Fishery emerging in Oregon population center

Coho in fishable numbers are relative newcomers to the upper Willamette and its tributaries with opportunities growing to pursue these silver rockets. And unlike coho below the Falls, these fish are not listed as Threatened.

Anglers may now get a two-rod endorsement to fish for them where coho retention is allowed above Willamette Falls all the way through the end of 2025. This marks a major expansion of opportunity and perhaps a doubling of the odds for some lucky salmon anglers. 

Coho fishing is already allowed under permanent rule in several locations above Willamette falls (Tualatin R, Gales Creek, Yamhill, parts of the North Fork and South Fork Santiam). Last year, ODFW opened coho in more reaches of the upper Willamette Basin from October through the end of the year by temporary rule. While no in-season changes have been made this year, starting in 2026, there will be a permanent change to the regulations to allow coho fishing from October through the end of the year in more areas of the upper Willamette Basin including the mainstem above Hwy 20 bridge, the Coast and Middle Forks, and parts of the McKenzie River

It's too early to know the size of this year's return but as of early October it is coming in lower than last year. Then again, 2024 saw the largest run in recorded history above the falls. More than 53,000 adults and 7,000 jacks passed to the upper river.

The 2024 returns shattered the all-time record set the previous year when a whopping 40,000 silvers passed the falls. The 29,000 adults were most exciting to see in the short term with 11,000 jacks indicating future run strength that indeed occurred the following season.

Exponential growth is great, but fishery managers expected a leveling off at some point and it appears to be happening this year. As with all salmon runs, numbers will fluctuate from year to year. The 2024 jack return of 7,000 was similar to the 2022 count, which was followed by 29,000 adults in 2023, so while things look pretty good for 2025 managers don't expect a repeat of the 2024 record.

Boat anglers should focus on the mainstem where tributaries enter. Fish tend to stack up at the tributary mouths until the first significant rains. A big downpour can nearly end the fishery by drawing the fish upstream to the spawning grounds. The best weather scenario would be intermittent showers bringing pulses of new fish in, without sending them to their final destination all at once.

Key tributaries to consider are the Molalla, Tualatin, Yamhill and Santiam. Biologists say the Santiam is the only tributary big enough for coho to enter without rain. Bank access on the Santiam is good at the I-5 rest stop between Salem and Albany.

Bank anglers stand a smaller chance of catching coho away from tributary mouths. However, it is possible to hook one just about anywhere fishing is allowed on the Willamette.

So far, nothing stands out as the go-to lure or method. Anglers use many types of lures in a variety of colors. Fly anglers use streamers in pink, purple, white and silver as well as egg patterns.

In 2023, coho were documented passing above Leaburg Dam on the McKenzie River for the first time ever. Coho runs set records elsewhere the same year including the Clackamas River (3.5 times the 10-year average or the modern-day record for early returning stock coho).

Coho populations did not historically occur above Willamette Falls and these coho are likely the result of colonizers from hatchery coho stocking efforts that ended in the 1990s as well as coho from other areas in the lower Willamette and Columbia rivers.

The upper Willamette was historically inaccessible to coho (unlike winter steelhead or spring Chinook) as the Falls, a natural waterfall, mostly prevented upstream migration of coho during summer and fall low flows. Even once the first fish ladder was built at the Falls in 1885, there was no apparent natural colonization by coho upstream.

Then the Oregon Fish Commission started hatchery releases in the first half of the 20th century and may have produced adult returns at the Willamette Falls fish ladder as early as the 1920s. Records indicate hatchery coho were in the Molalla and Tualatin rivers in the 1940s. A more systematic introduction program started in the 1950swith tens to hundreds of thousands of juvenile hatchery coho releases, peaking in 1965 with nearly 10 million j released. Yet coho abundance above the falls averaged less than 1,500 fish annually during the 1990s when coho runs were relatively low in coastal rivers and other native habitats.

But a remnant, self-sustaining population of coho clearly survived and reproduced in some upper Willamette tributaries. Researchers said the distribution of adults is weakly correlated with past stocking efforts suggesting habitat conditions, adaptation, and range expansion strongly influenced current coho abundance. It's possible that lower Columbia River coho contributed to the colonization of the upper Willamette Basin.

The last major hatchery coho releases in the basin occurred in the mid1990s. Since then, ODFW's hatchery practices have changed as fishery managers worked on rebuilding listed spring Chinook and steelhead populations.

McKenzie River District Fish Biologist Jeff Ziller describes the coho situation as a "new wrinkle" for fish managers.

"We don't know whether coho are going to be a regular occurrence or what potential impacts to threatened upper Willamette Spring Chinook might be," he said. "In the McKenzie, there has been ongoing, extensive restoration focused on increasing spawning and rearing habitat for spring Chinook above Leaburg Dam and we would like to know how coho might interact with those efforts."

So, what to do about coho in the upper Willamette Basin? For now, coho numbers are not a significant concern in the upper Willamette as they are using the river at different times than steelhead and spring Chinook. But fish biologists are taking notes and keeping an eye on coho.

With the permanent change to the regulations and more opportunities for fall fishing in the upper Willamette Basin coming, anglers would be well advised to do the same.