Idaho Fish Report

Several popular fisheries close Oct. 31

This is the last weekend to fish several popular fisheries before they close for the season. These include: all cutthroat fishing in coastal rivers and streams, Pacific halibut, Laurance Lake, Crane Prairie, Odell Lake, Wickiup Reservoir and the Metolius River above Allingham Bridge. These closures are to protect migrating salmon/steelhead smolts, and/or sensitive native species like bull trout. Check the regulations for more closures.

Early season duck hunting

Early season duck hunts usually call for slightly different tactics for resident birds. Here are some tips to help you harvest more birds. And if you hunt Sauvie Island near Portland, here are some strategies to improve your chances in the draw.

Best bets for weekend fishing

For anglers with good rain gear, fall can offer some of the best fishing of the year.

• With the start of fall rains, look for coho and Chinook to start inching their way up rivers throughout the NW, SW, Willamette and NE zones. More rain this week should put even more fish on the move.
• Fall can be a special time for trout anglers. Trout are feeding aggressively trying to bulk up for the winter, and snow hasn’t yet limited access. Look for good trout fishing in:
  • Locations that were heavily stocked this spring and summer. A lot of those fish will still be around.
  • Rivers like the Deschutes, McKenzie, Fall, Chewaucan, Williamson, Sprague, Grande Ronde, Umatilla and Wallowa.
  • High elevation hike-in lakes, which will offer good fishing until the snows start to limit access.
  • Recently stocked locations in the Willamette and SW zones.
• And for something different there’s striped bass in the Smith River, yellow perch in several locations in the Klamath District, and kokanee in the Metolius Arm of Lake Billy Chinook (last weekend!).