Idaho Fish Report

Summer steelhead fishing on the Umatilla River is now closed and will reopen Sept. 1.

The Umatilla River is considered from the Hwy 730 bridge and upstream, the section below that is considered the Columbia River and is currently closed. The spring Chinook season from Hwy 730 bridge to Three Mile Falls Dam is closed, and from TMFD to the Umatilla Indian Reservation Boundary is open until June 30. A total of 3,577 spring Chinook have been counted at TMFD so far this run year, with the run really winding down over the past week. Fishing has been slow this year due to high water, but lots of fish have returned.

The flows in the Umatilla come down significantly in the past week. Fish are still returning to the system and all fish are still being passed at TMFD. Most anglers use egg set up with a slinky weigh bounced off the bottom or a some have found success with spinners with water temperatures being relatively cold. Fish are being caught throughout the system, however due to clarity the fishing has been better near Pendleton.      

Trout fishing on the Umatilla River, and its tributaries, is currently open and will remain open until Oct. 31. Trout fishing can be good in the upper headwaters of the Umatilla, bull trout are not to be targeted and if caught released unharmed. Bass and other warmwater species remain open all year.