Northeast Zone

Weekend fishing opportunities:

• Anglers are catching summer steelhead on the Grande Ronde and fishing should continue to improve through October.
• This time of year, trout on the Wallowa River are keying in on October caddis. Look for some good dry fly action in the afternoon.
• On the John Day River, flows have increased and steelhead are starting to enter the river.
• Hunter, Luger and Taylor Green ponds and Kinney Lake have been stocked this fall and fishing should be good throughout the season

 

2018 STOCKING SCHEDULE AND STOCKING MAP

ALDRICH PONDS (Roosevelt and Stewart Lakes): trout

No recent fishing reports.

To reach the ponds travel 5 miles east on Hwy 26 from Dayville to the Phillip Schneider Wildlife Area access point. Head south on the access road (high clearance vehicle required) for 6 mile to the parking area. Access to the lower lake (Roosevelt) from the parking area requires a 1.5 mile hike and an additional .25 mile to reach Stewart Lake. 

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

BULL PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout

The reservoir and campground are open. Fishing is good for stocked trout. With aquatic weeds cover most of the shoreline, the best fishing will be from a boat or other floating device.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

GRANDE RONDE RIVER: trout, whitefish, steelhead

Steelhead season opened on Sept. 1 with a reduced daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead. Limits were reduced to protect limited numbers of wild fish returning to the Snake River Basin and to ensure hatchery programs meet production goals. As the run progresses managers will reevaluate these rules.

Steelhead should start arriving in the Oregon section of the Grande Ronde over the next few weeks with fishing improving throughout October. Anglers are now consistently finding success but expect fishing to improve as the season progresses. Early season is a great time to catch a steelhead on skated and swung flies as well as a variety of gear types. Look for fish in faster water where there are high levels of dissolved oxygen.

Reports indicate trout fishing has been good for medium size hatchery and wild rainbows.  Water temperatures have cooled enough and fish are on the bite.

HOLLIDAY PARK POND: rainbow trout

The pond has been stocked. An ADA fishing dock is available.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

HUNTER POND: rainbow trout

The pond was stocked the last week of September with some one-pound rainbow trout. These fish should provide some good fall fishing.

From I-84 take Hwy 244 towards Ukiah. At the Blue Mtns summit, turn left onto USFS Rd 5160. Proceed for approximately 3 miles to the junction of roads 5160 and 5155. Stay on 5160. Just past this junction on the right take spur 710. The pond is just off 5160.

IMNAHA RIVER: trout, steelhead

Steelhead season opened on Sept. 1 with a reduced daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead. Limits were reduced to protect limited numbers of wild fish returning to the Snake River Basin and to ensure hatchery programs meet production goals. As the run progresses managers will reevaluate these rules.

Steelhead should start arriving in the lower river over the next few weeks with fishing improving throughout October. Early season is a great time to catch a steelhead on skated and swung flies as well as a variety of gear types. Look for fish in faster water where there are high levels of dissolved oxygen.

JOHN DAY RIVER: bass

River flows have increased and steelhead are beginning to enter the lower river. Boating access is now possible. Most steelhead will be wild and must be released. Safe catch-and-release methods are defined in the Oregon fishing regulations. Anglers are encouraged to keep up to three hatchery steelhead per day. Smallmouth bass fishing will be slow due to cool water temperatures. 

Check river levels.

JUBLIEE LAKE: rainbow trout

The main access and campground are now open. As water temperatures drop with the cooler fall weather, fish will move back into the shallows, and will begin actively feeding. This is a great time for fly-fishing and casing lures as fish cruise the shallows. The lake has been stocked with legal and trophy trout, fishing should be good. 

LONG CREEK POND, CAVENDER POND: rainbow trout, largemouth bass

Both ponds have been stocked and largemouth bass are available in Cavender pond.

Check the stocking schedule for Long Creek & for Cavender.

LOST LAKE: rainbow trout

Fishing for rainbow trout is good.

From Dale, take USFS 053 for about .6 miles to USFS 10.  Stay on USFS 10 for about 20 miles. At USFS 045 turn right, travel for about .3 miles then turn left on USFS 030 and travel .5 miles to USFS 020. Access to the lake is walk in only, hike approximately two miles up USFS 020 to reach the lake. 

LUGER POND: rainbow trout

The pond was stocked the last week of September with some one-pound rainbow trout.  These fish should provide some good fall fishing.

Take the Palmer Junction Road north out of Elgin about 10 miles to USFS 63. Follow USFS 63 for about 9 miles, then left on USFS 6306. Luger Pond is 2.5 miles on the right, near Luger Springs campground.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

MAGONE LAKE: rainbow and brook trout

Magone has be stocked with trout and fishing is good. Trout can now be taken almost anywhere in the lake and range from 8- to 16-inches long.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

MCKAY RESERVOIR: perch, crappie, bass

Warmwater fishing is in full swing at McKay, crappie fishing is best in the late evening when temperatures drop. Look for schools suspended on the outside of the willows.

The lake has both largemouth and smallmouth bass, look for largemouth in the heavy cover and the smallmouth near the rocky out croppings.

MORGAN LAKE: rainbow trout

The lake was stocked with trophy-sized rainbow trout in April.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

OLIVE LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee

The lake was stocked with legal- and trophy-size trout in May. No recent fishing reports.   

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

PEACH (LADD) POND: rainbow trout

The pond was stocked in April and May with legal-size rainbow trout. The pond will be stocked again the week of Oct. 8 with one-pound rainbow trout.

Construction of a new fishing pier will occur mid-October to mid-November. The parking area at the pond will not be available for use during this time, but anglers may park along the road and walk in to fish as long as they do not interfere with construction activities.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

ROULET POND: rainbow trout

The pond was stocked in April and May with legal- and trophy-size rainbow trout.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

ROWE CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout

The reservoir has been stocked with rainbow trout

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

TAYLOR GREEN POND: rainbow trout

The pond was stocked the last week of September with some one-pound rainbow trout.  These fish should provide some good fall fishing.

From Hwy 203 at Union, turn left staying on Hwy 203 towards Medical Springs. At the summit between Union and Medical Springs, turn left onto USFS Road 7700 (opposite Snowpark area). Proceed East on 7700 road for about 9 miles to USFS Road 7740 on the right. There is a popular camping area just beyond the 7740 road on the right. Proceed on the 7740 road for about 1/4 mile. The rock pit and pond are on the right.

UMATILLA FOREST PONDS North and South: rainbow trout

The ponds have been stocked and we’ve received recent reports good fishing in many of the ponds.

UMATILLA RIVER: trout

Trout fishing on the upper Umatilla River should be fair for anglers using lures and flies.

Anglers can access fish counts at Three Mile Dam fish counts. Find flow data.

WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout

Kinney Lake has recently been stocked with legal-size rainbow trout. Fishing should be good into the fall. Once the lake freezes, good ice fishing is available.

Marr Pond repairs are complete and it has been stocked with legal and trophy trout. Drawing down the pond for repairs killed a lot of aquatic vegetation, which makes fishing easier.

Check the 2018 stocking schedules for these Wallowa County ponds: HONEYOON POND | KINNEY LAKE | MARR POND | MCGRAW POND | SALT CREEK SUMMIT POND | TEEPEE POND | VICTOR POND | WEAVER POND

WALLA WALLA FOREST PONDS SOUTH: rainbow trout

The ponds have been stocked, and cooler water temperatures will improve fishing.

WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout

Fishing typically slows during the fall and winter at Wallowa Lake. However, for the angler that is willing to tough it out, some large fish can be available. Stocked fish have now been in the lake long enough that they have keyed in on natural foods. Try fishing live worms, grubs, or flies that imitate midges, mayflies and crawdads. 

Kokanee fishing has improved recently and large fish are being caught. A reduction in the population size has allowed for fish to grow larger and anglers are catching fish up to 20-inches with the average around 13-inches.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.

WALLOWA RIVER: steelhead, mountain whitefish, trout

The Wallowa River is open for steelhead and there’s been a report of one fish caught last week. Despite there being a few fish around, success rates will likely be low until fish have a little more time to move through the system. Due to an effort to adjust the run timing of hatchery steelhead, more fish have been available in the fall in recent years.

Meanwhile fishing for trout and whitefish in the fall with October caddis patterns and medium-sized nymphs can be good. Look for some good afternoon dry fly action as caddis become active.

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR: crappie, bass

The reservoir has been producing good catches of crappie, look for schools suspended in deeper water as water temperature heat up, and fish early and late in the day. Look for smallmouth bass along the rocky structure NE side of the reservoir.

Please report a caught tagged fish to the ODFW Pendleton office 541-276-2344.

NOTICE: The Oregon Health Authority has issued a health advisory for Willow Creek Reservoir due to harmful levels of cyanotoxins associated with blue-green algae. Swallowing water should be avoided and skin contact may cause a rash for those with skin sensitivities. Keep pets out of water and do not allow them to drink out of the lake. The Oregon Health Authority offers these guidelines for fishing during an algae bloom.

Check the 2018 stocking schedule.