Recreation Report
Siuslaw River: The winter steelhead return is under way. Plunking can be very effective during higher murky flows.
Chetco River: River levels are running high. Plunking for steelhead should start getting good this weekend as the water drops.
Coos River Basin: Steelhead fishing is good. Bright fish are moving into the river systems with each rain and fishing should continue to get better in the next month. Steelhead are being caught on the East Fork Millicoma, West Fork Millicoma and the South Coos River.
Great places to fish for steelhead are the Millicoma Interpretive Center on the West Fork Millicoma, Nesika Park on the East Fork Millicoma and above Dellwood near the 5-mile marker on Weyerhaeuser property on the South Coos River. Access to the South Coos River above Dellwood is by permit from Weyerhaeuser Company. Call the Weyerhaeuser hotline at 1-888-741-5403 for recorded information on access.
Drifting eggs or a corky along the bottom is a great way to catch a steelhead, as well as floating a jig under a bobber.
Crabbing continues to be excellent from boats and decent from the docks.
Coquille River Basin: Steelhead fishing is quickly improving. A few steelhead have been caught in the Coquille River near the town of Coquille. The best way to fish this part of the river is by plunking. Steelhead have also been caught at LaVerne Park on the North Fork Coquille and on the South Fork Coquille near the town of Powers. A good way to fish the forks of the rivers is to drift eggs or corkies.
Elk and Sixes rivers: Chinook fishing should be good once the rivers start dropping. Winter steelhead usually start showing up around the end of December.
Sixes River is usually fishable two days after Elk River.
Pacific Ocean and beaches: Fishing for rockfish and lingcod has been good when the ocean has been calm.
Rogue River, lower: River levels are high, and as they start falling, steelhead fishing should improve.
Tenmile Basin: A few bright coho are still moving into Tenmile Lakes. Anglers are catching some brighter coho along with a few dark fish.
The wild coho salmon season will continue through Thursday.
Bright steelhead continue to move into Tenmile Creek. Eel Creek does not open for steelhead fishing until Jan. 1.
Umpqua River Mainstem: A good run of winter steelhead is expected this year. Until the river drops and clears up, plunking will be the most successful method.
Winchester Bay: The South Jetty has been good for bottomfishing. Crabbing has been off and on good lately.
