Northeast Zone

If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen

Submit your fishing photo  to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com.

Send us your fishing report

We’d love to hear about your recent fishing experience. Send us your own fishing report through ODFW Fishing Reports―the information will be forwarded to the local biologist who may use it to update various ODFW resources such as the weekly Recreation Report.

Emergency fishing regulations: Where to find them

With all the special regulations currently in place to help protect fish during the ongoing drought, we keep telling anglers to be sure to check for regulation changes before they head out. But where do you find them? The latest regulation updates are always at the top the Recreation Report under the zone for which the regulations apply.

FISHING UPDATES

LAKE, PONDS, RESERVOIRS

Wallowa Lake has continued to produce trout into the fall. Fishing pressure is very light and anglers should have a lot of room to themselves. Trout will have switched to more natural food and anglers should consider using natural baits or artificial lures that closely mimic what the fish are feeding on.

RIVERS AND STREAMS

Both the fall Chinook and coho salmon fisheries are open until Nov. 30 on the Umatilla River. The steelhead fishery is closed from the Hwy 730 bridge to the Three Mile Falls Dam (TMFD) but is open above TFMD on the Umatilla River. The limit is three adult fall Chinook salmon, coho salmon and hatchery steelhead, in aggregate per day, and five jack salmon.

With the cooler weather and increased flows due to irrigation districts turning off, both salmon and steelhead counts on the Umatilla have significantly increased over the past week. Fish are now starting to be seen as high up as Pendleton.

Across the Columbia Basin, the steelhead run is poor, and fishing may be difficult this year. Additionally, some steelhead fisheries may require special regulations to conserve wild fish and ensure broodstock escapement to hatcheries. Anglers are advised to check the ODFW website regularly for updates to fisheries.

RECENTLY STOCKED

There is no stocking scheduled until spring.

Check the 2021 trout stocking schedule.

TROUT STOCKING MAPS: Find your place to fish

Check out the ODFW fishing and trout stocking maps to find nearby fishing locations, driving directions and descriptions of amenities.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: closures, special events, etc.

Free Fishing Days

#optoutside for Black Friday

The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving are Free Fishing Days in Oregon. That means you can fish, crab or clam for free – no license, tag or endorsement required. Some restrictions apply, as in all current closures, bag limits and other regulations still apply. If you’re looking for a place to take the family, we’ve got 101 suggestions. And if you live near Portland, Bend, Medford, Roseburg, Lane County or on the south coast, there are lots of nearby options.

Umatilla National Forest reopens most public access

Check here for remaining closures and updates.

UPDATES BY WATERBODY

ALDRICH PONDS (Roosevelt and Stewart Lakes): trout (2 fish limit)

Recent reports continue to be positive, with many anglers reporting success catching larger fish. Early fall is an excellent time to fish the ponds before snow will block access. Last updated 10/6/21.

CAVENDER POND (Monument, OR): trout, largemouth bass

A significant fish kill occurred at this site over the summer, with both stocked trout from this spring as well as largemouth bass affected. Drought conditions and very high temperatures are presumed to be the culprit. Fishing will not be great at this location until it is stocked again next spring. Last updated 10/6/21.

GRANDE RONDE RIVER: trout, whitefish, bass, steelhead, coho

With cooling water, fishing for trout steelhead and coho has slowed significantly. Look for fish in slow tail outs where they can conserve energy. When the flows bump, the best fishing can be found after the peak as flows recede.

The regulations for the coho harvest on the Grande Ronde River are as follows: Open Oct. 1 through Nov.30, 2021, or until further notice from the Oregon-Washington border upstream to the Wildcat Bridge, approximately 7 miles upstream of the town of Troy, OR. The bag limit for adult coho salmon (>20 inches) will be two (2). For jack coho salmon (≤ 20 inches) the bag limit will be five (5) with two daily limits in possession.

With a diverse makeup of fish species that anglers may encounter this year, anglers are encouraged to brush up on their fish identification skills and to release any fish that they are unsure of the species. Last updated 11/17/21.

HAT ROCK POND: trout

The pond was stocked in spring. Any fish still in the pond should become more active as the water temperatures start to cool. Last updated 10/6/21.

IMNAHA RIVER: trout, whitefish, bass, steelhead

Steelhead season is opened on the Imnaha and fish should now be available to anglers. Fishing has however slowed significantly with cooling temperatures. Fishing on the Imnaha typically picks up again in late winter and early spring.

Anglers are reminded that bull trout and fall Chinook may be encountered in the fishery and must be released unharmed. With a diverse makeup of fish species that anglers may encounter, anglers are encouraged to brush up on their fish identification skills and to release any fish that they are unsure of the species. Last updated 11/17/21.

JOHN DAY RIVER:

Please note that due to the steelhead fishing closure and the close of trout fishing on Oct. 31, all fishing is now closed in rivers and streams within the John Day Basin. Wild A steelhead over Bonneville dam are well below the minimum 20,000 fish necessary to hold a fishery, in addition to a smolt-to-adult ratio currently anticipated to be 1 percent. This also means bass fishing has closed in the John Day River for the remainder of the year. Last updated 11/3/21.

MAGONE LAKE: rainbow and brook trout

Fishing has been very good this summer and should stay that way over the next month. Fishing has been best in the early morning and late evening hours, although some fish are still being caught midday. No recent reports, although cooler weather should help fishing conditions. Snow will close access to the lake in the coming weeks. Last updated 11/3/21.

McNARY PONDS: walleye, bass and trout.

The McNary Ponds have warmwater species and any trout that were not harvested after the last stocking events. As water temperatures cool, the fishing should get better. Last updated 10/6/21.

MORGAN LAKE: rainbow and bass

Morgan Lake has been closed indefinitely due to extreme fire risk in the area. Please contact La Grande City Parks and Rec for more information. Last updated 7/21/21.

UMATILLA RIVER: summer steelhead, coho, fall Chinook, bass and walleye

Due to very poor predicated returns, retention of steelhead on the Umatilla River between the Hwy 730 bridge and Three Mile Falls Dam (TMDF) will be closed Sept. 1 through April 30, 2022. From TFMD to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation boundary and from the upper border of the reservation boundary to the Umatilla headwaters, including all tributaries except for McKay Creek, is open for fishing and retention of steelhead. There have been a total of 486 steelhead counted at TMFD up to date for the this run year, with an average of 17 fish per day over the past week.

Trout fishing on the Umatilla River, and its tributaries, is closed as of Oct. 31. Bass and other warmwater species remain open all year.

The fall Chinook salmon and coho salmon fisheries will remain open through Nov. 30. The bag limit being 3 adults, in aggregate, and 5 jack salmon (≤ 24 inches for fall Chinook and ≤ 20 inches for coho) per day. A return of 6381 ± 1,960 coho and 1,264 ± 295 fall Chinook are predicated to return to the Umatilla River. A total of 7241 coho, with an average of 69 per day over the past week, and a total of 2,935 fall Chinook, with an average of 15 per day over the past week, have been counted at Three Mile Falls Dam.

For the past two weeks, the average number of hours spent to harvest a fish has been 15 hours. The Fall Chinook and Coho return numbers are dwindling and the season closes November 30th. Steelhead returns are picking up and anglers should concentrate their efforts on the slower tail outs and deeper runs where fish will be holding. Last updated 11/24/21.

WALLA WALLA RIVER:

Upstream of the Oregon/Washington state line, the river is closed to retention of steelhead Sept. 1 through April 30. Trout fishing on the Walla Walla, and its tributaries, is closed as of Oct. 31. Last updated 11/10/21.  

WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout

Marr Pond still has active fish available, and anglers are finding success. Most fish are feeding on natural food at this point and anglers will have the best success with baits that mimic those foods.

Kinney Lake is currently filling and has received a healthy stocking of hatchery trout. After losing all the fish this summer to drawdown and high temps, these fish should provide a healthy fishery in the fall and support an ice fishery that has been growing in popularity. Last updated 11/17/21.

WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout

Wallowa Lake has continued to produce trout into the fall. Fishing pressure is very light and anglers should have a lot of room to themselves. Trout will have switched to more natural food and anglers should consider using natural baits or artificial lures that closely mimic what the fish are feeding on. Last updated 10/27/21.

WALLOWA RIVER: whitefish, trout

Fishing for trout has been good on the Wallowa with some fish to 18 inches. Fish with a slow presentation in slow runs where fish can conserve energy.

Steelhead season opened on Sept. 1, though fish aren’t expected to be available in catchable numbers until the winter months. Across the Columbia Basin, the steelhead run is very poor, and fishing may be difficult this year. Steelhead fishing typically picks up as winter progresses and is best in late winter and early spring.

Coho may be encountered in this fishery as they make their way to the Lostine River during fall and early winter. Coho may not be harvested in the Wallowa River and must be released unharmed.

With a diverse makeup of fish species that anglers may encounter this year, anglers are encouraged to brush up on their fish identification skills and to release any fish that they are unsure of the species. Last updated 11/17/21.

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR: trout, crappie, bass

There were 750 trophy trout stocked in Willow Creek Reservoir on June 9. This time of year, fishing tends to pick up for warmwater species. Look for bass and crappie to be cruising along the bank in the shallower water in the mornings, then into deeper water and near the rockier banks as the water warms. Fish for trout in the deeper, cooler water in the middle of the reservoir in the early mornings. You can also access a significant proportion of the reservoir of the via boat, so bring your boat and troll the depths for the larger trophy trout.

Fish have been taking both lures and flies. A spinner, damsel fly nymph or small jig should be productive this time of the year as the water warms. Fish bigger lures deeper in the middle of the reservoir once the sun gets on the water. Last updated 6/30/21.