Idaho Fish Report

Coho and Chinook salmon passage is done for the year.

The next big move for the Willamette will be the arrival of winter steelhead, which are just beginning now, with daily crossings in the low single digits, and all of those thus far have been wild fish. Look for those numbers to increase over the next couple of months.

Warmwater fishing remains as a viable option for anglers in the lower Willamette as does catch-and-release white sturgeon fishing, which can be good this time of year.

Farther upstream, the section between Albany and Harrisburg is open year-round for trout fishing, which can be very good when flows are cooperating. Anglers may keep two trout per day.

Hydrological data for the Willamette at Willamette Falls on Dec. 30 showed flows at 11,900 cfs, visibility at 2.5 ft., and a water temperature at 42 degrees.