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April 28, 2007 - Next Update: May 2007

Spring fishing forecast calls for good fishing opportunities

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today announced the 2007 Spring Fishing Forecast, a statewide overview of conditions and fishing opportunities throughout Oregon.

Trout season opens April 28 in most parts of the state, kicking off the spring and summer angling seasons for thousands of Oregon families and fishing enthusiasts. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will stock millions of catchable trout this year in 300 lakes, reservoirs, and select streams giving anglers plenty of trout-fishing opportunities throughout the state.

Many waterbodies in the state have been stocked with fingerling trout that are now available for harvest. In some areas, these fingerling releases can reach up to 12 inches after one year’s growth and up to 20 inches two years after stocking. 

In addition, there are hundreds of opportunities to fish for warmwater game fish species. A new series of Warmwater Angling Pamphlets that will provide information on warmwater angling opportunities and fishing techniques throughout the state will be available at local ODFW offices in late April and on ODFW’s website http://www.dfw.state.or.us/.

Additionally, ODFW recommends several resources for people new to or returning to fishing. They include:

  • ODFW’s Web site, www.dfw.state.or.us, contains information on warm water fishing, the weekly recreation report, the annual trout stocking schedule and the 2007 Spring Fishing Forecast
  • ODFW publications, including “Easy Angling Oregon,” and “Warmwater Fishing”  provide information on more than two dozen statewide angling destinations that are easy to reach and do not require specialized equipment or boats.
  • ODFW regional and district offices have personnel to answer questions for anglers planning ahead. ODFW reminds anglers that calling ahead is especially important when heading to high desert rivers or lakes. Low snow packs and water levels can lead to poor fishing conditions late in the year.
  • Several excellent fishing guides on fishing in Oregon can be checked out from local libraries or purchased from bookstores.

ODFW also sponsors events for novice youths to learn to fish. Free Fishing Weekend occurs June 9-10, 2007. A license is not needed to fish in Oregon that weekend. More than 50 fishing clinics are planned at hatcheries, lakes and ponds in Oregon, including a clinic at Bonneville Hatchery in the Columbia River Gorge. ODFW coordinates the statewide Youth Angler Education Program to teach young people to learn how to fish and enjoy the outdoors. More information about Free Fishing Weekend and the Youth Angler Education Program can be obtained through ODFW’s Information and Education Division at 503-947-6002 or by checking the ODFW Web site at www.dfw.state.or.us for more information.

Anglers are reminded to review the 2007 Sport Fishing Regulations and remember that using live fish for bait is illegal in Oregon “except live nongame fish may be used in the oceans, bays and tidewaters when taken from the waterbody in which they will be used”.  

Trout stocking schedules are posted on the ODFW website at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/2007_stocking_schedules.asp

Please note that stocking schedules may change due to water temperature or other
unforeseen conditions.

Sea Lion Update
Restoring The Balance Between Predators And Salmon Predation Management

Since 1972, when the California sea lion came under the provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, its population has rebounded from a low of 50,000 to about 300,000. In fact, today the number of sea lions in the northwest has increased so significantly that their predation on threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead has officials in Oregon, Washington and Idaho concerned for the future viability of these fish populations.

The problem is expected to escalate in the spring of 2007 when spring chinook salmon and steelhead migrate up the Columbia River and reach Bonneville Dam. Since 2003, the Army Corps of Engineers has documented approximately 100 California sea lions annually consuming an average of 3,000 spring chinook salmon and steelhead at the Dam, some 145 miles upstream from the Columbia River mouth. With the 2007 spring chinook run expected to be about 100,000, the escalating take by sea lions is considered significant. 

As permitted under the federal law, Oregon and Washington fish and wildlife agencies, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Columbia River Indian tribes have attempted to control predation through non-lethal measures. Although used aggressively over the last two years, the hazing techniques have been largely ineffective.

As a result, Oregon, Washington and Idaho fish and wildlife agencies are seeking federal approval to employ lethal methods against individual sea lions to protect wild fish populations, many of which are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The agencies have submitted an application under Section 120 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which allows lethal removal of individual California sea lions that negatively impact federally protected salmonid stocks.

The Section 120 application is subject to a review process that includes consideration by a task force composed of state and federal agencies, scientists, representatives of animal protection groups, fishing groups and other organizations. The process could take several years.

The affected fish include upper Columbia River spring chinook, which are listed as endangered under the federal ESA, lower Columbia River chinook and steelhead, middle Columbia River steelhead, Snake River spring/summer chinook, and Snake River Basin steelhead, which are all listed as threatened under the ESA.

For more information:
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972  http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/

Look for our next fishing update, coming in May!

Click here for current fish counts

Click here for current river levels

 

 

 

Order the best spinner in Oregon!

To order the "TOP SECRET" spinner lure "The Destroyer" send a check or money order for $10 to the address below. (Soon available to order by credit card from the site.) Also if you are a fishing gear manufacturer, send me some sample gear for me to test, and I will write a review about it and put it on the site (free advertising!), send it to:

Best Oregon Fisherman
160 S.W. Freeman Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97123

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