Recreation Report
Northeast Zone
Recreation Report
Oct. 9, 2024
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Best bets for weekend fishing
- Jubilee Lake should provide good trout fishing into fall.
- Wallowa Lake can have good fishing for rainbow trout into fall.
- Fishing for brook and rainbow trout has been good in the high lakes of the Wallowa Mountains.
- Salmon fishing is starting to pick up on the lower Umatilla River.
- Fall is a great time to view kokanee spawning in the Wallowa River above Wallowa Lake.
Trout stocking
Scheduled to be stocked the week of Oct. 7:
Stocking is scheduled to resume in March 2025
Recently stocked:
Teepee Pond, Salt Cr/Summit Pond, Kinney Lake, Honeymoon Pond, McGraw Pond
Check the 2024 trout stocking schedule.
Trout stocking maps
Check out the ODFW fishing and trout stocking maps to find nearby fishing locations, driving directions and descriptions of amenities.
Announcements
E-taggers: Update your app
ODFW's Electronic Licensing System (ELS) and the MyODFW companion app got a major update on Monday, Sept. 30. Be sure to visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your phone and update your MyODFW app to version 4.0.
Fish consumption advisories
The Oregon Health Authority has issued consumption guidelines for various waterbodies in Oregon including the Snake and Columbia Rivers due to high levels of mercury and/or PCBs. Fish with these chemicals look, act, smell and taste like any other fish, so caution is important.
E-tagging tips for anglers
It's important for anglers to tag their salmon and steelhead immediately, which means you'll need to know how to navigate the MyODFW app outside of cell phone range. Here are some tips for e-tagging in the field.
Sign up for the latest information on boater access
Marine Board's Opportunities and Access Report incorporates information from federal and state agencies, local facility operators and fellow boaters to provide up-to-date information so boaters can decide where to recreate and what to expect this season. Subscribe to receive email updates.
Updates by waterbody
ALDRICH PONDS (Roosevelt and Stewart Lakes): trout (2 fish limit)
The access road to the ponds is now open. Both ponds will be stocked towards the end of May, but these ponds can be great this time of year with plenty of holdover trout available. Last updated 4/17/24.
GRANDE RONDE RIVER: trout, whitefish, steelhead, coho salmon
Trout and whitefish are available throughout the Grande Ronde River and can be caught on a variety of gear types including flies and lures. Steelhead have started to arrive in Oregon and folks are having some success catching steelhead around Troy. Coho have yet to arrive in good numbers, but they will continue to move upstream into the Grande Ronde in the coming weeks.
Anglers can encounter both fall Chinook salmon and bull trout in the Grande Ronde River. Neither species may be harvested in the Grande Ronde River and any bull trout or Chinook salmon caught while fishing for other fish must be released. Anglers should carefully identify any catch they plan to harvest as Chinook salmon and coho salmon can easily be confused. Last updated 9/25/24.
HAT ROCK POND: trout
Hat Rock Pond was stocked on May 31. Anglers should find success using PowerBait, worms or spinners and focusing their efforts in the mornings or evenings. Last updated 6/5/24.
IMNAHA RIVER: trout, whitefish, steelhead
Some steelhead have started moving into the lower Imnaha River, and steelhead fishing should improve throughout the fall as more fish arrive. Trout and whitefish can be caught throughout the Imnaha River in the fall.
Bull trout and Chinook salmon cannot be harvested and must be released. Last updated 9/25/24.
JOHN DAY RIVER: steelhead
Bass fishing remains a good bet for late summer fishing, although this is generally a slower time of year. With the onset of low flows and high temps, we've entered the post-spawn period which generally means catch rates drop, but fishing remains an option.
Flows have dropped significantly, making it especially challenging for larger crafts. This is the time of year for smaller single or two-person watercraft, and it would be advised to avoid attempting a float with larger crafts such as drift boats or rafts at current flows. Bank fishing will be the best bet, although be sure to check current closures due to several active wildfires in the area. Last updated 8/7/24.
JUBILEE LAKE: rainbow trout
Jubilee Lake was stocked the first week of July. Anglers have found success fishing in the morning and evening. While bank fishing on Jubilee is effective, anglers who fish from a watercraft seem to do better. Last updated 7/10/24.
MAGONE LAKE: rainbow and brook trout
The rainbow trout fishing has been good this year, and Magone is a popular area to escape the summer heat and catch some trout. As the summer heat progresses, fishing will slow mid-day so focus your attention to early morning or late evening hours. Last updated on 7/3/24.
McNARY PONDS: walleye, bass and trout.
The McNary Ponds were stocked on May 31. Trout are likely to be the most active in the morning and late evening hours. Anglers should find success using PowerBait, worms or spinning lures. Last updated 6/5/24.
McKAY RESERVOIR: bass, perch, rainbow trout.
Anglers have reported catching a mixture of smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and crappie. Crappie anglers have connected with fish shallow using bobber and jig setups and in deeper water trolling. Recent sampling efforts on McKay Reservoir by ODFW fish biologists identified good numbers of crappie from 6-11 inches in length.
As a reminder, McKay Reservoir closes to fishing on Sept. 30 and will open back up on March 1. Last updated 9119/24.
MORGAN LAKE: rainbow trout and bass
Morgan Lake is now back open after the Oregon Department of Forestry downgraded the fire danger from extreme to high. Morgan Lake was sampled on Aug. 16 and there are many nice rainbow trout in the lake. Sampling also found multiple large bullhead catfish, small largemouth bass and smaller crappie. Last updated 8/28/24.
UMATILLA RIVER: fall Chinook, coho, summer steelhead, trout, bass, walleye
Salmon fishing has picked up on the lower river. Most adult coho and chinook have been caught below Nugent Park with spinners. Bait fisherman have been catching primarily jacks.
There is now a new regulation in place with a hook gap size that may not exceed 3/8 inch in the section of the Umatilla River above the CTUIR reservation. This new regulation is to protect bull trout and decrease the chance of hooking mortality. As a reminder, if you catch a bull trout, recognized by its white spots, please keep it in the water and release it as quickly as possible. No targeting of bull trout is allowed in the Umatilla River. Last updated 10/2/24.
WALLA WALLA RIVER:
The Walla Walla River is open for trout, and there is good fishing to be had on the south fork. Anglers can find success using a variety of techniques, including fly-fishing with dry flies. Many trout can be found holding in the soft water behind boulders within rapids.
As a reminder, there is now a new regulation in place with a hook gap size that may not exceed 3/8 inch in the Walla Walla River. This new regulation is to protect bull trout and decrease the chance of hooking mortality.
If you catch a bull trout, recognized by its white spots, please keep it in the water and release it as quickly as possible. No targeting of bull trout is allowed in the Walla Walla River. Last updated 7/31/24.
WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout
Stocked trout are available at some local ponds. Ponds like Marr Pond and Weaver Pond may have trout leftover from releases earlier in the year. Kinney Lake will start to refill in the coming weeks and will be stocked with rainbow trout. Last updated 9/25/24.
WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout
Fall can be a great time to visit Wallowa Lake and watch the bright red kokanee spawning in the river that feeds the lake. This section of the river can be easily accessed from the Wallowa Lake State Park. Please be mindful to minimize any disturbance to spawning kokanee and their redds (nests) where they deposited eggs.
Kokanee fishing may slow as many kokanee turn to spawning. However, fishing for rainbow trout should continue to remain good especially at the south end of the lake. Last updated 9/25/24.
WALLOWA MOUNTAINS HIGH LAKES: brook trout, rainbow trout
Throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall, brook trout and rainbow trout can be caught in many alpine waterbodies. These fish are often aggressive feeders and can be readily caught on flies and lures. They also can make a tasty camp dinner for backpackers. Last updated 8/21/24.
WALLOWA RIVER: whitefish, trout, steelhead
Fall fishing for trout and whitefish can provide opportunities to catch some really nice fish. Trout and whitefish are commonly 12 – 14 inches in the Wallowa River with some fish up to 20 inches. Fly-fishing with nymphs or streamers can be a great way to target fish in the fall, and spinners can be very effective for catching rainbow trout.
Steelhead fishing will probably be slow throughout the fall as most fish will remain further downstream in the Grande Ronde. Some salmon, especially coho salmon, may be encountered in the Wallowa River, but they cannot be harvested and must be released if caught. Last updated 9/25/24.
WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR: trout, crappie, bass
Fishing for trout on Willow Creek Reservoir is fair, with limits of legals being caught along with a trophy-size fish here and there. Last updated 5/15/24.