falls, in addition to salmon limits.

Where can I bank fish on the Willamette River?

Best bank fishing is along the southern shore, near the dam, and at the mouths of inlet streams where fly fishing can be especially good in late summer and fall. Kokanee are available at shallower depths from spring through early summer.

Can you use barbed hooks on Willamette River?

(2) Beginning February 1, 2017, the use of barbed hooks is allowed when angling for salmon, steelhead, or trout in Willamette River downstream of Willamette Falls (including Multnomah Channel and Gilbert River) and in lower Clackamas River upstream to Highway 99E Bridge.

Can you keep sturgeon on the Willamette?

What is this? There is sturgeon retention allowed in the Willamette above Willamette Falls, with a slot limit on size. The overall number of fish in areas above the falls are more modest that the lower river, although some anglers who know the holes quietly do pretty well.

Are barbless hooks required on the Willamette River?

Open May 22 – Oct 31. Catch-and-release for rainbow trout. No limit on size or number of brook trout. Fly fishing only, barbless hooks required.

Can I eat fish from the Willamette River?

Salmon or steelhead are the best options to eat. These fish don’t live their whole life in the Willamette River so they are less contaminated by pollution. For people who eat fish that live their whole life in the Willamette River, crappie is the best option.

Are there catfish in the Willamette River?

Habitat: Channel catfish in western Oregon are limited to the Columbia River, lower Willamette River, and a few ponds in the Willamette Valley. They are much more abundant in eastern Oregon , primarily in the Columbia and Snake rivers and their impoundments, Owyhee Reservoir , the Owyhee River, and the John Day River.

Can I swim in the Willamette River?

While generally it is considered safe to swim in the Willamette River, the river has a large watershed and pollutants can reach the water from many potential sources. Stay out of the water if it looks bright green, scummy or thick like blue green paint.