Recreation Report for May 30, 2019 - Free Fishing Weekend

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Highlights From The Week's Recreation Report

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This weekend is Free Fishing Weekend

Which means you don’t need a license, tag or endorsement to fish, crab or clam anywhere in the state (all other regulations still apply). So call your kid, friend, co-worker or spouse and make a date to take them fishing!

ODF Free Fishing Day, Lake of the Woods
June 1st, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

FFW events scheduled throughout the state

This weekend, ODFW and its partners will be sponsoring fishing events throughout the state. These events are free, and at most we’ll even provide the gear and instruction you’ll need to get started – from baiting the hook to landing your catch. Find a list of FFW events

Nearby events include:

  • Lake of the Woods

  • Diamond Lake

  • Klamath Hatchery, Fort Klamath

  • Fish Lake

Southeastern Oregon Fishing Report

  • This weekend is Free Fishing Weekend, which means you don’t need a license, tag or endorsement to fish, crab or clam anywhere in the state (all other regulations still apply). So call your kid, friend, co-worker or spouse and make a date to take them fishing!

  • Flows on the Wood River, Sprague River and Upper Williamson River are dropping to very good, fishable levels and insect hatches are excellent this year.

  • Best bet for fishing in the Klamath Basin is Lake of the Woods for stocked rainbow trout, Klamath River below JC Boyle Dam for native redband trout, Wood River for brown trout and Gerber Reservoir for crappie.

  • Look for the phenomenal hatch of salmonflies to continue this week on the Klamath River from the Powerhouse to the CA border. Golden stoneflies should also be hatching in good numbers.

  • Crappie anglers should consider Campbell Reservoir for some early season fish.

  • Fishing has been excellent at Heart Lake, where all fishing methods seem to produce full stringers of trout.

  • Cottonwood Meadows is accessible, and fly-fishing was excellent last weekend.

  • Several waterbodies are scheduled to be stocked the week of May 207, including Lake of the Woods, Lofton Reservoir, Holbrook Reservoir, Burns Gravel Pond and Ana Reservoir. Vee Lake will not be stocked as schedule due to snow drifts on the road.

Best bets Free Fishing Weekend

This time of year Oregon anglers are spoiled with choices. Here are just a few options to consider:

  • In the last two weeks, dozens of waterbodies have been stocked with thousands of rainbow trout, and fishing should be excellent!

  • Cutthroat trout fishing should be good in north coast streams.

  • Huge numbers of shad have been coming out of the mainstem Umpqua, especially neat Cleveland Rapids. Shad enthusiasts should also check out the Coos and Coquille basins.

  • Striped bass are still being caught in the lower Umpqua Basin and on the Coquille River from Riverton to Arago. 

  • Breitenbush River will be stocked for the first time this year the week of May 27.

  • Summer steelhead conditions continue to be good on the Clackamas River with the best fishing early and late in the day.

  • Anglers are reporting some spring Chinook being caught on the Hood River.

  • Anglers are catching their limits of kokanee on Wickiup Reservoir.

  • Look for the phenomenal hatch of salmonflies to continue this week on the Klamath River from the Powerhouse to the CA border. Golden stoneflies should also be hatching in good numbers.

  • Fishing has been excellent at Heart Lake, where all fishing methods seem to produce full stringers of trout.

  • The crappie (and mosquitoes) are biting on Cold Springs Reservoir as the fish move into the shallows to spawn.

  • Trout and kokanee fishing have been good on Wallowa Lake.

Find more details about all the weekend opportunities in the zone reports.

How to hunt for deer and elk course

It’s not too early to start thinking about your fall deer and elk hunt. If you’re new to big game hunting, or could stand to brush up on few basics, take the ODFW online How to Hunt for Deer and Elk Course.

Take the Native Trout Challenge and help native fish

This could be your trout fishing bucket list - Take the Western Native Trout Challenge and challenge yourself to catch at least six native trout species in four different states. At the same time, you’ll be helping protect, restore and recover 21 native trout and char species in 12 states. Learn more and register

More rivers and streams opened to trout on May 22

Many rivers and streams, especially in the NW, SW and SE zones, opened to trout fishing on Wednesday, May 22. These rivers are closed to trout fishing from fall to spring in order to protect migrating salmon and steelhead smolts, and spawning redband trout.

Information provided by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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The Recreation Report is brought to you by the Klamath County Fair.

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