GO WITH THE FLOW FOR WILLAMETTE ’BOWS

Fat rainbows are on the docket in the Willamette Zone this month and next, a time of year that combines good trout fishing opportunities on rivers and lakes alike, and for keepers and catch-and-release fun. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

Go With The Flow

Whether it’s rainbows and cutts in riffles or stockers in stillwaters, the southern Willamette Valley has trout options for you.

By Troy Rodakowski

It’s those first warm days of the year that get me thinking about hungry trout in the Willamette Valley. Having grown up here, I have found that fishing for spring trout is very tough to beat. It’s those first hatches of March browns that get me excited, as ravenous fish slurp the flies off the valley waters. Normally, we do a couple early March and April floats down select rivers for hungry ’bows and cutts.

Living in the valley my entire life, I have found that it’s not hard to find a few places to wet a line during the spring and find success. It’s just a matter of timing. As long as the rivers stay at fishable levels, you’ll always find trout that are hungry following the long winter. The bonus is that there are also several stillwaters that are annually stocked with fish. I like to take my young daughter and friends to a few of these small lakes and ponds for some stockers every spring. This year the waters have been slower to warm, so good fishing should extend well into early summer.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has an extensive stocking schedule throughout the spring and

Drift boats will help you access good water on the region’s flowing waters, and they can also do double duty on stillwaters with launch facilities. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

summer months that provide fresh fish for anglers looking to wet a line or two. I like to keep an eye on the calendar and coordinate fishing days with decent weather conditions. I also like to try and miss the main crowds by doing a few weekday trips. ODFW’s website (myodfw.com) provides a good overview of Northwest Region opportunities. You can select a specific body of water or search the entire region. Just know that the stocking schedule is a schedule and it may change due to water or other conditions, or logistical issues, the agency advises.

PLACES TO GO

I like to focus on the Willamette River and its tributaries. The McKenzie and Santiam systems have excellent places to pull over, including county parks and waysides, to access the water. Many folks use kayaks, rafts and other small watercraft to access islands or sections of river that are tough to walk or wade.

On the stillwater side, places that are always good bets and are regularly stocked include Dorena Reservoir, Alton Baker Canal, Junction City Pond, Waverly Lake, Timber Linn Lake, St. Louis Pond, Cottage Grove Pond, Cottage Grove Reservoir, Hills Creek Reservoir, Foster Reservoir and Walling Pond. All of these bodies of water are found in the Central or South Willamette zones and are no more than a couple hours apart. Most of these places also have great parking and access for both bank and boat anglers.

WHEN TO GO

Of course, planning a trip not too long after a fresh dump of fish is a good idea and will likely produce the best results. I also like to fish right before a rainstorm or shortly after a system moves through. The stocker fish seem to go on the bite better during those timeframes.

Last year, a good buddy and I and our kids went down to the Junction City Pond just before a good rain (it started in while we were there). The fish were all over the green garlic dough bait. We floated it just off bottom and the kids had a blast catching their limits. We were pretty soaked by the time we left, but it didn’t matter.

A few days after the storm passed, I found myself loading up the drifter with coolers, as we planned to float the Willamette from Belt Line to Harrisburg. Luckily the trout were hungry for our flies. We had great success swinging March browns, as well as mayfly imitations coupled with Prince Nymph and Copper John droppers. Our crew landed rainbows and cutthroats ranging in size from

Reese Rodakowski, the author’s daughter, shows off her nice trout from a recent trip in the

valley. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

10 to 17 inches, all of which were released unharmed. Indeed, some of the best trout waters in the country can be found from the McKenzie to the Willamette, with both of these rivers attracting anglers from around the globe.

MATCH THE HATCH

Hatches are abundant from April through June, and the best information can be found at local fly shops such as Home Waters Fly Shop (homewatersflyfishing. com; 541-342-6691) and Caddis Fly Angling Shop (caddisflyshop.com; 541-342-7005) in Eugene; both are great places to check with before hitting the water. I suggest serious fly fishermen hire a guide, especially if you only have a handful of days to fish. Helfrich River Outfitters (helfrichoutfitter.com) is one of the best around and offers catch-andrelease trips, as well as options to keep hatchery trout and cook them over a fire on the bank. The fishing and scenery are second to none, despite September 2020’s Holiday Farm Fire. Of course, there are also good wading and bank opportunities on the McKenzie at most of the parks and boat landings along Highway 126 through Springfield up to Blue River.

Now is a great time to pack a picnic, load the coolers and take the family or friends out for a day of fishing. Plus, with soaring gas prices these days, most of us are trying to get the biggest bang for our buck. I advise taking a diverse tackle box and fly selection along since the first choice isn’t always where you will end up.

Keeping an eye on the water levels and weather is also very important if you want to put some fish in the cooler, and checking theguidesforecast.com can be quite beneficial. Central and south Willamette Valley waters have a lot to offer and most of the good fishing from Salem to Eugene is less than a couple hours drive from home. NS

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