{"id":12599,"date":"2017-05-01T00:23:22","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T00:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/?p=12599"},"modified":"2017-05-01T00:25:16","modified_gmt":"2017-05-01T00:25:16","slug":"april-spring-steelhead-on-oregons-clackamas-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/april-spring-steelhead-on-oregons-clackamas-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Steelhead on Oregon’s Clackamas River"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Clackamas
Clackamas Steelhead fishing with Water Time Outfitters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spring fishing on the Clackamas river is a time of change- the foliage is transitioning into the bright greens and budding out everywhere and steelhead run is changing from winters to summer. \u00a0This time of year there is an overlap that is a non-traditional steelhead timing. \u00a0There are a variety of steelhead stock available in the spring.\u00a0 There are decent numbers of wild steelhead that return late to the Clackamas river – some years lots and some years very few but predictably there are wild steelhead to be had in April. \u00a0Add in that broodstock hatchery run is based off these fish and their natural genetics invite them to return later than the traditional hatchery winter steelhead. \u00a0The other stock we see in the Clackamas in the spring is the early returning hatchery summer steelhead. \u00a0These fish are spectacular fish that fight like your best dream fish! \u00a0Summer runs show up as early as March and trickle into the system all the way into July. \u00a0These fish stay in the river a long time and do not spawn until the following late winter\/spring. \u00a0The problem with these hatchery fish is the run size is very unpredictable. \u00a0Some years are bumper and other years there are so few in the river the expression “needle in a haystack” comes to mind. \u00a0The good news is that during the ins and outs of steelhead fishing the angler will often have a decent shot at one of three stocks of fish on the Clackamas river in the spring.<\/p>\n

This spring the water has been high and fish have been spread through the system from the mouth of the Clackamas to the Rivermill Dam. \u00a0This winter we saw a number of sealions in the Clackamas. \u00a0Some up very high- as high as Eagle Creek. \u00a0This could spell disaster for our wild stock fish if these predators lock into the fish ladders. \u00a0The other thing we have seen a lot of this season has been high water. \u00a0With high water fish edges and softer water. \u00a0Look for softer water speeds to focus fish in resting lanes. \u00a0Wild steelhead spawn this time of year so please avoid wading through redds (cleaned gravel in oval shape where steelhead lay their eggs).<\/p>\n

One of the great aspects of spring is the water temps are warming. \u00a0This helps fish be more active and more responsive to the swung fly. \u00a0Water temps on the Clackamas have been around 42-45 degrees much of this month. \u00a0Some years it will be warmer depending on the amount of snow melt.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Favorite fly patterns for spring are flies that move and look alive in the water. \u00a0A killer for me this year has been the Crandall’s Provider- now produced by Aqua Flies and available at Royal Treatment Fly shop<\/a>. \u00a0Try patterns in black\/blue combos, pink\/white, red, black, shrimp pink and purple to find results for chrome fresh arrivals of spring. \u00a0Skagit lines and sinktips are the norm for fly tackle. \u00a0Try using t-11 sink tips for most runs at average heights on the Clack; switch to t-14 when flow is heavier, pushy or deeper.<\/p>\n

The spring can offer good fishing, fewer anglers and a beautiful setting for chasing steelhead on an urban river not far from Portland. \u00a0If you’d like some help getting set with steelhead on the Clackamas river try hiring one of the best guide services around- Water Time Outfitters<\/a> has been guiding the Clackamas river for over 20 years and are helpful instructors, coaches and know the waters of the Clack intimately.<\/p>\n

Best of luck with your time on the water!<\/p>\n

RobC<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring fishing on the Clackamas river is a time of change- the foliage is transitioning into the bright greens and budding out everywhere and steelhead run is changing from winters to summer. \u00a0This time of year there is an overlap that is a non-traditional steelhead timing. \u00a0There are a variety of steelhead stock available in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,90,67,68,78,104,257,98,82,200],"tags":[705,673,684,682,768],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12599\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watertimeoutfitters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}