Streams, lakes stocked with trout in time for Free Fishing Weekend | Outdoors

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been stocking catchable rainbow trout in many lakes, reservoirs, ponds and streams around Northeastern Oregon this spring, with more stocking planned.

Honeymoon Pond: 500 legals, 50 trophy

Wallowa Lake: 6,000 legals, 300 trophy

Weavers Pond: 1,000 legals, 50 trophy

Teepee Pond: 500 legals, 50 trophy

Victor Pond: 500 legals, 50 trophy

Morgan Lake: 1,250 legals

Taylor Green Pond: 200 legals

Balm Creek Reservoir: 2,000 legals

Stocking planned for June 20-24

Fish Lake (north of Halfway): 2,250 legals, 500 trophy

Twin Lakes (north of Halfway): 200 trophy

Wallowa Lake: 6,000 legals, 300 trophy

Salt Creek Summit Pond: 500 legals, 50 trophy

Grande Ronde Lane: 3,000 legals, 150 trophy

Anthony Lake: 1,500 trophy

Pine Creek (Halfway area): 500 legals

Kinney Lake: 2,500 legals, 200 trophy

McGraw Pond: 500 legals, 50 trophy

Variable flows may make fishing difficult during spring runoff. As the water warms, bass fishing will become better in the lower Grande Ronde. Recently, anglers have had success fly-fishing for trout in the river between the Wallowa River and Troy. Anglers are reminded that bull trout and chinook salmon may be encountered in the Grande Ronde and must be released unharmed.

Trout fishing may be good when water conditions allow. When the water temperature increases, bass fishing may be good in the lower portions of the river. Anglers are reminded that bull trout and chinook salmon may be encountered in the Imnaha and must be released unharmed.

Summer steelhead fishing on the Umatilla is closed and will reopen Sept. 1.

The spring chinook season is open from the Highway 730 bridge to Three Mile Falls Dam until June 10, and from TMFD to the Umatilla Indian Reservation Boundary until Jun 30. There is a predicated run of approximately 3,000 spring chinook returning to the Umatilla. A total of 3,482 spring chinook have been counted at TMFD so far this run year, with 392 over the past week. Fishing has been slow up to date due to high water this year.

The flows in the Umatilla came up me up significantly in the past week from all the rain over the weekend, but flows should start to drop and this is when anglers should really concentrate their efforts as the increase in flows tends to move fish into the system. Anglers should start to find success as the clarity of the river improves and the river starts to drop. Most anglers use egg set up with a slinky weigh bounced off the bottom or a some have found success with spinners with water temperatures being relatively cold. Fish are being caught throughout the system, however due to clarity the fishing has been better near Pendleton.

Trout fishing on the Umatilla River, and its tributaries, will remain open until Oct. 31. Trout fishing can be good in the upper headwaters of the Umatilla, bull trout are not to be targeted and if caught released unharmed. Bass and other warmwater species remain open all year.

Fishing has been good for rainbow trout near the south end of the lake. Anglers have had success using both flies and lures. Anglers can have good success wading out from shore and casting lures or flies near where fish are rising. Boat anglers will have better access to more of the lake and may find fish near areas where the depth drops off.

There are some nice kokanee available this year with some fish around 16 to 18 inches. Jigging and trolling for kokanee can both be productive ways of fishing for them. The docks were recently put in place for the season at the county boat ramp on the north end.

Recently, when flows have not been too high, anglers have had success fishing for trout. Good hatches of stoneflies and mayflies have occurred. Anglers are reminded that bull trout and chinook salmon may be encountered in the Wallowa and must be released unharmed.

Steelhead fishing will reopen Sept. 1, 2022. Bass fishing can be good in the Snake River below Hells Canyon Dam throughout the warmer months. For those with boat access, sturgeon fishing can be good in this section of the Snake River. Anglers are reminded that they must use barbless hooks to fish for sturgeon and sturgeon may not be retained in the Snake River. All sturgeon must be released unharmed and cannot be removed from the water.

Fishing for hatchery spring chinook is open on the Snake River from Dug Bar boat ramp (upstream of the Imnaha River) to the fishing deadline near Hells Canyon Dam. The daily bag limit is 4 hatchery chinook, only one of which may be an adult (adults are chinook salmon longer than 24 inches). Anglers must cease fishing once they have either retained one adult hatchery chinook, or a total of four fish. Barbless hooks are required.

Fishing has been slow, and only a small number of adult chinook are anticipated to return to Hells Canyon this year because there were not smolts available to release in Hells Canyon in 2020. However, some adults will be available and good numbers of jacks have been counted as they migrate upstream past the lower Columbia River dams.

Bass anglers have had some success, but many of the fish have been small. Trout fishing has been slow, but there have been some good-sized trout encountered by anglers. Anglers have been catching catfish in the upper reaches of the reservoir below Oxbow Dam by trolling crawdad-like lures. Fishing bait will also be an effective way of catching catfish throughout the warmer months.

Anglers have been successful catching bass, and some have been catching nicer sized bass larger than 12 inches. However, when the weather is cooler, bass fishing can be slow. Angling for trout may be good especially when water temperatures are in the low 50s.

Bass fishing has been very good, and fishing for perch has been good as well. Anglers have had good success with crankbaits for bass, and bait has produced good catches of perch. Crappie fishing has been sporadic, but some good fish have been caught with some fish as large as 16 inches. The water temperature of the main reservoir is about 65 degrees. As the temperature continues to warm, more crappie will likely be available as they move into shallow water to spawn. Some catfish have been caught recently.

Reservoir is currently about half full. The reservoir may drop quickly throughout the year so the best fishing may be over the next couple months.

Reservoir is about half full. The boat ramp nearest the parking and camping areas is now usable and the other boat ramp is under water. Fishing will probably be best over the next couple months as long as the reservoir doesn’t drain too low.

Reservoir has been stocked with trout throughout the spring. Flying ants recently have been common, and fishing with dry flies has been a good way to catch both rainbow trout and pikeminnows. Perch fishing has been slow, but some bank anglers have been catching perch.

The reservoir is still very low and is currently 14 percent full. This spring may have a small window when boats can launch, but access to launch a boat may become very difficult if the reservoir draws down much below current levels.

Holdover trout are available. Get out and enjoy this fishery while it lasts. The reservoir is currently quite low,. Launching a boat may still be possible from the access road just north of the dam but the boat ramp is high and dry with a mud flat at the bottom where it’s easy to get stuck.

Reservoir is about half full. It recently was stocked with fingerling trout. As they grow, they will become available for anglers.