Since the Clackamas regs allow bait, some fishers tip the jig with sand shrimp or eggs. For low-water conditions, switch to black or white jigs.

Spinners are accounting for more winter fish on the Clack and elsewhere. The key is to fish them slow and deep. Cast upstream and let the spinner tumble towards the fish, the blade barely turning through the fish-holding water. You want to maximize the time that the spinner stays in front of the fish. So give it a slow retrieve, one clearly at odds with the triple shot of espresso you consumed on the way to the river.

In low water, minimize the amount of flash in the spinner by using a brass blade or even a black one. The deeper runs call for more flash and deep runs. Dark water requires even more flash, like a polished silver blade. Under normal conditions, red, orange and pink blades predominate.

Whatever your gear selection, note a consistency of color under certain water conditions. Low water calls for dark color and minimal flash. Normal water means red, pink or orange. Dark water needs flash to gain the attention of the fish.

The Clackamas produces high-quality winter steelhead fishing for months on end. Sure, it is an urban river. Sure, it can get crowded. But it all happens within 40 minutes of Oregon's most populous city, providing you with a steelheading fix on short notice.