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Snake Zone
Table of Contents
Recreation Report
July 24, 2024
If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen
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Best best for weekend fishing
- Lots of smallmouth bass can be caught throughout Brownlee Reservoir.
- Catfish fishing can be good in the upper portion of Hells Canyon Reservoir.
Announcements
Fishing during blue-green algae (cyanobacterial) blooms
As temperatures heat up during spring and summer, be on the watch for harmful algae blooms when recreating in Oregon lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Before you go fishing, check water quality conditions at the Oregon Health Authority website.
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.
- Statewide advisories
- Bonneville Dam fish advisory
- Safe fish choices for pregnancy and young children
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.
Updates by section
BROWNLEE RESERVOIR: crappie, bass, perch, catfish, bluegill, trout, carp
Bass fishing has been good especially for smallmouths, although many of them are small. Fishing for catfish can also be good, and some large fish have been caught recently. Crappie fishing has been slow. Crappie anglers should try trolling the Powder River Arm with downriggers set to 25-35 feet deep then adjusting their trolling depths until they find fish.
Brownlee Reservoir levels can fluctuate greatly affecting which boat ramps are usable. Follow the links below to get up-to-date information on access along Brownlee Reservoir. Last updated 7/17/24.
Call the Idaho Power Company's recording at 1-800-422-3143 to get information on access at recreational sites or see the following link for Reservoir level information.
OXBOW AND HELLS CANYON RESERVOIRS: trout, crappie, bass, catfish, sturgeon
Catfish fishing can be good in the upper end of Hells Canyon Reservoir with some nice channel catfish available that are 20 inches or more. There are also a variety of other warmwater fish available in both reservoirs. Last updated 7/17/24.
SNAKE RIVER below HELLS CANYON RESERVOIR: trout, bass, sturgeon, Chinook salmon
Bass fishing will be good throughout the summer. Anglers can do well fishing jigs, flies, or lures near shore and in slower moving areas. Trout can be caught using similar techniques.
Fishing for Chinook salmon has been very slow, and the spring run is probably about over. People wishing to fish for salmon in Hells Canyon will probably do best to wait until fall Chinook salmon start arriving later this year. See the 2024 fishing regulations for specific details on Chinook salmon seasons in Hells Canyon.
Sturgeon can be caught throughout the Snake River downstream of Hells Canyon Dam. However, sturgeon fishing can be slow during the warmest months of the year. All sturgeon must be released unharmed and cannot be removed from the water. Last updated 7/24/24.
SNAKE RIVER (above Brownlee Reservoir): channel catfish, flathead catfish, smallmouth bass
There are some nice largemouth bass holding up in backwaters. Recent electrofishing turned up several smallmouth in the 16- to 20-inch range right through the town of Ontario. There are some high densities of channel cat in this section of the river. When the water is turbid, catfish can be found in some fairly shallow, slow moving water. There are some big flatheads out there as well, but they are not as numerous as the channel cats. Last updated 7/3/24.
Regulation Updates
Regulation updates as of October 9, 2023.
The following regulations reflect changes or additions to the permanent regulations listed in the current Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. All other permanent regulations remain in effect. Please see e-regulations.
For more information contact your local ODFW office:
- Enterprise (541) 426-3279