Enjoy the spring weather and do some fishing this weekend

MALHEUR COUNTY – With clear skies in the forecast, this might be a great weekend to head out and do some fishing.  In a Recreation Report by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the following areas are “best bets for weekend fishing”

·       Lakes and ponds on the north and mid-coast have been stocked and fishing has been good!

  • Galesville Reservoir would be a good bet as there should be lots of bass and trout ready to bite.
  • Surfperch anglers have been doing well catching good size red-tail surfperch along beaches near the mouths of rivers and bays.

·       Anglers have been catching striped bass in the Coquille and Smith rivers.

·       Even with low water conditions, boat and bank anglers have been regularly picking up spring Chinook on the lower Rogue.

·       Thief Valley Reservoir has a good number of holdover rainbow trout, producing fish in excess of 20 inches on occasion.

  • Trout fishing has been good on Malheur Reservoir.
  • Fishing has been great for black crappie in Owyhee Reservoir – check out the upper reservoir near Leslie Gulch – and Pole Creek Reservoir.
  • The Chewaucan River and Deep Creek are beginning to rise with snow melting in the upper reaches. The Chewaucan River will have more moderate flows this spring due to very little snow in the uplands. The use of lures and flies are very effective at bringing trout to hand.
  • Spring fishing on the Blitzen River can be great, even during spring runoff.

·       Anglers have been catching ocean Chinook, with the best success among anglers launching from Newport and Depoe Bay.