Snake Zone

May 30, 2023

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.

Best best for weekend fishing

• Free Fishing Weekend June 3-4, 2023. Fish, clam and crab for free—no licenses, tags, endorsements or validations required. ODFW and partners are hosting a number of fishing events.
• A 17 ½ inch crappie was caught recently. Crappie are hard to come by this year again, but many of them are large.
• Fishing the three Hells Canyon Reservoirs should be good for a variety of species including bass, perch, catfish, and trout.

Announcements

Pitch in to keep water banks clean

We wish it didn’t have to be this way. But as more anglers hit the water, more trash piles up on shore. We know it’s not your job to pick up discarded beer cans, slurpee cups, fishing line, hamburger wrappers and other trash that aren't yours. But if everyone pitched in and picked up what they saw, wouldn’t it be a nicer place to fish?

Chinook opening, steelhead closing

Fishing for spring Chinook opens on the Snake River from Dug Bar Boat Ramp upstream to the deadline below Hells Canyon Dam on April 22. The limit is four hatchery Chinook salmon of which only two may be adults. Barbless hooks are required.

The last day of steelhead fishing was April 30. The Snake River will be closed to steelhead fishing from May 1 – August 30, 2023.

Updates by section

BROWNLEE RESERVOIR: crappie, bass, perch, catfish, bluegill, trout

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.

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.

Bass fishing has been pretty good this spring for smallmouth, and there will be multiple bass tournaments throughout 2023. The water levels have been coming up fast after they were drawn down for some regular equipment testing and preparation for spring runoff. Anglers have been catching some catfish and perch, and a few, large crappie are available.

We have had no recent reports of trout being caught but fishing should get good with the onset of increased flows out of tributaries to the Powder River arm. Anglers can do well for trout near the mouth of the Powder River using both bait and lures. Last updated 4/19/23.

OXBOW AND HELLS CANYON RESERVOIRS: trout, crappie, bass, catfish, sturgeon

Trout fishing has been good all winter, and fishing for bass should pick up throughout the spring. We had a recent report of a 3 lb smallmouth caught by an 8-year-old angler at Oxbow Reservoir. Some crappie were caught throughout winter and should still be available as the weather warms up. Last updated 4/19/22.

SNAKE RIVER below HELLS CANYON RESERVOIR: trout, bass, sturgeon, Chinook salmon

The last day of steelhead fishing was April 30. Fishing for steelhead will resume in Hells Canyon on Sept. 1, 2023. Spring Chinook fishing opened on the Snake River from Dug Bar Boat Ramp upstream to the deadline below Hells Canyon Dam on April 22. Few Chinook salmon have arrived in the Snake River, so fishing will likely be slow until more fish move into the river.

Consult the regulation updates tab for more information about fishing for spring Chinook salmon in Hells Canyon this year. Anglers need to remember that barbless hooks must be used when fishing for salmon or steelhead on the Snake River.

Sturgeon fishing can be good in the Snake River downstream of Hells Canyon Dam. Anglers are reminded that they must use barbless hooks to fish for sturgeon, and sturgeon may not be retained in the Snake River. All sturgeon must be released unharmed and cannot be removed from the water.

Bass fishing has been good in Hells Canyon. Plastic jigs and diving lures can be great ways to catch bass in Hells Canyon. Anglers need to be aware that they can encounter bull trout when fishing Hells Canyon during the cooler months and that all bull trout caught must be released. Last updated 5/3/23.

SNAKE RIVER (above Brownlee Reservoir): channel catfish, flathead catfish, smallmouth bass

Fishing should be good for flathead and channel catfish. Both species can be found throughout the river and can be accessed from shore or by boat. Bass are currently more concentrated in backwater areas.

Smallmouth bass fishing should be picking up, water temperatures in Nyssa are now around 60 degrees. Last updated 5/10/23.