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Wallowa River - November 12th, 2009 |
RECORDED: 
60 °
FISHING: Good
11-12-09 - Most steelhead anglers still going to the Ronde or Imnaha, but a few more anglers fishing the Wallowa each week. Some steelhead have been caught above Minam for over a month now. Try nymphs.
10/28/2009 - Steelhead fishing continues to be “hot or cold” --- depending on the day and the angler. There are lots of fish in the rivers. Steelhead are spread out throughout the Grande Ronde , and fair numbers have already been caught in the Wallowa River above Minam. The same is true of the Imnaha River where fish are being caught upstream near the town of Imnaha. When steelhead are “on the bite” big numbers are being caught on any given day. Two of us recently had some 7 – 10 fish days, interspersed with days where it was difficult to hook-up at all. Some of the best days over the past two weeks were during rain storms. One of our best flies this year has been a hot bead woolly bugger (orange bead head/black woolly bugger). Nymphing the deep slots and runs, on the bottom, with a combination of stone flies and egg patterns can also be productive. Fish are still being caught on intermediate sink lines, as well as single-hand and spey heavy sink tip lines. Other productive flies have been gold or orange bead prince nymphs (swung or nymphed), green butt skunks, purple spey patterns, and black or purple leeches. The fishing pressure near Troy, and on the Imnaha, has not been as heavy this past week as one might expect. The last ODFW Creel Checker counts for Oct 24 – 25were 7.4 hrs/fish in Ore. and 9.1 hrs/fish in Wash.
Joseph Fly Shoppe personnel will be on the river from 10/21 – 10/26. There will be no reports posted online or available at the shop during this time period. Thanks.
10/18 - The Wallowa River continues to offer good trout fishing with both dry flies and big nymphs. The surprise is that early steelhead continue to be caught both above and below Minam.
10/8 - Cooler water temps have slowed things a bit. Most trout being caught on nymphs fished deep.
10/6 - Water levels and color are very good -- as is the trout fishing. Lots of fish - some very big trout. BH prince on bottom.
10/3 - Snow today. Will be in the mid sixties next week. We will try to keep updated on how the trout are adjusting to the changing water temps/levels. Most fishers in the area are concentrating on the steelhead in the Imnaha and Grande Ronde.
9/27 - Still good fall trout fishing. The river is low, so the best fishing is to strap on your cleated boots and wade into the deeper, fast water and cast back to the bank. Hatches have been comming off starting at 9:00 - 10:00. Some reports have the fish "shutting down" by 5:00. The weather will change this week -- cooler with possible rain, even snow. We will see how that changes things.
9/19 - Quick update. The Wallowa is fishing well for trout despite low flows. Fishing pressure is light and fish are on the "fall bite." October caddis are hatching and a few big fish are being landed.
9/10/09 - River low and clear but trout fishing has been good. Hoppers, stimulators and nymphs. October Caddis hatch is close so try a #8 bh hare's ear - or look for adults and use a Kaufman foamulatior. Fish waist deep faster water for the larger trout. Trout comming to the surface throughout the day. As irrigation ditchs/creeks in the upper Wallowa Valley lower, trout will migrate downstream to the lower Wallowa River. Try spending a morning on the Wallowa River fishing for trout, then make the beautiful drive down to Troy for an afternoon/evening of steelhead fishing.
9/04/09 Some great fall trout fishing should continue through Sep/Oct. The Wallowa River has fished well all summer and continues to produce some nice size trout. Fish tend to be concentrated in the deeper, faster water – the shoots, tail-outs, boulder fields, etc. (avoid the long areas of shallow water). The river is very slippery so wadding these fast water areas is best done using studded boots and/or a wadding staff. Surprisingly, dry fly fishing has been fairly good throughout midday. Try a variety of dry flies including #10/12 stimulators, #12/14 humpies or wulff patterns, or#14 caddis. If dry flies fail to produce move to hoppers, then to nymphs including #14 – 10 prince nymphs, hare’s ears, or smaller copper johns in a variety of colors. Depending on water flows this fall/winter, steelhead will not be expected to arrive in large numbers in the Wallowa until Jan - April.
8/18/09 A couple of very heavy rains a week/ten days ago was just what the doctor ordered. In early August our rivers were too low and warm for good fishing and healthy fish. Now area streams are at or above normal stream flows and the trout are spread out and active. The Wallowa is at a good level and is fishing very good. Hoppers are active during the heat of the day, and there are good caddis and mayfly hatches in the afternoon/evening. The biggest fish being caught mid-day are caught on a combination of a big beadhead fly (try a #8 bh prince) for weight and a smaller bh nymph (red/copper/or blue coppere john for example) as the dropper. Fish the “structured” water (bolders, runs/shoots) with your nymphs, but watch for big trout to move into the riffles and slicks in the late evening. Dries: stimulators/caddis/red and yellow humpies/parachute adams.
8/1/09 Despite the hot weather the Wallowa is still fishing really well, and we have been getting reports of larger than average fish for this time of year! The water temp is getting up into high 60’s and lower 70’s but cooler weather and possibly some rain is in the forcast. Large (sz 6-10) stonefly nymphs, Princes and Hares ears, are still the best producers fished solo or with a small dark colored dropper such as a sz 14 dark hares ear or Copper John in red, copper, blue, or purple. There have been mayflies out in the evening and we generally consider from 7:00 pm to dark to be the golden hours. Smaller red and yellow Humpies should do well and Parachute Adams should also be on hand. The hoppers are out so hopper and muddler patterns are a good bet as well. We have had reports of decent fishing on the lower Minam river as well, it is possible that some larger fish are migrating from the warmer Grande Ronde and lower Wallowa up into the Upper Wallowa and Minam rivers.
Note: in this hot weather being extremely careful when releasing fish is important. Handing of the fish should be as minimal as possible and they should not be removed from the water. After a good fight you might need to hold them in the water for as long as 2-3 minutes before they are strong enough to swim away. As always we recommend using barb-less hooks and a net to aid in the healthy release of fish.
7/21/09 The Wallowa River has continued to drop and clear this past week. You will have to work a little harder for your trout. Try to fish areas with shadow on the water, and be willing to wade into sections where there are areas of fast, fairly deep, boulder strewn water. The bigger trout are harder to find this time of year – but here is a tip. Try fishing above/upstream of the boulders. There will be a small area of good holding water above each rock where the big fish will stake claim to the first shot at passing bugs. Size 10 to 14 orange stimulators are a good bet. Big nymphs fished in deep slots will also produce nice trout, but when fish start rising to your strike indicator, consider switching to a dry fly.
7/18/09: The Wallowa River continues to produce some great fly fishing this summer. River levels have dropped rapidly over the past several weeks and there is good wade fishing throughout (but it is a very slippery river, so use a good pair of studded wadding boots). Stoneflies have given way to our summer caddis and mayfly hatches, and hoppers should not be far behind. Fish both the banks and midstream riffles, but the the best fishing will be where the river has "structure" - boulders, shoots, pools and drops. Flies: try to swing by our shop in Joseph to review our latest selections -- but you can't go wrong this time of year with a #12 or #14 Kaufman stimulator, a # 8 bh prince nymph, or a # 16 royal humpy. Also misc. copper johns, muddlers, caddis patterns, hoppers/ants, soft hackles, etc. -- ask.
The Wallowa River is our bread and butter trout stream. This beautiful and productive river begins as snow melt high in the Wallowa mountains, forms Wallowa Lake and then flows through the Wallowa Valley to its confluence with the Minam River. There are fish every where in this river but the best public access is in the "Canyon" along Hwy 82 four miles downstream from the town of Wallowa. There is also a good run of Steelhead from January through mid April. A truly great fishery that gets surprisingly little pressure, but it does get pressure. This is a catch and release fishery for Native Rainbows and Steelhead and it is important that this rule is followed to maintain the fishery. We also strongly encourage the use of barb-less hooks and tackle on the Wallowa as many of the fish you will catch will be beautiful native trout.
7/16/09 The Wallowa never ceases to amaze me. Two nights ago a stiff wind came up and blew the caddis and mayflies off, so I geared up with a large prince, our staple “big fish” fly. Numerous tussles with good sized trout, (I lost a 15”) and hog whitefish ensued. Then I got slammed…a monster native bull rainbow! Running the gauntlet with this broadsided heavy rainbow was the fight of my life on the Wallowa, after running again and again pulling me 50 yrds down stream he finally let me take the hook out in some deeper slow water by the bank. At 20+” this was a beautiful trophy! The Wallowa truly is an incredible fishery! (My right arm is still sore!)
River is fishing well still and the water level is wade-able (use cleated boots), with stream crossing and island access possible in places. Large Prince Nymphs, and Hares Ears (sz 6-10) will produce the most and biggest fish of the day, don’t hesitate to use a small Copper John or Pheasant tail dropper either. In the late evening a hatch of larger mayflies (sz 12) and smaller caddis flies (sz 16-14) (both a light brown color) has been consistent, the size of the hatch varying daily with weather and conditions. The surface feeding will get better and more larger fish will come up the later it gets, so keep fishing as long as you can see!
7/10/09 The Wallowa River continues to fish really well. Water levels are dropping quickly and the water is clearing on the Wallowa River. We are begining to scale down fly sizes as the water clears and warms, the fish are more picky. We continue to have success with stonelfly patterns, especially Kaufmann's Orange Crystal Stimulators with Rubber Legs (sz8-12). In the evening caddis fly hatches have been thick, with active feeding continuing into the late evening past 9:00!! Try using a CDC Hot Butt Caddis (sz16-12).
Nymphs continue to fish well when the sun is right on the water. A dropper system using a large BH Prince Nypmh (sz 6, the larger the better) on top with a small Copper John dropped 12-18" below the large nymph.
Water level is good and wading is improving, wading across the river is possible in some places, the rocks are slick though so watch your step and wear cleated wadding boots. Have fun!
7/8/2009 A strong stonefly hatch of our monster golden stones has made fishing on the Wallowa hot! We are having a great time using giant golden and orange Kaufmanns Fomulators and Stimulators (sz 6-10) the fish are rising with gusto. The dry flying has been so good infact that most people have just been chasing the shadows on the water all day and haven't bothered with nypmhing but the large princes, hares ears, and stonefly nymphs will be effective, especially in the deeper holding water. The wait is over hit the river!!
6/27/09 The fishing is finally on. Recently the local guides have reported 25 fish days, with a portion of the catch above 15", long and fat! The water is still too high to wade but the soft water along the bank is still the best bet. Use large bead head prince nymphs (sz 12 or bigger), hares ears, and copper johns. A large heavy Kaufmann Stonefly nymph in the deeper runs might produce a trophy. The stoneflies are hatching as well, but the trout are not keying on them just yet, but you should definitely have a quiver of stoneflies with you. Good luck, the best fishing of the year is on its way!
6/13/09 The river is still high and a bit off color but it is becoming less brown and more green. The water is still too high to wade but the bank fishing on the Wallowa is some of the best fishing in the river. Fishing along the banks behind rocks and in eddies with beadhead hairs ears, and prince nypmhs, and other golden stone larval patterns (sz 10-14). In the evenings fish have been rising to mayflies in the still water (sz 16-18). The fish are there, and as the water level drops toward the normal post snowmelt flow the fishing will get better and better!
10-24 update. Fish taking small dries mid day - 14 / 16 adams, etc. Plenty of Oct Caddis but fish not targeting this fly.
Trout fishing on the Wallowa is still producing some large rainbows on large BH nymph patterns. A few early steelhead have also been caught. Remember, trout season closes Oct. 31, but the river remains open to whitefish and steelhead until Apr. 15th. A tag tag is required to fish for steelhead.
10-04-08 Trout Fishing: Fall trout fishing on the Wallowa River remains good to very good this fall. October Caddis are out in force and some large trout are comming up for dries. Last week a couple of young flyfishers had great fun jerking muddler minnows around on the surface.
9-20-08Trout: The Wallowa River has been fishing great this fall and we expect it to continue into October. There are lots of evening hatches including October Caddis, BWOs, hoppers and misc. smaller caddis and mayflies. Lots of flies are being used, but some of the best have been sz 12 Kaufman tan stimulators and sz 10 or 12 BH prince nymphs. Trout have been slow to hit the larger October Caddis patterns such as sz 8 or 6 sofa pillows, but that should change shortly. A couple of good fly fishers caught some big trout by swinging soft hackles, October caddis nymphs and woolly buggers. A good way to find big fish is to wade the middle of the river and fish back to the banks – BUT the Wallowa is very slippery and we recommend studded boots and perhaps a wading staff.
9-03-08 - Great time of year to fish. Not much pressure on the river and current stream flows are holding up nicely. Weather is still fairly warm and there are still big hatches of caddis and mayflies from mid afternoon into the evening. The biggest fish are still holding in the most difficult water to get to. Try a large hare's ear, muddler minnow, or stimulator in some of the heavier water -- but don't be afraid to switch off to a #16 parachute adams, or elk hare caddis in some of the smooth slicks at dusk. Small nymphs will still land their share of large white fish so use 4x tippets.
8-21-08 Area rivers have good flows compared to the last several years. In fact, the Wallowa River can still be a bit difficult to wade -- but should offer good trout fishing all fall. The Wallowa is offering fair numbers of fish, but the average size of the catch seems to depend in part on the skill of the fisher and their ability their ability to wade in faster water. Large stimulators, hoppers, small red humpies and muddler minnows are some of the favorite dry patterns. Nymphing with misc color/sizes of copper johns, princes and hare's ears also produce in mid day. Best fishing still comes in the evening when the river is covered with a variety of caddis and mayflies. Joseph will have a low temperature of near thirtyfive tonight, followed by a predicted high of near ninety in a couple of days. Nothing like beautiful Indian Summer fall weather to put the fish on the bite, Remember, as irrigation season raps-up, bigger fish from the upper Wallowa Valley will begin to work their way dowstream to the lower river.
8/2/08 - Perfect water levels/conditions. Guide trips on the Wallowa are producing plenty of nice rainbows - mostly in the 10" to 16" range. Hoppers and muddles are fun to fish, but also consider mid to large size nymphs during the bright sunlight of mid day Use size 10 to 14 bh princes, copper johns, or hare's ears in a variety of colors. Simulators are always a good searching pattern. Evenings will bring good caddis hatches -- 12 - 14 high vis, or olive green foam body elk hair caddis are some of our favorites.
7/26/08 Wallowa River continues to drop and is wadable throughout the "canyon." Good evening caddis hatches if you want to fish dries. Big nymphs continue to produce some big native bows throughout the day.
7/24/08 – So – this morning two very good fly fishers from the East Coast came into the shop for their morning report. This was their third day on the Wallowa River and fishing had been excellent. I could tell they were excited. It turned out that both of them had hooked a 20 plus inch rainbow – at the same time. They asked me if it was possible the fish were steelhead -- unlikely, but not an uncommon question when one of the Wallowa hogs are hooked in mid summer. Both fish were hooked on large nymphs, a size 8 possie bugger and a size 8 prince nymph – both fished in relatively deep pools near the bank in early morning. In addition they had been catching smaller bows, some to twelve or fourteen inches, on mid sized Kaufman stimulators – throughout the day. Fishing reports have been good all week, but fishing pressure has been very light. To date I have not heard of more than four fishers being spotted at one time in the eight mile section of the “canyon” between Minam and Wallowa.
7/19/08 - The river level has dropped sharply this past week and is in great shape to fish -- although a bit high to wade accross the river. Best public access is in the "Canyon" between the towns of Minam and Wallowa. The golden stone fly hatch has pretty well come and gone -- but still a few. We still like searching the seams and banks with sz 6 Kaufman golden foamulators. Lots of caddis -- try sz 8-14 tan or orange body stimulators, 12-16 goddard caddis, chrystal para caddis, or sz 14 olive or blk foam caddit. Also a mix of mayflies including green drakes -- or try red or yellow humpies. Also, be ready to experiment with different flies. Normally misc. colors of prince nymphs, copper johns, and hare's in sizes 14 - 8 are bread and butter Wallowa River, but last night a fly fisher tried these with limited success and ended up catching a series of large trout on a yuk bug!
7/11/07 - Still running very high -- will be too high to wade for some time. However, the river continues to drop and the color is chaulky green. Some nice fish are being caught in slicks, back-eddies, and seams near the bank. The lower river near Minam still has an active stonefly hatch.
7/6/08 – Catch this! A good fly fisher went down to the Wallowa River yesterday evening to fish for Chinook (the season just opened from July 4 to July 13 on limited sections of the Wallowa and Imnaha Rivers). The Wallowa River is running very high and colored – perhaps only three or four inches of visibility. When he didn’t find anyone else fishing for Chinook he thought he might be confused about the season and didn’t fish for Chinook. So, he broke out his trout rod and tied on a size 12 Royal Wulff . Fishing a back eddy to a big pool he proceeded to catch a 20” trout that he could not get his hands around, a 17” trout, and two 12” trout. The fish are “kegged-up” in this type of water next to the bank, and most of them still have to eat. I have heard similar stories of fly fishers duplicating this type of action on both the Imnaha and Grande Rondee over the past several weeks.
Backpackers are also starting to report on their High Lake fishing in the Eagle Cap Wilderness (in most cases they are still crossing some snow fields). Best results are on weighted nymphs and/or sinking lines fished deep in the deeper end of the lake. Brooke trout like a gold or orange fly such as a gold bead copper john, or gb hare’s ear, perhaps with a split shot, retrieved very slowly.
7/4 - The Wallowa remains "blown-out" -- very high at perhaps 4,000 cfs and colored. It is difficult to predict when it will be fishable from the shore or from a boat -- perhaps a week or two weeks (?). It may not be easily wadable until August (?). We will try to post any info as soon as we get it.
6/24 -- The good news is that we are going to have plenty of water all summer and fall. The bad news, of course, is that the big snow pack is still melting and most area streams are "blown-out." Current forcasts for hot weather will probably continue this trend for the next week or two -- or longer. We actually started to catch a few fish on the Wallowa the last few weeks, in the slicks near the bank, but rising water has made this more difficult. The stone flies are hatching. We will try to continue to get reports, but at this time the river has very few fishers.
10/24 – Trout on the Wallowa. By the time you read this it may be too late – but the very warm weather the past three days have October Caddis hatching all over the Wallowa. Forget about nymphs, the trout aren’t interested. Use a salmon fly pattern like a large (sz 8 or 6), stimulator or sofa pillow or Kaufman foamulator and fish the seams/boulders/banks from mid afternoon until dark. The native trout are big and aggressive. Cooler weather later this week may put down the hatch. Remember trout season closes 10/31 so after that date you must fish for white fish or carry a steelhead card.
Trout fishing on the Wallowa River remains fair, but erratic, as weather seems to change daily. Sporadic October Caddis hatches appear mid day. Copper Johns continue to produce trout and whitefish in the boulder fields near the banks.
Best access to the Wallowa River is along the 8 miles of road that parallel the river upstream from Minam, or along the railroad tracks on the east bank of the river below Minam.
photos
current conditions
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Grande Ronde River - November 12th, 2009 |
RECORDED: 
60 °
FISHING: Great
11-12-09 - Still lots of steelhead being caught. A typical comment is "the gear guys are catching big numbers -- the fly guys are working for their fish tthis time of year." Crowds have tended to be reasonable as some of the fly guides have packed it up for the season. Watch stream flows for heavy rain or quick snow melts this time of year. Later, icing can come into play, so watch weather reports. Bottom line -- still the biggest steelhead numbers we have seen in years.
11/05/09 - Coffee shop talk at Bogan's is that the guides are saying the last four days have been "phenomenal."
11/03/09 - Odfw reported an aveerage of 3.0 hrs/fish in Ore. and 13.9 hrs per fish in Wa. for Oct 27/28. That begs the question: "Do they grow better anglers in Ore. or does Ore. have friendlier fish ?"
11/1/09 - Steelhead fishing has been good and the crowds reasonable. One guide reported having both thirteen fish, and one fish, days this past week -- which he attributed to the barometric pressure. You have to be "on the river" to catch those good days.
10/28/2009 - Steelhead fishing continues to be “hot or cold” --- depending on the day and the angler. There are lots of fish in the rivers. Steelhead are spread out throughout the Grande Ronde , and fair numbers have already been caught in the Wallowa River above Minam. The same is true of the Imnaha River where fish are being caught upstream near the town of Imnaha. When steelhead are “on the bite” big numbers are being caught on any given day. Two of us recently had some 7 – 10 fish days, interspersed with days where it was difficult to hook-up at all. Some of the best days over the past two weeks were during rain storms. One of our best flies this year has been a hot bead woolly bugger (orange bead head/black woolly bugger). Nymphing the deep slots and runs, on the bottom, with a combination of stone flies and egg patterns can also be productive. Fish are still being caught on intermediate sink lines, as well as single-hand and spey heavy sink tip lines. Other productive flies have been gold or orange bead prince nymphs (swung or nymphed), green butt skunks, purple spey patterns, and black or purple leeches. The fishing pressure near Troy, and on the Imnaha, has not been as heavy this past week as one might expect. The last ODFW Creel Checker counts for Oct 24 – 25were 7.4 hrs/fish in Ore. and 9.1 hrs/fish in Wash.
Joseph Fly Shoppe personnel will be on the river from 10/21 – 10/26. There will be no reports posted online or available at the shop during this time period. Thanks.
10/19/09 – Steelhead fishing remains spotty – depending on the day, the river, and the angler you talk to. The ODFW Creel Checker report for the Grande Ronde for Oct 14 – 15 found 42 anglers averaged 6.7 hours per fish in the Troy area, and 14.7 hours per fish the Washington section. Most flyfishers near Troy said they were “working for their fish” last week. Water temperatures (near 50 degrees), water flows (850 cfs), and water color are all good. Fish continue to move up the Grand Ronde as indicated by the steelhead starting to show up in the Wallowa River. Rains this week should only help.
9/15/09 – OK – now – perfect, perfect, perfect. Lots of steelhead in the river – even more coming (the limit for adipose fin-clipped steelhead in OR will increase Sun 9/18 from 3 to 5 fish per day). Rains the last couple of days took water levels at Troy from 770 cfs to 920 cfs. As of today water levels are stabilized and are starting down again -- until perhaps more rain later this week. But perhaps more importantly, water temps have come up – from 40 degrees to the mid 40 degree range – perhaps higher. Fish are apparently moving and back on the bite. We just had a report from Bogan’s of a fisher hooking two on the surface this morning. Lots of fishers, however, so bring your own rock.
Now some general info. The Ronde is fished with both single hand (say a 7 or 8 wt – 9’6”)and spey rods (say a 6 or 7 wt – 12’ 6” or 13’ – or switch rod) -- swinging flies and nymphing. A typical setup this time of year might include swinging a fast sink tip line with one or two leech patterns – perhaps black, purple or pink marabou or bunny fur – sz #4 - #8. Use 3’ to 5’ -- 8 lb to 12lb leaders behind sink tips. Some prefer to swing patterns like the purple or orange spey, green butt skunk (at low light), muddler minnow, or purple peril. If nymphing use stone fly patterns, size # 4 – #10, or consider a #8 black beadhead woolly bugger or an egg pattern as your top nymph. If spey fishing use Scandinavian heads in warmer water, then switch to a Skagit head with a fast sink tip in colder water – or nymph with your spey rod.
More gen info. At the time of this report, you can buy Washington fishing licenses at Bogans, but Oregon licenses are available at Troy only when the restaurant is open Wed – Sun, noon – dinner time.
10/13/09 – The ODFW Grande Ronde Angler Survey for Oct 8-11 was 11.3 hours per fish in Ore. And 16.8 in Wa. This was up from the Oct 2-3 check which showed 5.5 in Ore and 9.0 in Wa. For the Oct 8-11 period there were twice as many anglers checked in Wa (123) vs Ore (64). The spike in water levels last week should have brought more fish into the Ronde, but rapidly cooling water temps (now 40 degrees – still not bad) apparently put fish off the bite while fish acclimated to the new water conditions.
10/12/09 - An angler reported fishing was a bit slow at Troy yesterday (Sun). He said the ODFW checker had counted 8 steelhead among the 34 anglers checked (probably two anglers each caught four?). He reported conditions were cold in the AM with some ice.
10/11/09 – Lots of fish, but steelhead fishing remains a bit spotty – it depends on” where you are, who you are and when you were.”
I just spoke with a good flyfisher who spent ten days fishing the mouth near the Snake. He reported one “tough day” when he only landed four fish – otherwise the fishing was “incredible.” One day last week (prior to water temperatures cooling) he and a friend each landed three fish on the surface from the same hole – fishing on opposite banks. He reported these fish repeatedly came to the surface chasing the fly before finally taking it. One fish came out of the water over the fly then swirled on it and swatted it before taking the fly on the fourth or fifth pass. He also reported the river was somewhat crowded. The line waiting to fish the “turkey run” was five deep – in the dark. On the other hand, the first two people down the run one morning landed fifteen and twelve fish respectably. He reported water temperatures in the mid forties. Like other reports this season he said there are some very large steelies being caught.
At Troy we are getting varied reports. One fisherman, who fished on Saturday, reported that at daybreak the water temp was 40 degrees and the air temp was 20 degrees (with some icing of the guides). Temperatures will be warming this week. He fished under the bridge at Troy and landed one fish, although he said at one point he counted eighteen fishers . He only saw one other fish landed while he was there. He reported 75% of the fishers were flyfishers.
10/08/09 - We just confirmed that the steelhead are back on the bite and that today was a good day on the Ronde.
10/08/09 - Apparently the steelhead fishing slowed a bit this past week despite good water levels/color and lots of fish in the river. The fish were apparently acclimating to the new/cooler water conditions. I did have one report of better fishing today after a couple of tough days. Some bigger than normal steelies being caught this year - some true 7 - 10 lb natives.
10/6/09 – Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. River levels on the Grand Ronde peaked at 900 cfs last Sun/Mon and are now at 826 (vs 761 mean stream flow for this date). Lots of steelhead were caught from Troy to the Snake this past week (one guide boat in Washington reported a 24 fish day for three anglers). Tom, the Winding Waters guide at Troy, had pictures of a couple of fish pushing 8lb to 10lb included in their catch. Since June 1, 200,000 steelhead have crossed Lower Granite Dam – twice the 10 year average. Approx. 25% are wild fish – and rumor has it that ODFW is considering – I said considering – bumping the daily limit for hatchery steelhead from 3 to 5 fish. 2009 is “THE YEAR OF THE STEELHEAD.” The rivers will be crowded, but there should be enough fish to go around.
10/3/09 – Perfect! We have had a steady wet snow most of the day here in Joseph. We may accumulate 5” – 10” in the next 24 hours. In any event the Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers will see a nice surge of water over the next few days. This will bring a bunch of new steelhead up from the Snake. Keep an eye on water levels over the next week. The rivers may be so low that they won’t “blow-out” (or not), but sometimes fish will go off the bite on rising water levels. The forecast is for clear weather and mid 60 degree temps by mid week – in Joseph . The Ronde and Imnaha should be perfect next week.
9/29/09 – We are getting more and more reports of good steelhead fishing on the lower Ronde – even more fish moving into Troy the last few days. The cool weather and possible rain this week will bring even more fish. Things are changing fast. October WILL BE the best Ronde steelhead fishing in years. It’s time to “bring it on.” PS Muddlers are good flies this time of year – and a few B runs are starting to show up.
9/19/09 - Steelhead. No news is not necessarily good news. We have not received many reports from the Grande Ronde recently. One person who was at the mouth this past week reported that “there were more fishers” camped at the park then there was holding water for them all to fish.” He reported water temps were around 67 degrees. Water flows are low and clear at 675 cfs, down 10% from mean stream flows for this time of year. However, the good news is that steelhead continue to pour over Lower Granite Dam, 87,000 since 6/1 vs 32,000 for the ten year average. The forcast is for showers this evening, then warm and dry again – we’ll see. Your best steelhead report for the next few weeks will be the water flows report (see out Homepage link). I do not have reports from Bogans or Shomacher. There have been a few steelies caught at Troy, but action is slow and fishing pressure still light. Remember, 2009 still is “THE YEAR OF THE STEELHEAD,” so stay tuned.
9/10/09 – We all know about the record steelhead counts over Bonneville, but check this out: 30,000 have moved over Lower Granite in the last 5 days! Since 6/1, 50,000 have crossed Lower Granite Dam (the last dam on the Snake before steelhead move into the Clearwater, the Grande Ronde, the Imnaha or the Salmon rivers) versus 17,000 for the 10 year average. In addition, flows from Dworshak dam are being reduced this time of year, resulting in less cool water being flushed into the Clearwater – something that tends to hold Grande Ronde/Imnaha/Salmon River fish near the confluence of the Clearwater and the Snake. ------ However, flows in the Ronde are currently only 652 cfs, down from a seasonal average of 720. We need some rain. I did have four separate reports of steelhead landed on fly near Troy in the past few days, but most good flyfishers were still coming up empty. The upper river is still not crowded. Look for fish in the tailouts and heads of pools/runs, fish will use the fast water as cover. Nights have been cool (we had a hard frost in Joseph a few days ago) so fall is in the air. Steelhead will force their way upstream at some point so try to land a steelhead using a surface fly. ----- I do not have a current report on fishing at the mouth of the Ronde in Washington.
9/04/09 -- Like the rest of the world, we are all anticipating the record setting run of steelhead moving up the Columbia this year. The Grand Ronde is still very low and warm this September (70 – 72 degrees) and only a few fish are being caught from Troy to the mouth. Fish are holding in the Snake. We will try to report any news from the lower Ronde. Keep an eye on the stream flows -- more water will be the key.
8/18/09…… And – the big news this week is that we also have some crazy good numbers of steelhead moving up the Columbia and Snake Rivers, headed our way. In the last seven days over 100,000 steelhead moved over Bonneville Dam (32,000 in one day alone!). That brings the total year to date number to 323,155 versus a ten year average of 192,717. Numbers over Lower Granite Dam, the last dam before the Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers, is now over 19,000 – a forty percent increase over the ten year average. We will need more rains to keep the steelies coming, but one thirty inch hen was reportedly caught at Troy last week.
8/1/09 We are anticipating a good steelhead run this year, over 4000 fish have already come over Lower Granit Dam (well above the 10 yr average). Hopefully we will get some cooler temperatures and rain in August to coax them into the river for the start of the season on September First.
Small mouth Bass fishing has been good on the Ronde below Troy, green and black Wooly Buggers being the most effective fly. You should be able to get a few on the surface too with poppers. The trout will be a harder target, although many of them head for cooler water this time of year in the tributaries like the Wenaha. So you might find some good trout fishing hiking up the Wenaha from Troy, this river is a beautiful Wild and Senic wilderness stream which is home to native trout and protected Bull trout so we strongly encourage using only barbless tackle and practicing catch and release (there can also be a lot of rattlesnakes in this area so look out!). 7/18/09 Fishing near Troy is producing some nice trout in the white water and bass in the slow water. Try a muddler or green woolly bugger. The nearby Wenaha River is producing some nice bulls upstream.
7/8/09 You can now attempt a hat trick down near Troy, we have had reports of really good small mouth bass fishing on the Grande Ronde. The trout will be there too, so you can fish small mouth in the heat of the day and tie a large stone fly pattern on for a native rainbow in the late afternoon evening, and nymph deep on the large holes and pick up a bull trout!! Lots of options right now on this great river. Try brown, black, and green wooly buggers for the bass! Don't forget to stop off at Bogan's Oasis for a delicious Rhubarb milkshake if you get to hot!!
6/27/09 Stoneflies are taking over the Grande Ronde canyon! I was on the river last week, and the stoneflies were thick. The water is still high but the water is clearing and fishing is improving. Suggested flies: orange stimulators #8-12, fomulators #6-10, caddis #10-14, bead headed prince nymph #8-12, Kaufmann stonefly nymph #4-8, bead headed hares ears #8-14.
6/13/09 Haven't had many reports yet this year... but we know the water conditions are high and off color, like the tributarties of this river such as the Wallowa. The river is running high, but water clarity is improving rapidly. Like other rivers in the area the fish will be on the banks relaxing in the calm eddy water behind natural structure like boulders and log jams. The golden stonefly hatch will be on soon, so fishing brightly colored stimulator patterns, and stonefly nypmh patterns should produce. Also try smaller mayfly patterns in the evening. June is arguably one of the best months of the year for fishing trout on the Ronde and as the water drops and clears the action will heat up fast!
10-21-08 STEELHEAD: Grande Ronde – Mostly fair to occasionally good. Good , at times, if you know the river and are a pretty good fly fisher; mostly fair to poor, at times, if you don’t/aren’t. However, it also depends on the bite/weather on any given day. A number of GR guides have reported “no hookup” days even with experienced clients The Grande Ronde has not lived up to expectations this fall based on the number of steelhead over the dams (118% of the ten year avg., 25% wild). Fishing pressure has been heavy at times, but on most days good water can be found. The ODFW Angler Survey for the Oregon section of water near Troy for Oct. 13/14/18/19 surveyed 136 anglers who averaged 8.4 hrs/fish caught (not bad). The same survey for the Washington section of river included 80 anglers who averaged 22.7 hrs/fish (not good). All the same, we continue to be optimistic that fishing can be good on any given day over the next two to three weeks.
A young flyfisher was in the shop this morning buying flies and reported that over the past four days he and his three friends (mostly experienced, guide quality flyfishers) landed 22 steelhead (thirteen out of one hole) in Washington. Most likely they got into a surge of fish that had just moved into their section of river. They were swinging and nymphing a variety of leech and stonefly nymph patterns, mostly in black and purple. Some of the better flies were #6 “Princess” nymphs, and #8 prince nymphs with an orange beadhead. There seems to be some agreement that any number of flies (purple perils, green butt skunks, marabou leeches, egg sucking leeches, etc). are effective if put in front of a steelhead’s nose and he is inclined to grab them. However, it is also agreed that some steelhead will take a drifted nymph when they have already rejected the swung patterns. Just to confuse the matter, one of the more effective techniques seems to be dead drifting several patterns (prince nymph and woolly bugger, for example) under a strike indicator (3/4” thingamabober) then allowing it to “swing-out” at the bottom of the drift. We also continue to get reports of some steelhead taking small, #14/16 copper johns, etc. when matched with a large stonefly nymph.
10-4-08 Steelhead: Rains again this weekend – great for moving fish upstream. The Grande Ronde continues to fish well for this time of year. An East Coast flyfisher was in the shop this morning and reported hooking six steelies waking flies in the Washington section of the Ronde last Thursday. Floating the same section of water the next day, however, he did not hook-up. Fishing the Ronde near Troy has also been productive for those who know the river. As always a mixture of techniques are used including waking, skating, greased line swings, and nymphing using both single-hand and spey rods.
9/23/2008 – Steelhead Update: Good News. Rains last weekend increased flows on the Grande Ronde from 550 cfs to 750 cfs -- moving steelhead upstream. On a trip yesterday near Troy, guided by Winding Waters guide Tom Farnam, a client landed three Steeies in the 28” – 32” range, swinging a purple spey fly. Check out the photos at: www.windingwatersrafting.com. Tom’s schedule is starting to fill-in, so be sure to book a trip now for the next thirty to forty five days. This may be one of the best steelhead seasons in years!
9/20/08 – Steelhead: It’s raining hard and steady today – just what we needed to move the steelhead upstream. This morning the Grande Ronde had risen 50 cfs from last night’s rain, so we will be watching over the next 48 to 72 hours to see how high it goes. Fish that had moved into the Troy area from the mid August rains provided good steelhead fishing over Labor Day weekend. However, fishing has really slowed the last couple of weeks – evidenced by very few fishers on the river. Dam counts still look good, so it should be a great October. As of this date 60,000 steelhead have crossed Lower Granite, 125% of the ten year average. We will try and update the Ronde fishing report this week as we receive reports. As hard as it is raining, it may take a day or two for the river to settle-down – or not (?). Lots of different flies are used on the Ronde – for example: muddlers riffle hitched, Oct. caddis, or bombers on top; black or purple marabou leeches, spey flies, purple perils, etc - all swung; and misc. nymphs including a variety of prince nymphs, stone fly nymphs, and even some small size 12/14 copper johns in misc. colors used as dropperes.
9-04-08 – Beautiful Indian Summer weather – a great time to fish. The Big New News – “Steelhead show up at Troy.” We have been saying this will be a great, early steelhead season. Check our home page link for fish counts over the dams and select “LWG – Lower Granite Dam,” the last dam on the Snake River before our rivers. To date 27,395 steelhead have passed LWG versus the ten year average of 17,573 (155% of avg.). The Grade Ronde is flowing 736 cfs – right on average for this date. Recently several freshets took flows to near 900 cfs and moved fish upstream. Remember, the Ronde is known for the prospect of taking steelhead on the surface (waking or skating flies) and we have reports of several fly fishers doing just that this past week. Another person fishing at Troy for trout, using a 4 wt rod and a woolly bugger, caught “a mess” of bass and trout, and hooked and lost 3 steelhead in fast water. Both the Imnaha and Wallowa Rivers are also fishing well – check our river reports.
8-21-08. Steelhead season will open September 1 in Oregon. To date we have not heard of any steelhead being spotted in the Troy area. Despite fairly good water flows in the Wallowa Valley, a very hot summer has led to larger than normal irrigation needs in the Grande Ronde and Wallowa Valleys. Water flows at Troy dropped below 600 cfs last week but surged to near 900 on rains of the past few days. We will try to keep an eye on flows over the next sixty days. There are very good numbers of steelhead coming up the Snake River, so fall steelhead fishing will depend on river levels over the next thirty to sixty days. Check our links to river levels and steelhead counts.
8-21-08 - Steelhead season will open September 1 in Oregon. Still, we have not heard of any steelhead being incidentally
8/2/08 - The first steelhead of the summer have been caught at the mouth of the Ronde where it hits the Snake in Washington. Good water flows mean that some of these fish could arrive at Troy in the next thirty days. Steelhead season opens on Sept. 1 in Oregon -- and a good early season it will be. We do not have many reports of trout/bass fishing near Troy or upstream to Rondowa, but it appears to be a bit slow.
7/11/08 - River still high, but we are getting a few reports of bass and trout being caught near the bank in the river below Troy.
7/4/08 - Raft trips from Minam to Troy this past week report the river still blown out.
11/29/07 – Steelhead on the Grande Ronde. When there is no “slush ice” in the water fishing has been very good. The ODFW creel checker counts for 11/25-11/27 were around 5 to 6 hrs per fish in Oregon and Wash. (Troy/ Bogans area). Steelheading doesn’t get much better than that kids. That means some of the better fishers can’t keep fish off their hooks. At 850 cfs water levels are ideal. Snow and snow/rain is forcast for the next ten days, so keep an eye on water levels and nighttime temperatures. See the report for 11/21, below, for additional info.
11/21/07 – Grande Ronde Steelhead. This time of year the trick is picking the right day for good water conditions. For example, the river levels shot up this past week (generally a good thing to bring more fish out of the Snake – but the best fishing is often during stabilized or dropping flows) and it was 5 degrees Fahrenheit in Joseph last night so slush ice in the river could be a problem if it remains cold. For this reason many of the fly fishing guide services, like ours, in the Troy area and in the lower river in Washington, call it quits for the year (some don’t). It is too difficult to predict fishing conditions for clients coming in from Boise, Seattle, et cetera. Having said that, I have caught hundreds of steelhead flyfishing the Grande Ronde and Imnaha in November and December – when conditions were right. Our problem is getting good reports on river/fishing conditions this time of year. Check our home page for links to the water flow web site.
At current water levels (1,160 cfs and dropping on 11/21) fishing on the Grande Ronde should be good. More fish than normal came over the Snake dams this year. With cold water conditions try to get your fly down to the bottom – whether swinging or nymphing. If swinging flies we like 10 or 12 foot class 6 or 8 sink tip lines combined with a weighted fly like a black or purple egg sucking “starlight” bunny fur leech. Cast quartering downstream, then immediately mend hard as necessary for depth and water speed to get to the bottom. Perhaps even more effective is nymphing. You will probably want to use a large strike indicator, but some “soft” runs don’t require one. Nymph like you would for trout, remembering to limit your casting distance for good line control and hook-set. Our favorite fly is a size 6 gold bead prince nymph, but we also like some close imitations including the same fly with a bright orange beadhead or the “tungsten BH Princess” – a flashback prince nymph with red wings and tail. Feel free to use a second nymph such as a black stonefly pattern, but expect most hits on the prince nymph or its variations. Typically the top fly is three to five feet below the strick indicator. Contact the Joseph Fly Shoppe if you need to order lines, flies, et cetera. Good luck and good fishing. We close our shop from January 1 to May 15.
11/7 -Grande Ronde Steelhead- Quick update (see 11/3 report) - fishing near Troy has been fair to good with the last ODFW report showing 6.8 hrs/fish in Oregon, 16.3 hrs/fish in Wash. Our guide trips continue to find fish each outing. Unlike our last report, however, the river has not been too crowded this past week.
11/3 – Grande Ronde Steelhead: Water levels continue to drop – with no rain forcast in the near future. Current levels are 634 cfs (vs normal flow of 885) – which makes the Minam to Troy float pretty skinny. Fishing near Troy has been fair to good this past week. The last ODFW creel cheek for Oct. 25/26 was 8.7 hrs/fish in Oregon and 17 hrs/fish in Washington. Recent guide trips near Troy have produced some nice fish for our clients. Best catch rates came from nymphing, although swinging flies remains the most popular approach. The river has been fairly crowded so avoid weekends or bring your own rock.
10/24 – Steelhead on the Ronde: The recent spike in water levels did move fish upstream. Current water levels and conditions are near perfect (as is the nice shirt sleeve weather). Expect both more fish and fishers. The warm weather the past few days has brought on a nice hatch of October Caddis. One fisher reported steelhead rolling and playing on the surface, so think about waking/skating. Weather is expected to cool, but fishing should stay good.
10/20 - Wow! River flows have doubled in the past few days to over 1000 cfs. Just what the DR. ordered. Watch for flows to drop and stabilize (check our river flow link on our home page) -- perhaps give the fish a few days to move upstream -- then drop everything you are doing and call us for a guided trip -- or just head to Troy. Over 135,000 steelhead have crossed Lower Granite Dam this season!
10/10 – Steelhead!! A few are being caught on Grande Ronde, but the river remains fairly low – it’s still a bit early. We could use some rain or snow to move more fish upstream. Counts over Lower Granite Dam exceed 135,000, so the fish are in the Snake somewhere. Of course a few special flyfishers are picking up multiple steelhead daily, although the ODFW average was 27 hours per fish on the Ronde last week. On our last guided trip a few days ago, a client landed his first two steelhead on a fly using a nymph – at three in the afternoon, near Troy. We expect fishing on the Ronde to continue to improve as the month progresses. The fish are in the Snake so it is only a matter of time and/or water levels. The Ronde is currently running 600 cfs – 77% of normal for this date.
10/4 – Steelhead fishing on the Grande Ronde has picked-up this week. Water levels have increased from their lows of 450 cfs to over 600 cfs – approximately 80% of normal flow for this time of year. In the past few days we have received numerous reports of multiple steelhead taken on flies in both Washington, and in Oregon near Troy. Over 90,000 steelhead have passed Lower Granite Dam -- exceeding the 10 yr average for this date. We will be guiding steelhead fishers in the Troy area most of this week and will report activity.
photos
current conditions
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Imnaha River - November 11th, 2009 |
RECORDED: 
50 °
FISHING: Great
11-12-09 - The Imnaha continues to fish well. Recent snows may affect fishing for a few days if the melt is too fast - check our link for stream flows. Anglers using both nymphs and streamers.
11/03/09 - We have reports of a few anglers chatching "a lot" of steelhead on nymphs.
11/1/09 - We had treports today of two different gear anglers near Imnaha landing five plus steelhead each, as well as numerous bull trout and trout. The river is low, but there are lots of steelhead in the river and, for today anywawy, they are biting.
10/28/2009 - Steelhead fishing continues to be “hot or cold” --- depending on the day and the angler. There are lots of fish in the rivers. Steelhead are spread out throughout the Grande Ronde , and fair numbers have already been caught in the Wallowa River above Minam. The same is true of the Imnaha River where fish are being caught upstream near the town of Imnaha. When steelhead are “on the bite” big numbers are being caught on any given day. Two of us recently had some 7 – 10 fish days, interspersed with days where it was difficult to hook-up at all. Some of the best days over the past two weeks were during rain storms. One of our best flies this year has been a hot bead woolly bugger (orange bead head/black woolly bugger). Nymphing the deep slots and runs, on the bottom, with a combination of stone flies and egg patterns can also be productive. Fish are still being caught on intermediate sink lines, as well as single-hand and spey heavy sink tip lines. Other productive flies have been gold or orange bead prince nymphs (swung or nymphed), green butt skunks, purple spey patterns, and black or purple leeches. The fishing pressure near Troy, and on the Imnaha, has not been as heavy this past week as one might expect. The last ODFW Creel Checker counts for Oct 24 – 25were 7.4 hrs/fish in Ore. and 9.1 hrs/fish in Wash.
Joseph Fly Shoppe personnel will be on the river from 10/21 – 10/26. There will be no reports posted online or available at the shop during this time period. Thanks.
10/19/09 – Steelhead fishing on the Imnaha this past week was varied. One fly angler reported that last Thursday he got skunked on the Imnaha for the first time this season -- having previously averaged four steelhead per trip. The same day two gear anglers landed eight steelhead in the Cow Creek area. One dry fly fisher, fishing for trout, had a steelhead take a #14 elk hair caddis on the dead drift. Another angler landed steelhead on both black woolly buggers and large prince nymphs , and said he hooked a ton of trout on a #18 bh nymph being used as a dropper. The bottom line is – the weather is pretty nice, there are plenty of fish in the river, and you aren’t going to catch any fish unless you are on the river.
10/15/09 - The river blew-out today but is dropping rapidly. Water temps back up to near 50 degrees. Lots of fish throughout river, and stacked up at mouth.
10/11/09 - The river is fairly low and clear again -- 120 cfs vs a medium flow of 145 for this date. The river was fairly crowded with deer hunters/fisherman this past week. We are getting conflicting reports on success rates. Temperatures will warm this week and we may get some rain. We will try to update the reports as we get them.
10/8 - Still fishing good. Cooler water temps - think deeper.
10/6/09 – Good steelhead fishing! The Imnaha River peaked last Sun/Mon at 160 cfs and is currently at 132 cfs (vs 140 for the mean stream flow for this time of year). Lots of steelhead caught this past week – both above and below Cow Creek. There are apparently so many steelhead in the Snake River that they are forcing their way upstream despite the relatively low water levels. Fishing pressure was light last week, but with the onset of deer season and reports of good fishing, expect more people this week. Sight fishing is a distinct possibility – fish are holding in any excuse for a steelhead run.
10/3/09 – Perfect! We have had a steady wet snow most of the day here in Joseph. We may accumulate 5” – 10” in the next 24 hours. In any event the Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers will see a nice surge of water over the next few days. This will bring a bunch of new steelhead up from the Snake. Keep an eye on water levels over the next week. The rivers may be so low that they won’t “blow-out” (or not), but sometimes fish will go off the bite on rising water levels. The forecast is for clear weather and mid 60 degree temps by mid week – in Joseph . The Ronde and Imnaha should be perfect next week.
9/27/09 Things are changing fast. More steelhead at the mouth and more moving upstream. Cool weather and rain this week will bring even more fish. It's game time.
9/27/09 – We are watching the weather forcast – possible rain this week. The lower Imnaha is very low, 100 cfs, but steelhead are starting to force their way up the river. Fish are being caught up to Horse Creek. The deeper holes will hold fish, but they tend to spook when a fish is hooked. A good rain might really start moving some fish.
9/19/09 I have some reports of good trout fishing on the lower river, but I do not have reports of steelhead being caught at the mouth (?). See also Grande Ronde report. Water flow is at 107 cfs, down 25% from mean flow for this time of year.
9/10/09 - Trout fishing on lower river fair to good. We have no reports of steelhead being caught on the lower river, but some should show up at the mouth soon. Flows are at only 125 so try to carefully sight fish lower river.
9/04/09 The Imnaha River is very low, as is normal for this time of year. Trout fishing on the lower river, below Horse Creek, has been fair to good. Use flies similar to the Wallowa, but consider some bigger woolly buggers or streamers for bull trout. Upstream, near the Hwy 39 campgrounds, do not expect to find many trout, but this section of river holds large whitefish and some nice bull trout. Like the rest of the world, we all anticipating the record setting run of steelhead moving up the Columbia this year. However, we have no reports to date of steelhead being caught in the lower river. Stay tuned.
8/18/09 – A couple of very heavy rains a week/ten days ago was just what the doctor ordered. In early August our rivers were too low and warm for good fishing and healthy fish. Now area streams are at or above normal stream flows and the trout are spread out and active. The Imnaha River has been fishing very well – although some of the best fishing is on the private land above and below the town of Imnaha. The day before yesterday a fisher reported catching thirty trout by 10:00 am – and he had pictures of two heavy 17” rainbows. In the upper river near HWY 39/near the forest service camp grounds, fishing is more difficult. Native fish are not required to be released and the river is not stocked. Expect to find mostly white fish, a few large bull trout, and some smaller rainbows in this section of river. The lower river, below Horse Creek twelve miles above the Snake River, has good public access and fair fishing for trout and perhaps a few bass. The first steelhead will start to move into the lower river over the next thirty days. Use flies similar to the Wallowa River, but mix in a few woolly buggers for big trout/bull trout and steelies.
7/19/09 Not too many reports recently on the Imnaha. Best public access, combined with fair numbers of fish, is on the lower river from Cow Creek to the mouth. Trout fishing can be good and the river uncrowded this time of year. It will be hot in the lower canyon so try to fish in the evening. If the hot weather continues expect some bass to start moving out of the snake into the lower river. The upper river near the many campgrounds off Hwy. 39 does not require native fish to be released so expect lower fish numbers. Use hoppers and misc. bh nymphs and buggers in the lower river and flies similar to the Wallowa River on the upper river.
7/9/09 You will have success using large stimulators and fomulators in the best fishing water beginning at Horse Creek and headed down stream ( 1 hr down stream from the town of Imnaha). But the largest trout probably wont come up to the surface. Had a good report about some large 16-18" natives being caught using larger streamer and nymph patterns fished deep in the big holes. Try using a large (sz 4-6) Kaufmann Stonefly Nymph or even an egg sucking leech pattern! Bring your sunscreen and watch for snakes!
6/27/09 The Imnaha is running at around 900 cfs, below the running average but still a bit high for the best trout fishing. But the water is clear! Golden Stoneflies have been hatching with gusto and large Stimulator and Fomulator patterns have been successful. Don't hesitate to try for a spring run Chinook!! The bait fisherman are having incredible success so swinging large egg patterns or egg-sucking leech patterns might just get you into the fight of your life.
6/13/09 The Imnaha is running very high and off color, however some locals have had success in using large golden stonefly patterns along the edge of the river in the softer water. The our massive golden stone hatch happens earlier in these lower and warmer canyons, like the Imnaha. Large (sz 8-12) fomulator and stimulator patterns in brighter colors like orange and yellow will work wonders whent the hatch is on.
10-24-08 Several new reports suggest plenty of steelhead in lower river near mouth - and downstream from mouth in Snake. One report had a nice mix of steelhead, bass and smaller bulltrout in Snake. Good site fishing in lower river, and steelhead being caught upstream to town.
We are not getting many reports on Imnaha steelhead, but believe fishing is generally fair. Most people are fishing near or below Cow Creek, but permission is being granted on other sections of river when a person takes time to ask the landowner. We will try to update this report when we have more info.
10-04-08 Steelhead: Fair numbers of steelhead are now being caught between Cow Creek and the Snake. Expect the eary fish to be scatteered upstream to the town of Imnaha this week. Deer hunting season opened this weekend so the river may be a bit crowded for a week or so as hunters take a break and try a little fishing.
9-20-08 Lots of rain today, so we will be watching river levels over the next few days. The higher water should move steelhead into the lower river. We will report as soon as we have info.
9-03-08We still do not have confirmation of steelhead being caught this year -- but fair numbers of Imnaha steelhead as recorded by their "pit tags" have been crossing Lower Granite for some time. River levels are average for this date, 140 cfs.
The Imnaha is fishing very good for trout on private lands above and below town. A recent report from the Cow Creek area found equal numbers of trout and bass being caught in the 10’ – 12/14” range. The report went on to say that hoppers and small nymphs produced good numbers of smaller fish, but that a size 6 bh black woolly bugger with green chrystal flasdh consistently produced larger fish. Steelhead should also start entering the lower river soon, so after Sept. 1 put on your hiking boots for the trail below Cow Creek.
8/2/08 - Bass have moved into the lower river near the Snake -- up to Cow Creek and above. Try big hoppers or woolly buggers then see what hits - trout or bass or dolly. Fishing for trout remains very good on the mid section of river above and below town, but be sure to get permission to fish on private property. We have also had two reports of decent trout and whitefish fishing upstream near the Hwy 39 campgrounds. This area of the river is not stocked and normally does not fish well. However, fish will sometimes migrate upstream to find cooler water.
7/19/08 - The Imnaha River is down 450 cfs -- perfect early summer fishing. Try hoppers, hoppers, or more hoppers. We also like stimulators or attractor dries. For nymphs try large, size 14 to 10 princes, hare's ears or copper johns. The Imnaha has a fair number of large bull trout which (some of which you can sight fish) so try a size 6 olive woolly bugger, muddler minnow or any fresh or salt water minnow pattern. Bull trout may be targeted on the Imnaha, but must be released unharmed. Bass will move into the lower river when the river lowers and warms. Higher/cooler water levels in the Columbia and uppers tribs could also mean better than normal fall stealhead fishing on the Imnaha this fall.
The biggest problem on the Imnaha is good public access to the areas that hold the most trout. Best fishing is found above and below town ten or fifteen miles, but most of this portion of the river bank is privately owned (in Oregon it is illegal to fish on private property without permission - does not have to be fenced or posted) -- so ask first. More land has recently been posted between Horse Creek and Cow Creek. Access is still good near and below Cow Creek. Finally -- lets talk upper river (the south end near Hwy 39 and the Forest Service camp grounds). Regs do not require release of native rainbows, this portion of the river is not stocked and does not include residual steelhead smolt (like the Wallowa), and the river is glacial fed and receives a fair amount of fishing pressure from campers. The net result is it can be pretty tough fishing.
7/11/08- Still high but decent color. Fishing is fair in the bigger pools and slicks along bank. Stoneflies have moved through the lower end and hoppers starting to appear. A fair number of bull trout seem to be following the Chinook upstream.
7/4/08 - Imnaha flowing about 1200 cfs this week. That's high, but the color is not bad, and the river is fishable. Not many reports.
111/21/07 – Imnaha Steelhead. Please refer to our Grande Ronde River report for a general discussion of steelhead flyfishing in this area -- this time of year. Like the Ronde the Imnaha can be a great winter steelhead fishery -- if conditions are right. For the most part access to the river is good below Horse Creek on the bottom twelve miles of river -- above the confluence with the Snake River (although portions of this section are private). The road leading to this section is poor so a good four wheel drive is best. We like water levels between 200 – 600 cfs for lots of good “holding water.” However, the river can be fished at higher and lower levels. For flies and fishing techniques please refer to our Grande Ronde River report.
11/2 – Imnaha Steelhead: Nothing new. The water flows have dropped to 118 cfs - not much holding water. Still, there are fish from town to the mouth, and some locals are having fair to good success.
10/24 – Steelhead on the Imnaha: Fish are now scattered throughout the lower river with reports of several fish being caught near the town of Imnaha. At these water levels, holding water is still somewhat limited. Expect fishing to continue to improve as time passes. Fishing below Cow Creek has been fair to good, but expect to find jet boats stacked in the Snake near the Imnaha mouth.
10/20 River flows have doubled the last few days to 237 cfs - just what we needed. Once the river stabilizes and clears -- which doesn't take long on the Imnaha -- look for new fish in the lower river. The Imnaha fishes well for steelheat up to 300 cfs - or even 500 cfs or more - if it is clear. Higher water levels mean a lot more "holding water" and allows fishers to spread out on this small river.
10/10 Reports are comming in of steelhead being caught above and below Cow Creek. However, at 108 cfs the flow is 74% of normal and holding water is limited. It is still a bit early and some additional water will be needed for numbers to improve.
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current conditions
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Wallowa Lake - September 19th, 2009 |
RECORDED:
70 °
FISHING: Fair
9/19/09 Trout fishing is slow for stocked trout. Kokannee are spawning and the river above the lake (south/inlet end) is closed for spawning Kokanee.
8/18/09 Jerry Logosz recently caught the Oregon State Record Kokanee at 7lbs 27 inches!! Wallowa Lake is still fishing decent for stocked rainbows with the last fish stocking of the season planned for mid August. Try using a sinking line or some split shot and a large weighted nymph like a wooly bugger with a small red midge pattern as a dropper. Kokanee are starting to spawn in the river above the lake and should not be left alone. This section of the river closes to all fishing on 9/1/09.
7/19/09 The state record kokanee was caught today by Jerry Logusz -- 7 lbs/27 inches. Trout fishing has been spotty during this heat spell. Ask.
7/9/2009 Wallowa lake continues to fish well. More reports have come in of people catching the larger holdover stockers. I suggest fishing in the early morning before the sun is on the water, then following the shadows as the sun rises, you will be garunteed a tranquill and probably solitary fishing experience on this breath taking mountain lake.
6/28/09 The fishing remains good on Wallowa lake. The frequent fish stocking at the state park will ensure everyone in the family catches fish. We have had a recent report of a monster rainbow being caught using a sinking line and a prince nymph. This would be a good approach if you are on the hunt for bigger game. Using a sink tip line or a full sink line and fishing with prince nymphs, wooly buggers, matuka spruce, copper johns, and soft hackles might get the big one you are searching for. Try using a double nymph set up as well. The inlet remains the best place for walk/wade fishing and a lime green copper john has been a productive pattern.
6/13/09 The lake is stocked frequently with trout at the south end near the state park. Small stockers can be fun but there are some much deeper fish in the lake too. The best fly fishing on the lake is at the inlet where the Wallowa River feeds the lake. The debris coming out of the wilderness here creates prime feeding ground for the trout. Recently we have had reports of good fishing using pheasant tails nymphs, and zugbugs. Bring your wading gear the water is cold, and wading out further at the inlet can produce larger fish.
9-20-08 Slow!
9-03-09 Wallow Lake was stocked with trout for Labor Day, but fishing has been fairly slow in recent weeks. Remember, the river above Wallowa Lake was closed to fishing on Sept. 1 to protect spawning Kokanee.
8/2/08 -Wallowa Lake has been fishing good for stocked trout. Try fishing in the lake near the river mouth -- wade out to where the lake bottom slopes down quickly and fish over the edge with bead-head woolly buggers or nymphs. If you have a boat or float tube you can tru fishing the shore lines will small dries like 16 griffith's knats, humpies, or ant patterns. Kokanne have started spawning early this year in the river that enters the lake -- you will spot the bright orange color -- so best to leave these fish alone.
current conditions
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Lostine River - September 18th, 2009 |
RECORDED:
65 °
FISHING: Fair
9/19/09 - Trout fishing is difficult on the upper river (native trout do not have to be released/they also do not stock trout) so try to fish away from campgrounds.
8/18/09 - Public access to the Lostine River is upstream -- once you enter National Forest. Fishing near the camp ground is a bit difficult due to fishing pressure and no requirements to release native rainbow. The river is not stocked. Try to find less accessed areas and fish for small rainbows and brook trout.
7/26/09 The wait is over, the Lostine river is at a good fishable flow now. You won’t find the same size or number of fish on the river that you will on the Wallowa but the sheer beauty of this crystal clear stream and solitude is worth the trip. We have had recent success using a size 14 yellow stimulator, and also a size 16 Potters Fat Head Beetle. There is not much of a hatch on this pristine wilderness river so staying with smaller attractor patterns and terrestrials is the way to fish. To get to the best water you really have to work, hike up or down stream from the campgrounds and get off the beaten path, you will be rewarded with beautiful smaller native trout!
/8/09 Still too high to fish well right now, the Lostine needs a few more another couple weeks before the river will be fishable. The snow is still plentiful near 7000' where the headwaters of the Lostine originate, but keep tying your red humpies, royal wulff's, and hoppers because the time will come!
6/28/09 Even though the water is gin clear, the Lostine is just too high to fish. The flow has been peaking in the evening around 650-700 cfs. For the Lostine to be really fishable the water level needs to drop 300 cfs or more. I expect the conditions to be really improving in about 3 weeks. Definitely worth the wait, to fish this secluded drop dead gorgeous stream.
6/14/09 - To high to be really productive, and the rain seems to want the water level to stay that way. However, the water is clear on the Lostine, so if you can find some smooth slicks and eddies along the bank you might have success. Small stimulators, red humpies, and royal wolfs might get a strike in the evening. If you can't get anything to rise, try smaller prince nymphs, copper johns, hares ears, and phesant tails. If you are really brave, you might even attempt to swing larger leech or sculpin patterns in the deeper holes and try land one of the monster bulltrout who call this beautiful river home. The right Wooly Bugger could land you both a nice native rainbow and a brutish bull trout!
8/2/08 - The Lostine normally fisher fair to good for small native rainbows -- if you really work at getting into areas away from the campgrounds.
7/11/08 - Public access to the Lostine starts at the Forest Service boundary south of the town of Lostine. The river is clear, but still high.
current conditions
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