Best bets for weekend fishing

It’s summer and fishing should be on your agenda. Here are just a few of your options:

• Jump on a charter for ocean salmon, halibut, tuna or bottomfish. The Marine Zone fishing report can help you decide.
• Sea-run cutthroat have left the bays and estuaries and moved into the coastal river systems. Here are some tips for catchingthese feisty fighters.
• Early morning negative tides this weekend should be great for bay clamming. Listen to an ODFW shellfish biologist describe the types of clams and tips for digging them.
• Fishing for bass and other warmwater species is a great option when higher water temperatures make trout reluctant to bite. There are a ton of options in the zone reports.
• Anglers are still catching spring Chinook in the Rogue, Clackamas, Sandy, Willamette and McKenzie. They’re also starting to catch “summer” Chinook, an early component of the fall run, in Nehalem Bay.
• Trout are still biting in higher elevation lakes and reservoirs where water temperatures have stayed cooler. 

As usual, you’ll find more details in the zone reports.

Tips for fishing in summer heat

As summer temperatures start heating up, fish start feeling it. Give them a break by following these tips:

• Fish where water stays cooler.
• Find cold water refuges.
• Fish early in the day.
• Land fish quickly.
• Check before your go.

Learn more about fishing in summer heat.

Already thinking about fall hunting?

It’s not too early to check out our hunter’s checklist to see what you can be doing now to get ready for the season.

Watch for blue-green algae alerts

Warm water temperatures in still or slow-moving water can trigger harmful blue-green algae blooms. Bookmark this page for the list of current advisories throughout the season. Learn how to fish safely in these conditions.