FOG Northeast Oregon fishing report

Published 1:59 am Monday, September 23, 2019

Effective September 1 through October 31, 2019; the daily bag limit is one hatchery steelhead in the following areas:

The Grande Ronde River upstream to Meadow Creek;

The Imnaha River downstream of Big Sheep Creek;

The Wallowa River from the mouth upstream to Trout Creek;

Big Sheep Creek downstream of Little Sheep Creek;

The Wenaha River downstream of Crooked Creek.

GRANDE RONDE RIVER: trout, whitefish, bass, steelhead

With cooler weather trout fishing has picked up on the Grande Ronde River. Biologists have received recent reports of success with large stonefly patterns.

Steelhead season opened on Sept. 1 with a reduced daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead. Poor returns of steelhead are forecasted for the Snake River Basin prompting managers to reduce bag limits to ensure hatchery production can be met. Managers will continue to evaluate the run and adjust bag limits as necessary.

Remember that fall Chinook, bull trout, and toho will be present in the Grande Ronde throughout the fall. If you encounter these species, they must be released immediately and unharmed.

IMNAHA RIVER: trout, whitefish, bass, steelhead

Steelhead season opened on Sept.1 with a reduced daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead. Poor returns of steelhead are forecasted for the Snake River Basin prompting managers to reduce bag limits to ensure hatchery production can be met. Managers will continue to evaluate the run and adjust bag limits as necessary.

Remember that fall Chinook and bull trout will be present in the Imnaha River throughout the fall. If you encounter these species, they must be released immediately and unharmed.

WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout

Wallowa County ponds on the forest and in the valley have been stocked this year and fishing should be good.

Kinney Lake is fishing well for stocked and holdover trout up to 16-inches.

WALLOWA RIVER: steelhead, mountain whitefish, trout

Trout fishing on the Wallowa River is currently good with fish to 20-inches being reported. Dry flies during the last few hours of daylight have been effective.

Steelhead season opened on Sept.1 with a reduced daily bag limit of one hatchery steelhead. Poor returns of steelhead are forecasted for the Snake River Basin prompting managers to reduce bag limits to ensure hatchery production can be met. Managers will continue to evaluate the run and adjust bag limits as necessary.

While steelhead season is open, it will be later in the fall when fish appear in catchable numbers.

Remember that bull trout and coho will be present in the Wallowa River throughout the fall. If you encounter these species, they must be released immediately and unharmed.

WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout

The crowds have left Wallowa Lake, but trout and kokanee are still available to the determined angler. Expect natural baits to be successful as stocked trout have been in the lake long enough to key in on food items in the lake.