The Oregon coast from the Columbia River to Cape Blanco is now open to razor clamming. 4./12/19
Beginning April 16, 2019, all sturgeon fishing, including catch-and-release will be prohibited.
Northeast Zone
Regulation Updates as of April 3, 2019
These are in-season regulation changes adopted on a temporary or emergency basis. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.
Effective November 1 through April 30, 2019, the daily bag limit is one hatchery steelhead in the following Creeks and Rivers of the NE Zone:
- The Grande Ronde River upstream to Meadow Creek.
- The Imnaha River downstream of Big Sheep Creek.
- The Wallowa River from the mouth upstream to Trout Creek.
- Big Sheep Creek downstream of Little Sheep Creek.
- The Wenaha River downstream of Crooked Creek.
- Catherine Creek from the mouth to the Hwy 203 bridge above Catherine Creek State Park
UMATILLA RIVER
- Effective October 15 through April 30, 2019 from the Hwy 730 bridge to the CTUIR reservation boundary (approximately 0.7 miles above Hwy 11 bridge) closed to angling for steelhead.
- Open for one adult fall Chinook or coho salmon per day and five jack salmon per day. In addition, 5 mini jack (8-15 inches) coho or fall Chinook salmon per day.
WALLA WALLA RIVER
- Effective December 1 through April 30, 2019 from state line to confluence of the North and South forks, closed to angling for steelhead.
For more information contact your local ODFW office:
- Enterprise (541) 426-3279
- La Grande (541) 963-2138
- Pendleton (541) 276-2344
- John Day (541) 575-1167
Weekend fishing opportunities:
- Hatrock, McNary and Tatone and Peach ponds were stocked the week of April 8. Access to Twin Ponds is still blocked by snow, so they will not be stocked the week of April 8 as scheduled.
2019 STOCKING SCHEDULE AND STOCKING MAP
ALDRICH PONDS (Roosevelt and Stewart Lakes): trout
Access to the ponds is closed. Phillip Schneider Wildlife Area is under a winter closure from Feb. 1 – April 14. The closure is to protect big game wintering on the wildlife area.
BULL PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout
The reservoir is froze over but ice conditions are unknown. The access road is not maintained and will be snow covered. A 2-mile hike in snow may be required to access the lake from Hwy 207. Fishing is likely good for stocked trout.
COLD SPRINGS RESERVIOR: brown bullhead, crappie
Brown bullhead should be available for anglers soaking bait on the bottom. Crappie fishing usually starts to pick up in mid-April.
GRANDE RONDE RIVER: trout, whitefish, steelhead
The daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead will continue through the end of the season on April 30, 2019. Bag limits were reduced to protect limited numbers of wild fish returning to the Snake River Basin and to ensure hatchery programs meet production goals.
The recent warm weather and rain has caused the Grande Ronde to blow out. Fishing will be difficult until flows subside.
HATROCK POND: rainbow trout
The pond was stocked the week of April 15, and there should be good fishing for rainbow trout.
HOLLIDAY PARK POND: rainbow trout
No recent report. An ADA fishing dock is available.
HUNTER POND: rainbow trout
This pond usually becomes accessible in May, when it will be stocked with rainbow trout.
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
The recent warm weather and rain has caused the Imnaha to blow out. Fishing will be difficult until flows subside.
The daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead will continue through the end of the season on April 30, 2019. Bag limits were reduced to protect limited numbers of wild fish returning to the Snake River Basin and to ensure hatchery programs meet production goals.
JOHN DAY RIVER: steelhead
Summer steelhead are present throughout the John Day River, but we expect below average numbers of steelhead returning to the basin this season.
Steelhead are now present in mid and upper reaches of the John Day, but recent run-off and precipitation are making conditions very challenging for fishing. Flows are high and water clarity has been poor recently. Check USGS stream flow gages before heading out.
Most steelhead will be wild and must be released. To help reduce stress on wild steelhead anglers are encouraged to play and land fish as quickly as possible, use barbless hooks, and do not remove fish from the water. Anglers are encouraged to keep up to three hatchery steelhead per day.
Bull trout are also present in the river but in low numbers. If caught they must be released unharmed.
LONG CREEK POND, CAVENDER POND: rainbow trout, largemouth bass
The ponds are accessible but fishing conditions are unknown.
LUGER POND: rainbow trout
This pond usually becomes accessible in May, when it will be stocked with rainbow trout.
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.
MAGONE LAKE: rainbow and brook trout
The reservoir is frozen over and the access road is snow covered. Reservoir ice conditions are unknown. Fishing is likely good for stocked trout that can be found almost anywhere in the lake. These fish range from 8- to 16-inches long.
MCKAY RESERVOIR: trout, perch, crappie, bass
The reservoir is currently high and muddy, fishing will be slow until it clears.
McKay can produce some good trout catches for bank anglers in the upper reservoir, from the dam face and for boat anglers trolling near the dam. The first warmwater fish to bite are perch and brown bullhead followed by crappie and bass. With a few more warm days the bite should pick up.
McNARY PONDS: rainbow trout
The ponds were stocked the week of April 15, and there should be good fishing for rainbow trout.
MORGAN LAKE: rainbow trout
Morgan Lake opens to fishing on April 22.
PEACH (LADD) POND: rainbow trout
The pond is ice-free and has been stocked with 1,000 legal-size and 75 trophy-size rainbow trout.
To measure the catch rate of trout stocked in the Peach Pond, ODFW marked some of these with an orange colored tag just under the dorsal fin. If you catch one of these tagged fish, please report the tag number to Tim Bailey, District Fish Biologist at 541-962-1829. Some of these tags will have a $50 reward available.
Construction of a new ADA accessible fishing platform is now complete.
ROULET POND: rainbow trout
The pond is ice-free. It will be stocked for the first time this season in mid-April. A new fishing pier was constructed last fall. Anglers with disabilities will enjoy excellent fishing access at this pond once the snow and ice melts off and the pond is stocked.
ROWE CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout
The reservoir was stocked with rainbow trout in 2018. No recent fishing report.
TATONE POND: rainbow trout
The pond is scheduled to be stocked the week of March 25 and there should be good fishing for rainbow trout.
TAYLOR GREEN POND: rainbow trout
This pond usually becomes accessible late May, when it will be stocked with rainbow trout.
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 RIVER:
Steelhead fishing has been closed for the season (Oct. 15 to April 30, 2019) with returns estimated at near historic low levels.
Anglers can access fish counts at Three Mile Dam fish counts. Find flow data.
WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout
Most of the Wallowa County ponds will be inaccessible until snow melts at higher elevations. Marr Pond is accessible but has not been stocked since last summer and will have few fish available.
Kinney Lake will fish well once the ice is off and is a great place to take kids in the spring. Fish that hold over from the fall stocking will be fat and ready to feed.
Check the 2019 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
WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout
Wallowa Lake is currently frozen over with ice that is likely not safe enough for fishing. Once the lake thaws, kokanee fishing will pick up. Biologists are expecting kokanee fishing to be good with a crop of larger than average fish.
WALLOWA RIVER: steelhead, mountain whitefish, trout
The daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead will continue through the end of the season on April 30, 2019. Steelhead are making their push toward the hatchery facilities and angers are having good success. Fewer fish are available this year so don’t expect big days, though there are enough fish that it’s worth the effort of a trip.
The recent warm weather and rain has caused the Wallowa River to blow out. Fishing will be difficult until flows subside.
WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR: trout
The reservoir is currently high and muddy, fishing will be slow until it clears.
The reservoir is scheduled to be stocked with trophy sized rainbow tout the week of April 1.
Winter and early spring are best months to target trout; fish with night crawlers or PowerBait on the bottom. Water levels are raising quickly, with spring runoff, and this will likely put the water off color. The reservoir is stocked with fingerlings annually, which should now be in the 10- to 12-inch range.
Please report a caught tagged fish to the ODFW Pendleton office 541-276-2344.