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Recreation Report for Jan. 3
From Staff Reports
Sunday, January 04, 2009 | No comments posted.
FISHING
MID-COAST LAKES: No reports
SMITH RIVER: Open for adipose-fin-clipped steelhead from mouth to Sisters Creek and North Fork from mouth upstream to Bridge 10.
WINCHESTER BAY: Fishing is picking up a little for sturgeon. Crabbing has been good.
UMPQUA RIVER MAINSTEM: Winter steelhead can be found throughout the Umpqua River. Plunking will be the best bet when the high waters recede.
TENMILE BASIN: There have been a few reports of steelhead being caught in Tenmile Creek. The creek is high with all the recent rain and snow melt but is still fishable.
DIAMOND LAKE: Closed to fishing until April 25.
COOS COUNTY LAKES: No reports.
COOS RIVER BASIN: There have been a few reports of winter steelhead being caught in the South Fork Coos River along with the West and East Fork Millicoma rivers. The majority of the steelhead caught are wild fish and must be released.
Crabbing in Coos Bay is still decent, but it may take longer to get a limit.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: With all the recent rain, rivers in the Coos basin are high and muddy. With a chance of rain forecasted through the first week of January, these rivers may stay high and unfishable for a while. The West Fork Millicoma River will be the first river to drop and become fishable. Before all the recent rain there were quite a few wild steelhead caught throughout the basin. All wild fish must be released.
BEN IRVING RESERVOIR: No reports.
ELK/SIXES RIVERS: Anglers are starting to turn their attention to steelhead in the Sixes and Elk Rivers. Anglers can call Elk River Hatchery at 332-7025 for the latest river heights and water color.
GARRISON LAKE: Garrison Lake has an excellent winter trout fishery and when local streams are too high and muddy, anglers should give Garrison a try.
LIBBY POND: No reports.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: The river is high and muddy. Anglers should keep an eye on the flows and try to hit the river when flows drop below 12,000 cubic feet per second at Agness. Bank anglers fishing spin-n-glos glows close to the bank will fair the best. As the river cl ears, anglers can start to fish a little farther away from the bank.
SOUTH COAST STREAMS: Trout season in the Umpqua tributaries, Smith River, South Umpqua, North Umpqua tributaries below Soda Springs Reservoir and Cow Creek basins is closed.
PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: No reports.
HUNTING
SOUTHWEST ZONE HUNTING: Waterfowl (see regulations), forest grouse, California and mountain quail, cougar (new tag needed Jan. 1), and crow remain open.
WATERFOWL: Numbers are currently high in Coos Bay and other coastal bays.
FOREST GROUSE: Winter is often considered the best time to hunt for grouse and mountain quail due to the fact that deciduous trees have lost their leaves, increasing visibility for hunters. The best places to look are along closed forest roads and riparian areas.
VIEWING
WHALE WATCHING: Winter whale watching season is in full swing, with the first sightings of the year happening in Depoe Bay Dec. 6. The greatest number of sightings should occur during mid-December to early January.
To spot the winter migration, pick a high perch with visibility a few miles out into the ocean on a clear day.
REGULATIONS
LICENSES: Remember you needed a new license to hunt or fish as of Jan. 1. Game bird validations and tags are good through June 30, but you will need a new tag to hunt cougar as of Jan. 1. Buy licenses and tags online www.dfw.state.or.us/online_license_sales/index.asp.
HUNTER HARVEST REPORTING: Hunter harvest reporting is now mandatory for every big game and fall turkey tag purchased, except bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat. Whether or not you filled your tag, don’t forget to report the results of your hunt at the Web site www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/reporting/index.asp or by calling 1-866-947-ODFW (6339).
———
Information from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
MID-COAST LAKES: No reports
SMITH RIVER: Open for adipose-fin-clipped steelhead from mouth to Sisters Creek and North Fork from mouth upstream to Bridge 10.
WINCHESTER BAY: Fishing is picking up a little for sturgeon. Crabbing has been good.
UMPQUA RIVER MAINSTEM: Winter steelhead can be found throughout the Umpqua River. Plunking will be the best bet when the high waters recede.
TENMILE BASIN: There have been a few reports of steelhead being caught in Tenmile Creek. The creek is high with all the recent rain and snow melt but is still fishable.
DIAMOND LAKE: Closed to fishing until April 25.
COOS COUNTY LAKES: No reports.
COOS RIVER BASIN: There have been a few reports of winter steelhead being caught in the South Fork Coos River along with the West and East Fork Millicoma rivers. The majority of the steelhead caught are wild fish and must be released.
Crabbing in Coos Bay is still decent, but it may take longer to get a limit.
COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: With all the recent rain, rivers in the Coos basin are high and muddy. With a chance of rain forecasted through the first week of January, these rivers may stay high and unfishable for a while. The West Fork Millicoma River will be the first river to drop and become fishable. Before all the recent rain there were quite a few wild steelhead caught throughout the basin. All wild fish must be released.
BEN IRVING RESERVOIR: No reports.
ELK/SIXES RIVERS: Anglers are starting to turn their attention to steelhead in the Sixes and Elk Rivers. Anglers can call Elk River Hatchery at 332-7025 for the latest river heights and water color.
GARRISON LAKE: Garrison Lake has an excellent winter trout fishery and when local streams are too high and muddy, anglers should give Garrison a try.
LIBBY POND: No reports.
ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: The river is high and muddy. Anglers should keep an eye on the flows and try to hit the river when flows drop below 12,000 cubic feet per second at Agness. Bank anglers fishing spin-n-glos glows close to the bank will fair the best. As the river cl ears, anglers can start to fish a little farther away from the bank.
SOUTH COAST STREAMS: Trout season in the Umpqua tributaries, Smith River, South Umpqua, North Umpqua tributaries below Soda Springs Reservoir and Cow Creek basins is closed.
PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: No reports.
HUNTING
SOUTHWEST ZONE HUNTING: Waterfowl (see regulations), forest grouse, California and mountain quail, cougar (new tag needed Jan. 1), and crow remain open.
WATERFOWL: Numbers are currently high in Coos Bay and other coastal bays.
FOREST GROUSE: Winter is often considered the best time to hunt for grouse and mountain quail due to the fact that deciduous trees have lost their leaves, increasing visibility for hunters. The best places to look are along closed forest roads and riparian areas.
VIEWING
WHALE WATCHING: Winter whale watching season is in full swing, with the first sightings of the year happening in Depoe Bay Dec. 6. The greatest number of sightings should occur during mid-December to early January.
To spot the winter migration, pick a high perch with visibility a few miles out into the ocean on a clear day.
REGULATIONS
LICENSES: Remember you needed a new license to hunt or fish as of Jan. 1. Game bird validations and tags are good through June 30, but you will need a new tag to hunt cougar as of Jan. 1. Buy licenses and tags online www.dfw.state.or.us/online_license_sales/index.asp.
HUNTER HARVEST REPORTING: Hunter harvest reporting is now mandatory for every big game and fall turkey tag purchased, except bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat. Whether or not you filled your tag, don’t forget to report the results of your hunt at the Web site www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/reporting/index.asp or by calling 1-866-947-ODFW (6339).
———
Information from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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