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Your search returned 6 items. Now showing items: 1 - 6.
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Grande Ronde River - November 19th, 2012 |
RECORDED: 
60 °
FISHING: Good
11-19-12 We just received the following report (we appreciate fish/river reports!). I spent the weekend down at Troy, again, and found a few fish. The fishing is what I would consider to be pretty good down there. We are by no means catching 10 fish a day but there’s a fair chance of catching a limit. The fish this year are BIG. We have seen lots of fish between 27 and 31 in. The fish seem to have really moved into the slow runs and slow tail outs and in 4 to 6 ft of water. We are also catching fish on everything from bait to swung flies. Haven’t heard much on the Imnaha. Kyle ODFW
11-16 Same as 11-12 report. CFS is 975 - normal for this date. This level is sufficient to float Minam to Troy (best in a raft - not a drift boat). ODFW checkers reported 8.7 hrs/fish in Oregon; 17 hrs/fish in Washington for the first two weeks of November.
11-12-12 Grande Ronde steelheading has been fair to good this past week. Crowds have thinned-out and many of the guides have pulled out to guide on coastal and other rivers. The most common rigging would be a 12’6” #6 spey rod with two nymphs and a strike indicator. Swingers need heavy sink tips.
11/2 MUST READ NEW STEELHEAD REPORT FOR THE WALLOWA RIVER (SAME AS RONDE) FROM DISTRICT FISH BIOLOGIST JEFF YANKEE:
Hi all,
First off, for those of you interested in this – apologies for the lack of info this run year. We’ve been resource-limited, and these updates had to fall off my plate until now.
For those of you in the know, you’re probably aware that this year’s run as not like the last few we’ve enjoyed. The run-at-large at Lower Granite is running about 53% the 10-year average. As of today, 89,457 steelhead crossed Lower Granite.
For Northeast Oregon, we have some bad news and good news…
· Bad news. Grande Ronde steelhead are returning about 70% of last year, and 50% of the storied runs of 2010-11. Imnaha steelhead are returning about 30% of last year, and 25% of 2010-11. Eeesh. Of course, we’ll all need to keep in mind that recent steelhead runs were unusually robust and the reduced numbers we’re seeing now is more ‘normal’. Either way you cut it, catch rates won’t be as good as we’re used to.
· Good news. What fish are returning this year look to be of good size. Typically, our Northeast Oregon stocks return about 60% 1-salt (22-25”) and 40% 2-salt (26-29”). So far, we’re observing the Grande Ronde stocks returning around 80% 2-salts. The Imnaha stock is returning a little more ‘normal’, around 54% 2-salts. So if you can find them, expect your drag to work a little harder than usual.
· Caveats. Take these estimates with a grain of salt right now. Because the run is lower this year, we have fewer PIT tag detections we are basing these estimates from. Weird things can happen when relying on low sample sizes, like ‘creating’ Wallowa 1-salts out of thin air between Ice Harbor and Lower Granite. Also note that no 1-salt Big Sheep steelhead returned this year, because the 2010 brood year was released with the Little Sheep production.
I also included the 2010-11 and 2011-12 PIT tag estimates for the Grande Ronde and Imnaha stocks, just FYI.
Although the run is nearly complete, I may update this once or twice more before year’s end. Also, because some of the age composition and abundance estimates are so different, we’re double-checking data to see if anything else is causing the result. Bottom line, all is preliminary.
Jeff YankeWallowa District Fish BiologistEnterprise, OR 11/1 The Ronde water levels dropped quicker than expected and color is good. The cfs is now 1500 and dropping. The spike to 4000 cfs was music to the ears of steelhead in their game of musical chairs. Weekend prospects look good.
10/29/12 - ALERT! River levels on the Rhonde went from 1000 cfs to 4000 cfs in the last 36 hrs. It is blown-out big time. The weather report calls for less rain, and cool nights - which should help. It might be fishable in 2-4 days - but who knows. Check our link for water levels.
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Wallowa River - November 16th, 2012 |
RECORDED: 
50 °
FISHING: Fair
11-16-12 Same as 11/12 report - a few more steelhead being picked up in the Wallowa.
11/12/12 We are getting our first reports of steelhead being caught above and below Minam (and some nice trout being caught and released by those targeting white fish). You will have the Wallowa pretty much to yourself, so you can cherry pick all of the best holes. A guide trip between Minam and Troy produced ten fish for five anglers over five days - last week.
10/18 Trout fishing remains fair to good. Some top action with caddis and October Caddis patterns, but most trout being caught on nymphs. Try placing your strice indicator 18" above a sz 10 bh prince or hare's ear with a second dropper (sz 18 bh flashback pheasant tail etc) 15" below the top fly. Fish riffles and boulder fields.
9GENERAL INFO - WALLOWA RIVER (our area’s best trout stream): Two forks of the Wallowa River tumble down the steep Wallowa Mountains and fill Wallowa Lake at the south end. A small irrigation dam at the north end releases water throughout the summer and fall. Upon leaving the lake, the Wallowa River enters mostly private property for approximately 25 miles before entering a canyon 3 miles west of the town of Wallowa. In this beautiful “Canyon Section,” between the towns of Wallowa and Minam, the Wallowa River is closely paralleled by Highway 82 for 8 miles and is accessible to the public. Most trout range from 8” to 12”, but fish in the 14” to 20” range are also caught. Despite the highway, this section of river receives only light to moderate fishing pressure.
Native rainbows need to be released in the Canyon Section, but fin-clipped steelhead smolt (those that were not inspired to move downstream to the ocean) take the place of stocked trout and may be kept. The Wallowa often runs too high to wade until mid July, but depending on the snowpack this can vary by as much as a month. A few steelhead enter the river in September (there are two steelhead and one salmon hatchery that serve the river) but most steelheading in the Canyon is done between February and mid April. Trout season runs from Memorial Day weekend until October 31, but one can fish for white fish until April 15. Steelhead Season runs from September 1 until April 15. A “Special Salmon Season” is sometimes opened in early summer if salmon runs are sufficient .
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Imnaha River - November 16th, 2012 |
RECORDED: 
60 °
FISHING: Fair
11/16 read earlier reports. CfS is 150, normal for this time of year. Not too crowded and a few steelhead here and there.
11/12/12 Steelhead fishing has been slow, partly due to low returns (see report below regarding 2012 returns on the Imnaha). You will see a fair number of fall chinook in the lower river so don't target these fish. Remember, it is never a bad day spent fishing the huge, beautiful canyon country of the lower Imnaha.
11/2/12 Steelhead fishing below Horse Creek (botton 12 miles - to Snake) was good last weekend through mid week - apparently due to the spike in cfs from 150 to 300 cfs. There were numerous reports of multiple fish landed, as well as good trout activity. However, we did get a report today that with the cfs level now steady at 165 fishing, the fishing the last two day "really slowed down" - to almost no hookups of steelhead or trout. I guess we need water spikes to put fish on the bite. We also just received a new report (below) that suggest Imnaha steelhead returns will be well below returns to other rivers - only 30% of last year, but that there are more two-salt (25"-29") fish. READ THIS REPORT
NEW REPORT (10/25) FROM DISTRICT FISH BIOLOGIST JEFF YANKEE: First off, for those of you interested in this – apologies for the lack of info this run year. We’ve been resource-limited, and these updates had to fall off my plate until now. For those of you in the know, you’re probably aware that this year’s run as not like the last few we’ve enjoyed. The run-at-large at Lower Granite is running about 53% the 10-year average. As of today, 89,457 steelhead crossed Lower Granite. For Northeast Oregon, we have some bad news and good news… · Bad news. Grande Ronde steelhead are returning about 70% of last year, and 50% of the storied runs of 2010-11. Imnaha steelhead are returning about 30% of last year, and 25% of 2010-11. Eeesh. Of course, we’ll all need to keep in mind that recent steelhead runs were unusually robust and the reduced numbers we’re seeing now is more ‘normal’. Either way you cut it, catch rates won’t be as good as we’re used to. · Good news. What fish are returning this year look to be of good size. Typically, our Northeast Oregon stocks return about 60% 1-salt (22-25”) and 40% 2-salt (26-29”). So far, we’re observing the Grande Ronde stocks returning around 80% 2-salts. The Imnaha stock is returning a little more ‘normal’, around 54% 2-salts. So if you can find them, expect your drag to work a little harder than usual. · Caveats. Take these estimates with a grain of salt right now. Because the run is lower this year, we have fewer PIT tag detections we are basing these estimates from. Weird things can happen when relying on low sample sizes, like ‘creating’ Wallowa 1-salts out of thin air between Ice Harbor and Lower Granite. Also note that no 1-salt Big Sheep steelhead returned this year, because the 2010 brood year was released with the Little Sheep production. I also included the 2010-11 and 2011-12 PIT tag estimates for the Grande Ronde and Imnaha stocks, just FYI. lthough the run is nearly complete, I may update this once or twice more before year’s end. Also, because some of the age composition and abundance estimates are so different, we’re double-checking data to see if anything else is causing the result. Bottom line, all is preliminary. Jeff YankeWallowa District Fish Biologist GENERAL IMNAHA INFO:
Thanks to the Nez Perce Fisheries Pit Tag website (see the link on our home page) we can determine approximately how many adult fish have moved above Cow Creek on the Imnaha. Since 9/1 twelve pit-tagged adult steelhead have crossed the counter at Cow Creek. Using the average multiplier of approximately 10 fish for each tagged fish (note, the Nez Perce Fisheries says this is only a rough estimate), we can estimate 120 hatchery fish are upstream of Cow Creek. Each year approximately 250,000 hatchery steelhead smolt are released into the Imnaha from the Big Sheep hatchery. A good return of hatchery fish would be 1%, or 2500 hatchery fish each year. As noted above, this figure may be reduced by 40-50% this year.
We do not have Pit-tag counters on the Grande Ronde or Wallowa Rivers. However, the two Wallowa River hatcheries each release 250,000 steelhead smolt each year which should result in approximately 1% or 5,000 hatchery fish returning to the Wallowa. It would be reasonable to expect an additional 2,000 wild fish to also return each year for a total return of 7,000 fish. Again, these numbers could be reduced by 40% - 50% this year based on Columbia River dam counts to date. I do not have information on the expected Cottonwood hatchery returns for the lower Grande Ronde in Washington. GENERAL INFO – IMNAHA RIVER: The Imnaha is a spectacularly beautiful little river. It flows for fifty miles from the base of the Eagle Cap Wilderness to Hells Canyon. The upper river is nestled in huge ponderosa pines. The lower river has steep rocky walls, cactus, and a few rattlers. Fish run up and down the river like a freeway – salmon, steelhead, bull trout, rainbows, whitefish and even bass in the lower river.
The lower river is a wonderful little steelhead fishery. The mid river can be a fair to good trout fishery. The upper river near the FS campgrounds off Hwy 39 is a poor trout fishery because: native trout are not protected; the river is not stocked with trout; the river is glacial fed and does not have many nutriants; and campers tend to “fish-out“ this section of river.
Thanks to the Nature Conservancy and Forest Service, the lower river (the bottom 12 miles from Horse Creek to the Snake) has good public access. There is also a good easement upstream (south) from town for the first three miles. However, the mid river above and below town is mostly private and should not be trespassed. Oregon laws are tough. It is ILLEGAL to hunt or fish on private property without permission – it does not have to be fenced or posted. The stream bed belongs to the landowner.
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Lostine River - September 18th, 2012 |
RECORDED: 
70 °
FISHING: Fair
9/18 Trout fishing has been better than usual this fall. Maybe some trout followed the salmon upstream.
To catch small, pretty, native rainbows you need to fish away from camp ground areas. Release them - you can eat all the brook trout you want from the High Lakes - if you are in shape to get there.
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Wallowa Lake - September 8th, 2012 |
RECORDED: 
70 °
FISHING: Good
9/8 Trout fishing has been slow. The river above the lake is now closed for spawning Kokanee.
8/12 Lake restocked a week ago. Fair to good fishing for stocked trout.
7/30 Trout fishing at the mouth has slowed considerably this past week. Check our ODFW stocking schedule to see when they will supply more fish.
7/18/12 - Are you kidding me - they dumped 6000 trout (including 600 big boys) in the lake the day before yesterday. Everybody that comes in the shop is now an expert on Wallowa Lake fishing ("caught 40 - my arm is soo sore,") etc.. Come join the fun! Kokanee fishing has been fair. Some monster trout being caught off mouth.
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Kenny Lake - September 8th, 2012 |
RECORDED:
75 °
FISHING: Fair
9/8 We do not have current reports on the fishing, water levels or moss conditions.
Fishing has slowed this past week, but remains an easy lake to flyfish - and a kid friendly lake for bait fishing. Boats and float tubes are not permitted.
7/18/12 Kenny Lake was stocked two days ago and is fishing great.
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