Find out what the water level is before you head to the river. It may be 125 years old, but the .30-30 Winchester retains its status thanks to modern loads. Counts are updated by the Corps of Engineers weekly. Subscriber Services. Drive to Gresham, Ore., bear southeast with the highway and drive towards the town of Sandy. Just a stone's throw from metropolitan areas, Sandy River is an amazing place to fish for winter steelhead. Read about area communities including Cedar Flat, Walterville, Camp Creek, Leaburg, Vida, Nimrod, Finn Rock, Blue River, Rainbow and McKenzie Bridge. Previously, the trout had been produced at the Leaburg Hatchery on the McKenzie River in Oregon. o2fish Guide Service Specializing on Fishing the McKenzie River, Umpqua River Fishing, and Fishing Oregon's coastal rivers. Do your fishing above each tail-out and eddy so that there is a significant swing in the drift of the spinners as they get closer to the hold. Just about every mile between Sandy and the city, the entire river has points where you'll find great fishing on both sides. Steelhead can be found throughout Oregon year round but the most popular seasons are Winter and Summer. Summer Steelhead. Bowhunter Editor Curt Wells had an exciting visit with Mark Hayes, design engineer for Mathews, as the pair looked at the new V3 27 and V3 31 bows. Before heading out, log onto the U.S. Geological Survey site to find out what the river conditions are. Local guides cater to more than just fishing this pristine area. Wrap the fish with foil. Some anglers fish exclusively by this cool trick because it works. Fish populations include wild and hatchery trout, spring chinook and summer steelhead, sturgeon, sculpin, lamprey, whitefish and more. This is commonly called "combat fishing.". After you're fishing the clear water for a few minutes, winter steelies will let you know how good each presentation is. The popularity of the area provides opportunities to hook into the fish of a lifetime. Fishing Oregon's McKenzie River. Reply. They enter the Willamette River system, including the McKenzie River and Santiam River, in April. Don't forget to Like and … The highest catch rates on the river occur in the section below Leaburg Dam, where many of the fish linger and the annual catch can run into the low thousands. Counts are updated by the Corps of Engineers weekly. The single best way to fish is to drift it or get a guide. The river's width and speed often change. With a sinking leader and tippet, you can easily get down to holding fish. We work to reduce waste, conserve energy and water, and to recycle. Many area guides work the McKenzie in one of these time-tested boats. Fish populations include wild and hatchery trout, spring chinook and summer steelhead, sturgeon, sculpin, lamprey, whitefish and more. Follow it to SE Jackson Park Road. McKenzie River: All hatchery rainbow trout released into the McKenzie River are marked with an adipose fin clip and anglers must release all non fin-clipped (wild) trout in the mainstem river. Most of the trails parallel the river, and the best holds often run deep against fallen logs and branches that hang over the water. But I was hoping to get some info on what time of the year would be best to start fishing for steelhead and salmon on the McKenzie. MCKENZIE RIVER below Leaburg Lake (R1): trout, salmon, steelhead Stocking of the lower McKenzie will resume in the spring. More conventional fishermen fish the north side, which is highly recommended if you are interested in ease and comfort. The beautiful McKenzie River Valley is a 68 mile long corridor stretching between Sisters on the east and Springfield on the west. Jigs with large profiles will get strikes from lethargic steelhead, no matter how turbid or clear the water is. Further, I will arbitrarily define “summer” (loosely the migration of summer-run steelhead in the Pacific Northwest) as the late fall through early spring time frame. Share this article. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Meandering to the west to the confluence of the Willamette River, the McKenzie has one of the best runs of steelhead and trout the area has to offer. Environmental and social responsibility are core values of MacKenzie River. The summer run starts in late spring, with the last Steelhead hanging around until fall. wow nice stuff bro. These fish average 7-10 lbs., are mint bright, agressive biters, and fight like crazy. MCKENZIE RIVER below Leaburg Lake (R1): The Leaburg Dam fish counts are a great spring salmon and summer steelhead resource, and information is back online. If fly-fishing is your game, then this river is for you. It is good fishing nearly all summer long. Famous fly fishing for wild trout, loaded with stocked rainbows and seasonal runs of summer steelhead and spring Chinook salmon close to Eugene - … Flyfishermen who enjoy the challenge of nature will love drifting this system. Most of the time, this river runs silty, with near zero visibility. South Santiam River South Santiam River. Jim Mayol. The summer run, May through November and the winter run December through April. MCKENZIE RIVER, LANE COUNTY. The best scents to use are gels because they stick fast but come off easily with warm water and soap. Not so in winter. Today drift boats are used all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond. annual hatchery summer steelhead run of 2,000 to 3,000 adult fish that have spend two years in the ocean usually weight about 7 to 9 pounds. 410 east to Highway 162. If you end up fishing the river when it's turbid, take the time to cast out at 1-foot intervals, and then make subsequent casts the width of the river before moving on to the next hold. Remember. The Leaburg Dam fish counts are a great spring salmon and summer steelhead resource, and information is back online. Jay: If I swing a 4 or 5-inch intruder over a fresh pod of winter steelhead and I’m the first rod in the run, I’m probably going to get bit.. Comments are closed. If and when the river blows out, don't hang up your rod. It takes only a few hours for a sudden cold front to move in. by admin. You can fish for: Fall Chinook Salmon enter the river when the fall rains come. Meandering to the west to the confluence of the Willamette River, the McKenzie has one of the best runs of steelhead and trout the area has to offer. Strong steelies on these four great Pacific northwest Rivers, shake well open. Call state fisheries enforcement if you are on the Salmon established a summer of. Columbia River Highway and turn left head with a sinking leader and tippet, you can fish for and... Archery 's newest bows - Redemption EKO and Legit RTH - are light adjustable. 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