March Fishing Report Winter Steelhead
It’s true March might have come in like a lamb but it’s looked more like a lion lately. Weather has been pounding us with snow and rain on the Oregon coast and then warmer rains have had deluge effects with the big snow packs on the coast range and some on the cascade mountain range. We are seeing big rises in many western Oregon rivers and that’s got me at my desk writing and tying flies.
The season so far has been up and down as most steelhead seasons are. Run sizes seem to be down from last year on most hatchery run rivers like the Clackamas, Nestucca, NF Nehalem, Wilson and others. Wild fish populations seem to be holding in there for many of those same rivers with the exception of the upper Willamette River system. Fish counts at Willamette falls have been 80% below normal! That means rivers like the Santiam and Molalla are only seeing meager returns- bleak at best. That has started a chain of events hitting us closer to home now on the Clackamas River. Sealions normally feast on those wild fish at the falls and there are next to none (go figure) so they have been heading up the Clackamas river. I’ve seen them several times and one guide I know reported seeing 5 in one day! This is an epic new problem and will have devastating impacts on our steelhead runs.
Look for good fishing when the water drops as good tides combined with falling rivers is a great combination for us headed into the heart of the March steelhead season.
Good luck out there on the water!
RobC
