Northeast Zone

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

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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.

FISHING UPDATES

BEST BETS FOR WEEKEND FISHING

• Trout are active and available in Marr Pond and Kinney Lake. With warmer temperatures in the forecast, fishing should be good this weekend.
• Fishing for trout has been good on the Wallowa River with some fish to 18 inches.

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.

If your favorite fishing spot is no longer listed

It’s probably because that river, lake or reservoir is closed for the season, inaccessible due to snow and bad roads, or offers limited fishing opportunities during the winter months. These waterbodies will re-appear in the Recreation Report when they re-open next spring, or when access and/or opportunity improves.

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. With warmer temperatures in the forecast, look for any holdover trout to be more active. Last updated 11/1/21.

IMNAHA RIVER: trout, whitefish, bass, steelhead

Steelhead season is opened on the Imnaha and fish should now be available to anglers.

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 12/1/21.

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 warmer weather should help fishing conditions. Snow will close access to the lake in the coming weeks. Last updated 12/1/21.

McNARY PONDS: walleye, bass and trout.

The McNary Ponds have warmwater species and any trout that were not harvested after the last stocking events. With warmer temperatures in the forecast, look for fish to be more active. Last updated 12/1/21.

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 517 steelhead counted at TMFD up to date for the this run year, with an average of 3 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 closed November 30^th. 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 12/1/21.

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. 

Anglers may find a coho in this fishery as the fish 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.