Photo by Dave Vedder

By Scott Staats

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife predicts a strong spring chinook salmon run for most of the state's rivers. "I don't think there's going to be a bad run of springers anywhere in the state," said Steve King, statewide salmon fishery manager with ODFW. With near-record runs the last few years, this spring promises not to disappoint anglers.

Lance Fisher, who guides on the Willamette, Clackamas and Columbia rivers, said salmon fishing in the Willamette basin could start as early as March and last through June. By the first of May, fish are spread throughout the entire river system, including up tributaries such as the Clackamas and McKenzie rivers.

Fisher targets the Willamette up to the Oregon City Falls through May. Even in July, he's caught salmon by casting spinners near the falls. Depending on where fish are piling up, he'll fish the Willamette and the Clackamas even on the same day.

Fisher prefers using herring from Milwaukie downriver. "When fish start pushing up into the Oregon City area, I like to back-troll Kwikfish (K-15 in chartreuse) or back-bounce eggs," he said. He uses well over 100 pounds of eggs each year but said people catch fish on just about every method available.

Earlier in the season, sand shrimp work well while plugs are more effective later in the run. The river is open for salmon fishing the entire year. It may take four or five days from the time the fish go over the falls until they reach the mouth of the Santiam River.

"Last year we had a run of somewhere over 100,000 fish, with the bulk of them being hatchery fish," Fisher said. "Everyone seems positive about this upcoming spinger run."

When the river blows out and gets muddy, Fisher will head for the Columbia and fish between Bonneville Dam and Government Island.

He uses two methods of herring fishing on the Willamette. The first is bouncing herring along the ledges and humps. The other method is a deep-water troll, using lead or delta divers to reach 25 to 60 feet down. Depending on water temperature, the fish will often run from 12 to 25 feet down. Fisher uses only high-quality plug-cut herring.

"You need a very sharp hook for these fish," he said. "Salmon on the Willamette are not eating herring like they would down in Tillamook where they gobble it up. Most of these hookups are drive-bys." Using a heavier hook doesn't get the penetration when the fish hits. He uses a Mustad Ultra Point hook in size 6/0.

He suggests 30-pound-test line and keeping light drag on the reels so when a fish grabs the herring they don't feel the rod right away. His average catch runs about 17 pounds with some over 30 pounds, he said.

Oregon City offers some good bank fishing opportunity. Anglers have luck above and below the mouth of the Clackamas River as well as Clackamette Park. Bank fishing is also available at Meldrum Bar. Anglers stick with Spin-N-Glos, prawns and spinners in these areas.

The run should last through May, King said. Springers range in size from 8 to 25 pounds. He said there are always several fish over 30 but it's rare to see fish over 40 pounds. The state record spring chinook came from the lower Clackamas, a tributary to the Willamette. It weighed a whopping 56 pounds.

King wants to remind anglers that the wild Willamette spring chinook must be carefully released unharmed since they are listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Once the fish start coming over Bonneville Dam, Houle said he then determines where and how to start fishing for the chinook. Drano Lake is another good spot in May. Wiggle Warts, plug-cut herring, shrimp and spinners are the popular methods.

There is excellent fishing from Bonneville Dam downriver to the Astoria bridge, especially at the mouths of the Willamette, Cowlitz, Lewis and Kalama rivers. Just about any method will catch fish, including Kwikfish with a sardine wrap or a dose of Smelly Jelly, plug-cut herring, plunking Spin-N-Glos and casting spinners.

King said he anticipates another strong Columbia River springer run this year, with numbers reaching over 300,000 fish. The largest recorded run in recent years occurred in 2002 with a return of 417,000 fish. In 2003, numbers reached 208,000. King said this year's run will be dominated by 4-year-old fish that will weigh between 8 and 15 pounds. On average, Columbia River springers run a little smaller than Willamette fish, he added, although there will be 5-year old fish in the 20- to 30-pound range.

The run should last through May on most of the river. Fish passing through Bonneville Dam after June 1 are considered summer chinook. The peak of the Columbia springer run at Bonneville is around the end of April and the beginning of May. In an average year, 70 percent of the salmon are over the dam by May 1.

Spring chinook fishing in the lower Columbia River below Bonneville Dam is prone to emergency closures due to the run size. It's best to check out the state's Web site, www.dfw.state.or.us, for any closure information and season dates.

He also uses an in-line spreader with a 3-ounce lead on a 12- to 18-inch drop. This is fished with about 25 to 40 feet of line out the back of the boat. Place about a three-foot leader on the rig from the spreader.

A Rogue River Bait Rig consists of a slide hook tied to a leader that has a loop on the end to attach a treble hook. An anchovy is then attached to this setup. Five- to 6-inch anchovies work best, keeping a bend in them so they roll and attract the salmon. The store has this rig and everything else anglers need to fish the river. They also have up-to-the-minute fishing reports on what's working and where the fish are in the river. Last year the run went from March to end of June and overlapped with the fall run, Ellingson said.

He prefers anchoring in the holes and slots downstream of Agness, although the river is fishable from the mouth all the way up to Lost Creek Reservoir. Last year's average catch ran between 20 and 30 pounds, he said. Jet sleds and propeller-driven boats are the preferred transport.

Bouncing eggs through riffles and down into holes is another successful method as well as using plugs. Bank fishing opportunities are available for those without a boat. Early in the run, bank anglers actually do better than boaters since the fish run in shallower water closer to the bank at that time. Ellingson's advice is to target the outside bends on the bars.

Anglers need to keep an eye out upriver while fishing in the spring since lots of debris is coming down from the winter runoff. Fast current and boils have upset many boats and there are a few fatalities each year. "I highly recommend fishing with a guide initially in order to learn the river and how to fish it," Ellingson said. The store has a list of recommended guides.

Once fish start coming into the lower river, they usually can be found in the upper reaches about three weeks later. By May, the fish should be spread throughout the entire river system.