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May 20, 2025
LA GRANDE, Ore. – Lookingglass Creek, a tributary to the Grande Ronde River at Palmer Junction, will not be open to fishing for spring Chinook this year.
“This is an important fishery in Union County, and we hoped to have it open for a fourth year in a row,” said Ethan Brandt, ODFW District Fish Biologist in La Grande. “ODFW recognizes the significance of this fishery and has worked to keep it open, but sadly there is just no way to have a fishery this year with the low numbers of returning fish.”
Returns of tagged Lookingglass fish running up the Columbia River are uncharacteristically low. Biologists in Idaho and Oregon are seeing odd numbers in returns where certain stocks, such as Catherine Creek, have return numbers higher than last year but other stocks like Lookingglass Creek have low returns. Biologists are not sure why some creeks are outperforming others in this way. Overall return numbers over Bonneville Dam are higher than the 10-year average, which is muting the poor performance of some of the stocks that historically have had stronger returns.
Brandt is hopeful that next year will be a strong return year that lends to a fishery on Lookingglass Creek.
For the latest on Northeast Oregon and Snake River fishing in-season regulation changes, visit:
Northeast Zone Recreation Report
Snake Zone Recreation Report
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