NORTHWEST OREGON
Last year was a low water year for most Oregon rivers. Steelheaders waited for the rains that didn't show up until mid-March. When the native fish arrived, they came in fast and as huge pods of fish moving through the river after many anglers had given up. With steelhead, timing is everything.

One of the smallest of the rivers on the Oregon coast on which you can run a drift boat, the Necanicum is also the first to clear after a pounding rain. Early in the season, this one's a good choice for hatchery steelhead. Expect natives to start showing up on the high water we hope to get in February.

When you plan your trip to the Oregon coast in December and January you must consider the Wilson River. Go prepared to fish high and muddy, or low and clear. In high water, look for softer currents and fish along the edges of the stream or downstream from small tributaries. In lower water, fish the faster, deeper chutes.

The lower river is best fished from a boat. Lob fresh eggs or sand shrimp to target the early-returning hatchery fish. In higher water, anchor mid-stream and cast to shore, bouncing baits in deeper slots along the bank. When the native fish and hatchery brood stock show up later in the month, switch to Hot Shots or Wiggle Warts.

Steelhead can be found in the Nehalem from December through April, but since this is primarily a wild fish river, your best bet would be between February and March. Time your drift for a day when the water is dropping after a rain.

SOUTHWEST OREGON
Because of the low water conditions, steelheaders had fewer choices last season. In southwest Oregon, the mainstem Umpqua was the logical option.

According to Gary Lewis of Gary's Guide Service (541-672-2460), the mainstem Umpqua was the place to be. "We had good water conditions for the mainstem Umpqua because the water was so low. This just happened to be the year when (the ODFW) decided to let people keep native fish in the main Umpqua and the steelhead just got clobbered because all the guides in southern Oregon were fishing the main, because it was the only water that was worth fishing. I think a lot of native stock disappeared because of that."

This season, like every other, we'll be watching the skies for the rain to fill our rivers with water and steelhead. In late November the first winter steelhead will begin showing up in the main Umpqua. By late December, there'll be hatchery fish in the South Umpqua. Because there's no hatchery run in the North Fork, wait until mid-January to hit that river for native steelhead.

Lewis recommends checking http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt online to find out what shape the river is in. "You've got to catch the mainstem at the right height to catch fish," Lewis recommends. "I don't like to fish the main unless it's about 5.6 or lower at Elkton. Anything higher than that and you won't do quite as well because there's so much water."

Head to the Coquille in December. A hatch box program there sustains a bountiful harvest on this river despite low water conditions in some years.

You'll want to hit the Sixes sometime between mid-January and the end of the season to tie into a big native. The Elk River's hatchery program keeps things interesting from December on.

Last year, steelheaders who switched to summer-run tactics on the Rogue caught more fish in the low flows than anglers using traditional winter-run gear. This year, look for winter-run steelhead to show up around Agness in December. By January, there'll be plenty of fish in the Shady Cove area.