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 received extra doses of stocked trout this season, and trout fishing should be very good.

High Lakes can be very good during the late summer and fall as many of the biting insects have subsided and trout are putting on weight for the winter. With aggressive fish, most fishing methods work at these lakes. Contact your local fish biologist for advice on which lakes to fish and what species you might find.

RIVERS AND STREAMS

Stream flows are low across the Grande Ronde and Imnaha basins but, both cooler nights and days have reduced water temperatures and fishing should be good. Steelhead and coho are being caught in the lower Grande Ronde fishery.

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.

Coho season opened on the Grande Ronde on Oct. 1 and some fish are already being caught. The limit for coho is two adult fish and five jacks per day, clipped or un-clipped.  The season will remain open through Nov. 30 or until further notice.

River levels in the John Day are at historic lows, with recent levels at Service Creek around 22 CFS. Conditions are still good for those looking to target smallmouth bass. Note that flows below 1,500 CFS make boating more challenging, and current flows will make any floating impossible. There are plenty of areas to bank fish along the John Day, and bass will still be active.

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.

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

Trout fishing can be quite good during the fall with good October caddis hatches that get the trout feeding.

Coho season opened on the Grande Ronde on Oct. 1 and some fish are already being caught. 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.

Steelhead are showing up in the fishery as well and some reports of successful anglers have been received. 

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 10/06/21.

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. Across the Columbia Basin, the steelhead run is very 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.

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 10/6/21.

JOHN DAY RIVER: steelhead, smallmouth bass

Flows on the John Day River are at historic lows for this time of year, but will create good conditions for those targeting smallmouth bass. Floating will not be feasible as flows are below 30 CFS, but bank fishing opportunities abound, and bass will remain active through September.

Please note that steelhead fishing in the John Day will be completely closed this year for the entire 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 will close Oct 31 for the remainder of the year. Last updated 9/1/21.

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. Last updated 9/1/21.

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, trout, 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 219 steelhead counted at TMFD up so far this run year, with an average of 3 fish per day over the past week.

Trout fishing on the Umatilla River remains open until Oct. 31, with bass and other warmwater species all year.

The fall Chinook and coho fishery currently remains open through Nov. 30 if returns permit. 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 1,367 coho, with an average of 27 per day over the past week, and a total of 1,650 fall Chinook, with an average of 72 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 9.5 hours. Anglers have been having decent success near the mouth of the Umatilla on coho and Chinook, with most being fish caught in the early morning hours. Anglers have been using a variety of methods to catch coho and fall Chinook, however an egg rig bounced off the bottom, and pink or purple spinners have been the best producers. As water temps start to cool, flows in the river start to increase due irrigation withdrawals lessening and with the rain predicated over the next week, the fishing should pick up on the Umatilla. Last updated 10/20/21.

WALLA WALLA RIVER:

Upstream of the Oregon/Washington state line, the river is closed to retention of steelhead Sept. 1 through April 30. Last updated 9/9/21.

WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout

Marr Pond has recently received a healthy stocking of hatchery rainbow trout and is fishing well. Last updated 9/22/21.

WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout

Wallowa Lake still has some trout available from summer stockings. These fish have typically learned to eat natural foods by this time of year, and bait and lures that imitate those foods will be most effective. Last updated 10/6/21.

WALLOWA RIVER: whitefish, trout

With cooler temperatures during the fall season fishing has improved on the Wallowa and some larger rainbow trout are being reported.

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. 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.

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 10/06/21.

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.