Jan. 7, 2022 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that stocking of trout to lakes around Oregon begins on Monday, Jan. 10. Florence residents will have to wait a bit longer, but by the end of spring, Siltcoos, Munsel, Carter, Alder, Dune and many other local lakes will be well stocked with trout, mainly rainbow.
More people in Oregon fish for trout than for any other kind of fish. Anglers can experience a lifetime of varied and rewarding adventures fishing for trout in Oregon’s shaded coastal streams, alpine lakes, urban ponds and high desert rivers.
License requirements
A general Oregon fishing license is all that’s required to fish for trout. Youth 12-17 years old need a juvenile angling license and kids under 12 fish for free.
Where and when to fish
Trout are widely distributed and can be found in almost any water body that provides cool, clean water, food and cover and protection from predators.
Trout habitats are often divided into lakes and ponds (still waters) or rivers and streams (moving waters). Fish location, behavior and fishing tactics will vary depending on whether you’re fishing in still waters or moving waters.
Finding trout in lakes and ponds
In still waters trout are on the move, “cruising” the water looking for food. At the same time, trout don’t want to get too far away from cover that offers protection from predators. Some likely places to look for trout in lakes and ponds include near or above aquatic vegetation, around logs, stumps, rocks and in deeper waters.
The best time of year to trout fish in lower elevation lakes is in the spring and fall when the water is cooler, and the trout are more active. This also is when most lakes are stocked. In the warm summer months, anglers can look for trout in cooler, deeper waters, or in high mountain lakes that remain cool year-round. In warmer parts of the state, such as the Willamette Valley or along the coast, trout fishing in lakes or ponds can be good well into the winter months – for anglers hardy enough to brave cold and wet weather.
Finding trout in rivers and streams
In moving waters, trout tend to hold in one spot and wait for the water current to bring food to them. A primary food source for these fish is aquatic insects adrift in the current. In addition to looking for food and protection from predators, trout in moving waters are also looking for a place to rest from the current. So, some likely places to look for trout in rivers and streams include behind rocks or other structures, near steep or undercut banks and in deeper, slower pools.
Most rivers and streams fish best in the spring and fall when water temperatures are cooler. Few rivers and streams are stocked, so you’ll likely be fishing for naturally reproducing or wild fish. As the water gets warmer, look for trout in faster riffles where the water gets re-oxygenated as it tumbles over rocks. Some rivers, especially in central Oregon, are open for trout year-round. Fishing can be good in the winter months – for hardy anglers willing to brave the cold and snow – but look for trout in slow, calm waters where they don’t have to fight the current.
Fishing techniques for lakes and ponds
There are lots (and lots) of ways to fish for trout, but three of the easiest ways to fish for trout in lakes are:
- Suspending bait under a bobber. Start with a piece of worm or a little PowerBait or similar product on a bait hook. Attach a small, lead weight just above the hook to help the bait sink, and add a bobber 1 ½ to 3 feet above the hook. Cast out to a likely spot and wait for the bobber to wiggle, dive or jerk. This is a good technique when fish are cruising nearer the surface or when you want to keep your bait and hook suspended above a weed bed.
- Fishing with bait off the bottom. Sometimes trout are in deeper water and the bait needs to be down deep where the fish are. In this technique there is no bobber to suspend the bait. Instead, the lead weight is attached about 1 ½ feet above the baited hook and cast out. The lead weight will sink, but the bait will float up and hover 1 ½ feet above the bottom of the lake.
- Retrieving a spinner, spoon or fly. Spinners mimic small minnows, leeches and other favorite trout food. When fishing a spinner or spoon, cast it over trout-habitat-looking water. Let it sink for a minute then begin reeling it in (retrieving). Vary the amount of time you let the spinner sink and the speed of the retrieve until you find the combination that catches fish.
Fishing techniques for rivers and streams
In moving water, it is the current, instead of your retrieve, that will affect how your lure moves in the water. Some good trout fishing techniques for moving waters include:
Casting a spinner or spoon. Begin by casting the spinner slightly upriver and reel in any slack line.
As the current carries the spinner down river, hold as much fishing line off the water as you can to achieve a natural “drift.” Once the spinner has swung toward the shore and is straight down river, begin a moderate retrieve.
Drifting a worm or an artificial bait (PowerBait, for example) with enough split shot to get within a few inches of the bottom. Sometimes adding a bobber will help keep track of where the bait
Where a river slows and deepens into a pool with very little current, you can use many of the same trout fishing techniques you would use in a small pond or other still water.
Wherever you go, be sure to check the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for the daily bag limits, bait restrictions or other fishing guidelines for the specific lake, river or stream you’ll be fishing.
For more information, go to myodfw.com.
Trout Stocking Schedule
Winter/Spring 2022
Florence area lakes
Date—Legals/Trophy/Total stocked
Alder
Feb. 7-11 — 698/72/770
Feb. 14-18 — 566/0/566
April 18-22 — 1,198/36/1,234
Buck
March 14-18 — 698/36/734
April 18-22 — 566/0/566
Carter
Feb. 7-11 — 1,000/0/1,000
March 14-18 — 1,000/0/1,000
April 11-15 — 1,000/0/1,000
May 2-6 — 1,000/0/1,000
Cleawox
Feb. 7-11 — 3,166/221/3,387
Feb. 14-18 — 1,332/0/1,332
March 14-18 — 3,966/292/4,258
April 4-8 — 0/150/150
April 11-15 — 1,766/0/1,766
April 18-22 — 2,698/292/2,990
May 2-6 — 1,768/186/1,954
Dune
Feb. 7-11 — 566/35/602
Feb. 14-18 — 332/0/332
March 14-18 — 692/36/728
April 18-22 — 1,466/72/1,538
Lost
Feb. 7-11 — 666/0/666
March 14-18 — 532/0/532
April 18-22 — 3,750/0/3,750
Mercer
April 18-22 — 3,000/0/3,000
Munsel
Feb. 7-11 — 2,000/150/2,150
Feb. 14-18 — 666/0/666
March 14-18 — 3,000/150/3,150
April 18-22 — 4,200/150/4,350
May 2-6 — 2,000/150/2,150
Siltcoos
March 14-18 — 1,332/0/1,332
April 18-22 — 1,332/0/1,332
Sutton
April 18-22 — 2,000/0/2,000
May 2-6 — 1,332/0/1,332
Woahink
March 14-18 — 1,332/0/1,332
April 11-15 — 1,332/0/1,332
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