Recreation Report: Ice Fishing, Sandhill Cranes, Winter Steelhead
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Fisherman with a tent on a frozen Lake of the Woods, Oregon. Reportedly trout and perch are being cought on worms in 12 to 30 feet of water. (Image, Lake of the Woods Resort Facebook)
Recreation Report for February 28, 2019
Youth turkey clinics at Denman and White River wildlife areas, April 6
Wild turkey hunting can be a great way to introduce your child to hunting—not to mention it’s a lot of fun! At these clinics, kids will spend the day learning turkey hunting skills and techniques: scouting, turkey biology, use a turkey call, turkey habitat and camouflage. They also will have a chance to practice their shotgun and archery skills.
Best bets for weekend fishing
Winter conditions throughout much of the state will make fishing conditions tough. But for the hardy angler, there are options:
Look for water conditions and winter steelhead fishing to be good on the Nestucca, Alsea and Siuslaw this weekend.
Recycled hatchery steelhead have been stocked in Town, Coffenbury, Lost lakes and Vernonia Pond in the NW Zone.
Winter steelhead season is in full swing on the lower Rogue, Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers.
We’ve been getting reports of good ice fishing for trout and/or yellow perch at several waterbodies including Lake of the Woods, Gerber Reservoir, Phillips Reservoir, Malheur Reservoir, Pilcher Reservoir and Wolf Creek Reservoir.
While ice fishing, anglers with a two-rod endorsement may use up to five rods.
There’s a full complement of trout stocking scheduled for the Willamette Valley this week, including Cottage Grove Pond, Sheridan Pond, Junction City Pond, Cottage Grove Reservoir, Freeway Lake-East, EE Wilson Pond, Huddleston Pond, Sunnyside Park Pond, Alton Baker Canal, Henry Hagg Lake, St. Louis Ponds, and Dexter Reservoir.
Find more details about all the weekend opportunities in the zone reports.
Be safe when winter fishing
Oregonians are lucky to be able to fish 365 days a year. But during the worst winter weather (like now) anglers should be taking some extra safety precautions: Check road conditions before you go and be prepared for winter driving conditions. Carry a change of dry clothes and be mindful of the risks of hypothermia. Take the following precautions when ice fishing: use the “buddy system,” wear a PFD in case of thin ice, carry a throw-rope, and use a heavy metal staff to check for thin-ice.
Two wildlife sightings offer a tiny glimpse of spring
Sandhill cranes have started to show up at the Klamath Wildlife Area and the first ring-billed gull of the spring has been spotted at the Summer Lake Wildlife Area.
Apply now for your 2019 big game tags
Yes, the tag application deadline isn’t until May 15. But there’s always a last minute rush to apply for tags, and this year there’s an extra step (verifying your account) with the new licensing system. Apply early and beat the rush.
Here’s how to apply for a controlled hunt.
New phone line for reporting 2018 hunts
The deadline to report all 2018 big game and turkey tags has been extended until April 15, 2019 (from Jan. 31) to give hunters more time to report under ODFW’s new licensing system. In addition to applying online, you can now call the dedicated reporting phone line at 866-947-6339 to report your hunts.
Information provided by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Recreation Report is brought to you by the Klamath County Fair. Tickets go on sale for Midland, Jon Wolfe, and Lonestar Monday, March 4.
Visit www.klamathcountyfair.com for more info.
