Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - (06/05/2016)
We hope that everyone if finding some relief from the heat out there. Fishing is about as hot as the weather is, so find a piece of cool water and get on it.
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| Fish rising on a local lake at sunset. |
Trout fishing is going well throughout the area. Small streams are fishing well, the water levels are in generally good shape and the fish are happy. Eagle Creek, Trout Creek and the East Fork Hood River are some good small streams with scrappy trout in our area that can keep an angler busy all day.
Lakes are also fishing well for rainbow trout. Lost Lake has been great. Flying ants are keeping fish near the surface early and late in the day, while trolling slow and deep during the heat of the day will produce nice fish with consistency. Goose Lake, Laurance Lake and Kingsley are the usual haunts for locals here and are all fishing well.
The Deschutes River is still fishing well for rainbow trout. PMD patterns in the morning, caddis in the afternoon/evening, and stoneflies opportunistically throughout the day. Try a spent caddis really early in the morning too.
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| Summertime rainbows on dries! |
No reports of any summer steelhead in the Deschutes, but the Klickitat opened up last week and there were a fish or two caught from what we heard. It was fairly busy for early June, but most people just wanted to get out on the river as did Ryan and I. I did hook one steelhead on the swing, but it popped off after ten seconds of glory. The river is in decent shape as of Sunday morning, but this warm weather can cause some clarity issues in both the Klickitat and the Hood River as glacial melt can dirty up the river pretty quickly in these hot spells.
The Washougal opened up on Saturday and it tends to produce some nice summer steelhead in June as well as the Sandy and Clackamas.
Ryan and I spent the early morning hours on Sunday sturgeon fishing with Josh Frederick of Big Fish Guide Service. June is the best month to catch a true river monster. Sturgeon in the Columbia can reach over ten feet in length, and the big ones go crazy for the shad that are running in the river now. While we didn't hook any huge fish, we did catch plenty of smaller fish. Fishing with Josh is a lot of fun and a good change in pace from trout and steelhead fishing that tends to rule the area. He has plenty of openings throughout the summer, so don't hesitate to give him a call.
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| June is the best month to hook into a giant sturgeon |
Speaking of shad, they are running pretty thick now. Still not really sure how to get them on the fly with ease around here, but it can be done. People tend to do well upstream near Rufus and near the John Day Dam, as well as off the mouth of the Washougal, but I don't know of any places right here in the gorge that an angler can get them shallow.
Carp fishing has been turning on. They are in the shallows feeding heavily throughout the day. Many of the little ponds on the side of the Columbia are good spots to find carp as well as the main river. Really, just about any piece of water with slow or little current around here will hold carp. We have a nice selection of carp flies here in the shop now. Stop by and check them out.
Smallmouth bass are still snappy in the Columbia. The topwater bite has been great early and late in the day, and fish are happy to chase buggers and baitfish patterns. The weed growth is starting to be an issue, fishing will get a little more difficult in the Columbia over the next month, but for now it is still in good shape. Aquatic plant life can hamper angling efforts when the weeds get thick.
Throwing a small popper on the John Day should put you into a few dozen bass and it is a wonderful way to get friends and family into fly fishing.
Flows: The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns. Both are invaluable tools.
Clackamas:
Deschutes near Madras :
As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time. Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office. 541.386.6977
Andrew Perrault
Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977
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