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Northwest Zone

Fishing | Hunting | Viewing

  FISHING

Huge Buck Chinook Salmon -Oregon Fish and Wildlife-

New regulations for fall Chinook fisheries took effect Aug.1. Open seasons, areas, and bag limits are heavily restricted in the Nestucca and Nehalem basins this fall. Check the ODFW website at www.dfw.state.or.us or contact ODFW in Tillamook at 503-842-2741 for details or for information on other fall Chinook fishery regulations and fishing opportunities.

Several lower Columbia River tributaries closed to angling Sept. 1, including Big Creek, Gnat Creek, Bear Creek, and north fork and south fork Klaskanine River. Check regulations for the area you want to fish before heading out.

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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.

NORTH COAST LAKES

Trophy trout stocking is scheduled for the week of September 20th. Cape Meares, Town, Coffenbury, Lost and Sunset lakes are scheduled to receive trout averaging about 2 pounds each. Warmwater angling should be fair to good in north coast lakes. Lytle, Cape Meares, Cullaby, Sunset, and Cofffenbury lakes offer opportunities for largemouth bass and other panfish species. Several lower Columbia River sloughs offer warmwater opportunities as well.

MID COAST LAKES

Many mid coast lakes offer good fishing for warmwater species, such as largemouth bass, bluegill, perch and bullhead. Fishing should remain fair to good through September. The Florence area has numerous lakes which offer anglers great opportunity to catch some warmwater fish species. Good areas to consider are, Siltcoos Lake, Tahkenitch Lake, Mercer Lake, Woahink Lake and Munsel Lake.

ALSEA RIVER: cutthroat trout, chinook

Fall chinook angling is starting to pick up.  Pockets of fish are being caught from the lower bay through upper tidewater. Trolling herring or lures near bottom seem to be producing fish. Cutthroat trout angling is fair to good with sea-run cutthroat trout can be found throughout most of the mainstem.

NECANICUM RIVER: cutthroat trout, chinook

Sea-run cutthroat angling should be fair. Fish are available in the estuary and are in upstream areas also. Try casting spinners in pools and riffles, especially in areas with some wood or other cover. Angling for chinook salmon opened September 1. Angling is expected to be slow until more fish enter the system as the month progresses. Recent rains probably encouraged a few fish to move into tidewater.

NEHALEM RIVER: cutthroat, chinook, coho

Angling in tidewater and upstream areas for sea-run and resident cutthroat trout should be fair to good. Small spinners, plugs, or flies are good bets. Chinook angling has been improving, with a few fish being caught regularly. A below average run is expected. Trolling herring or spinners in the Wheeler to Nehalem stretch has been the most productive. A few hatchery coho are showing in the catch also. The Nehalem upstream of the Mohler Bridge is closed to chinook angling for the remainder of the year. The lower bay below the state park does not open until October 1.

NESTUCCA RIVER: steelhead, chinook, cutthroat trout

Summer steelhead angling is slow, with a little better action recently during the wet weather. Try small spinners or bobber and jigs for steelhead in the low, clear water. Where bait is allowed, try crawfish tails alone or tip your jigs with the meat. Fishing for cutthroat trout has been fair, with fish spread throughout the river. Fresh sea-run cutthroat are available in upper tidewater and the lower river, with more fish moving into upstream areas. Small spinners or flies are the best bets for trout. Angling for chinook is closed in the entire Nestucca River basin Aug. 1-Sept. 15.

SALMON RIVER: cutthroat trout, chinook

Fall Chinook are starting to be caught from the lower bay up to the hatchery. Fishing the incoming tide should produce the best results.
Cutthroat trout fishing is fair to good. Sea-run cutthroat trout can be found from the bay through the lower to mid river area.

SILETZ RIVER: Chinook and coho salmon, summer steelhead, cutthroat trout

Anglers are starting to catch fall chinook from the lower bay well up into tidewater.  The wild adult coho fishery is underway with catch rates very low at this time. Steelhead fishing has picked up a little recently with the cooler wet weather. Best opportunities for summer steelhead are in the upper river. Cutthroat trout fishing is fair to good with sea-runs showing up from the bay to mid river.

Cutthroat Trout -Photo by Charlotte Ganskopp-

SIUSLAW RIVER: cutthroat trout, chinook
                                              
Fall chinook are starting to be caught from the lower bay well up into tide water.  Trolling herring or lures close to the bottom can be productive. Cutthroat trout angling is fair to good in most areas. Sea-run cutthroat trout can be found from the bay into the lower river.

TILLAMOOK BAY: coho, chinook

Angling for chinook is slow, but is expected to improve over the next couple of weeks. A few fish are available, with best fishing opportunity trolling herring on the incoming tide in the lower bay. Hatchery coho are spreading out through the bay, especially after recent rains. Trolling large bladed spinners is most effective in the upper bay. Trolling or casting spinners can be effective in the west channel.

TRASK RIVER: steelhead, cutthroat, chinook, coho

A few summer steelhead are available throughout the river. Fishing for cutthroat trout has been fair. Fish are spread out through the main river, with some fish still available in tidewater. Angling for chinook is slow in tidewater, but recent rains spurred some upstream movement of hatchery coho through tidewater and into the lower river. Casting spinners or small baits under a bobber should produce some bites.

WILSON RIVER: steelhead, cutthroat, chinook

Summer steelhead fishing is slow. Look for slight improvement during or just after the small rain events in the forecast for this week. Fish are spread out up to the South Fork, with most fish in the upper river. Cutthroat trout fishing should be fair to good. Cutthroat are all through the river, including tidewater. Very few, if any, chinook have entered the Wilson River tidewater. Expect opportunities to be very limited until later in September.

YAQUINA RIVER: cutthroat trout, chinook

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  HUNTING

Cougar -Photo by Jim Yuskavitch-

OPEN: COUGAR, BEAR, BOW ELK, BOW DEER, MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY QUAIL, FOREST and BLUE GROUSE, MOURNING DOVE

EARLY SEASON GOOSE opens September 11

Use the new and improved Oregon Hunting Map to see where to hunt.

Archery DEER season started August 28. While deer densities on the north coast are only moderate, pre-season surveys showed excellent ratios of bucks to does in the Saddle Mtn., Wilson and Trask WMUs. Success rates will depend on weather to some extent, with closures associated with high fire danger potentially limiting access to private forest lands. If you’re hunting private lands, make sure you are aware of the landowner’s access policies (including permission, if needed).

Archery ELK seasons also commenced August 28. Elk densities on the north coast tend to be high, especially on the western portions of the Saddle Mtn., Wilson and Trask WMUs. Estimates of post-season bull escapement from last year’s seasons point to a good availability of bulls. Again, success rates will depend on weather to some extent, with closures associated with high fire danger potentially limiting access to private forest lands. If you’re hunting private lands, make sure you are aware of the landowner’s access policies (including permission, if needed).

COUGAR are most effectively taken by using predator calls. However, cougar densities are relatively low on the north coast. Successful hunters, remember you must check in cougar (hide and skull) at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest and bring them in unfrozen. It’s also a good idea to prop their mouths open with a stick after harvest for easier tissue sampling, teeth collection and tagging. See regulations for details.

BEAR can be found at this time of year active almost any time of day; working berry patches, carpenter ant colonies in down wood and other food sources. Look for fresh scat to focus in on areas of high activity and identify foraging preferences in the local area. Calls are likely not as effective during this time as bears are almost totally keyed in on vegetable matter. That can change as the season progresses.

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  VIEWING

Eurasian Collared-Dove - Photo by Greg Gillson-

The Eurasian collared dove was first noticed on the north coast within the past year.  Originally introduced into Bahamas, the non-native bird has been moving west from Florida since the mid-1970s. Although about the size of the rock dove, its call and coloration is more similar to the native mourning dove. The collared dove prefers residential areas, and can often be seen at bird feeders. Only time will tell if this bird competes directly with native birds or simply occupies niches of birds long gone, like the passenger pigeon. 9/8/10.

Cape Meares and Bayocean Spit

The drive out to Cape Meares takes you past Bayocean Spit, with trails both to the beach and along Tillamook Bay. Shorebirds and waterfowl are the usual wildlife, although deer and sometimes elk will also use the dunes and forested areas of the spit. Cape Meares State Park and National Wildlife Refuge is an excellent place to view a wide variety of birds, as well as possibly spot whales offshore. Bring your spotting scope and binoculars for best viewing. 9/8/10.

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, Coast Range

With the warm days, elk viewing at Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area has been limited to the early morning and late evening hours. As days start to cool down with the coming of fall, elk should be out in the fields longer during daylight. Elk have been visible either along Hwy 202 or Beneke Creek Road. Most of the meadows have been mowed so visitors should be able to easily spot elk when they are out. Breeding or Rutting behavior should start to pick up in the next couple of weeks with the peak in mid September. During the rut, evening viewing should be better with many viewers staying until just after dark to listen for the bull bugles and antler crashing.

Visitors are reminded that areas posted as wildlife refuge are closed to public access and posted portions of the Beneke Tract are closed to entry during any open Saddle Mt. Elk Season including the general archery season which starts August 28 and lasts through September 25. 8/24/10.

Tillamook Area

One bird that is usually very conspicuous and viewable by nearly anyone since it is a regular backyard visitor is the hummingbird. The Anna’s and Rufous are the most commonly seen in this area, with the Costa’s and Black-chinned hummingbirds only rarely spotted. As for many birds on the north coast this year, the extended wet spring and especially the delayed bloom timing of many flowers has presented a hurdle to overcome for hummingbirds. Fortunately, the birds do not rely on nectar alone in their diet. Small insects and spiders constitute a fairly significant percentage of hummingbirds’ food; picked from vegetation or captured on the wing.

A warm, buggy summer evening is a great time to view a variety of wildlife, even around urban areas. Swallows will work parks, ponds and yards almost any time of day but activity seems to reach a frenzy as evening looms and the birds return to roost for the night. As street lights come on and the swallows disappear, bats take over. Not usually thought of as “viewable”, they can often be seen working insects drawn to light sources around town or foraging over water. The big brown is probably the most common bat in our area and has a preference for large moths and beetles. Various species of myotis concentrate on smaller prey, most notably mosquitoes. In the hills and over clearcut areas, look for nighthawks right at dusk working high flying insects. Their flight is somewhat bounding and erratic, almost bat-like. They roost nearly invisible on the ground during the day, their coloring blending in well with rocks and ground litter; commonly on unused logging landings and gravel pits. 9/8/10.

Astoria Area

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