Fishing Outlook

18 Fishing outlook

Where to find the best fishing spots around Cottage Grove and South Lane

Umpqua River

Now that the water is warming up, the opportunities for catching good numbers of shad and smallmouth bass are increasing. Shad fishing is usually productive through Father’s Day and smallmouth bass fishing using a variety of lures should be good throughout the summer months. As of May 10, Spring Chinook were reported being caught in the Scottsburg to Elkton area on a regular basis, and as water temperatures approach the mid 50s, fishing should improve.

Coast Fork

The Coast Fork Willamette River was recently stocked with a total of 1000 hatchery trout. Bait use is allowed through Oct. 31. Trout are released into the river at several locations near town. In addition to 5 hatchery trout, two wild trout may be kept daily.

Cottage Grove Pond

Cottage Grove Pond in the Row River Nature Park was stocked with 2,000 fish in early April. To access this family-friendly fishery, travel east from Cottage Grove on Row River Road. Only the pond with the dock is stocked with hatchery trout. This pond also offers wildlife viewing opportunities and is open to fishing all year.

CG and Dorena Reservoir

Cottage Grove Reservoir was last stocked in mid-April with 4,250 rainbow trout. This will be the last stocking until October. The reservoir is south of Cottage Grove and is open to fishing all year. Dorena Reservoir was stocked in late April with 6000 rainbow trout. The reservoir is east of Cottage Grove on Row River Road and is open to fishing all year. Both Baker Bay and Harms Park boat ramps are accessible at current reservoir levels. Suggested tactics for those seeking to land trout includes trolling spinners in the lakes, though bank fishing from shore on area lakes and streams with Berkley Powerbait or nightcrawlers also works well. The reservoir also offers terrific bird-watching opportunities, with bald eagles, various ducks, red-winged blackbirds, and other migratory songbirds frequently observed in spring. Dorena Reservoir will be stocked next in mid-October.

McKenzie River

The McKenzie River below Leaburg Lake will be boat stocked from Leaburg Landing to Hendricks Bridge with a total of 6,000 hatchery trout, including 1,750 larger trout. All non-adipose fin-clipped trout must be released unharmed. Leaburg Dam is scheduled to remain open without restrictions to vehicular and pedestrian traffic until construction work on the dam resumes in June 2017. This river reach is open to retention of adipose fin-clipped steelhead and non-adipose fin-clipped steelhead greater than 24 inches in length. Gear is restricted to flies and lures, except bait use is allowed upstream of Hendricks Bridge through the end of the year. The McKenzie River above Leaburg Lake is stocked with hatchery trout from Finn Rock to Goodpasture Landing, with some summer releases from Forest Glen boat landing, from late April through mid-September. The upper McKenzie River was boat stocked from Finn Rock to Goodpasture Bridge the week of April 25 with a total of 9,250 fish. The upper McKenzie River will be truck stocked at the boat landings from Finn Rock downstream to Ben and Kay Dorris Wayside this week with a total of 1,250 fish.