From Sportfishing
Fish Report for 9-21-2022
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Grande Ronde River opens for coho salmon harvest on Sept. 24
9-21-2022
OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
ENTERPRISE, Ore. – Starting on Sept. 24, anglers will be able to harvest coho salmon in the Grande Ronde River for the third time since they were reintroduced in 2017.
Coho returns to the Snake River basin have increased over the last three years with the 2021 return being the highest ever. “The 2022 return is looking to be similar to last year,” said Kyle Bratcher, District Fish Biologist. “We’re excited that more folks are taking an interest in this fishery and that we can provide this opportunity,” Bratcher added.
Coho salmon were reintroduced to provide for harvest in both treaty and non-treaty fisheries and to restore ecological function lost in their absence. Coho were extirpated in the early 1900s with multiple reintroduction efforts attempted up until the 1970s. Current pilot reintroduction efforts are aimed at assessing the success of reintroduction, using a lower Columbia River stock, prior to potential development of a localized hatchery stock.
While the fishery is opening on Sept. 24, there likely will not be a lot of fish in the Grande Ronde River for another week or two. Coho are just starting to cross the Lower Granite Dam and need time to make their way upriver to the Oregon section. During the past two years, catch rates have been very low with anglers primarily targeting steelhead and catching an occasional coho.
“I suspect that because anglers are focused on steelhead, we haven’t seen great fishing for coho,” said Bratcher. “I do think that once anglers start targeting them and figure out their habits, we’ll see catch rates increase,” he added.
This year’s fishery has been extended to include the roadless section from the Wildcat Bridge up to the mouth of the Wallowa River. With two years of fisheries in the books, managers can lean on lessons learned and have extended the fishery knowing it presents a very low risk of over harvest.
The regulations for the coho fishery on the Grande Ronde River will be as follows:
- Dates Open: Sept. 24 through Nov. 30, 2022, or until further notice.
- Open Area: The Grande Ronde River from the Oregon-Washington border upstream to the Wallowa River confluence.
- Bag Limits: For adult coho salmon (>20 inches) the bag limit will be two (2). For Jack coho salmon (≤ 20 inches) the bag limit will be five (5) with two daily limits in possession.
In addition to a strong coho return, Bratcher says that fall Chinook salmon and bull trout are also encountered on an annual basis during the Grande Ronde steelhead fishery. “Having the diversity on the Grande Ronde is great and makes for a more interesting time on the water,” said Bratcher. He added that “Anglers should brush up on species identification to stay out of trouble when harvesting steelhead and coho.”
Anglers should regularly check for updates to emergency regulations prior to fishing as they may change on short notice. All other Oregon sport fishing regulations remain in effect.
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OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, September 21st, 2022![](http://media.fishreports.com/logos/ODFW_logo_color.png)
Thief Valley Reservoir: Fishing will likely be difficult at lower reservoir levels
Unity Reservoir: Dropping throughout the summer and is about 1/4 full
Ben Irving Reservoir: Trout fishing should picking up
Cooper Creek Reservoir: Anglers still seem to be doing well on bass
Diamond Lake: Many anglers were finding success with brown trout on the South End
Fish Lake : Fish Lake is filling with the input of various springs and is now at 15 percent full
Galesville Reservoir: No recent reports from anglers fishing Galesville
Howard Prairie Reservoir: Howard Prairie is down to 6 percent full at the end of irrigation season
Plat I Reservoir: Fishing at Plat I should be pretty good for bass
Rogue River- Lower: Boat anglers are catching a mix of fall Chinook and coho in the estuary
Rogue River - Middle: The bulk of Chinook seem to be below the Grants Pass are
Rogue River- Upper (Above Lost Creek): Reservoir releases have dropped to their typical September levels
Tenmile Lakes: Tenmile Lakes Fishing Report
Umpqua River: Chinook fishing has been moderate this summer
North Umpqua River: Summer steelhead fishing will pick up with recent rains
South Umpqua River : Closed Through November 30th
Necanicum River: Fall Chinook will start to show up in the Necanicum River
Nehalem River: Fall Chinook fishing has slowed on Nehalem Bay
Nestucca River: Fall Chinook fishing is picking up a little in Nestucca Bay
Salmon River: Fall Chinook fishing is starting to pick up on the Salmon River
Siletz River: Fall Chinook fishing continues to be good on the Siletz
Siltcoos Lake: Warmwater fishing for bass and panfish is still good
Wilson River: Summer steelhead are still available to catch in the Wilson River
Yaquina River: Fall Chinook fishing and coho fishing has been steady
Detroit Reservoir: The reservoir’s water elevation is dropping slowly
Santiam River ( North Fork) Above Detroit Lake: Flows are currently around 510 cfs
Lake Billy Chinook: Anglers report good kokanee fishing
Wickiup Reservoir: The reservoir is very low at 6 percent
Wallowa River: Recently trout fishing has been very good
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