Posted by Webmaster on Apr 23, 2011 in
Fishing 
Jeremiah Pruit, 6, smiles as Chris Claire from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife holds up the rainbow trout Jeremiah caught last Saturday as part of a rainy Family Fun Day at John Topits Park. The ODFW was teaching young children how to fish at Middle Empire Lake.
COOS BAY – Rain certainly didn’t stop some young anglers from heading to John Topits Park last Saturday.
In a steady downpour, children and their parents were lining up at Middle Empire Lake for Family Fun Day – where Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials and volunteers were teaching young kids how to fish.
ODFW stocked rainbow trout in an enclosure, making it easier for kids to catch a fish. The event went along with a carnival, face painting and lunch that raised awareness for the prevention of child abuse, run by the Child Abuse Prevention Intervention Center.
ODFW has been participating for years, and had a turnout of about 300 children armed with small fishing poles (though some also were available to borrow).
“I wasn’t sure how it would turn out,” said Mike Gray, a fish biologist for ODFW. “But we’ve had people lined up over there all morning.”
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Tags: empire lakes, Family Fun Day, fishing, john topits park, rainbow trout
Posted by Webmaster on Jan 29, 2011 in
General Siuslaw River: Winter steelhead angling is expected to improve through the weekend. The recent high flow event should stimulate fish movement over the next week. During higher flows, focus on the upper river near release locations or try plunking slower side waters in the lower river. Side drifting or pulling plugs should be effective as the river level drops this week.
Chetco River: The river is low and clear, and steelhead are throughout the system. Anglers fishing smaller baits and lighter line are doing the best. Angling pressure has been high.
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Tags: Coos Bay, fishing, oregon coast, recreation report
Posted by Webmaster on Jan 22, 2011 in
Fishing Siuslaw River: Winter steelhead angling is expected to improve through the weekend. The recent high flow event should stimulate fish movement over the next week. During higher flows, focus on the upper river near release locations or try plunking slower side waters in the lower river. Side drifting or pulling plugs should be effective as the river level drops.
Chetco River: Steelhead fishing has been good if you can get out when the flows have been dropping. Steelhead are spread throughout the system, with the lower eight miles of the river producing good numbers of hatchery and wild fish.
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Tags: fishing, Oregon, recreation report, south coast
Posted by Webmaster on Dec 25, 2010 in
General 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.
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Tags: Coos Bay, fishing, Oregon, recreation report, south coast
Posted by Webmaster on Dec 18, 2010 in
Fishing With river levels on both the Elk and Sixes stabilizing this past week, Chinook fishing was excellent. Both bank and drift boat anglers reported catching many chrome bright fish, and last week a 13-year-old bank fisherman was able to land a 51-pound Chinook.
Successful steelhead fishing was reported on the South Fork Coquille River last week by a few local anglers. They caught three nice steelhead and the largest weighed around 14 pounds. I also had reports that winter steelhead were showing up in the Millicoma and South Coos rivers.
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Tags: Chinook, Elk River, fishing, sixes river
Posted by Webmaster on Nov 27, 2010 in
Fishing 
A man holds up a coho he caught on the Coos River. The past few seasons on the Coos and Coquille rivers have been good for wild coho, and local Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fish biologists hope to see similar success in Tenmile Lakes.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fish biologists were excited to open the first wild coho fishery in Tenmile Lakes since 1990.
If only the fish would have received the memo a little earlier.
As of Wednesday, creel samplers keeping an eye on the tightly-monitored season had only checked seven fish, though fish biologist Tom Rumreich said he estimates about 20 total had probably been taken since the start of the season in early October.
“Right now, very few have been caught to date,” he said.
Fish biologist Mike Gray had to agree.
“The main word is that our creel samplers haven’t checked fish for a couple of weeks,” he said, adding that some fish may have been caught during hours the samplers weren’t working.
Temeree Bingham, who works at Ringo’s Lakeside Marina, said they haven’t heard much good news yet.
“They’re coming in,” she said. “But it’s not a real big amount yet.”
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Tags: coho, fishing, Oregon, outdoor, tenmile lake, wild
Posted by Webmaster on Nov 27, 2010 in
General Siuslaw River: Chinook angling has slowed as most of the run has moved above the deadline at Lake Creek into spawning areas. The winter steelhead season is approaching and anglers could start to see some early returning fish anytime in the next few weeks.
Chetco River: The Chinook bite has been hit or miss depending on the weather. Chinook will start moving into the tributaries around Thanksgiving, with the majority of Chinook spawning the first and second weeks of December. Usually Read more…
Tags: Clamming in Oregon, Crabbing in Oregon, fishing, Oregon, Outdoors, recreation, report
Posted by Webmaster on Oct 19, 2010 in
General Siuslaw River: Mid to upper tidewater is producing the best fall Chinook catch rates around high tide.
Arizona Pond: Trout fishing is poor. Water levels have been reduced to control vegetation.
Chetco River: The ocean Chinook bubble fishery is closed. Chinook fishing in the estuary has been fair.
Coos County lakes: Rainbow trout have been stocked in Empire Lakes, Saunders Lake and Powers Pond. Powers Pond will be extremely difficult to fish due to heavy aquatic vegetation.
Coos River Basin: The best catches of Chinook are coming from upstream of the Chandler Bridge and into the South Coos River. Trolling cut plug herring or sardines have produced the most fish along with trolling spinners. Casting spinners or fishing bait under a bobber are the most effective ways from shore.
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Tags: fishing, recreation report, salmon, southern oregon coast, trout
Posted by Webmaster on Oct 2, 2010 in
General Siuslaw River: Fall Chinook angling is consistent, with fair to good catch rates. Anglers are catching fish from the lower bay through tide water. Cutthroat trout angling is fair.
Arizona Pond: Trout fishing is poor. Water levels have been reduced to control aquatic vegetation.
Chetco River: Chinook fishing continues to be hit and miss in the estuary. The Chetco River terminal ocean Chinook fishery runs through Oct. 12.
Coos River Basin: Good clam digging tides will return next week.
This past week has seen a great improvement in the number of Dungeness crabs harvested from the docks.
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Tags: angling, bass, Chinook, Clamming in Oregon, coho, Crabbing in Oregon, fishing, trout
Posted by Webmaster on Sep 16, 2010 in
Fishing Chinook fishing on the Coos River has been excellent this week. The best bite has been in the Marshfield Channel. Trolling cut-plug herring or sardines has produced the best.
Bank fishermen are also taking fish south of the Coos Bay Boardwalk and at the end of Ferry Road in North Bend. This fishery has really come at an opportune time, because today and tomorrow is the Coos Bay STEP Derby. Money supports local STEP hatcheries, and tickets can still be purchased at Englund Marine in Charleston, and are available at most docks on the lower Coos system.
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Tags: Chinook, Coos Bay, Coos River, fishing, Marshfield Channel, Oregon
