“4-county ATV, motorcycle theft ring busted - Mercury” plus 2 more |
- 4-county ATV, motorcycle theft ring busted - Mercury
- Oshkosh to supply cameras on military ATVs - CNBC
- Oregon Recreation Report - Albany Democrat-Herald
| 4-county ATV, motorcycle theft ring busted - Mercury Posted: 03 Oct 2009 06:32 AM PDT
PETER DESANTIS MEDIA — Local authorities have busted a theft ring responsible for more than $250,000 in stolen motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from across a four-county area.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Oshkosh to supply cameras on military ATVs - CNBC Posted: 02 Oct 2009 03:52 PM PDT OSHKOSH, Wis. - The defense division of Oshkosh Corp. has received a $33 million award to supply a rear-mounted camera system on more than 2,200 military all-terrain vehicles. The award is from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command. Oshkosh Defense's military ATV program director Ken Juergens says the technology will help the vehicles' crews better survey their surroundings as they navigate Afghanistan's harsh environments. The camera system provides a 40-degree vertical and 54-degree horizontal field of view. It provides visibility through dust, bad weather, and during the day or night. Oshkosh Corp. has about 12,000 employees worldwide. Oshkosh shares rose 21 cents to $29.73 in after-hours trading, following a loss of 59 cents, or nearly 2 percent, to $29.52 in the regular session.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Oregon Recreation Report - Albany Democrat-Herald Posted: 02 Oct 2009 09:25 AM PDT It begins: Rifle deer season opens this Saturday Saturday, Oct. 3 marks the start of buck deer rifle season. See the zone reports or the hunting forecast to find out what to expect. Remember the general tag sale deadline is Oct. 2 and buy your tag online now. The highway in the sky Oregon lies directly under the Pacific Flyway, one of the major bird migration routes in the Americas. Visit regional Recreation Report zones to find good areas to see migrating birds. ODF and Keep Oregon Green asks hunters to follow fire safety restrictions See their news release. Check fire restrictions before you head out; there are current closures in Umpqua, Willamette, Wallowa-Whitman national forests and elsewhere. Visit the InciWeb site for a list of Oregon fires and visit the appropriate U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Dept. of Forestry or other land manager's site for closures and restriction information. Send ODFW your hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing photos Email the photo and a release form to ODFW_Info@state.or.us and you might see yourself on these pages! Please describe where, when the photo was taken. Go bird hunting Forest grouse and Westside Calif. quail are all open. Click the links for how-to's on hunting upland birds and waterfowl, which opens Oct. 10. Crow hunting opens Oct. 1. A great urban fishery: Coho fishing near Portland With the advent of rain and cooler temperatures anglers should expect to see coho salmon numbers increasing in Portland area rivers, including the Sandy, Willamette and Clackamas. Check of the Willamette Zone report for an update. License dollars at work: Studying odd fish More than 50 species of fish use the Umpqua estuary for spawning, rearing, residence or migration. These odd looking, and oddly named fish, can be an important source of food for many popular game fish such as chinook and coho salmon, and striped bass. Read more.
WILLAMETTE ZONE Oregon Department of Forestry Weekend fishing opportunities: • Coho fishing is fair to good on the Sandy River. • Retention sturgeon fishing opens on the Willamette River Oct. 1 and continues through the rest of the year. • 8,000 legal-sized rainbow trout will be planted in Henry Hagg Lake this week. • 5,000 rainbow trout will be planted at Dexter Reservoir this week. EVENTS October 10 - A youth angling event is scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Louis Pond. October 10 - Oregon Bass and Panfish Club fish-in at Henry Hagg Lake, Boat Ramp C, 8 a.m. STOCKING SCHEDULE The schedules are posted at our website. Note the scheduled stocking dates for each pond are set for the Monday of that respective week and may not coincide with the actual stocking date that could occur on any given week day. North Willamette stocking schedule South Willamette stocking schedule ALTON BAKER CANOE CANAL: rainbow trout Stocked recently with larger and trophy-sized rainbow trout. CLACKAMAS RIVER: steelhead, chinook Anglers took advantage of improving water flow and lower temperatures in the Clackamas over the past week to land a few coho, which are now distributed through the system. The low flows continue to impede the movement of coho into the system, however, and these levels are expected to persist until significantly more rainfall arrives. With a gage reading Tuesday of 10.88 ft, water levels are still to low jet sleds to reach the upper stretches but a few drift boats have been spotted between McIver and Barton. Coho can also be found in the lower river with anglers finding some success in Gladstone near the Bowling Alley Hole. The Dahl Park/Blacktop area has seen some action as the coho move upstream and into the Clackamas, but overall the catch has been slow. Under new temporary rules that took effect Sept. 1, anglers are allowed to keep up to three migratory fish per day on the Clackamas. Anglers were already permitted under permanent rules to keep two fin-clipped adult salmon or steelhead in any combination on the Clackamas. The new "bonus bag" rule allows retention of a third fish, as long as it is a hatchery coho, denoted by a clipped adipose fin. Anglers should take note of the deadline below Rivermill Dam and the fish ladder. Angling or even casting above the deadline is in violation of regulations. The Clackamas Hatchery at McIver Park opened the trap in June and has processed over 3,000 spring chinook this season, with spawning activity expected to begin this week. Another new fishing opportunity opened on the Clackamas earlier this year and remains in effect. Under this rule, anglers are allowed to keep up to two fin-clipped fish per day from the mouth of the river upstream to Rivermill Dam and also from the Hwy. 211 Bridge upstream to North Fork Dam. There is no restriction on length as long as the fish are adipose fin-clipped. The bag limit between Rivermill Dam and the Hwy. 211 Bridge (Estacada Lake) is unchanged at 5 fish per day. The fish may be no less than 8 inches long in this area in order to be retained. The Clackamas River upstream of the highway 99 bridge will remain open for spring chinook under permanent rules. Following the recent rains, water flow on the Clackamas increased slightly over the past week to 915 cfs and a gage height of 10.88 as of Tuesday, with water temperature falling 3° to 55°. Bank anglers can find access to the river in the Gladstone/Cross Park area, at Carver near the mouth of Clear Creek, along Clackamas River Rd, at Barton Park, at Bonnie Lure Park, at McIver Park. CANBY POND: trout A youth angling event scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3 has been postponed due to seasonal presence of heavy aquatic vegetation. The event will be re-scheduled when conditions improve. DETROIT LAKE: trout Stocked this week with 5,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. Detroit Reservoir is located 50 miles east of Salem, off Hwy. 22, two miles west of Detroit. The town of Detroit is near the upper (east) end of the lake. DEXTER RESERVOIR: trout Will be stocked this week with 5,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. The reservoir is located next to I-5 about 15 miles southeast of Eugene. Exit to Hwy. 58, then head east. EAGLE CREEK: coho Under a new rule that took effect Sept. 1, anglers are able to keep up to three steelhead and salmon in combination, as long as one is an adipose fin-clipped adult coho. The continuing dry season has kept water levels extremely low in Eagle Creek. A few coho nosed their way into the creek after the rain a couple of weeks ago, but it will take a more significant rain event to get the coho moving well into the creek and improve angling prospects. ESTACADA LAKE: trout, steelhead, salmon Recently stocked with 1.200 legal-sized rainbow trout. The lake now has a new boat ramp and ADA accessible fishing platform, which opened last week. The new facilities can be accessed from Milo McIver State Park. Estacada is a 150-acre lake on the Clackamas River behind River Mill Dam at Estacada. FARADAY LAKE: trout Recently stocked with 1,200 legal-sized rainbow trout. Faraday is a 25-acre lake 2 miles SE of Estacada by way of Hwy 224 on the Clackamas River. This is a bank fishing only lake, but good access can be found around most of the shore line. FERN RIDGE RESERVOIR: largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead This 9,000 acre lake just 12 miles west of Eugene is the Willamette Basins largest waterbody. It has four boat ramps and there is good bank angling along the dam and at the shoreline parks. This lake is mostly shallow with a band of deep water from the original channel of the Long Tom River. The reservoir produces crappie over 12 inches and bass angling has been very good this year. Fish the shoreline along the southern part of the reservoir, especially the sloughs and inlets where there is underwater structure. FOSTER RESERVOIR: trout, kokanee Will be stocked this week with 5,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. This is a 1,200-acre reservoir near the town of Foster, about three miles east of Sweet Home, north of Hwy. 20. GOLD LAKE: trout Fly-fishing only with barbless hooks. Catch-and-release for rainbow trout. There is no limit on size or number of brook trout taken. HARRIET LAKE: trout Recently stocked with 2,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. Harriet holds some trophy-size brown trout and brook trout. Trolling with spinners and worms is the most effective method from a boat. Casting spinners from the bank can prove to be successful. This is a 23-acre reservoir on Oak Grove Fork of Clackamas River in the Mt. Hood National Forest. HARTMAN POND: trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegill, crappie, perch, trout. Recently stocked last week with juvenile catfish purchased from a private hatchery. From I-84, take the Benson Lake exit. The pond is adjacent to the Columbia River adjoining Benson State Park. HENRY HAGG LAKE: trout, warmwater fish Will be stocked this week with 8,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. This popular and boat accessible lake is heavily stocked all spring with hatchery rainbow trout. The lake is frequently stocked with rainbow trout, and some holdovers should be available. Warmwater fish like bass, sunfish and perch may be available nearer to shore, particularly in the morning and early evening. Hagg Lake spans 1,110 acres and has miles of bank access as well. It is located 7 miles southwest of Forest Grove off of Hwy. 47. MCKENZIE RIVER (below Leaburg Lake): trout Steelhead fishing is improving on the McKenzie. MCKENZIE RIVER (above Leaburg Lake): trout Last stocked for the season in early September with 3,000 legal-sized rainbow trout from Forest Glen boat ramp near Blue River to Ben and Kay Dorris. MT HOOD POND - trout Will be stocked this week with 400 legal-sized rainbow trout and 50 larger trout. The pond is located on the Mt. Hood Community College campus. NORTH FORK RESERVOIR: trout Stocked recently with 7,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. This is a 350-acre reservoir on the Clackamas River 7 miles south of Estacada off of Hwy. 224. Boat anglers will find trolling to be a successful method, particularly along the shore opposite the marina and ramp. Worms or other bait behind a flasher can be effective. Bank anglers will find access fishing the shoreline along Hwy 224. There is also a nice ADA accessible fishing platform near the store and marina. Popular methods include cured single salmon eggs, artificial trout baits, or worms. As the weather warms this is a popular water skiing and jet ski lake. Angling after late morning can be affected by choppy water from heavy boat traffic. NORTH AND SOUTH SANTIAM: steelhead, chinook, coho Prospects still fair for steelhead in the North and South Santiam Rivers. Although recycling of summer steelhead from the Minto and Foster traps has been discontinued for the season there should still be nice fish available for the persistent angler. Anglers are reminded that this year's new regulation allowing retention of non-adipose clipped steelhead only applied to the months of July and August, therefore, only adipose-clipped steelhead may be retained at this time. The new regulation restricting angling to artificial flies and lures in the Little North Fork Santiam is in effect year round. Under new temporary rules that took effect Sept. 1, the daily bag limit for coho salmon and steelhead in combination increases to three fish on the Santiam River. Under the new rule, anglers can catch up to three fin-clipped steelhead or clipped or unclipped coho in any combination. The new rules also provide additional coho angling opportunity in the Santiam basin. Effective Sept. 1, coho angling will be allowed in the mainstem Santiam, North Fork up to the Stayton-Scio Bridge in Stayton, and South Fork up to the Grant Street Bridge in Lebanon. The Forks above these points will remain closed to salmon angling through October 31 to protect spawning spring chinook. Coho angling prospects should improve dramatically from mid-Sept. on as this season's anticipated large return begins to materialize. SALMON CREEK: trout Last stocked in late August at several locations with a total of 1,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. Follow Hwy. 58 east from Springfield through Oakridge to Willamette Fish Hatchery one mile east of town to Forest Rd. 24. SANDY RIVER: steelhead, spring chinook, coho Coho fishing on the Sandy River is fair to good, with new fish moving into the system every day. Angling effort has picked up accordingly, with large crowds at the usual holes. As of Tuesday, 600 coho had returned to the Sandy fish hatchery, out of an expected run of 15,000 fish. Look for a major rain event to move fish and improve the bite. The water is clear was water levels continue to decline. Tuesday flow readings on the Sandy showed the river dropping to a level of 370 cfs (7.73 ft) with the water temperature steady at 56°. Under temporary rules adopted Sept. 1, anglers are now permitted to keep up to three fin-clipped coho. Collection/recycling receptacles for discarded or lost fishing gear can now be found along the Sandy River. Look for them near boat ramps at Lewis and Clark, Dabney, Oxbow, and Dodge parks. Any tangled fishing line or old gear can be collected and disposed of in these canisters as an effort to maintain a healthy, clean Sandy River. Littering has become a big problem on the Sandy below Cedar Creek. In other areas along the Sandy this has been cited as the rationale for restrictions on access. Please use nearby garbage cans for any other types of trash. SANTIAM RIVER: trout New trout regulations that went into effect this year allow anglers to keep up to two fin-clipped trout per day in the mainstem, North Fork up to Big Cliff Dam, and South Fork up to Foster Dam. There is no restriction on length as long as the fish are adipose fin-clipped. SMALL FRY LAKE: trout Stocked recently with 300 legal-sized rainbow trout. Small Fry Lake is a youth only fishing venue located on the Clackamas River 7 miles south of Estacada off of Hwy. 224. Fishing is restricted to youngsters 12 and under. SOUTH YAMHILL RIVER: trout The river is open from its confluence with the North Yamhill near McMinnville, upstream about 20 miles to Rock Creek near Grand Ronde through Oct. 31. The daily bag limit is 5 fin-clipped fish of any size, however no bait may be used, a measure needed to protect wild trout and young steelhead rearing in the river. ST LOUIS PONDS: rainbow trout, crappie, catfish Juvenile channel catfish purchased from a private hatchery were recently stocked in St. Louis Ponds 4, 5 and 6. St. Louis Ponds are stocked periodically with rainbow trout. Several other species are also available, including bass, crappie and bluegill. This 54-acre complex of 7 ponds is owned and managed by ODFW. The site is located west of the town of Gervais. Take St. Louis Road west to Tesch Lane, turn left and follow the road to the ponds. TRILLIUM LAKE: rainbow trout Recently stocked with 4,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. Trillium is a 60-acre lake 3 miles east of Government Camp off of Hwy 26. WEST SALISH POND: trout Will be stocked this week with 3,0000 legal-sized rainbow trout. Located off NE Glisan between 201st and 207th in Fairview, east of Portland, the pond is located just a short distance from Reynolds Middle School. From I-84, take Exit 16 and travel south on Fairview Parkway. WILLAMETTE RIVER: steelhead, chinook, coho, warmwater fish Spring chinook passage counting ended on Aug. 15. The preliminary season total is 25,795 spring chinook adults and 2,719 jacks, while mini-jack counts go on. Summer steelhead continue to pass through the ladder with daily counts in the low teens. A total of 14,875 have gone past the viewing window through Sept 22. Coho numbers have increased dramatically in recent days with the cumulative count at 8,035 adults through Sept 22. If these high counts continue the numbers are trending towards potential record numbers of coho passing Willamette Falls. Hydro readings at Willamette Falls on Monday showed flows increasing slightly to 8,200 cfs, the temperature has dropped to 63°, and the visibility near 7.3 ft. Coho can now be found in the Willamette as they migrate upstream towards the Clackamas or onward past the falls. Boat anglers should try the mouth of the Clackamas and along the Meldrum Bar area. Opportunities to bank fish for coho can be found anywhere from the lower Clackamas at Dahl Park to down along Meldrum Bar. There have been reports of a few coho landed in recent days by both boat and bank anglers. Anglers are now allowed to keep up to three coho per day under a new "bonus bag" rule that took effect Sept. 1. Below Willamette Falls, anglers on the Willamette were already permitted under permanent rules to keep two fin-clipped adult salmon or steelhead in any combination. The new "bonus bag" rule allows retention of a third fish, as long as it is a hatchery coho, denoted by a clipped adipose fin. Above Willamette Falls, anglers are now permitted to keep up to three migratory fish. Of the total daily bag, up to three fish may be steelhead or coho. Only two may be chinook. Steelhead and chinook must be adipose fin-clipped to be retained. Coho may be either clipped or unclipped fish. Boat anglers should try the mouths of the medium to large tributaries such as the Mollala, Tualatin, Yamhill and Santiam rivers. Anglers are reminded that the Willamette remains closed to salmon above the Highway 20 bridge in Albany. The Willamette provides an excellent warm water fishery in the summer and early fall months. You can expect to find an abundance of bass, crappie, and bluegill available. Target the rocky outcroppings, structures, or old pilings. Casting a variety of plugs or jigs near the shoreline can be successful. A simple bobber and night crawler might prove to be the right choice also. The local tackle shops can set you up with the right gear and direct you to the best spots. Lately, warm water anglers have reported catching primarily smallmouth bass at depths of 30 to 40 feet. Anglers fishing the Multnomah Channel recently have reported catching some nice walleye. Successful tactics include trolling plugs as well as bottom draggers with worms. Sturgeon season reopens for retention Oct. 1 in the Willamette and Columbia from Wauna power lines to Bonneville dam. This time of year can be good for sturgeon retention above Willamette Falls. WILLAMETTE ZONE HUNTING Check for fire restrictions before you go hunting! InciWeb Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry OPEN: WESTERN OREGON RIFLE DEER (opens Oct. 3), FOREST GROUSE, CALIF. QUAIL, COUGAR and BEAR EVENTS Don't forget to report your hunt results. Anyone who purchases a big game or turkey tag must report hunt results online or by phone. Reporting is required even if you did not fill your tag or go hunting. More information Hunters should be aware that fire danger is still a concern for private timberland owners and this may affect access on to private timberlands. Please check access restrictions prior to hunting on private land. Western Oregon General Rifle DEER season opens on October 3 and rifle deer hunters should be anxious to get out on opening day to see if they can tag a black-tailed buck deer. Rainy weather forecasted during the week prior to the season opener may be sufficient to soften leaves and twigs and improve stalking conditions for opening day. However, stalking is not the only way to put a tag on a nice black-tailed deer. Hunters that are very familiar with their hunting areas might choose to take a more relaxed approach and position themselves along escape trails used by black-tails. Do not position yourself too close to the trail or you might have difficulty-seeing deer. Try to get above and across the canyon from the deer's escape trail to maximize your ability to see moving deer. A hunter willing to be patient and quiet may have the best chance for success. Typically, we have hot and dry weather conditions early in the hunting season and hunters need to plan ahead to properly handle harvested animals to avoid spoiling meat. Do not place meat in plastic bags or coolers since this does not allow heat from the animal to escape - the primary reason most meat spoils. Your best approach is to place the meat into game meat bags and hang them in a cool and shaded place. Game bags are available for purchase at most local sporting good stores and are a good investment. Weather conditions can change quickly early in the general buck deer season, particularly for those hunters in the Cascade Mountains. Regardless of rain, snow or sunshine hunters need to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. Bringing plenty of water, food, fire-starting materials, a basic survival kit and wearing non-cotton clothing and rain gear is a good start. Don't forget to let someone know where you will be and when you plan on returning. Hunters are encouraged to bring the heads from any harvested deer into the ODFW offices in Clackamas or Sauvie Island so that samples can be taken for ongoing Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) monitoring. Call ahead to ensure someone will be around to collect the sample or to make an appointment for another day. Hunting is expected to be fair this year. Buck ratios are high, indicated that some older age bucks are available, however overall deer numbers are still somewhat low. Some of the higher densities of deer occur on private timberland properties where clearcuts have increased forage availability. Remember to obtain permission before hunting on private property. Hunters looking to hunt on the National Forest should look for patches of available forage. Forage may be found in burned areas, recent thinnings, or old clearcuts. Many of the old clear cuts are brushing in and becoming difficult to hunt but hunters may have luck finding deer in the large timber next to the old cuts. Hunters in the Indigo Unit need to be aware that the USFS has implemented a large public access closure due to the Tumblebug Wildfire. Currently, this closure begins at the junction of Rd 21 and Rd 23 near Hills Creek Dam and extends south to the Umpqua National Forest boundary. Hunters in the Indigo Unit should check with the Willamette National Forest for closure details and update. Closure information can also be found at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1894/. General black BEAR hunting season started on Aug. 1. Hunting for bears will become increasing difficult as the summer food sources start to disappear. Both the huckleberries and blackberries are about done for the year. Hunters may want to target late food sources such as apple trees or manzanita and madrone berries where they are available. Bears will also feed on acorns that are now starting to drop from the oak trees. For hunters wanting to be more mobile and explore new areas away from berry patches, their best success would be using predator calls. Bears tend to respond best when hunters use a constant calling strategy. It can take a long time for a bear to respond to a predator call and hunters are advised to spend up to an hour at each calling location. Hunters are also advised to hunt with a partner when using predator calls. These are large animals that are expecting a meal when they arrive, so use caution. Hunters are reminded that the skull of any bear taken must be presented to an ODFW office or designated collection site within 10 days of the kill to be inspected, tagged and have a pre-molar tooth removed for aging. Only the skull is required for the check-in and it should be unfrozen when presented. ODFW staff recommends that the hide be removed, by the hunter or taxidermist, before check-in and hunters call ahead to make arrangements to have the bear checked. Please review the 2009 Big Game Hunting Regulations before your hunting trip to ensure that you are familiar with all of the requirements. COUGAR season opened Aug. 1. Hunters will find cougars widely distributed from high alpine meadows in the Cascades to low elevation forests in the Coast Range. Archery hunters who successfully harvested a cougar this season confirmed that using calls that imitate the sounds of a deer or elk are still your best option for calling in a cougar. Cougars can respond slowly and hunters are reminded to stay on stands for up to 45 minutes or more before moving on. It is always best to hunt with a partner when using predator calls. Sit back to back so you can observe any approaching cougar. Hunters headed for the northern end of the Willamette Valley to hunt cougar should concentrate their efforts in the Cascade Mountains. Dry weather conditions will concentrate the cougars prey species where food sources are more abundant and palatable such as around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands. Hunters should spend time scouting these areas to increase their opportunity for success. Successful cougar hunters will need to check-in any cougar taken at an ODFW office within 10 days of the kill. Hunters are reminded that biologists located in field offices may be out in the field handling other issues so call ahead to make arrangements to have your cougar checked-in. The hide and skull must be unfrozen and the skull and proof of sex must be attached to the hide. Hunters are required to submit the reproductive tract of any female cougar taken. Please review the 2009 Big Game Hunting Regulations before your hunting trip to ensure that you are familiar with all of the requirements. GAME BIRD hunting (forest grouse, quail, and Mourning dove which closes Sept. 30) has been slow and few hunters have been checked out in the field. Harvest of forest grouse should improve as more hunters get out into the woods during the upcoming deer season. ODFW biologists can a learn a lot about our local game bird populations from the collection of grouse and mountain quail wings and tails and we encourage hunters to submit these parts from harvested birds. Review the information provided on page 40 of the 2009-2010 Oregon Game Bird Regulations for more details. FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA Open for archery season and upland birds. The Western Oregon Fee Pheasant Hunt will continue at Fern Ridge through Oct. 5, with a daily bag limit of two rooster pheasants. Open areas are East and West Coyote, fisher Butte and Royal Amazon units. To participate, each hunter must have in possession a valid hunting license, upland game bird validation, HIP validation and a $11.50 fee pheasant tag. Each tag will allow harvest of two rooster pheasants. Multiple tags may be purchased. All hunters are required to check in and out of hunt areas at self-service stations located on each area and carry the permit while in the field. SAUVIE ISLAND WILDLIFE AREA Quail season open. The Western Oregon Fee Pheasant Hunt continues at Sauvie Island Wildlife Area on the Eastside unit through Sept. 28, with a daily bag limit of two rooster pheasants. To participate, each hunter must have in possession a valid hunting license, upland game bird validation, HIP validation and a $11.50 fee pheasant tag. Each tag will allow harvest of two rooster pheasants. Multiple tags may be purchased. All hunters are required to check in and out of hunt areas at self-service stations located on each area and carry the permit while in the field. WILLAMETTE ZONE VIEWING EVENTS Owl Prowl, Fri., October 16, 7 - 9 p.m. Bring your family a guided evening tour at Whitaker Ponds at 7040 NE 47th Ave Portland. Hike around the trail in search of nighttime creatures, including the resident Great Horned Owls and colonies of bats. For more information. NEW BIRDING TRAIL! Willamette Valley Birding Trail Guide The complete guide to the Willamette Valley Birding Trail is now available in a series of Adobe Acrobat (pdf) downloads. Visit Oregon Birding Trails and discover all the wonderful places in the Valley to watch birds. Two suggestions from the birding trail: L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park Oregon's newest state park as of 2009, this former logging site is being restored to a more diverse forest setting. More than 17 mi of trail traverse the park, including a 3.5 mi section of the Banks-Vernonia State Trail. Douglas-fir forest and undergrowth host Rufous Hummingbird, Steller's Jay, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, and Varied Thrush. Located off of US Hwy 26, west of Banks. Foster Dam & Reservoir Viewing sites are at the boat ramps, roadsides and a county park. A flock of Barrow's Goldeneye regularly winters just below Foster Dam, sometimes with Common Goldeneye. Deep water above the dam draws migrant Common Loon and Horned, Eared, Western, Clark's and (rarely) Red-necked Grebes in migration, along with Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Common Merganser, and other diving ducks. Red-breasted Merganser, Surf Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, and migrant terns may drop in as rarities. US Hwy 20 at the E end of Sweet Home, take 60th Ave/Foster Dam Rd N to North River Dr. EE Wilson Wildlife Area Waterfowl and shorebirds numbers are building. A waterfowl blind is available to photographers. Call the office at 541-745-5334 to reserve the blind. From Albany, take Highway 20 toward Corvallis and after 5 miles turn right on Independence Highway. Go 3 miles and turn left on Camp Adair Road, then proceed 2 miles to the wildlife area. Find directions to EE Wilson Wildlife Area. Fern Ridge Reservoir Fern Ridge Reservoir has extensive wildlife habitat that can be accessed from many access points including Royal Avenue which extends from west Eugene to the reservoir and ends at a gated access point. This is an excellent place to observe wildlife. Berms were built in this area during 2000 and 2001 to retain water along the edge of the reservoir during the winter months when the reservoir is drawn down for flood control. These ponded areas are very attractive to wildlife at this time of year. Also accessible from this access point are natural prairie habitats (to the north and south) that are very rare in the Willamette Valley. In addition to the abundance of waterfowl, many raptors can be seen in this area. Look for short eared owls and peregrine falcons. Also visible from this area are wading birds, such as egrets and herons and various shorebirds. Fern Ridge Wildlife Area All units of Fern Ridge Wildlife Area are open to public access for the summer months. There are many access points available and viewing opportunities are excellent for a wide variety of wildlife, particularly birds. Wildlife viewing platforms are available in the Fisher Butte unit located a short walk from parking lots on Royal Avenue and Hwy 126. The viewing platform located north of the Hwy 126 parking lot provides a great overlook of the adjacent wet low prairie. Many varieties of wild flowers are now in bloom and the colors of the landscape are remarkable. Visitors are reminded that dogs must be kept on leash at all times. Parking areas are located along Highway 126, Nielson Road, Cantrell Road, Territorial Highway, and Clear Lake Road. Visitors are cautioned that there have been recent vehicle break-ins at area parking lots. Please secure your valuables before leaving your vehicle unattended. Contact the wildlife area headquarters, (541) 935-2591 if you have any questions. Sauvie Island Wildlife Area The Sauvie Island Wildlife Area Eastside units and Westside, Oak Island and North units will close from Oct. 1 through April 30. The trail to Warrior Rock Lighthouse will remain open for hiking and Rentenaar Road, Eastside Viewing Platform and Coon Point will remain open for viewing. All areas require a Sauvie Island Wildlife Area Parking Permit. Sauvie Island is a main stopping point for migratory birds as they travel along the Pacific Flyway, and ODFW actively manages the Wildlife Area to provide food and cover for them. An abundance of ducks and geese can be seen from many points around the island, as can raptors, including bald eagles, northern harriers, sandhill cranes, red-tailed hawks and American kestrel. The Sandhill cranes and cackler geese are arriving in great numbers. Sauvie Island Wildlife Area is located on Sauvie Island, only 10 miles north of Portland off Highway 30. A parking permit is required for the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area and can be purchased at ODFW License vendors, at the Sauvie Island ODFW office, Monday through Friday during office hours or online. For more information, call (503) 621-3488. Directions to Sauvie Island Wildlife Area
NORTHWEST ZONE FISHING The Nehalem and Yaquina basins wild coho fisheries attained their quotas and were closed on September 23. Retention of non-finclipped coho salmon is now prohibited. NORTH COAST LAKES Trophy rainbow trout were stocked in Coffenbury, Lost, Sunset, Cape Meares, and Town Lakes the week of Sept. 21. Hebo Lake was also stocked with additional larger trout made available this fall. This will complete all scheduled stocking on the north coast for 2009. Trout stocking will resume in March. Angling for warmwater fish, particularly bass, should be tapering off. Cape Meares, Lytle, Cullaby, Sunset, Coffenbury and Vernonia lakes offer fair to good populations of warmwater species. Lakes are beginning to cool off. Fishing may begin to slow, although fish often feed heavily prior to entering the winter period. MID COAST LAKES Munsel Lake (in the Florence area) was stocked on Monday, September 28th with 1500 rainbow trout. WARM WATER FISH ANGLING OPPORTUNITIES The mid coast has numerous lakes or reservoirs which offer good angling for naturally produced warm water fish species, such as large mouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, brown bullhead and crappie. Typically the best fishing is from late spring to mid fall while water temperatures are warm. Tactics such as casting or trolling lures, jigging baits near bottom or using the traditional bait and bobber technique are all productive from either a boat or from shore. Below is a list of lakes near local coastal cities that offer warm water angling opportunities. Devils Lake (Lincoln City): Offers good trout fishing and provides some angling opportunity for largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. Big Creek Reservoirs 1 & 2 (Newport): Offers fair largemouth bass fishing, slow to fair angling for yellow perch and bluegill and good year-round angling for rainbow and cutthroat trout. Olalla Reservoir (Toledo): Offers fair largemouth bass fishing, slow to fair angling for yellow perch, bluegill and brown bullhead and good year-round angling for rainbow and cutthroat trout. Sutton and Mercer Lakes (northern Florence): Fair to good angling for largemouth bass and decent angling for bluegill, and potential for crappie and brown bullhead. Offers year-round rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing. Woahink Lake (southern Florence): Can be good to very good for yellow perch and offers fair to good angling for largemouth bass and bluegill. Siltcoos Lake (south of Florence): A large lake with numerous fingers, lots of shoreline structure and a couple large tributaries. Offers fair to good angling for largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and brown bullhead. There is good year-round rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing and a good seasonal fishery for coho salmon. Tahkenitch Lake (south of Florence): A large lake with numerous fingers, lots of shoreline structure and a couple large tributaries. It offers good angling for largemouth bass and yellow perch, and fair to good angling for bluegill, crappie and brown bullhead. There is good year-round cutthroat trout fishing and a good seasonal fishery for coho salmon. ALSEA RIVER: chinook salmon, cutthroat trout Catch rates for fall Chinook are slow to fair. Anglers are finding Chinook from the mouth of the bay up through tide water. Trolling herring, plugs, or large spinners has been effective. Anglers are also catching coho salmon however ONLY adipose fin clipped coho (adult or jack) may be retained. Sea-run and resident cutthroat trout fishing is fair to good throughout the mainstem. Trolling in upper tidewater with small lures and fly fishing or casting small lures above tide water can be very productive. There is typically very little pressure this time of year for cutthroat trout and catch rates can be excellent. KILCHIS RIVER: cutthroat trout, chinook Sea-run cutthroat are available in tidewater and upstream areas. Try small spinners or flies in areas with some depth and/or hiding cover. A few chinook may be available in tidewater areas. NECANICUM RIVER: cutthroat trout, coho, chinook Angling for sea-run cutthroat trout is fair to good. Low water flows are making fish skittish. Fish early or late in the day, and target deep pools or areas with cover. A few coho and chinook are being caught in tidewater areas. Hatchery coho may be retained as part of the daily salmon limit. These are stray fish from other areas. NEHALEM RIVER AND NORTH FORK NEHALEM RIVER: cutthroat trout, coho Angling for trout has been fair to good. Effort has been low. Anglers should concentrate on upper tidewater areas or upstream, particularly in riffles or pools near the confluence of cooler tributary streams. Flies or small spinners are very effective. Angling for coho has been fair to good as more fish have moved into the bay. The Nehalem closed to retention of wild coho at the end of the fishing day on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Retention of adipose fin-clipped coho will continue on the Nehalem through the rest of the year. The three fish bag limit for hatchery coho remains in effect. Anglers should use spinners fished well off the bottom to avoid hooking Chinook. (Note: The entire Nehalem Basin is closed to chinook angling for the remainder of 2009). Crabbing in Nehalem Bay slowed during the recent big tides, but has improved again as the tides slow down. Local marinas on the lower bay and in Wheeler have boats and equipment available for crabbing and fishing. NESTUCCA RIVER AND THREE RIVERS: chinook, steelhead, cutthroat trout Summer steelhead angling is slow. Forecasted rains should help the bite pick up, but will likely not be enough to raise the river much. Try to fish right after the first fall freshet for some of the best summer steelhead angling of the year. Angling for cutthroat trout should be fair to good, with fish available from tidewater on upstream. Try trolling or casting spinners or streamer type flies, especially near banks with wood or other cover. A few chinook are being caught in tidewater. SALMON RIVER: Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout Fall Chinook are being caught from the lower bay up through tidewater but catch rates are slow to fair. Anglers are having the best success on an incoming tide using bait and bobber tactics or casting spinners or spoons from the bank. Anglers are encouraged to read the new temporary fishing regulations for 2009 prior to fishing for Chinook as new rules apply. Anglers are also catching coho salmon but ONLY adipose fin-clipped coho may be retained. Sea run and resident cutthroat trout angling is fair to good through out the basin. Good returns of sea run cutthroat trout have been observed this year. Anglers should concentrate in upper tidewater and the lower river. SILETZ RIVER: summer steelhead, cutthroat trout, chinook salmon Summer steelhead angling has slowed back down this week. Fish are spread out in the upper river and holding. The next good rain event will activate the fishery. Bank access can be found in the gorge area upstream of Moonshine Park (River Mile 54). Anglers are reminded that there are access restrictions in the gorge road upstream from Moonshine Park on weekdays due to heavy logging traffic. Fishing for sea-run and resident cutthroat trout is fair to good. Fish can be found throughout most of the main stem river. There is very little pressure on cutthroat trout this time of year as anglers typically are after salmon. This can be a very productive time to fish for cutthroat. Trolling small baits in upper tide water or fly fishing and casting small lures above tide water in deeper water or near structure can be effective. Small numbers of fall Chinook are being caught in lower to mid tidewater. Anglers are having some success during an incoming tide through the slack tide. Some coho salmon are also being caught but anglers are reminded that ONLY adipose fin-clipped coho (adult or jack) may be retained. SIUSLAW RIVER: Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout Fall Chinook anglers are having slow to fair success. Fishing the incoming tide through the slack tide has been the most effective. Trolling herring or lures in lower to mid tidewater on the incoming tide can be productive as well as bait and bobber in upper tide water. Anglers are also catching coho salmon but are reminded that ONLY adipose fin-clipped coho (adult or jacks) may be retained. Fishing for resident and sea-run cutthroat trout is fair to good in most of the main stem river. Trolling in tide water with small lures is effective as well as fly fishing or casting small spinners in the main stem river can offer anglers excellent catch rates this time of year. TILLAMOOK BAY: sturgeon, coho, chinook A few chinook and hatchery coho are being caught, with fish available throughout the bay and tidewater areas. Casting or trolling spinners in the west channel or upper bay has produced the best for hatchery coho. A few chinook are being caught on spinners in the upper bay or by trolling herring in the lower bay or nearshore ocean. Angling for sturgeon has been slow, but sturgeon are present in the bay and upper tidewater of the Tillamook River. Fishing the upper bay and river tidewaters will help anglers avoid crab and other bait stealers. Crabbing in the lower bay has been good. TRASK RIVER: steelhead, cutthroat trout, coho, chinook Summer steelhead angling is slow to fair. Fish are spread up river to the County Park. Anglers should approach holes quietly and utilize smaller baits and lighter lines to avoid spooking fish. Be there at first light for best chance at catching one of these wary fish. The river is very low and clear. Try using smaller baits and lighter lines. Look for angling to improve after the first fall rains raise the river. Angling for trout has been fair, with fish available throughout the river. A few hatchery coho should move upstream with forecasted rains. Fall chinook are available in tidewater areas. Construction of a new boat slide at the Cedar Creek launch site is nearly complete. Contact ODFW in Tillamook at 503-842-2741 for details. WILSON RIVER: steelhead, cutthroat trout, chinook A few summer steelhead are being caught. Until fall rains raise the river, use light gear and fish early or late to avoid spooking fish. Angling for cutthroat trout has been fair. Fresh sea-runs are available throughout the river. The river is still very low and clear. Some fall chinook are available in tidewater areas. YAQUINA RIVER: Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout The Yaquina is now closed (effective 9-24-09) to retention of wild coho. The 500 fish quota has been reached. Retention of adipose fin-clipped coho will continue on the Yaquina through the rest of the year. The fall Chinook fishery is still slow but seems to be picking up with anglers having more success recently. Trolling plugs or herring from the LNG tank up to the Toledo Airport boat ramp is the best bet for this time of year but a few Chinook are being caught in upper tide water also. Resident and sea-run cutthroat trout fishing is fair to good throughout the mainstem Yaquina River and Big Elk Creek. There is very little angling pressure on cutthroat trout during the fall but this can be a very effective time of year. Trolling small lures or drifting bait and bobber near the bank in upper tide water can be effective as well as fly fishing or casting small spinners in the main stem river. NORTH COAST HUNTING Check for fire restrictions before you go hunting! InciWeb Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry OPEN: DEER RIFLE (opens Oct. 3), FOREST GROUSE, CALIF. QUAIL, COUGAR AND BEAR Don't forget to report your hunt results. Anyone who purchases a big game or turkey tag must report hunt results online or by phone. Reporting is required even if you did not fill your tag or go hunting. More information General DEER rifle season opens Oct. 3 in western Oregon. The north coast is home to modest populations of black-tailed deer, but the ratios of bucks to does are relatively high, especially in the Wilson Unit. Look for deer early in the morning and late in the evening in clearcuts or other openings. During the middle of the day, stalk-hunting timbered areas or making drives through cover areas is more productive. In general, areas on the eastern slope of the coast range tend to have higher deer numbers than those in the far western side near the coast. When hunting on private industrial forest lands, please be mindful of the company's access policies. COUGAR and BEAR seasons go through the end of the year on the north coast. Successful hunters, remember you must check in cougar (hide and skull) and bear skull at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest and bring them in unfrozen. It's also a good idea to prop their mouths open with a stick after harvest for easier tissue sampling, teeth collection and tagging. See regulations for details. Both species are most effectively taken by using predator calls, although one can successfully stalk-hunt bear in the early morning and late evening hours, especially in areas with plentiful food supplies, like berries. FOREST GROUSE and MOUNTAIN QUAIL appear to be in decent numbers based on anecdotal observations in recent months, especially for mountain quail. Ruffed grouse occur mainly in mid-slope and riparian areas, whereas blue or sooty grouse are generally only at the highest elevations, such as ridge-tops. Mountain quail prefer brushy clearcuts, especially those on south-facing slopes in the forest. Although CALIFORNIA QUAIL season is open, the north coast has very limited numbers. NORTHWEST ZONE VIEWING Pelicans Large numbers of brown pelicans have been converging in localized areas of both Tillamook and Netarts Bays as they prepare to head south. On occasion, flocks of pelicans have numbered in the thousands and often times in the hundreds, when the conditions are right. Pelicans are still listed under the Endangered Species Act, although their numbers have swelled along this part of the coast. These concentrations are among the highest anywhere in their range. Jewel Meadows Wildlife Area, Coast Range Elk breeding continues through September. During the rut, evening viewing should be better with many viewers staying until just after dark to listen for the bull bugles and antler crashing. In general, elk viewing is limited to the early morning and late evening hours. As days start to cool down with the coming of fall, elk should be out in the fields longer during daylight. Elk have been visible either along Hwy 202 or Beneke Creek Road regularly. Most of the meadows have been mowed so visitors should be able to easily spot elk when they are out. Visitors are reminded that areas posted as wildlife refuge are closed to public access and posted portions of the Beneke Tract are closed to entry during any open Saddle Mt. Elk Season including the general archery season which starts August 29 and lasts through September 27. Newport Area The trail behind the Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport is a good place to observe shorebirds and waterfowl in the Yaquina estuary. Tillamook Area Bird migrations will be ramping up with the onset of fall weather patterns. A number of seldom-seen visitors will pass through the area during their migrations from the far north. Shorebird species, especially, that are not resident to this area will stop on local beaches and estuaries briefly on their way south-sometimes only for a day or two before continuing their journey. Others, including many waterfowl, swans and egrets, will arrive on the north coast for longer stays. Great egrets are large, white wading birds that are slightly smaller than their cousin, the great blue heron. They have recently returned to Tillamook County, and can often be seen foraging in the southwestern portion of Netarts Bay, along fields adjacent to the lower Tillamook River, and in various parts of Tillamook Bay. The birds typically stay in the area through the winter and into the spring before they disappear to nest in parts unknown.
Check fire restrictions SOUTHWEST ZONE FISHING Weekend opportunities: • Chinook fishing is getting underway in the Chetco River estuary with boat anglers picking up several fish below the Hwy 101 bridge last week. • Several area lakes and reservoirs were stocked with lunker trout recently including Ben Irving Reservoir, Cooper Creek Reservoir, Hemlock Lake, Lake of the Woods and Lake Marie. Good fishing should continue. • Fall chinook fishing is good in Coos Bay with the harvest of adult fish picking up over the last week. APPLEGATE RESERVOIR: trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass Trout fishing has slowed but should improve as fall progresses. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair. For smallmouth, try small lures or plugs against rocky banks near drop offs. Nightcrawlers may also be a good bet. APPLEGATE RIVER: steelhead, rainbow trout Anglers may retain up to two adipose fin-clipped rainbow trout per day, with an 8-inch minimum length. Cutthroat trout must be released unharmed, but provide a fun opportunity for catch and release angling. Applegate River flows at Wilderville ARIZONA POND: rainbow trout Located approximately half way between Gold Beach and Port Orford, Arizona Pond is an excellent place to take kids trout fishing. The best time to fish is in the morning or evening when the fish are actively feeding. Flies, spinners, or a worm under a bobber all work really well. Angling is limited to youth 17 and under. The pond levels will be lowered this month to help control aquatic weeds. Angling can be really good when the water is lowered due to the trout being more concentrated in the deeper holes. BEN IRVING RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bass Ben Irving Reservoir, west of Winston, has been stocked with 4,000 trout. For Labor Day weekend, the reservoir received an additional 1,000 lunker fish which were 1.5 to 2 pounds apiece. CHETCO RIVER: chinook Temporary regulations for fall chinook started Aug. 1. Anglers are reminded to check these regulations before fishing the Chetco River as some parts of the river will be closed to fishing. The river above Highway 101 is closed to all fishing until Nov. 7. chinook fishing is just getting started in the Chetco River estuary. Chetco River flows near Brookings COOPER CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout Cooper Creek has been stocked with about 9,050 trout to date. For Labor Day weekend Cooper Creek was stocked with an additional 2,000 lunker trout that were 1.5 to 2 pounds each. Fishing for the lunkers has been good recently as the cooler nights cool the water temperatures. COOS COUNTY LAKES: warmwater fish Fishing for largemouth bass and yellow perch should continue to get better as the days get shorter and water temperatures in area lakes start to cool down. Use a small hook or small jig tipped with a worm and fish on the bottom to catch yellow perch. For catching largemouth bass concentrate your fishing time during low light periods of the day and use jigs, plastic worms, crankbaits, or spinners. Fishing near structure or weedlines to catch largemouth bass. COOS RIVER BASIN: trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon, rockfish, Dungeness crab, clams Trout fishing is open in Coos Bay and the rivers. There have been a few sea-run cutthroat trout caught in Coos Bay. The use of bait while fishing for trout in streams above tidewater is now allowed. Trout season is open until October 31. Harvest of fall Chinook has slowed down this past week in Coos Bay but there are still plenty of fish to be caught. Harvest this past week has been almost a 50/50 split between jacks and adult Chinook. The best place to fish from a boat is in the Marshfield Channel, Coos River, and South Fork Coos River. Harvest of Chinook by bank anglers has picked up this past week. A few of the bank fishing area are at the Coos Bay City Boardwalk, the mouth of Catching Slough, the mouth of Daniels Creek, and the upper end of Isthmus Slough near the House of Confusion. The 2009 temporary regulations for fall chinook are now in affect until Dec. 31. The quota has been met for the wild coho fishery in Coos Bay and harvest of wild coho is no longer allowed. Anglers may still retain fin-clipped coho. Fishing for rockfish, surfperch, and greenling in the lower Coos Bay estuary has been good. To catch rockfish and surfperch fish near pilings or submerged rock piles and for greenling concentrate your fishing effort near kelp beds for the best success. The best baits to use are sand shrimp or a jig and twister tail. The entire Oregon Coast is still closed to recreational mussel and clam harvest due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning or PSP toxins according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Crabs are not affected by this level of toxin and are safe to eat. Before any shellfish harvest trip, make sure to check the Oregon Department of Agriculture website for any recent shellfish closures recent shellfish closures at: http://oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/shellfish_status.shtml. Recreational crab harvest inside the bay is good for those with boats and those on the docks. Red rock crabs are the main harvest at the Charleston and Empire docks but there are also a few legal Dungeness crabs being harvested as well. The best time to crab is a few hours before high tide and the preferred baits to use are fish, chicken, or turkey legs. COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: trout, fall chinook salmon, coho, Dungeness crab Trout fishing is open in the Coquille estuary and rivers. The use of bait while fishing for trout in streams above tidewater is now allowed. Fall chinook fishing has been decent the past week on the lower Coquille. Chinook adults made up the majority of the catch in the Coquille this past week. Most fish are being caught by fishermen in boats but a few fish are being caught by bank anglers. The mouth of Sevenmile Creek is a very good place to fish from the bank. jacks. A few Chinook salmon have been reported harvest downstream from the town of Coquille. The 2009 temporary regulations for fall chinook are now in affect until Dec. 31. There is a wild coho fishery in the Coquille River that opened Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 30 or until a quota of 1,500 wild coho has been caught. The limit on wild coho is one non-fin clipped coho per day and a total of five non-fin clipped coho for the season. See the 2009 temporary regulations for more details. Fishing for wild coho has been good this past week. The best fishing for wild coho has been between Bandon and Rocky Point Boat Ramp. Wild coho harvest estimates for the Coquille (pdf) Recreational crab harvest near Bandon is good for those with boats and those on the docks. The best time to crab is a few hours before high tide and the preferred baits to use are fish, chicken or turkey legs. DIAMOND LAKE: rainbow trout Some of this year's fingerlings are around legal size, so be sure to measure the smaller ones before harvesting. Recently quite a few of the fingerlings have been caught. The largest fish checked this year was six to seven pounds. We anticipate nearly 140,000 catchable sized trout in the lake this year from the 200,000 fingerlings released in 2008 plus another 25,000 catchable fish leftover from last year's stocking. Fishing is improving with the cooler temperatures. A prize fish may still be available from last week's Kokanee Power Derby. If an angler catches a floy tagged fish, know the tag number and call the number listed on the tag for additional information. For additional fishing information, Call Diamond Lake Resort (800) 733-7593 or check their fishing report online. ELK/SIXES RIVER: chinook Temporary regulations for fall chinook start Aug. 1. Anglers are reminded to check these regulations before fishing the Elk or Sixes River. Chinook fishing should kick off toward the middle part of October. EMIGRANT RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie Smallmouth bass fishing has been good with a few largemouth mixed in. For smallmouth, try small lures or plugs against rocky banks near drop offs. Nightcrawlers may also be a good bet. Perch are abundant in Emigrant and fishing for these good eating fish has been good. Perch can be caught on worms, small lures and jigs. Fishing for trout remains slow. Anglers should be aware that a health advisory has been issued recommending limits on consumption of all fish from Emigrant except rainbow trout. Information on the Emigrant Reservoir advisory, along with general information on mercury and fish can be found on the DHS Web site. EXPO POND: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill Trout fishing has been fair, with worms, PowerBait and spinners all catching fish. Fishing for bass, bluegill and crappie has been good. FISH LAKE: rainbow trout Fishing for rainbow has been fair. Fish seem to be spread out around the lake. Nine hundred trophy-size rainbows will be stocked in Fish Lake this week. Fishing for them should be good. Also try the North Fork of Little Butte Creek for brook trout just below the outflow of Fish Lake. FLORAS LAKE: rainbow trout, cutthroat trout The lake is located a few miles south of Langlois. Bank access is limited, but there is a boat ramp at Boice Cope County Park. Fly fishing or slow trolling wedding ring spinners can work really well. Anglers should keep an eye on the weather as it can be very windy. GALESVILLE RESERVIOR: rainbow trout, bass Galesville Reservoir is open to angling year-round. The reservoir was stocked in 2008 with about 55,000 adipose-clipped hatchery coho. In Galesville Reservoir, all landlocked salmon are considered trout. Thus, there is a five per day trout limit, with only one trout over 20 inches in length allowed for harvest. About 8,000 trout have been stocked in 2009. Some fingerlings were stocked recently, so be sure to release trout under 8 inches long. Angling from the bank and from a boat has been slow to fair for 11 to 13-inch coho. Anglers are reminded all bass between 12 and 15 inches must be released, and only one bass over 15 inches may be taken per day. Galesville now has a campground. GARRISON LAKE: rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bass The best way to fish is by boat, but there is some bank access at the State Park or ODFW's access site on 12th street. Weed growth is making bank fishing tough. Fly fishing or slow trolling wedding ring spinners are regular producers for trout. Anglers should keep an eye on the weather, as the lake can be very windy. HEMLOCK LAKE & LAKE OF THE WOODS: trout These two Umpqua basin lakes which occur up Little River out of Glide, have both been stocked this year. Hemlock received about 6,000 legal sized trout, plus some fingerlings. Lake of the Woods received about 1,000 legal sized trout plus some fingerlings. Harvest of legal trout has been slow; however, the Hemlock Lake received about 1,500 lunker trout just before Labor Day weekend while Lake of the Woods received about 50 lunker trout. These trout were over 1 pound each. HERBERT'S POND: rainbow trout, warmwater fish Herbert's Pond is a small pond just east of Canyonville on Tiller Highway. The pond has a good warm water fishery for kids including bluegill, crappie, and bass. The pond has very good bank access. Angling is slow. HOWARD PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: trout, bass Fishing has been slow for all species though anglers report some success with bass, crappie and bullheads. A change in weather is expected this week and will hopefully result in improved fishing. For trout, boat anglers are having some success trolling wedding rings with worms, rapalas, ford fenders with worms or spinners. Large and smallmouth bass are also available and have been caught more consistently than trout by anglers targeting them. HYATT RESERVOIR: trout, bass Fishing has slowed for rainbow trout, though some good-sized fish are being landed. Trout are biting on PowerBait and worms. Anglers should try trolling near the weed beds in the mornings or evenings. Hyatt Lake has an abundance of largemouth bass, and fishing for them has been excellent. They are being caught on red PowerBait and lures near the BLM campground and the Orchard. Although small, they offer the opportunity to catch a lot of fish. This makes Hyatt Lake a good destination for beginning anglers. ILLINOIS RIVER: trout Resident trout are available for catch-and-release angling. Illinois River flows at Kerby LAKE MARIE: rainbow trout Lake Marie is at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park near Winchester. About 4,000 trout have been stocked this year. Fishing with PowerBait has been successful recently. Lake Marie received about 400 lunker trout just before Labor Day weekend. These fish were over 1 pound each. LAKE SELMAC: trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie Trout fishing has been fair on worms and PowerBait. Casting and retrieving or trolling lures or flies has also been effective. Fishing for largemouth bass and panfish has been good. Bluegill and crappie can be caught by suspending a worm or jig under a bobber. LEMOLO RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, brown trout Fishing is moderate to slow for brown trout. The lake was stocked with 5,000 legal-sized trout and anglers have been catching rainbows from 10-12 inches. The Forest Service has lifted the water warning at Lemolo. Lemolo was stocked with 1,500 trophy trout and 20,000 legal/sub legal trout last week. Additionally as the water temperatures cool, the brown trout fishery improves. Lemolo should offer excellent an excellent opportunity for rainbow and brown trout fishing this fall. LOON LAKE: rainbow trout, bass Loon Lake was stocked with 8,000 trout so far in 2009. The lake was also stocked with some fingerlings so anglers should remember to release trout less than 8 inches long. LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass Trout fishing has been good in the upper arm of the lake with many boat anglers obtaining limits. PowerBait, trolling worms, and salmon eggs all produced fish Bank anglers should do well using PowerBait. Smallmouth bass fishing has also been good. On Sept. 18, the Oregon Department of Human Services issued a blue green advisory on Lost Creek Reservoir. To find out more about the advisory and recommended precautions, please go to the DHS Web site. MEDCO POND: rainbow trout, bass, panfish Trout fishing has been fair. Fishing for largemouth bass and bluegill has been good. Fishing a worm just off the bottom, casting lures, and trolling have all been productive technique. PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: bottomfish, coho salmon, Dungeness crab When the ocean has been "calm" fishing for rockfish, greenling and lingcod has been good. Fishing from shore for rockfish and greenling has been decent. Concentrate your fishing near rocky outcroppings and drop-offs. Fishing for adipose fin clipped coho has been very slow. Anglers will have to sort through wild coho to catch their adipose fin-clipped coho. The daily limit is two coho salmon with a healed adipose fin clip. Crab harvest for Dungeness crabs in the ocean has been excellent. PLAT I RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, warmwater game fish Bass fishing at Plat I is now open to harvest. The limit is 5 per day with only 3 over 15 inches per day. Plat I has been stocked with 4,500 trout to date. REINHART POND: rainbow trout, warm water fish Trout fishing has been fair. Anglers should try fishing with nightcrawlers or casting small spinners or spoons. Fishing for largemouth bass and bluegill has been good. ROGUE RIVER, LOWER: chinook, summer steelhead, half-pounders, coho Boat and bank anglers are focusing on the estuary around the mouth of Indian Creek as hatchery fall chinook start to stage waiting for enough water to move up Indian Creek. A few coho are in the estuary and lower river. Expect coho numbers to only get better through early October. Summer steelhead and half pounders are scattered throughout the Lower Rogue, but fishing has been slow. Fly fishing or tossing small spinners work equally well. On an annual basis ODFW seines the Rogue River at Huntley Park (approximately 8 miles upstream of highway 101) from July 15 to Oct. 31 to monitor salmon and steelhead migrating upstream. Anglers wanting to fish the Rogue will find this information valuable in planning when to fish. ODFW will post this information every two weeks starting July 31. Click here to see the most current counts. Emergency regulations (pdf) are in effect for the Rogue River. Rogue River flows ROGUE RIVER, MIDDLE: chinook salmon, steelhead Chinook fishing has been fair and pressure is moderate. As of Oct. 1, the Rogue River between Hog Creek and Gold Ray Dam is closed to chinook angling. Steelhead fishing remains fair. Fishing is best in mornings and evenings with fish being caught on worms, spinners and flies. A change in weather is expected this week. Cooler temperatures, cloud cover and a chance of rain could get steelhead on the bite. The flow at Grants Pass on Sept. 28 was 1,190 cfs. Emergency regulations (pdf) are in effect for the Rogue River. Beginning Aug. 1, the Rogue River between Hog Creek and Gold Ray is open to harvest of adult non adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon. The bag limit is two adult salmon or steelhead per day, 20 per year, of which only 10 may be non adipose fin-clipped chinook. ROGUE RIVER, UPPER: steelhead As of Sept. 24, 4,363 summer steelhead have been counted at Gold Ray Dam. Fishing has been fair. Fish riffles and runs on or near the bottom with weighted flies. Swinging flies may also produce fish in mornings and evenings. Only adipose fin-clipped fish may be harvested. A change in weather is expected this week. Cooler temperatures, cloud cover and a chance of rain could get steelhead on the bite. On Sept. 28, the flow out of William Jess (Lost Creek) Dam was 1,060 cfs. On Sept 28, the flow at Gold Ray Dam was 1,250 cfs. Trout fishing has been good. Anglers should try using flies or small lures. Only adipose fin-clipped trout may be retained. ROGUE RIVER, ABOVE LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: trout The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will not stock the Rogue above Prospect this week. However, there are likely some stocked rainbows still available as pressure has been light the past few weeks. A few brook trout and some browns are also available. Try worms, eggs and wooly bugger flies. SODA SPRINGS RESERVOIR: brown and rainbow trout Soda Springs Reservoir and the tributaries upstream of Soda Springs are open to trout angling. There is no limit on brook trout taken in addition to catch limits for other trout. Fishing has been fair for browns. SMITH RIVER: striped bass, trout, fall chinook, steelhead Open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead from mouth to Spencer Creek and North Fork from mouth upstream to Johnson Creek. Open for chinook salmon to Spencer creek. Chinook harvest will be limited to one non fin-clipped chinook per day, five per season. Trout season closes starting Sept. 16 for Smith River and its tributaries. Striped bass season is open year-round, two fish per 24 hours, 24-inch minimum size. The North Fork is open from mouth to Johnson Creek for stripers. On Aug. 1 the North Fork will close to chinook angling as the emergency sport fishing regulations take effect. SOUTH COAST STREAMS: trout Trout season in the Umpqua tributaries, Smith River, South Umpqua, North Umpqua tributaries below Soda Springs Reservoir and Cow Creek basins closes starting Sept. 16. The mainstem Umpqua and mainstem North Umpqua to Soda Springs Dam are open year-round for catch and release trout. TENMILE LAKES: On Sept. 18, the Oregon Department of Human Services issued a blue green advisory on Tenmile Lakes. To find out more about the advisory and recommended precautions, please go to the DHS Web site. TOKETEE LAKE: brown trout Fishing is open in Toketee year-round, and the best fishing occurs early in the morning or late eventing on insect patterns. The lake has both good bank and boat access throughout. UMPQUA ESTUARY: sturgeon, bass, chinook Both sturgeon and striped bass fishing have been slow in the lower Umpqua. Crabbing has been good lately. Emergency sport fishing regulations take effect Aug.1. For the Umpqua, chinook harvest will be limited to one non fin-clipped adult chinook per day, five per season. Coho harvest will be for fin-clipped only. Coho are beginning to enter the Umpqua and some have already moved above Elkton. The Umpqua has a hatchery program for coho and anticipates that several thousand fin-clipped coho will return this year. Chinook have arrived at Winchester Bay and the lower estuary. Bank anglers using spinners are fishing for salmon at Half Moon Bay, Osprey Point and Salmon Harbor. Note the local STEP program is gathering information about salmon fishing in the Winchester Bay area. Please check the fish cleaning stations to fill out a survey card regarding your experience. Some chinook have already been caught near Roseburg. A rain should get both the chinook and coho moving. UMPQUA HIGH LAKES AND FOREBAYS: trout Clearwater Forebay #2 has been stocked with about 3,500 trout this year, and will receive about 900 lunker fish for Labor Day weekend. Other high lakes including Maidu, Bull Pup, Connie, Skookum (N. Umpqua), Calamut, Fuller, Wolf, Cliff, Buckeye, Linda, and Big Twin Lakes were stocked with fingerling brook trout in 2008. Brook trout stocked in 2008 are about 6-10 inches now in most lakes. In 2009, all lakes were again stocked with brook trout except Linda and Calamut which were stocked with rainbow trout fingerlings. Due to fire, access to Cliff, Buckeye, Fish, Twin and Wolf lakes is closed. For updates on road closures due to fire call: 541-957-3367. UMPQUA RIVER MAINSTEM: steelhead, spring chinook, smallmouth bass Umpqua Basin Note: Due to high mortality of hatchery steelhead, smolt releases in 2007 were much lower than normal. Consequently, fewer hatchery steelhead will be returning to the Umpqua basin. Angling opportunity and catch rates throughout the basin will still be good due to the strong wild steelhead population, however only hatchery steelhead can be harvested. Mainstem: Remember the main stem Umpqua is closed to wild steelhead harvest, but remains open year-round for adipose fin-clipped steelhead. Due to the warm weather the bite has been slow. Anglers will want to fish during the coolest part of the day. Small mouth angling is good from Scottsburg to the forks. A few jack salmon have been caught above Elkton, and the first coho have crossed Winchester Dam. The public health advisory for Elk Creek and the Umpqua near Elkton has been lifted. Umpqua River flows near Elkton UMPQUA RIVER, NORTH: steelhead, chinook As of mid-August over 13,400 spring chinook and 3,800 summer steelhead have crossed Winchester Dam. Due to production problems in 2007, the hatchery steelhead numbers are lower than normal. Fishing in the North Umpqua for chinook is closed. Summer steelhead angling is slow. Remember that only adipose fin-clipped steelhead can be harvested on the North Umpqua. The North is open to catch-and-release trout fishing from the mouth upstream to Soda Springs Dam. Some coho have already passed Winchester Dam. The North Umpqua hatchery program was discontinued in 2005. Angling for hatchery coho is legal in places open to steelhead or chinook fishing. Last year out of over 4,000 coho passing Winchester Dam, less than 6% were fin-clipped hatchery fish. North Umpqua River water levels at Winchester Dam UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH: Closed to all angling until Dec. 1 South Umpqua River water levels near Riddle WILLOW LAKE: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie, yellow perch, bullhead Fishing for rainbow trout has been fair. Anglers should try using floating bait or worms. Casting or trolling lures or flies can also be effective. Fishing for bass and crappie has been good. WINCHESTER BAY: sturgeon, coho, chinook Fishing for sturgeon is slow. Crabbing has been good lately. Chinook and coho are beginning to enter Winchester Bay and anglers are starting to bank fish from Half Moon Bay, Osprey Point and Salmon Harbor. Note the local STEP program is gathering information about salmon fishing in the Winchester Bay area. Please check the fish cleaning stations to fill out a survey card regarding your experience. WINCHUCK RIVER: Closed to chinook fishing until Dec.r 31. OREGON COAST CLOSED TO CLAMMING Always check for health advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 1-800-448-2474 for updates. Razor clams and current status of particular areas Crabbing has been good. Crabbers are encouraged to return soft crabs with little meat back to the water. Crabbing from public docks or boat if available is a great opportunity for families to catch a delicious dinner. Kids often enjoy sorting out the smaller crab that can be abundant. Public crabbing docks can be found in Winchester Bay, Bandon, Charleston, and Empire. Clamming. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has closed the entire Oregon Coast to recreational mussel and clam harvest due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning or PSP toxins. Crabs are not affected by this level of toxin and are safe to eat. Before any shellfish harvest trip, make sure to check the Oregon Department of Agriculture website for any recent shellfish closures recent shellfish closures at: http://oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/shellfish_status.shtml. ALWAYS CHECK FOR HEALTH ADVISORIES by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 1-800-448-2474 for updates. • Razor clams and current status of particular areas • Bay clams • ALWAYS CHECK FOR HEALTH ADVISORIES by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish line at 1-800-448-2474 for updates. • Razor clams and current status of particular areas • Bay clams SOUTHWEST ZONE HUNTING Check for fire restrictions before you go hunting! InciWeb Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry OPEN: WESTERN OREGON RIFLE DEER (opens Oct. 3) FOREST GROUSE, CALIF. QUAIL, COUGAR and BEAR Don't forget to report your hunt results. Anyone who purchases a big game or turkey tag must report hunt results online or by phone. Reporting is required even if you did not fill your tag or go hunting. More information FIRE CLOSURES: Check inciweb for fires. Always check with land manager for the latest on conditions before you head out. DOUGLAS COUNTY Some road closures are currently in place for the Boze Fire which is located on the Tiller Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest. The 12,726 acre fire is burning in very steep, rugged terrain in the lower French and upper Boze Creek drainages. Check inciweb or call (541) 957-3367 for additional details. Western Oregon General Rifle season opens up on Saturday Oct. 3. Deer populations are similar to last year. The cloudy and wet weather this week should help quiet the woods for hunters. Hunters are reminded to obtain permission before hunting on private lands. Hunters should find deer on the northerly slopes and near water and green up areas. Check local fire restrictions due to fire danger before hunting. Bow ELK season and Powers Bow ended Sept. 27. A few controlled elk hunts (Melrose Plus and Elkton) are currently open. General BEAR season is open. Hunters can expect an average year. Hunters should concentrate their efforts in the berry patches in early morning and late afternoon. Bear numbers are good with the highest numbers in the coast range. Successful bear hunters are reminded there is a mandatory check-in for all harvested bear within 10 days of harvest (see regulations for details). COUGAR season is open. Hunters can expect an average year. Cougars are abundant and wildly distributed. Hunting success is best around high deer population areas using a predator call. WESTERN GRAY SQUIRREL season is currently open. Hunters can expect an average year. Squirrels are widely distributed throughout the county with good numbers in areas of oaks and conifers. Many areas of high squirrel populations are on private lands so hunters are reminded to ask for permission on these lands before hunting. UPLAND GAMEBIRDS: Grouse & Quail - Hunters can expect an average hunt year. The season is currently open. Hunting availability and success for forest grouse should be good this year. Blue grouse success is best in mid to high elevations of the Cascades in partly open conifer stands. Ruffed grouse can be found near creeks mostly at mid elevations of both the Cascades and Coast Range. Hunters that kill grouse are asked to drop off in a paper bag the frozen wing and tail of each grouse at the local ODFW office. Please use 1 bird per bag with each frozen bag of grouse parts including the species, sex, age, unit and general area of harvest for proper analysis. Nesting season production was about average for California quail and average for Mountain quail so hunting opportunity should be good. Success is best in the lower elevation agricultural lands for California quail and mid-elevations of the Cascades and Coast Range near brushy clear cuts on secondary forest roads for Mountain quail. Hunters are also asked if they kill a mountain quail to drop off in a paper bag the frozen wing and tail of each mountain quail at the local ODFW office. Please use 1 bird per bag with each frozen bag of mountain quail parts including the species, sex, age, unit and general area of harvest for proper analysis. MIGRATORY GAMEBIRDS: Crow - Crow season opens up Oct. 1 Hunters can expect an average year. Crow are abundant and widely distributed on the Umpqua Valley floor. Hunting crow is a challenge with most being on or adjacent to private lands. COOS COUNTY RIFLE DEER opens Oct. 3. Occasional wet spells have created good hunting conditions for deer locally. As these weather fronts move in off the ocean deer become very active. Deer will be found in clear cuts and other forest clearings where brush is beginning to grow. Contact landowners and managers before accessing private property to gain permission to access their land. FOREST GROUSE and MOUNTAIN QUAIL seasons opened Sept. 1. Nesting success for both does not appear to have been good this year. However, persistent hunters will find birds to hunt near forest openings, creek bottoms and ridge tops. Hunting generally improves as the season progresses due to the fact that deciduous trees will loose their leaves and visibility will improve. General BEAR and COUGAR opened Aug. 1 statewide. Cougar are abundant throughout with indicators pointing to stable or increasing numbers. Bear are also plentiful. Remember check-in is mandatory for successful hunters; please bring cougar or bear in thawed and with mouth propped open for easier tissue sampling, teeth collection and tagging. Reports indicate bears are quite active. Several hunters have reported seeing and taking bears in clear cuts in late afternoon as bears search for ripening berries. COYOTE populations are good in Coos County and they will respond to calls. However, calling coyotes on the coast range is challenging due to brush. Since specific license and tag requirements exist for hunting some of these animals new hunters should contact local ODFW offices to learn more about hunting these animals before they start. JACKSON, JOSEPHINE, CURRY COUNTIES Check fire restrictions: http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/precautionlevel.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/ DEER rifle season will open Oct 3. The last 4 years of deer surveys show higher numbers and the same high buck ratios. It is expected that the season will be as good as last year. Most of our area is unique with large population of Black-tailed deer that migrate. With the start of the season hunters should focus on high elevation, as the season progresses the deer will begin to migrate to lower elevations. Weather will have some factor on the migration movement with colder wetter weather causing more movement. ELK archery season has closed. The archery season appeared to be as good as last year with several nice bulls taken throughout area. Rifle season for elk will be open October 17 thru 23. DEER archery early season has closed. Late season will reopen in November 14. Overall the early archery season was good. UPLAND GAME BIRDS season is open. Both mountain quail and forest grouse numbers appear to be average with hunters expecting to have a fair harvest. With the spring showers that caused many to loose there brood most were able to re-nest. Forest grouse can be found in timbered creek draws and mountain quail will be found in brushy clear cuts near water. A good bird dog will aid greatly in bird retrieval. BEAR season is currently open. Hunters can expect to have an average year. Bear numbers appear to be abundant. Bear hunters are having some success with a few hunters seeing several bears at a time. Due to the hot dry weather bears will be found around cooler wet drainages. As the berry crops become ripe, hunters should locate these areas to find bears. The best times to look for bears are in the early morning and late evenings. Successful bear hunters are reminded there is a mandatory check-in for all harvested bear within 10 days of harvest (see regulations for details). COUGAR general season is open. Due to the nature of cougars, hunters find it hard to locate cougars without locating prey animals and the use of predator calls. Locate major ridge lines where cougars travel looking for deer. Hunters are also reminded that they must bring their cougar into an ODFW office within 10 days to be checked and tagged, refer to regulations for details. COYOTES are abundant in our area. Hunter can find coyotes around meadows where ground squirrels are found. Predator calls are very useful when used in conjunction to known prey base. WESTERN GRAY SQUIRREL is open in all of our units; refer to regulations for more detail. SOUTHWEST ZONE VIEWING EVENTS KBO Bird Walk to Lower Table Rock, Medford, October 10, 8 a.m. Go birding on the trails of Lower Table Rock. Look for Oak Titmice, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, and California Towhee. Meet at 8am at Wild Birds Unlimited, Medford. To register, call (541) 770-1104. KBO Bike and Bird the Bear Creek, October 17, 8 a.m. Let's see more of what the Greenway has to offer in bird habitat by using our bicycles! It's a great time to enjoy the fall colors, stopping along the way to search for migratory warblers, as well as clever resident species, well camouflaged in the yellow leaves. Meet at the Ashland Dog Park off of W. Nevada St. with your bicycle and a snack, 8am. Suggested donation $5-$10. To register, call 541-201-0866. More information, see the Klamath Bird Observatory Web site. Southward migration Birds are starting their southward migration so look for species congregating at roosts and feeders or in the air just before or during migration. Some to watch for are: ospreys, turkey vultures, swifts, swallows, cedar waxwings, and some species of flycatchers, warblers, finches and shorebirds. Coos County Migratory ducks and geese are appearing in and around local bays. The number of birds present locally will increase rapidly as October approaches. As the first fall rain storms move onto the coast from the Pacific Ocean, observers will notice groups of migratory geese moving south along the coast. Many of these are Aleutian cackling Canada geese. These birds are destined for the central valleys of California. Generally, they take a direct rout from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to California, staying over the ocean for the whole trip. However, when storms approach the coast some of them will move closer to shore during their migration giving people who live near the coast or are here visiting an opportunity to see them. Shorebirds are common around local bays at low tide. Many of these migrants will move to wintering areas early in the fall. This is a great time to view large groups of western sandpipers and other small shorebirds which are sometimes seen in mixed groups. Many species of "bait fish" like herring and smelt are moving into local bays for spawning and their predators will follow. Presently, there are large numbers of various gull species and American brown pelicans in the bay pursuing these bait fish. Look for concentrations of the birds diving for fish in Coos Bay, just inside the jetties near Charleston and other places. Douglas County Many species of birds are starting their southward migration so look for species congregating at roosts and feeders or in the air just before or during migration. Some migratory species to watch are: ospreys, turkey vultures, swifts, swallows, cedar waxwings, and some species of flycatchers, warblers, finches and shorebirds. Vaux Swifts Vaux Swifts can be observed at Fir Grove Park, downtown Roseburg and other areas at dusk gathering for their annual fall migration. Look for the awesome aerial displays the last hour of daylight with congregating swifts flying in concentrations forming large vortex's before dropping into the top of their night roosting site. Western Pond Turtles Western Pond Turtles can be seen basking in the late summer sun in local ponds (Stewart Park) and reservoirs (Cooper Creek, Galesville, Berry Creek. Plat I, etc.). Josephine, Jackson Counties ODFW Denman Wildlife Area, Central Point Hunting season has started on the Denman Wildlife Area. It is encouraged for other recreational users to wear bright orange or other bright colored clothing and to stick to the trail systems. Take one of two trails off of Touvelle Road and enjoy bird watching and sightseeing. Below the fourth pond and to the north, you will find the newly-built horse trail that provides great views of the Upper Table Rock and opportunities to see birds that live in oak trees, wedge leaf ceanothus and areas of riparian vegetation along the Little Butte Creek. Another trail exists on the south side Touvelle. This is set aside as our interruptive trail for hikers. Visitors can come to the ODFW office to get a pamphlet that describes the wildlife and vegetation found along the path, which runs through oak trees and areas of riparian along ponds and along the Rogue River. Many people are visiting the area for fishing opportunities-bass, blue gills and bull head cat fish are being caught. Carp are seen in the shallows spawning during early mornings at this time of the year. Ken Denman Wildlife Area: 1495 E. Gregory Road, Central Point, (541) 826-8774. From I-5: Take exit 33 at Central Point. Travel east on Pine Street to Table Rock Road. Turn left (north) on Table Rock Road to E. Gregory Road. Turn left at the wildlife area headquarters sign. From Hwy. 62: Turn onto Agate Road. Take the first left (E. Gregory Road). Proceed one mile to the wildlife area. For more information about the wildlife area, visit ODFW's Web site.
Check fire restrictions Expect increased fire safety restrictions and possible fire-related closures. Check with the land manager where you are going before you head out. The InciWeb site lists Oregon fires and land manager sites (below) may list closures and restrictions. Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry CENTRAL ZONE FISHING Weekend fishing opportunities: • ODFW has temporarily lifted all daily catch limits, possession limits and minimum length requirements for Antelope Flat Reservoir and Walton Lake from Sept. 1 to Oct. 18. Both lakes will close Oct. 18 for chemical treatment to remove illegally introduced bullhead catfish. • Trout fishing remains steady on the Crooked River. Although the water is typically turbid, don't let this keep you from trying a few dry flies. • With the arrival of cooler fall temperatures, fishing has picked up at several of the high Cascade lakes. ANTELOPE FLAT RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bullhead catfish There are no daily catch limits, possession limits, or minimum length requirements for rainbow trout and bullhead catfish on Antelope Flat Reservoir from Sept. 1 through Oct. 18, 2009. Harvest is allowed by hand, dip net, or angling. The reservoir will close after Oct. 18, 2009 when it is scheduled for chemical treatment to remove illegally introduced bullhead catfish. Bullhead catfish populations have stunted, degraded water quality, and reduced success for trout anglers. BIG LAVA LAKE: rainbow trout Fishing has picked up with the advent of cooler temperatures. Big Lava is a great place to catch nice rainbow trout ranging from 12 to 20 inches in length. CRANE PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, brook trout, largemouth bass With the advent of cooler water temperatures fishing for both redband and brook trout should be improving. Please note new angling regulation specifying the daily trout bag may only include one non-fin-clipped rainbow trout per day. Crane is a great place to catch larger rainbow trout, though the novice angler will require patience. CLEAR LAKE: rainbow trout Clear Lake has been stocked with lots of fish and should be a great opportunity to catch a limit. CRESCENT LAKE: rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout and kokanee With cooler temperatures there should be good opportunities for some kokanee and brown trout. CROOKED RIVER BELOW BOWMAN DAM: redband trout and mountain whitefish Fishing continues to be steady on the Crooked River. Although flows in the Crooked are typically turbid, anglers should not be afraid to try dry fly imitations. The Crooked River has been flowing consistently around 220 cfs and redband populations appear to be healthier than in previous years. All anglers should visit informational kiosks located in the BLM campgrounds in the Wild and Scenic portion of the river where a flier has been posted to assist anglers in collecting valuable information. ODFW and OSU initiated a radio telemetry study on redband trout and whitefish in the fall of 2007. ODFW and OSU deployed new radio-tags in early October in fish caught by dedicated volunteer anglers from the Central Oregon Fly Fishers, Sunriver Anglers, ODFW, and OSU. Anglers are reminded that radio-tagged fish cannot be legally harvested. To determine if a fish is radio-tagged, anglers should check for an eight-inch wire antenna protruding from the rear of both redband and mountain whitefish. A sample of redband trout and mountain whitefish are also tagged with a numbered floy tag protruding from the back. Anglers who later catch a trout or whitefish with a floy tag are encouraged to release the fish after recording the tag number, fish length and location caught. Anglers can send the information to ODFW at (541) 447-5111 ext. 24 or michael.r.harrington@state.or.us. CULTUS LAKE: lake trout, rainbow trout Pressure has been light: no angler reports. DAVIS LAKE: rainbow trout, largemouth bass Cooler temperatures should improve trout fishing, and there's still good opportunity for largemouth bass. Remember Davis is a fly angling lake only. DESCHUTES RIVER: steelhead, rainbow trout Mouth to Warm Springs: steelhead, trout, fall Chinook (mouth to Sherars Falls) Poor visibility due to glacial runoff from White River has improved considerably, as has the steelhead catch, on the Lower Deschutes with the cooler temperatures. Excellent fishing was reported from the mouth upstream to the Sherars Falls area. Some reports of good success on steelhead upstream from Sherars Falls are beginning to show up. Anglers are reporting good success on both flies and lures. Anglers should be aware that predicted returning hot weather conditions may increase turbidity. Angling for steelhead and chinook salmon in Sherars Falls has improved, with several large chinook and many steelhead reported in the catch. Anglers can check the trap catch at Sherars Falls as an indicator of fish movement in the Deschutes at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/fish_counts/sherars_falls/index.asp. Trout anglers are reporting good fishing on caddis hatches. Look for some morning hatches and big evening hatches. Lake Billy Chinook to Benham Falls: rainbow trout, brown trout No recent reports. The flows are now well-suited for fishing. This reach of the Deschutes provides good spring angling opportunity for brown trout and redband trout. Benham Falls to Wickiup Reservoir: brown trout, rainbow trout Reports of fair success for brown trout and rainbow trout. No reports from the past weekend. Wickiup Reservoir to Crane Prairie Reservoir: rainbow trout, brown trout Closed to angling for the remainder of the year beginning Sept. 1. Crane Prairie Reservoir to Little Lava Lake: rainbow trout, brook trout Closes to fishing after Sept. 30. EAST LAKE: brown trout, rainbow trout, kokanee, Atlantic salmon Anglers are still finding fair success for rainbow trout and brown trout. ELK LAKE: kokanee, brook trout No recent reports. FALL RIVER: rainbow trout Recent reports from a couple of experienced angler types indicate that the angling has been slow fair with a few nice fish being caught. Despite the warmer temperatures and increased insect hatches it appears that nymphing is still the most productive method for catching fish. River water temperatures are generally in the 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit range. This is a popular spring fishery for fly-fishers. FROG LAKE: No recent reports. HAYSTACK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, brown trout All fishing has been consistent. Anglers have reported catching large bass and trout at the inlet of the lake recently. On Sept. 18, the Oregon Department of Human Services issued a blue green advisory on Haystack Reservoir. To find out more about the advisory and recommended precautions, please go to the DHS Web site. HOOD RIVER: summer steelhead Glacial flow from Mt. Hood has made visibility low. Find out how many fish are being captured at the Powerdale Dam trap. HORSESHOE LAKE: rainbow trout Horseshoe has been recently stocked and should offer good opportunity for legal and trophy-sized trout. HOSMER LAKE: Atlantic salmon, brook trout Some reports of Atlantic salmon being caught. Remember, it's catch-and-release fishing for Atlantic salmon. KINGSLEY RESERVOIR: rainbow trout Along with earlier stocking of legal trout, Kingsley has received many excess summer steelhead that have returned to the Hood River. LAKE BILLY CHINOOK: bull trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass Fishing is average for this time of year. Kokanee bag limit is five fish per day, included in the trout daily bag limit. Anglers should consult 2009 Sport Fishing Regulations for new angling regulations on Lake Billy Chinook. LAURANCE LAKE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout Laurance Lake has been recently stocked and should offer good opportunity for legal and trophy-sized trout. LITTLE LAVA LAKE: rainbow trout, brook trout No recent reports. METOLIUS RIVER: redband trout, bull trout Some recent reports of good success. The warmer temperatures continue to make for good hatches. NORTH TWIN: rainbow trout Fishing should improved with the arrival of cool fall temperatures. Good beaches, good wind protection and good numbers of stocked rainbow trout are North Twin positives. OCHOCO CREEK UPSTREAM TO OCHOCO DAM: rainbow trout Bait fishing is now allowed. Five trout per day, 8-inch minimum length. OCHOCO RESERVOIR: rainbow trout Anglers continue to report occasional catches of large fish. ODELL LAKE: kokanee, rainbow trout, lake trout The fishing at Odell has been fair. Please note that all bull trout must be released unharmed. OLLALIE LAKE: rainbow trout The lake has been stocked and should offer a great opportunity to catch lots of trout. PAULINA LAKE: brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout Fishing for brown trout and kokanee remains good. Rainbow trout fishing is fair. PINE HOLLOW RESERVOIR: rainbow trout No recent reports. PRINEVILLE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, black crappie, bass Trout fishing should pick up as temperatures cool and fishing for warmwater species is excellent. Anglers should note an error in the 2009 fishing regulations for Prineville Reservoir (p. 63). The CORRECT regulation is: largemouth and smallmouth bass, 15 in. MAXIMUM length, only one of which may be a largemouth. PRINEVILLE YOUTH FISHING POND: largemouth bass More largemouth bass were stocked in the Prineville Youth Pond on Aug. 6, and fishing is good. The Prineville Youth Fishing Pond is open to children 14 and younger with a bag limit of five fish. ROCK CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout Rock Creek Reservoir has extremely low water due to irrigation withdrawals. SOUTH TWIN: rainbow trout With the advent of cooler temperatures anglers should expect good fishing. South Twin provides plenty of opportunity for rainbow trout, great wind protected shoreline and good beach-like shoreline for the kids to run around on when they're tired of catching fish. A great family lake. SUTTLE LAKE: brown trout, kokanee No recent angler reports. TAYLOR LAKE: rainbow trout Taylor Lake is a great spot to catch carp with flies; look for carp in the shallows as water temperatures warm to summer temperatures. WALTON LAKE: rainbow trout Anglers accessing Walton Lake should access it from the Round Mountain Trail approximately a quarter mile uproad from the Walton Lake gate. There are no daily catch limits, possession limits, or minimum length requirements for any fish species on Walton Lake from Sept. 1 through Oct. 18, 2009. Harvest is allowed by hand, dip net, or angling. The reservoir will close after Oct. 18, 2009 when it is scheduled for chemical treatment to remove illegally introduced bullhead catfish and bass. Bullhead catfish populations have stunted, degraded water quality, and reduced success for trout anglers. WICKIUP RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee, largemouth bass There should be very good opportunity for catching brown trout. Kokanee fishing appears to be winding down. Anglers are encouraged to work the shallows for browns and rainbow during the early morning hours and hours just before dusk. Please note that the Deschutes arm of Wickiup upstream of the ODFW marker located near the West South Twin Boat launch closed to angling Sept. 1. CENTRAL ZONE HUNTING OPEN: CONTROLLED BUCK (opens Oct. 3), EARLY RIFLE ANTLERLESS ELK, and FOREST GROUSE, COUGAR and BEAR Check for fire restrictions before you go hunting! InciWeb Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry Don't forget to report your hunt results. Anyone who purchases a big game or turkey tag must report hunt results online or by phone. Reporting is required even if you did not fill your tag or go hunting. More information PRINEVILLE/OCHOCO WILDLIFE DISTRICT To this point big game hunters have been enjoying shortsleeve conditions during the day, but cool nights with temperatures dipping to below freezing. Weather conditions are predicted to change mid week, with possible precipitation, including the possibility of snow. BUCK hunters participating in this weekend's opener should come prepared! Hunters planning to hunt public lands should check with Ochoco National Forest or Prineville BLM offices for the latest information on access and camping. BUCK RIFLE HUNTERS will be active in all local wildlife units. Tags numbers were reduced this year in the Maury, Ochoco, and Grizzly units due to a drop in buck numbers. Despite the lower number of mature bucks, decent numbers of yearling bucks will help provide opportunities for hunters. Animals appear in good shape, and more scattered this year due to good water availability. Hunters are reminded the Rager and South Boundary Travel Management Areas (TMA's) will be in effect in the Ochoco unit. GAME BIRD seasons are active at this time. FOREST GROUSE opportunities are limited to higher elevation forest lands on the Ochoco National Forest. Hunters should check the more heavily forested portions of the Lookout Mtn. and Paulina Ranger districts for these elusive birds. EARLY RIFLE ANTLERLESS ELK hunts are active on mostly private lands in portions of the Maury, Ochoco, and Grizzly units. These hunts include private agricultural and ranch lands that require having landowner permission for access. COUGAR and BEAR seasons are open, and hunters are reminded both species require check in at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest. This includes calling ahead of time to make an appointment, and remembering to bring in the unfrozen skull, hide, and other necessary parts needed for check in. Please consult the synopsis for all required parts. It's also a good idea to prop the mouth open with a stick after harvest for easier tissue sampling, teeth collection and tagging. BEAR are more plentiful in the more forested Ochoco and Grizzly units. The denser forested north slopes at higher elevations in both units would be areas to scout and look for bear sign. COUGAR are also present in these 2 units and the Maury as well. Cougars are present at all elevations, and use the more open juniper-sage desert habitats, as well as the forested country. Areas with known cougar activity include the Maury Mountains and S. Fk. Crooked River (Maury unit); S. F. John Day River, N F. Crooked River, and Lookout Mtn. (Ochoco unit); Upper Mill Crk., Green Mtn., and Grizzly Mtn (Grizzly unit). THE DALLES WILDLIFE DISTRICT Be sure to check with local state forestry and US Forest offices for fire season regulations before planning your outdoor adventure. Opening weekend of rifle DEER should provide below average temperatures and a chance of precipitation that should improve hunting conditions. Hunters should focus their time during the early morning or late afternoons. Take advantage of the rain as the deer are likely to spend more time on the move and should be visible during the day. FOREST GROUSE in the area are scattered, with the best hunting generally being found in stream bottoms or on open ridges on either side of the Hood River Valley. Successful hunters are asked to give a wing and a tail to ODFW to help manage grouse populations in the state. Wings can be turned in at any ODFW office, or in one of the many wing barrels scattered throughout the district. COUGAR and BEAR seasons opened Aug. 1. Successful hunters, remember you must check in cougar (hide and skull) and bear skull at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest and bring them in unfrozen. It's also a good idea to prop their mouths open with a stick after harvest for easier tissue sampling, teeth collection and tagging. See regulations for details. BEAR hunters should focus their efforts within higher elevation berry fields or recent clearcuts within the Hood unit, or in one of the stream canyons along the eastern edge of the Cascades in the White River unit. Finding a good vantage point and spending time with good optics can increase the odds of finding a bear. Those wishing to pursue COYOTE will find the best success near agricultural lands. Be sure to ask permission to hunt private lands. Limited opportunities may also be found at White River Wildlife area, and on lower elevation forest service lands. California Ground SQUIRRELS, or gray diggers, are still active. The best hunting opportunities for squirrels are generally found on private agricultural ground, but good opportunity also exists on White River Wildlife area. Focus your efforts in the morning or evening to find the highest squirrel activity. Make sure to ask permission to hunt on private lands. WHITE RIVER WILDLIFE AREA Deer season opens Oct. 3 and the deer are still at the higher elevations for the most part but there are still a few animals using the Wildlife Area. Deer will be scattered through out the Wildlife Area. BEAR and COUGAR hunting opened Aug. 1. BEAR hunters will find the best success adjacent to major drainages such as White River, Tygh Creek or Badger Creek. COYOTE hunters should be looking in open areas along the eastern perimeter of the wildlife area. GROUND SQUIRRELS, or gray diggers, can be found throughout the wildlife area. The wildlife area is a vehicle regulated use area. Open roads have a green dot on them. Hunters bringing their ATVs are reminded that all vehicles are to stay on roads; cross country travel is prohibited. As summer progresses, fire danger increases. Please be aware of current fire regulations and their impact on the wildlife area. Fire restrictions are in affect and ATVs and motorcycles are prohibited on all unimproved roads and any road with vegetation growing in the middle of the road way they also have to have fire tools and fire extinguisher with any vehicle traveling on these roads. You may find out more about fire restrictions and regulations by contacting the Oregon Department of Forestry in The Dalles, Oregon at (541)296-4626. CENTRAL ZONE VIEWING EVENT Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center, The Dalles, Harvest Moon Walk, Monday, Oct. 5, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. An interpreted walk for all ages down Riverfront Trail exploring nature by moonlight with museum educators Steve Thompson and Linda Turner. Please leave pets at home. For more information. Bend Tumoluo State Park In Tumulo State Park find songbirds lured by woodlands and surface water. Look for black-headed grosbeak, pygmy nuthatch, mountain chickadee and Cassin's finch. You might also see violet-green swallow, yellow warbler, Townsend's warbler, western meadowlark, California quail and Townsend's solitaire. During the twilight of evening, watch the river corridor for acro"bat"ics from several species of this mammal, some of which may roost during the day in crevasses of onsite rock cliffs. More information is available on the US Forest Service Web site. Visit The Oregon State Park Web site for information on the park. Located off US 20, 5 mi. NW of Bend Prineville Area The upper Crooked River and Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Management Area (WMA) offer wildlife viewing opportunities. Ducks, geese, and other waterfowl are common and visible along the Crooked River and Prineville Reservoir WMA. Additionally, a variety of other shorebirds and birds of prey are present along the shoreline and rimrock areas. The access road along the north side of the WMA is open and offers great camping, hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities. A map of the area is available at the ODFW's Prineville Office and the Oregon State Park office located at the Prineville Reservoir State Park. Directions to the wildlife area: From Prineville, take Paulina Highway 1.7 miles. Turn right onto Juniper Canyon Road at the Prineville Reservoir State Park sign. Take Juniper Canyon Road 12.5 miles to Prineville Reservoir State Park. Access to the WMA is via the primitive N. Side Access road at the northeast corner of the state park. Visitors can also access the WMA by continuing southeast along Paulina Highway for 15 miles (from Prineville) and turn right at the bottom of the hill after passing Eagle Rock near milepost 14 onto the signed WMA primitive road. For more information, visit ODFW's Web site. Sherman County and Deschutes Canyon Many different species frequent the Deschutes Canyon at this time of year with opportunities to view a wide variety of waterbirds, passerines, deer and bighorn sheep. Bighorn sheep are a common site in the canyon. This is the time of year that sheep in the Deschutes start into the rut. One of the most popular spots to view Bighorn rams is across the river from Jones campground, along the Mack's canyon access road.Sheep are most active in the early morning and late evening during warm summer days. Good binoculars and a spotting scope will improve the odds of viewing sheep. The Dalles Area ODFW White River Wildlife Area Visitors to White River can find a variety of bird species on the area. Some of the most notable are Lewis' Woodpeckers, which inhabit the open oak areas throughout the wildlife area and Pileated Woodpeckers, which can generally be found near the forest boundary. The area also hosts a variety of passerines, as well as turkey, quail and a few waterfowl. For more information and directions to the wildlife area, visit ODFW's Web site. ODFW Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area Note: Fire season is in full swing, will extreme fire danger occurring throughout the region. Be cautious when recreating in the area. Check with the Prineville district of the BLM for current fire regulations. Many different bird species are present in the Deschutes Wildlife Area, including osprey, kingfishers, great blue herons and waterfowl. ODFW's Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area is located east of The Dalles. Directions and more information about the Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area are on ODFW's Web site.
SOUTHEAST ZONE FISHING Weekend fishing opportunities: • Trout fishing on Lake of the Woods will be excellent. • Smallmouth bass and crappie, including some up to 14 inches, are available on Campbell Reservoir in Klamath County. • Fishing for redband trout on the Sprague River should be picking up as water temperatures begin to cool and fish begin to feed actively. ANA RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout, hybrid bass Ana Reservoir is open year-round for rainbow trout and hybrid bass angling. The reservoir was stocked with legal and trophy-sized rainbow trout with fish donated by Desert Springs Hatchery. Water temperatures in the reservoir stay fairly consistent throughout the summer. There appears to be a plankton bloom occurring in the reservoir. A record size 30 inch hybrid bass was caught in early February weighing 18lb, 9.5 oz. The use of live fish for bait is prohibited. ANA RIVER: hatchery rainbow trout Rainbow trout in this river can be very spooky so stealth is required. Bait angling is allowed. Tui chub and pit roach are abundant in Ana River so large lures and flies mimicking minnows can be very successful. Most rainbow trout appear to be concentrated from the head of the river down to around the Desert Spring hatchery complex. ANTHONY LAKE: rainbow and brook trout Fishing should be good for rainbow trout. The lake has been stocked twice. BALM CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bass Fishing is poor but may pick up as the weather cools. Water level is low. BEULAH RESERVOIR: redband trout, hatchery rainbow trout, whitefish, bull trout The reservoir is at minimum water level and average inflow was 40 cfs on September 27. Angling in the reservoir and below the dam is poor. BIG ROCK RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout The reservoir is down to a small pool, fishing for rainbow trout has been slow. BLITZEN RIVER: trout Flows remain stable, ranging from approximately 36 cfs to 38 cfs from Sept. 21 through Sept. 28. Angling has been fair to good for trout, with mostly 8 to 12-inch trout in the Page Springs area, and a few larger trout higher in the system. Mainstem Blitzen and tributaries (except Little Blitzen) have a two fish trout bag limit from late May through Oct. 31, and a catch-and-release fishery from Nov. 1 through late May. The Little Blitzen is a catch-and-release fishery year-round. BLUE LAKE: hatchery rainbow trout Blue lake was recently stocked with fingerling-sized hatchery rainbow trout. Access to Blue Lake was closed by the USFS to remove beetle-killed trees and improve safety condition; it is not expected to open again during 2009. BULLY CREEK RESERVOIR: bass, white crappie, yellow perch, catfish, and trout. The reservoir was 5 percent full on Sept. 27. This reservoir is predicted to reach minimum water levels by early October. Current water level is well below the bottom of the ramp, so launching large boats would be difficult. Angling is slow. BURNS POND: trout, bass Angling should be slow for rainbow trout. BURNT RIVER: trout Fishing may get better as the weather cools. Has been stocked. CAMPBELL RESERVOIR (KLAMATH COUNTY): redband trout, largemouth bass, crappie Many small largemouth bass and crappie are available. The reservoir is half full. Angling is best in the evening for nice sized crappie up to 14 inches. Crappie are primarily feeding on midge larvae and zooplankton. Small flies under a bobber can be effective. CHEWAUCAN RIVER: redband trout, largemouth bass Redband trout are available in the main river and tributaries; brook trout are available in Dairy and Elder Creeks. The Chewaucan River just above Paisley has been producing good catch rates on fish 8-12 inches CHICKAHOMINY RESERVOIR: trout The reservoir is very low, the water is turbid, and we have received reports some trout are dying. Some trout may have survived the summer, but we cannot recommend traveling long distances to fish this reservoir. COTTONWOOD MEADOWS LAKE: brook trout, hatchery stocked rainbow trout Fishing for hatchery stocked rainbow trout has been good, and catch rates on brook trout have become slow. Vegetation in the lake can make angling challenging; try trolling lures and flies over the top of them near the center of the lake. COTTONWOOD RESERVOIR: native redband trout Fishing has been improving with declining temperatures. The reservoir is still very turbid; large flashy lures and flies are producing near the inlet of Cottonwood Creek. DEADHORSE/CAMPBELL LAKES: hatchery rainbow trout, brook trout The USFS closed access to the lakes in 2008. Deadhorse will not open during 2009; Campbell will likely not open until late fall at the earliest. The lakes will not be stocked in 2009. Questions concerning the closure should be directed to the Paisley Ranger Station at (541) 943-3114. DELINTMENT LAKE: trout Fair angling for rainbow trout. Most anglers have been catching 10 to 12-inch trout, but a few have reported catching 12 to 14-inch holdover trout from last year. Extensive aquatic vegetation may make angling somewhat challenging. DEMING CREEK: redband trout, bull trout The creek is open to fishing but it is rare to catch redband trout over eight inches in this very small stream. Angling is closed for bull trout. DEVILS LAKE: yellow perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead Angling is fair for yellow perch and brown bullhead. DOG LAKE: largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie, brown bullhead The retention of redband trout is prohibited; the lake is not stocked with hatchery trout. Largemouth bass angling has slowed with declining water levels and increasing temperatures. Trolling lures in deeper water and targeting the weed line with jigs can improve catch rates. Yellow perch fishing at night has been good recently. DREWS RESERVOIR: largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie, brown bullhead, channel catfish, redband trout Access is open to the reservoir, water at the boat ramp is very low and the dock is out of the water completely. The water is low in the reservoir and very turbid; it will continue to decline through the summer. Channel catfish and largemouth bass fishing has been good recently in the declining pool. The reservoir will be drained down to dead pool by the end of September to allow the water right holder to repair the dam. DUNCAN RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout Recent fishing reports show good catch rates on hatchery stocked legal and trophy-sized trout. Water temperatures are declining and the reservoir recently received an unscheduled stocking of legal-sized and trophy trout. EAGLE CREEK: rainbow trout Rainbow trout were re-stocked in late August. Fishing is good. FISH LAKE (Steens Mountain): brook trout, rainbow trout Angling is fair to good for 8 to 12-inch rainbow trout and fair for 8 to 10-inch brook trout. FISH LAKE (Halfway): rainbow and brook trout The lake has been stocked with legal-sized rainbow trout. Fishing is good. FOURMILE LAKE: rainbow trout, lake trout, kokanee, brook trout Larger lake trout are available as two seven pound lake trout were caught in a net by ODFW in October of 2006. Trolling lures by boat in deep water can be effective. Rainbow trout are also being captured whereas brook trout and kokanee are being caught at a lesser rate. The wind usually picks up in the afternoon so fish early and late if you are fishing from a boat. Covering lots of water by trolling various lures can be effective. A good fish finder can be helpful. The lake trout are hungry so finding them is more important than the type of bait, lure or fly you use. Angling should be excellent for hatchery rainbow trout. The lake was stocked three weeks ago with trophy and legal rainbow trout. Angling for brook trout and lake trout should improve as both these fish move towards the shallows to spawn. Fishing from shore with various baits can be effective at catching hatchery rainbow trout. Covering lots of water out of a boat is more effective at finding at catching brook trout, lake trout and larger rainbow trout. GERBER RESERVOIR: crappie, yellow perch, brown bullhead and largemouth bass Angling is slow for all fish. Largemouth bass are available but are difficult to locate and catch. Brown bullhead and small yellow perch are available to bank anglers fishing with bait. Reservoir levels are low. Launching a boat could be difficult. GRANDE RONDE LAKE: rainbow and brook trout Fishing is good for rainbow and brook trout. Some trout may have small white parasites on them. They do not affect the flesh and are harmless to humans, but always cook your fish thoroughly. These parasites occur each year when the water gets warm. HAINES POND: rainbow trout Fishing is slow. HART LAKE: crappie, brown bullhead, largemouth bass Catch rates for crappie last summer were very good. The lake is very low. The lake is only 2-3 feet deep in most places. Launching large boats is impossible from the primitive boat ramp, as is running a boat engine in the lake. HEART LAKE: hatchery rainbow trout, kokanee The lake is full. Fishing reports have been very good for kokanee and good for rainbow trout. Last years fingerling plants are just around 8 inches, please be careful with undersized fish, they are the base of the fishery in 2010. HOLBROOK RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout The reservoir has been lowered by the water right holder. It will remain at this level until spring. Catch rates have slowed with declining water levels and increasing water temperatures; but should pick back up as fall rolls in. Holbrook will not be stocked again until spring 2010. HWY 203 POND: trout, bluegill, bass Fishing is poor-fair for trout. There also are numerous bluegills for the kids. JUNIPER LAKE: cutthroat trout The lake is nearly dry. KRUMBO RESERVOIR: trout and largemouth bass Fair to good angling for largemouth bass. Slow to fair angling for rainbow trout. KLAMATH AND AGENCY LAKES: redband trout and yellow perch Angling is poor in most areas. The main part of Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes has poor water quality. Fish are still available under the algae but have moved into the spring areas and mouths of the rivers and streams. Redband trout in Agency Lake and Upper Klamath Lake are feeding primarily on minnows, sculpins and leeches at this time. Trolling lures that mimic minnows from a boat is slow. Flyfishing and trolling lures in the spring areas is fair. KLAMATH RIVER: native rainbow-redband trout The River below Keno Dam to Topsy Reservoir is closed until October 1. The Klamath River from J.C. Boyle Dam bridge crossing to the J. C Boyle Powerhouse provides good angling this time of year for small redband-rainbow trout (6-12 inches) due to low, stable flows from 220 cfs of spring water. Fly-fishing with small dry flies can be excellent this time of year. Small tan caddis are abundant. Angling in the river below the powerhouse is very slow due to high flows (1880 cfs) and murky water but improves in the evening as the river drops. Fish are feeding on various food items including midges, crayfish, sculpin, caddis flies, and stoneflies. Most fish range from 10-12 inches but 16-inch fish are being caught this year. A good caddis and mayfly hatch is occurring in the evening. The best method is casting small flies downstream and letting them swing in the current. Remember the river below JC Boyle Dam is catch-and-release for trout. LA GRANDE RESERVOIR: rainbow, brook trout Fishing is good for rainbow and brook trout. Flies and lures only. LAKE OF THE WOODS: hatchery rainbow trout, kokanee, hatchery brown trout, yellow perch, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, crappie, and smallmouth bass Angling will be excellent for hatchery rainbow trout. The lake was stocked three weeks ago with legal and trophy-sized rainbow trout. The most effective method for catching rainbow trout is trolling various lures from a boat. Visit Lakeofthewoodsresort.com for more information. Yellow perch and brown bullhead are available to bank anglers. Most yellow perch are very small so use small bait or flies. There is a good population of brown bullhead and a worm fished just off the bottom in the evening can be very effective. Largemouth bass are available near the dock areas along the lake and in the shallow vegetation along the edges of the lake. Angling for largemouth bass has been good. Kokanee are available near the surface in the early morning near deeper water and migrate to deep water during the day. Large brown trout are typically holding under the kokanee or near structure along the shoreline. Angling for trout is open 24 hours a day. LINK RIVER: redband trout The river is very green due to an algae bloom in Upper Klamath Lake and angling is very slow as most redband trout have moved out of the river. LOFTON RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout The reservoir was stocked with legal and trophy-sized rainbow trout at the start of September. Illegally introduced tui chub begin to interfere with trout fishing during the summer and fall months. Try fishing the deeper sections of the reservoir to avoid tui chub and position lures and flies in likely positions to attract trout. LONG CREEK: redband trout, brook trout and bull trout Angling should be good for brook trout and redband trout. Most fish run small (6-8 inches). Dry fly fishing should be good. LONG CREEK RESERVOIR - Unity: rainbow Should be fair-good for rainbow trout. LOST RIVER: brown bullhead, yellow perch, crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill Angling is poor for brown bullhead and yellow perch using bait at the Crystal Springs day use area. A few largemouth bass can also be captured under or near the Crystal Springs Bridge. LUCKY RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout Fishing reports have been good. The reservoir is very turbid; large flashy lures/flies and scent attractants are recommended. MALHEUR RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout The water level is near minimum water level. The boat ramp is not useable. Catch rates are slow. MALHEUR RIVER (Warm Springs Reservoir downstream to South Fork Malheur River): redband trout and hatchery rainbow trout Warm Springs Reservoir is at minimum water level. Flows below Warm Springs Dam are 14 cfs. Angling for trout is poor. MALHEUR RIVER (from the South Fork Malheur River near Riverside, downstream to Gold Creek): redband trout and hatchery rainbow trout. Beulah and Warm Springs reservoirs are at minimum water level. Flows in the Juntura area are about 58 cfs. Angling for trout is poor. MALHEUR RIVER, NORTH FORK: redband trout, whitefish, and bull trout No recent angling report. Remember to release bull trout. MALHEUR RIVER, MIDDLE FORK: redband trout, brook trout, and bull trout No recent angling report. Trout angling should be fair to good. Remember to release bull trout. MANN LAKE: trout No recent angling report. The lake is very low, and illegally introduced goldfish have disrupted the trout fishery. MILLER LAKE: brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout Angling has been slow for rainbow trout from shore. Trophy brown trout are available. Kokanee are rare and are typically less than eight inches in length. Water temperatures are cooling and brown trout are starting to cruise the shallows. Fishing is more productive from a boat to be able to access these fish. Lures that mimic kokanee or rainbow trout can be effective for catching the elusive brown trout. Angling is best very early and very late for brown trout. Remember you can fish for trout 24 hours a day on Miller Lake. MILL FLAT RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout Aquatic vegetation in the lake can make angling challenging. Dry flies mimicking hatches placed on top of the vegetation and deep diving lures along the weed line can produce large rainbow trout. MOON RESERVOIR: bass, trout The reservoir was very low after last irrigation season, but filled this spring. No recent angling report. MUD LAKE: hatchery rainbow trout Mud Lake is very low; fishing is expected to be slow until fall. Fall sampling in 2008 showed lots of fish available to the angler, most in the 8 to 10-inch size range. MURRAY RESERVOIR: trout No recent report, but fishing should be fair. NORTH FORK SPRAGUE RIVER: Brown trout, redband trout, brook trout, bull trout Flows in the North Fork Sprague are low. Angling should be good for redband trout and brown trout. Brown trout are found in the deeper pools and near any large wood in the river. Target the shady areas for brown trout with sculpin fly patterns or small lures mimicking minnows. Brown trout will also take caddis and terrestrial patterns. Redband trout are typically in the fast moving water out in the middle of the river. Larger brown trout are beginning to move higher in the system on Forest Service land. NORTH MALHEUR BLM STOCK PONDS: rainbow trout No recent angling report. Pence Springs, Peavine, South Cottonwood, South Mountain, and Squaw Creek reservoirs were stocked with fingerling rainbow trout on May 29. Littlefield Reservoir has a good carryover population with fish running 12 to 15 inches. Squaw Creek Reservoir also has good number fish up to about 13 inches. NORTH POWDER POND 1: rainbow trout Fishing is slow. OBENCHAIN RESERVOIR: bluegill, largemouth bass The landowner has closed access to Obenchain Reservoir due to vandalism. Access is by permission only. OWYHEE RESERVOIR: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, catfish The reservoir was 19 percent full on Sept. 27. The only boat ramps open for are at the powerhouse and and the resort. All other ramps are out of the water. Warmwater fiah are starting to move off shore and into deeper water fish is slowing. OWYHEE RIVER (Lower): brown trout and hatchery rainbow trout Flows below the dam have been fairly stable, ranging from 178 to 184 cfs over the last week. Fishing for rainbow and brown trout is fair to good. Brown Trout have started to spawn. Anglers need to be careful around redds as there are eggs in the gravel. OWYHEE RIVER (Upper): smallmouth bass and channel catfish Discharge at the Rome gauge dropped to 102 cfs on Sept. 27. Fishing for smallmouth and channel catfish should be fair. OVERTON RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout Few trout were captured during sampling in the fall of 2008. Catch rates have been very low. Few fish are available in the lake. The aquatic vegetation that sits on the surface of the reservoir is difficult to fish through. PHILLIPS RESERVOIR: trout, perch Fishing is fair for trout 10 to 12 inches with most fish being caught near the dam. Perch fishing is slow but may pick up some as the weather cools. No recent report on bass. The reservoir is 60 percent full. PILCHER RESERVOIR: trout Fishing is slow-fair. The reservoir has heavy algae growth. Water level is at 25 percent full. Fishing for trout may pick up as the water cools. PINE CREEK and NORTH PINE (Halfway): rainbow Fishing for rainbow trout near Cornucopia is very good. PIUTE RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout and hatchery Lahontan cutthroat trout Rainbow and cutthroat trout are available. Recent fishing reports have been very good. The reservoir is holding at two acres. Catch-and-release fishing is not recommended in the lake as most of these fish will likely winter kill even if the reservoir does not go completely dry. POWDER RIVER: trout, spring chinook Fishing for rainbow trout is fair below Mason Dam. ROGGERS POND: hatchery rainbow trout Legal-size trout are available from last years planting. Bring mosquito repellent to improve your fishing experience. SEVENMILE CREEK: brown trout, brook trout, redband trout Brook trout are abundant from Nicholson road upstream to headwaters. Brown trout and redband trout are very rare in this section. The lower section below Nicholson Road is on private property therefore permission is needed to fish. SHERLOCK RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout Fall sampling showed lots of trout in the 10 to 12-inch size range. Recent fishing reports show lots of trout available in the 8-inch size range. Water temperatures will continue to increase until fall. Fishing in the late evenings, when heavy hatching and active feeding is occurring is likely to improve success. SOUTH FORK SPRAGUE RIVER: redband trout, brook trout, brown trout Flows in the South Fork Sprague are low and angling should be fair for redband trout and brown trout. Most of the redband trout caught range from 6-14 inches. Large brown trout over 20 inches are available. Most brook trout are located upstream near Corral and Camp Creek. Brook trout are abundant in this section but most of them are small (6-8 inches). SOUTH MALHEUR BLM STOCK PONDS: hatchery rainbow trout No recent angling report. Many of the ponds in the Jordan Valley area were stocked with fingerling trout on June 2 or 3. Several reservoirs north of Jordan Valley have carryover populations. SPAULDING RESERVOIR: Spaulding reservoir went dry in 2007 and has not sufficiently refilled to support fish. The reservoir will not be stocked this spring. SPRAGUE RIVER: redband trout, brown trout, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, yellow perch. Angling should be improving for redband trout as water temperatures begin to cool and fish begin to feed actively. Look for redband trout along the spring areas of the river and the higher gradient sections. Bait angling for brown bullhead and yellow perch should be good in between Saddle Mtn. Pitt Bridge and Godowa Springs Road. The Chiloquin Dam has been removed and angling regulation signs have been posted at the prior dam location. SPENCER CREEK: redband trout and brook trout Angling will be excellent for small redband-rainbow (4 to 8-inch) trout. The upper reaches just below Buck Lake have small brook trout available. SUMMIT POND: hatchery rainbow trout Legal-sized rainbow trout are available from last years planting. Bring mosquito repellent to improve your fishing experience. SUNSTONE RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout The reservoir is dry. SYCAN RIVER: redband trout, brown trout and brook trout Angling should be slow in most areas including the canyon near Coyote Bucket for small redband trout 6-12 inches. Angling should be good for brook trout above Pikes Crossing. Large brown trout over 20 inches are available. Brook trout are more abundant above Pikes crossing and redband trout are more abundant below. The Sycan River is a great place to fish if you do not want to see another angler. The most effective method in this small river is to try small dry flies. Flows are very low and water temperature is high in most areas of the Sycan River below Pikes Crossing. THIEF VALLEY RESERVOIR: trout Fishing is slow. The water level is 32 percent full. The dirt road that follows the reservoir has been upgraded to provide good access to the Powder River below the dam. Public access only goes approximately 1,000 ft below the dam. Please respect private property and remain within 1,000 ft of the dam. THOMPSON VALLEY RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout, largemouth bass Water temperatures are declining and the reservoir received an unscheduled stocking of legal and trophy sized trout in early September. The reservoir is declining; however, the boat ramps are still usable. TOPSY RESERVOIR: brown bullhead, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, goldfish Angling is slow for warmwater fish. Fishing for brown bullhead or yellow perch would be your best bet at this time. Fishing at night for brown bullhead is very effective. Bass fishing is best from a boat. TWIN LAKES (Halfway): rainbow Fishing is fair for rainbow trout. The lake has been stocked with legal rainbow trout. UNITY RESERVOIR: trout, bass, crappie Crappie fishing is good off the dock. Trout and bass have been biting well also. Some trout have been 18-24 inches. Water level is at 23 percent. VEE LAKE: hatchery rainbow trout The lake is full and fishing reports from the lake have been good. WARM SPRINGS RESERVOIR: smallmouth bass, white crappie, catfish, perch, and hatchery rainbow trout The reservoir is at minimum water level. Inflows averaged 22 cfs on Sept. 27. No recent angling report. WARNER LAKES (Hart and Crump Lakes are listed separately): crappie The northern Warner Lakes are dry. WARNER POND: hatchery rainbow trout This is a great place to fly-fish and take young anglers. Many large rainbow trout are available in this small pond. LOWER WILLIAMSON RIVER: redband trout, brown trout, brook trout Angling has slowed as the river has dropped and cleared. Pressure has been high on the fish. Smaller redband trout are abundant and aggressive. Please release these fish carefully as they are future trophy trout. ODFW suggests using barbless hooks in this fishery. Small trico mayflies are hatching in the early morning. Anglers are having success trolling lures from boat below the Modoc Point Bridge. ODFW encourages catch-and-release in this remarkable fishery. UPPER WILLIAMSON RIVER: redband trout and brook trout Flows are low but water clarity is fair. Bring your mosquito repellant as mosquitoes are abundant. Angling should be fair for redband trout and brook trout on public land and exceptional on the private land. Grasshopper patterns are effective this time of year. Anglers have the opportunity to pay to fish on the Sand Creek Ranch and the Yamsi Ranch. WILLOW VALLEY RESERVOIR: largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie Angling is slow for warmwater fish. The largemouth bass population might have experienced a winter kill. The reservoir is currently very low and boat anglers should be aware of log hazards. Launching a boat might be difficult. New angling regulations are in place that allow only one bass harvested per day greater than 15 inches in length. Crappie angling is slow but large crappie are available. Bluegill are abundant but small is size. WOLF CREEK RESERVOIR: crappie, trout Fishing from the dock for crappie is good with 8 to 9-inch fish being taken. Fish very early in the morning for best results. Trout fishing is fair. Water levels is at 33 percent. WOOD RIVER: redband trout, brown trout, brook trout. The Wood River was accidentally omitted from the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. The Wood River angling regulations remain catch-and-release for trout from April 25- October 31. Some anglers are doing well angling with lures and spoons for brown trout above Loosley Road. Flyfishing with various dry flies by matching the hatch is very good this time of year in the section above Weed Road. Grasshoppers are abundant and can be an effective fly for brown trout from the USFS day use area downstream to Weed Road crossing. Fisherman should be aware of several fish habitat improvement projects in the Wood River for the next several weeks. One habitat project near the Wood River BLM wetland bridge could affect angling enjoyment. This habitat project will create occasional loud noises. Water clarity will change suddenly to a brown color as sediment moves as result of this project. This project will benefit redband trout by creating deeper pools. YELLOWJACKET LAKE: trout Angling has been fair for 10 to 13-inch rainbow trout. Anglers have had success with a variety of gear. Extensive aquatic vegetation may make angling somewhat challenging. SOUTHEAST ZONE HUNTING OPEN: CONTROLLED RIFLE DEER HUNTING (opens Oct. 3), and FOREST GROUSE, COUGAR and BEAR Check for fire restrictions before you go hunting! InciWeb Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry Don't forget to report your hunt results. Anyone who purchases a big game or turkey tag must report hunt results online or by phone. Reporting is required even if you did not fill your tag or go hunting. More information HARNEY COUNTY DEER rifle season opens this weekend on Saturday Oct. 3. Deer populations are stable, with good numbers of yearling bucks available due to good recruitment the last spring. The mild winter and wet spring experienced throughout southeast Oregon in 2008 has benefited most desert species. Deer season is expected to be fair to good depending on weather conditions. ELK populations remain at or above management objectives and bull ratios are similar to previous years with good numbers of adult bulls available. Both the Silvies and Malheur River units offer good hunting for elk. COUGAR and BEAR opened Aug. 1. Fall bear hunting in berry patches in the National Forest can be productive. COUGAR populations are healthy and distributed throughout the district in any area with a big game prey base. COYOTE hunting has been slow due to relatively low population levels associated with a low period in cyclic rabbit and rodent populations. Coyotes are generally scattered on summer ranges. The highest concentrations are associated with irrigated private land where there are good numbers of mice or other small rodents. Hunters are reminded to ask permission before entering private lands. Be aware that bobcats and cougars may respond to predator calls, and separate licensing and open season limitations exist for these species. WATERFOWL hunting will be limited in Harney Basin due to extremely low water conditions in Malheur Lake and most local reservoirs. Best hunting opportunities will be for Canada geese on private lands, hunters are reminded to get permission from the landowner before hunting on private lands. Waterfowl season opens on October 10. CHUKAR and CALIFORNIA QUAIL production was fair to good due to extensive rains in June. Many adults appear to have re-nested and it appears that second brood survival may have been successful. Overall chukar and quail populations are expected to be higher than the past two seasons, but still below the 10 year average. Both seasons open on October 10. KLAMATH COUNTY The Oregon State Police (OSP) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will increase their presence in the Klamath County area-Keno Unit this hunting season to help improve the level of compliance among deer hunters. OSP estimates that anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of hunters in the Keno Unit are hunting without a valid tag. More information Controlled buck seasons open Oct. 3. Deer hunting should be improved from last year with better fawn recruitment providing more yearling bucks this year. All units are at or above buck ratio management objectives. Cooler weather should improve hunting conditions. Hunters are reminded that fire danger is still extreme on National Forest Lands. Hunting has been fair for FOREST GROUSE. Best prospects are ridge tops for blue grouse and creek drainages for ruffed grouse. Please provide one wing and tail from each grouse harvested. A wing barrel with paper bags has been placed at the Klamath District Office. Use one bag for each grouse harvested. CALIFORNIA QUAIL and MOUNTAIN QUAIL will open on Oct. 10. Hunters are reminded of the mountain quail daily bag limit of 2 for Klamath County. Excellent production this year should provide great hunting opportunities. COUGAR and BEAR opened Aug. 1. Though BEAR and COUGAR populations are stable, harvest in the units is generally low. The Cascade Mountains region of the Klamath District traditionally provides the most opportunity for bear hunters in the area. The Keno and West Sprague and West Fort Rock units offer the best bear hunting opportunities. KLAMATH WILDLIFE AREA Mourning Dove Season closes Sept. 30. Eurasian collared dove may be taken as part of the mourning dove bag limit. Federally approved non-toxic shot is required for all hunting on Klamath Wildlife Area. Self-serve permits are required for hunting during the month of September. The Klamath Wildlife Area Miller Island Unit is closed to all deer hunting. The wildlife area hosted 24 youth during the Sept. 26 and 27 youth waterfowl hunt, and 58 ducks plus four geese were taken. Overnight camping is not allowed on the Miller Island Unit. Discharge of firearms is prohibited except by permit. If you have any questions, please contact Klamath Wildlife Area at (541) 883-5734 or lanny.a.fujishin@state.or.us . Some wetland units in Subunit B are dry to facilitate habitat management activities to reduce encroaching bulrush and cattail and increase open water for waterfowl and shorebird use. LAKE COUNTY CONTROLLED DEER hunting opens this Saturday. Buck ratios are at or above management objectives in all units except North Warner so adult bucks should be available. Over-winter fawn survival was at or slightly below maintenance levels, which means yearling bucks will be available but not abundant. BLUE GROUSE had fair production this year. Hunters should work the natural forest openings next to pine or fir stands at higher elevations. It appears that most of the berry producing shrubs had marginal production therefore birds will be close to the timber. CHUKAR production was only fair due to extensive rains in June. Many of the adults re-nested and it appears that hunting will be better than last year but below the 10 year average. Throughout the county QUAIL production has been good. Most Quail are found on private land and hunters are reminded to get permission from the landowner. WATERFOWL hunting will be very limited in the Warner Valley. Hart and Crump lakes have very low water levels and all other lakes in the valley are dry. Lake Abert and Goose Lake are also very low with extensive mudflats between the shoreline vegetation and water. COUGAR and BEAR opened Aug. 1. BEAR habitat is limited so populations are low compared to other areas of the state. COUGAR populations are healthy due to good habitat and prey base. COYOTE numbers appear to be very low throughout the county. The best numbers are near the crested wheatgrass seedlings in the southern portion of the Wagontire unit. Populations in forest habitats also are more abundant and calling around natural forest openings can be productive. SUMMER LAKE WILDLIFE AREA This section of the report was last updated Sept. 28, 2009. The youth waterfowl hunting season occurred over the past weekend. A total of 81 participants reported the harvest of 160 ducks, 3 geese and 2 American coots for a bird per hunter average of 2.12. Unfavorable weather conditions (hot temperatures, clear skies and no wind) contributed to the low harvest and bird per hunter average in spite of fairly good waterfowl population levels. The weekly count conducted on Wednesday September 23 found nearly 28,000 ducks and 1,100 geese present. The next weekly count is scheduled for September 30th. General bow season for deer closed over the past weekend and no hunters participated over the weekend. Controlled mule deer buck hunting opportunities are available for Wagontire Unit tag holders. Hunters must remember that the use of centerfire rifles and handguns are prohibited. Shotguns and muzzleloaders are acceptable. Also, the entire area south of Thousand Springs Lane (Lake Co. Road 4-17), excluding the Foster Place will be closed to all entry and hunting during the buck mule deer season. Hunters much check in and have a free daily hunting permit in their possession. Mourning dove hunting opportunities are available until Wednesday September 30, 2009 when the season closes. Very few doves are present, most have migrated south. Daily hunting permits are required and hunters must use federally approved non-toxic shot. Mourning doves can be found throughout the north end of the wildlife area. Check out agricultural areas and old homestead sites. Daily hunting permits are available self-service in the Lobby at Headquarters and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Discharging firearms (except while game bird hunting) and training of dogs is prohibited except by special permit. Take note: Closure prior to waterfowl opener Most of the marsh area of Summer Lake Wildlife Area (south of Thousand Spring Lane or Lake Co Rd 4-17), excluding the Foster Place will be closed to all public access (except campgrounds and open roads) for seven days before the opening day of waterfowl season. This is to decrease disturbance to birds and give them a chance to settle before the opener. It should improve success on opening day. This year the closure begins Oct. 3, 2009. This area will reopen at 4:00 am on Opening Day (Oct. 10). Please contact Summer Lake Wildlife Area at (541) 943-3152 or email martin.j.stlouis@state.or.us for additional information. MALHEUR COUNTY Deer opens Saturday Oct 3. All units were at or above management objective for buck ratio following last season. With good over winter survival, a good proportion of yearling and older aged bucks are available this fall. Deer populations in the Beulah unit are strong providing good opportunity most anywhere in the unit. The Whitehorse and Owyhee units have much lower deer populations with no real concentrations. Any pocket of suitable habitat in either unit can produce deer. Persistence is the key to success in these desert units. COUGAR and BEAR season are open. UPLAND BIRD Chukar Rains in May and June were a mixed blessing for chukar production. In areas where the rains were not too heavy the result was excellent range conditions and good production of chukar. However, in some areas high rainfall intensity resulted in loss of production. The good news is we are seeing evidence of re-nesting and hopefully good survival of these late broods. Chukar surveys on established routes yielded 32 chukar per 10 miles and production of 8.3 chicks per brood. This is well above the 17 per 10 miles measured last year, but still below the 10 year average of 55 birds per 10 miles. The only area not exhibiting much recovery from last years low count was the Succor Creek /Leslie Gulch area. It is likely that heavy rains during the nesting period impacted this area harder than some others. The poor range conditions caused by ongoing invasion of medusahead likely limits the ability of birds in this area to successfully re-nest and raise broods. Pheasant Pheasant numbers vary widely according to the availability of winter cover in a particular area. The surveys along established routes were similar to last years with 6.5 birds per 10 miles but 26% below the 10 year average. Chick production was good, averaging 5.2 chicks per brood. Hunting prospects will vary depending on the farming practices in the area you have permission to hunt. The outlying areas around Willow Creek, Vale and Adrian have higher bird numbers than areas closer to Ontario and Nyssa. California quail Like Chukar, the quail benefited from good brood rearing conditions this year. Surveys on established routes showed 35 quail per 10 miles up from 20 last year and on par with the 10 year average. Production was 8.4 chicks per brood and there are still new broods being hatched. Hunting prospects in the rangeland areas should be improved over last year. Hunting around the irrigated agricultural areas should be similar to recent years. COYOTE hunting has been slow due to relatively low population levels associated with a low period in cyclic rabbit and rodent populations. Hunters are reminded to ask permission before entering private lands. Be aware that bobcats and cougars may respond to predator calls, and separate licensing and open season limitations exist for these species. SOUTHEAST ZONE VIEWING Harney County Fall shorebird migration is underway and waterfowl migration activity is near its peak; however, viewing opportunities are limited due to low water conditions, and many waterfowl my bypass the Harney Basin this year is search of more favorable habitat conditions elsewhere. Many resident shorebirds, like ibis and avocets, have already moved out of the area. Canada geese and sandhill cranes can be seen congregating on private farmlands within the Harney Basin especially were flood irrigation is occurring. Look around green agricultural fields or wetlands in the early mornings and evenings to see deer and antelope while they are actively feeding during the cool part of the day. The best bird viewing opportunity is Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge offers excellent viewing opportunities at the refuge headquarters, along the Central Patrol Road, and near Page Springs. Klamath Falls Area Fall migration is underway for waterfowl, shorebirds and some raptors. Thousands of lesser scaup and northern shovelor are using Howard Bay along Highway 140. White-fronted geese have arrived from Arctic breeding areas and will be staging in the Klamath Basin before moving south to Central Valley California. Greater sandhill cranes are staging and can be found foraging in agricultural fields in Langell Valley along the Lost River and near Alkali Lake near Dairy, Oregon. The Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges offer excellent viewing opportunities during the fall. Shoalwater Bay located along Eagle Ridge accessed from Highway 140 is a great spot for viewing this time of year. Ducks, geese, and shorebirds are the main attraction now. Lake County and Lakeview Area Fall migration has started for shorebirds and waterfowl. There have been substantial increases in shorebirds along the mudflats of Lake Abert and Hart Lake in the Warner Valley. This time of year shorebirds are in eclipse plumage which makes identification of the peeps considerably more challenging. Tule White-fronted geese have started arriving. Snow geese should arrive in the county by mid-October. Summer Lake Wildlife Area This section was updated on Sept. 28. Vehicle access to the Wildlife Viewing Loop and major dike roads will remain open through the end of the week. Non-motorized access remains available on all dikes and roads throughout the Wildlife Area through Friday October 2, 2009. On Saturday October 3 most of the marsh area of Summer Lake Wildlife Area (south of Thousand Spring Lane or Lake Co Rd 4-17), excluding the Foster Place will be closed to all public access (except campgrounds and open roads) for seven days before the opening day of waterfowl season (Oct. 10). Waterbird numbers continue to fluctuate now as the fall migration progresses. Viewers can expect to find good numbers of migrant waterfowl, a few shorebirds, other waterbirds and marsh dwelling passerines. Many species have begun their departure to wintering areas to the south. Waterfowl Waterfowl have spread out across the entire area and a large number of migrants have recently arrived. Newly flooded wetland restoration sites are attracting large numbers of birds. The weekly count found nearly 28,000 ducks present with many migrants such as Am. green-winged teal, Northern pintail and Northern shovelers making a strong showing. Resident Canada geese are dispersed widely across the Wildlife Area and adjacent private lands. Fall migrant tule white-fronted geese have arrived and are increasing in number. Over the past weekend, over 500 birds were present. Shorebirds, waders and other waterbirds Shorebirds numbers have declined tremendously, but a few individuals of most species can still be found. Large flocks of post-breeding shorebirds have declined. Fall migration continues, and few northern breeding species are staging but in low numbers. Most species have already departed the area enroute to wintering grounds to the south. Wading birds are scattered widely across the Wildlife Area. Great egrets and white pelicans are fairly numerous at this time but are declining compared to a few weeks ago. A few white-faced ibis are still being seen scattered across the area. American bitterns have been observed frequently near the River Campground. Only a few sandhill crane pairs remain. Resident sandhill cranes have formed into large flocks and are being joined by others from surrounding areas in preparation for migration. The Foster Place is a good location to view staging cranes. Over 100 were present over the past weekend but their departure is expected to occur soon. Double-crested cormorants, gulls (California and ring-billed) and grebes (eared, pied-billed and western) numbers are scattered and most have departed the area. American coot, eared and pied-billed grebe remain fairly numerous especially in Bullgate Refuge and Link Marsh. Nearly all Caspian and Forsters terns have departed the area, but a few can still be found. Raptors and Others Resident raptors remain scattered throughout the Wildlife Area as well as on private lands along Hwy 31. Young are very apparent at this time. Recently hayed and flooding meadows offer excellent foraging opportunities for many raptors. Northern harriers are especially numerous over marsh and hay meadows. The occasional bald eagle continues to be observed, probably one of the several pairs found in the Summer Lake Valley. Peregrine falcons make frequent visits to the area this time of the year, responding to the abundance of prey (ducks, shorebirds and other water birds). Other falcons (prairie, merlin and Am. kestrel) can frequently be found as well as migrant accipiters (Cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks). Great-horned owls remain fairly common, especially at the River Ranch Barn. The osprey pair nesting in the platform at Ana Reservoir has fledged at least 2 chicks this year and individuals were sighted last week. Upland game birds California quail pairs are dispersed widely across the Area and several large sized broods/coveys have been observed recently. Several ring-necked pheasant broods have been observed at the Turner Place and at other locations. Eurasian collared doves remain fairly numerous (20-25) at Headquarters Complex and are vigorously calling. Passerine (perching) species, especially sparrows, finches and warblers remain fairly common around the Headquarters complex, Summer Lake Rest Area, homestead sites and shelter break plantings at the north end of the Area where they are attracted to tree and shrub cover. Red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds are decreasing in number; most have migrated south. Nearly all species of swallows have already departed with the exception of the late nesting barn swallow. They can still be found at Headquarters. Hummingbird numbers have declined, only a few remain around the feeders at the Headquarters Complex. Viewers can expect to continue to have good photo and viewing opportunities for migrating bird species. As fall migration continues, viewers may be treated to rare or unusual species. Please check the Wildlife observation record in the Headquarters Lobby for rare and unusual observations and other species of interest. Facilities and Access Nearly the entire area is open to public access. The Wildlife Viewing Loop remains open, as well as Bullgate and Windbreak dikes through the end of this week. Lateral and minor dikes remain closed to motor vehicle travel. Close-up wildlife observation from the Viewing Loop is very good at this time. The entire Wildlife Area is closed to cross country motor vehicle or ATV travel. Take note: Closure prior to waterfowl hunting season opener Most of the marsh area of Summer Lake Wildlife Area (south of Thousand Spring Lane or Lake Co Rd 4-17), excluding the Foster Place will be closed to all public access (except campgrounds and open roads) for seven days before the opening day of waterfowl hunting season. The Wildlife Viewing Loop will be closed at this time. Camping is permitted at four sites on the Wildlife Area. Campgrounds are primitive but each has vault toilets, trash barrels and a few picnic tables. Habitat Emergent vegetation is beginning to go into senesence. Fairly high evaporation rates continue, and many ponds have receded, with shallowly flooded wetland edges and mudflats becoming more apparent. These sites are very attractive to foraging waterbirds and are receiving heavy use. Invertebrate activity remains fairly strong, and large columns of midges are sometimes apparent on sunny days. Mosquitoes and Tabidid flys are active and are providing another abundant food source. They will remain fairly numerous until the season's first killing frosts. Many waterbird species and other insectivorous birds are taking advantage these excellent food sources at this time. Water levels are beginning to increase throughout most of the Area at this time. Gold Dike Impoundment and the area south of Gold Dike are mostly dry due to habitat enhancement activities that are underway at this time. The River Ranch unit, where habitat enhancement activities have been completed is being flooded at this time and is receiving tremendous waterbird use. Meadows and hayfields found on adjacent private lands and in selected locations on the Wildlife Area are flooded and are showing tremendous regrowth at this time. These intermittently flooded wetlands are providing considerable foraging opportunities to a wide variety of wildlife species. Upland habitats are in very good condition with forbs and grasses exhibiting tremendous growth and seed production. These areas are providing an abundant food source to many species. Trees and shrubs are heavy with fruit at this time and are providing another important source of food to many bird and mammal species. Please contact Summer Lake Wildlife Area at (541) 943-3152 or e-mail martin.j.stlouis@state.or.us for additional information. NORTHEAST ZONE
Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry FISHING NORTH FORK FIRE COMPLEX CLOSURE on the Umatilla National Forest; see InciWeb for map of closure area. Weekend fishing opportunities • The John Day pool on the Columbia River offers some great late summer and fall fishing for walleye, anglers are targeting the area near the mouth of the Umatilla River. The area also provides world class smallmouth bass angling, the smallmouth go on a fall feeding binge as juvenile shad begin their outmigration which is happening right now. As water temperatures begin to cool the smallmouth action will continue to heat up. • Trout fishing has been fair to good in the Wallowa, lower Grande Ronde, Imnaha and Umatilla rivers; look for steelhead fishing to improve once there has been some rain. • Good numbers of coho, fall chinook and summer steelhead are available at the mouth of the Umatilla River. ALDRICH PONDS: trout Fishing is good at the lower pond but poor at the upper pond. Excessive weed growth is still a problem at the lower pond. These ponds will be closed to fishing after Oct. 31. GRANDE RONDE, WALLOWA, IMNAHA RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES: trout Trout fishing in the Wallowa, lower Grande Ronde, and Imnaha rivers is fair to good. Steelhead angling in the lower Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers has been slow. Rainy weather forecast for the upcoming week could improve river flows and steelhead angling. Check river flows HONEYMOON, TEPEE, SALT CREEK, and McGRAW PONDS: Rainbow trout Ponds on the Wallowa Whitman Forest are providing fair to good angling for stocked rainbow trout. JUBILEE LAKE: trout Jubilee Lake has been stocked. Fishing will continue to improve for rainbow trout as fall temperatures arrive and water temperature cools. JOHN DAY RIVER: trout, bass and channel catfish Fishing is fair for smallmouth and channel cats; however, flows in the lower John Day remain too low for boats. No steelhead have entered the lower river at this time. Remember the bass limit changes below Service Creek to 5 fish per day with no more than one over 16 inches. All bass between 12 and 16 inches must be released unharmed. Trout fishing is good in the upper river but will close Oct. 31. Stream flow levels at Service Creek KINNEY LAKE: trout Fishing at Kinney Lake has been fair for stocked rainbow trout. MAGONE LAKE: trout Fishing for rainbow and brook trout is good. Rainbow are feeding in the shallows and brook trout are staging to spawn near the swimming beach. McKAY RESERVIOR: crappie, yellow perch, bass Crappie and yellow perch fishing is good. The best bite has been in the late evening. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair to good. Anglers are reminded McKay closes to angling on Sept. 30. MCNARY, HATROCK and TATONE Ponds: trout The ponds have been stocked and fishing for rainbow trout has been slow. MORGAN LAKE: trout, bullheads Legal and trophy-sized trout have been stocked. Fishing is fair-good for small crappie and 12-inch catfish. OLIVE LAKE: trout, kokanee Fishing will remain good here throughout the fall at this high elevation lake. Fish for rainbow in the shallow weedy areas and search for the kokanee in the deep portions of this lake. Anglers have reported several fish with white spot parasites on their skin. If these fish are quickly released they will shed the parasites during the cooler months. PENDLAND LAKE: trout The lake has been stocked with legal-sized rainbow, and fingerling plants from last year should provide good angling. Angling success will improve as water temperatures begin to cool. ROWE CREEK RESERVOIR, BULL PRAIRIE RESERVOIR, LONG CREEK POND, CAVENDER POND: trout Fishing is fair for rainbow trout. Water levels are low so anglers must cross several feet of mud to access these ponds but some large rainbow are available. These ponds are open year-round. TROUT FARM POND: rainbow and brook trout Fishing is good in this spring-fed pond. It is very weedy so a float tube is advised. UMATILLA RIVER: summer steelhead, coho, fall chinook jacks and trout Anglers should target the lower river downstream of Threemile Dam and near the Hwy 395 crossing for early season success. Returns to date to Threemile Dam are 110 summer steelhead, 155 adult, 263 jack fall Chinook and 62 adult and 4 jack coho. The upper Umatilla should be good for catch-and-release fishing for rainbow trout. Update Threemile Dam fish counts can be accessed at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/fish_counts/ UMATILLA FOREST PONDS: rainbow trout The Ukiah and Walla Walla Ranger District ponds have been stocked and angling is fair. WALLA WALLA RIVER: trout River flows have reached summer flow levels and trout fishing has been good. WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee Wallowa Lake is providing good fishing for stocked rainbow trout. WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR: trout, crappie, brown bullhead Crappie angling has slowed as the fish have moved off shore and are suspended in the water column. Bass fishing has been good. Trout angling has slowed as water temperatures have warmed. Anglers are reminded of the new angling regulation: catch-and-release only for largemouth bass. NORTHEAST ZONE HUNTING Check for fire restrictions before you go hunting! InciWeb Oregon National Forests Oregon BLM Oregon Department of Forestry OPEN: CONTROLLED BUCK DEER (opens Oct. 3), FOREST GROUSE, COUGAR and BEAR Wolves in northeast Oregon Wolves are protected by state law and it is unlawful to shoot them. Coyote hunters in northeastern Oregon need to take extra care to identify their target as wolves can look like coyotes, especially wolf pups in the mid-summer and fall. ODFW needs hunters' assistance to establish wolves' presence in Oregon; please report any wolf sightings or wolf sign to La Grande office (541) 963-2138 or online. North Fork Complex Fire There may be closures associated with this fire on the Umatilla National Forest. See InciWeb for more information. BAKER COUNTY DEER opens this Saturday Oct. 3 for those with a tag. For best success try areas with good security cover and low road density. Good hunting can be found in the Elkhorn and Wallowa Mountains. Hunters willing to ask permission, try private land agricultural areas where deer and elk are causing damage. FOREST GROUSE can be found in abundant numbers on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest. Look for ruffed grouse in riparian areas and blue grouse on ridge tops and edges of high meadows. COUGAR and BEAR opened Aug. 1. Find cougars just about anywhere; remember to carry a tag. Hunt for bears in high elevation open areas with lots of berries. SQUIRRELS can be found throughout the agricultural valleys. Hunters should ask permission before hunting on private land. COYOTE numbers are good throughout the district. Remember to ask for permission before hunting on private properties. Try calling in early morning and late afternoon. GRANT COUNTY DEER opens this Saturday Oct. 3 for those with a tag. All units are down in population for deer but deer my be found around riparian area, wet springs, and burned area. Elk may respond to calls as the season progresses. COUGAR and BEAR opened Aug. 1. Huckleberries are starting to get ripe and may be a good place to find bears. COYOTES numbers are good in most of the district. They may be found mousing in agricultural areas this time of year but remember to ask permission first before hunting. MORROW, GILLIAM and WHEELER COUNTIES DEER opens this Saturday Oct. 3 for those with a tag. Populations are stable to increasing. Buck ratios are good across the district. Deer are distributed across the forested areas of the district. In the lower, drier locations deer will be more concentrated around water sources. Success should be on par for last year. COUGAR and BEAR opened Aug. 1. Hunters more regularly see cougars but also encounter bears. Remember to carry a tag. COYOTE hunting: Watch wind direction to help prevent giving away your location. Calling with game distress calls can be very successful. UNION COUNTY DEER hunters should expect cool moist weather for opening weekend. Rain should improve hunting conditions and reduce fire danger. Deer should be active later in the day, with the precipitation and dropping temperature. Hunters willing to get wet will improve their chances of harvesting a buck. Good summer forage conditions have left deer in very good condition going into the fall. Deer numbers are slightly down in Catherine Creek and Starkey units. GAME BIRDS - Quail, Chukar, Hungarian partridge and pheasant seasons open Oct. 10. Grouse hunting is currently open. The warm weather will concentrate grouse and quail along stream corridors. As the fall berries ripen, grouse may be located near those berry patches. FOREST GROUSE will be found near springs and food sources like hawthorn or elder berry patches. Look for Blue Grouse above 5000 feet elevation and Ruffed grouse along streams and in moist draws. COYOTE numbers are strong throughout the county. Using predator calls as a lure and moving call sights after 20 minutes is an effective method for harvesting coyotes. Be sure to ask permission before hunting on private land. BLACK BEARS are plentiful through out the county. Deer and elk hunters have a good chance of encountering a bear while in the field. Look for bear sign around fruit trees and in canyon bottoms. Hawthorn thickets and cherry orchards are great places to harvest early fall bears. Be sure to ask for permission to hunt around private orchards. Bear skulls must be checked in within ten days of harvest, with the jaws propped open. COUGARS are common in Union county. Hunt areas with high numbers of deer and elk. Look for recent kill-sites and set up a stand. Cats will often return to feed on the kill. LADD MARSH WILDLIFE AREA The Ladd Marsh upland birds and waterfowl general seasons begin Oct. 10. Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area is open Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and all state observed holidays during these seasons. WALLOWA DISTRICT TRAVEL MANAGEMENT RESTRICTIONS: Noregaard, Whiskey Creek, and Shamrock travel management areas are in effect in the Sled Springs unit. Controlled buck DEER season opens Saturday Oct. 3. Deer numbers are still below previous 5 year average. Hunters can expect success rates similar to last year, with fewer than normal yearling bucks available. Currently hunting conditions are very dry; however, may improve later this week depending on the amount of rain or snow that is received. FOREST GROUSE hunting has been generally slow. Blue and ruffed grouse numbers have improved slightly over last year, but locating blue grouse is expected to be spotty. Hunters are asked to keep wings and tails and place them in collection barrels located through the county. Good numbers of COYOTES can be found throughout Wallowa County. Calling coyotes with rabbit distress type calls has been effective for hunters. It is important to choose areas with abundant coyote sign and little human activity. COUGAR numbers are strong through out Wallowa County. Most lions are taken incidental to other hunting; however, calling with fawn bleat, or locating a cougar kill and waiting for a cat to return are often successful techniques. BLACK BEAR densities are good in all units and hunters will increase their odds of spotting a bear by hunting around old fruit orchards, or in drainage bottoms where hawthorn or other berries are ripe. NORTHEAST ZONE VIEWING Gilliam, Morrow and Wheeler Counties Raptor viewing is good along most roadways. Red-tails, Northern Harriers, Kestrels and Barn owls can all be seen near their nests with young near fledging, if not fledged already. Swainson's hawks, mostly dark phase, can be seen on their nests north of Lexington. Along the waterways one can see Canada geese, Mallards, Cinnamon teals, Coots, Buffleheads, Redheads, Northern Shovelers, Common Merganser and other waterfowl tending their young. Along the shorelines one can spot Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, and Spotted sandpipers among others; their young are usually much harder to spot but are usually near by. Irrigated pastures are also a great place to look for shorebirds. Both Western and Mountain bluebirds can be seen in the forested areas, try the Sun Flower Flats Road for the best viewing. Hummingbirds are easier to spot in areas where there are fewer flowering plants. Deer and Elk with their young are becoming easier to spot as summer moves on. Check the meadows of the forest at dawn and dusk for the best opportunity. Union County Pronghorn Antelope can be viewed on Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, often along Pierce Road and Hot Lake Lane. Deer and elk can be seen around the edges of the valley. Many young birds are hatching around the valley. Look for game birds such as California Quail and Ring-necked Pheasants along rural roads in the evenings and at dusk. Turkey polts have been reported at several sites around the county. Songbirds are plentiful throughout the Grande Ronde Valley and are most active during the cooler portions of the day. There are still many elk at the Anthony Creek feed site on the Elkhorn Wildlife Area. ODFW's Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, La Grande The Tule Lake Public Access Area will close for the season September 30. After that, access to the area will revert to that of the rest of the wildlife area. That is, it will be open Sat., Sun., Wed. and state observed holidays during the waterfowl, quail and pheasant hunting seasons. The Public Access Area and auto route will reopen March 1, 2010. There are numerous quality viewing opportunities from county roads that pass through the area. Binoculars or a spotting scope will help as many animals are best viewed from a distance. Changing weather patterns may result in southward movement of birds that have summered in the area but may also bring in migrating birds from the north. Sandhill cranes have been seen in numbers up to 70 as they gather to head south. As the mornings warm up, they have been moving into the south end of the refuge. A spotting scope is a must to pick them out in the shallows at the south end, visible from Foothill Road. NOTE: Please report any observations of banded sandhill cranes to the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area office (541-963-4954) or to Gary Ivey, Western Crane Conservation Manager, International Crane Foundation (541-383-2033). Please note the positions of the colors on each leg (right leg means the crane's right leg, no matter which way the bird is facing) along with the date, time and location of the observation. Wildlife viewers are reminded that hunting seasons are beginning to open and all users are asked to share the area with respect for others. Dogs are not permitted within the Wildlife Area, on or off leash except during authorized hunting seasons. For more information on access rules for the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, please consult the Oregon Game Bird Regulations or call the wildlife area (541) 963-4954. Umatilla County Soon large flights of Swainson's hawks will begin forming in agricultural areas near the Columbia River in preparation for flights south. They will be seen flying in the Hermiston, Stanfield, Echo area in the earlier half of the morning as September approaches. Neotropical migrant passerine birds will also be common along riparian zones from the lowlands near the Columbia River up to the high elevation areas of the Umatilla National Forest as they begin to slowly start moving south as the fall approaches. Flocks of ducks and geese can be seen along the Columbia River and large reservoirs in the County. Elk will still be common along the upper open areas of the west slope of the Blue Mountains. Deer will be seen in herds from the valley floor to the upper Blue Mountains. The riverine and agricultural areas near the base of the mountains will be dominated by white-tailed deer. The desert and mountain areas will be inhabited primarily by mule deer. Elk can be viewed throughout the day while deer will be most visible in the first and last two hours of the day. Gulls and raptors can be seen along the Columbia River. Visit local wildlife areas to see shore and marsh birds in addition to perching birds and raptors. Wood ducks, mallards and mergansers can be seen traveling in flocks up and down the river systems that have cottonwood trees along the banks. Wallowa County Raptors Red-tailed and Ferruginous hawks, as well as a variety of owls can be observed through out Wallowa Valley and Zumwalt prairie. Most raptors can be easily observed from county roads. A good pair of binoculars will improve viewing opportunities. Bald eagles Most wintering bald eagles have left the Wallowa valley to return to summering areas; however, interested birders can still observe a pair of eagles at the head of Wallowa Lake where the Wallowa River empties into the lake. A large nest can be observed in an old cottonwood tree and the eagles will continue to utilize the nest area. Mule and White-tailed Deer Mule and white-tailed deer are common in agricultural areas adjacent to Highway 82. Animals can be observed during early morning and late evening hours. Bighorn Sheep Bighorn sheep can often be observed along the canyon walls of the Grande Ronde River when driving both up and down stream from the town of Troy. Mountain Goats Mountain goats can be observed from Hat Point lookout. A short walk to the Snake River canyon rim from the lookout and the use of binoculars will improve a person's chance of spotting goats in the rough rocky cliffs. Hikers and backpackers can observe mountain goats many places in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Ridge tops and peaks along Hurricane Divide between Hurricane Creek and the Lostine River are good places to spot mountain goats.
Check fire restrictions SNAKE RIVER ZONE FISHING Crappie fishing has picked up and the fish are heavy. Red and white jigs are working well. Catfish angling is good with some large fish being taken. Some catfish are dying. ODFW is attempting to do some testing to find the cause. This occurred 3 years ago and was caused by a virus not harmful to humans. Bass angling has picked up and some nice bass are being caught. Some perch are starting to bite as well. The water level is 23 feet below full. Call Idaho Power Company's recording at 1-800-422-3143 to get information on access at recreational sites or visit their Web site under the "Rivers and Recreation" heading. Reservoir level information HELLS CANYON RESERVOIR: trout, crappie, bass, catfish No recent report but trout fishing should pick up due to cooler weather. Fish for trout nears stream outlets. Fishing for perch and crappie may pick up also. SNAKE RIVER below HELLS CANYON RESERVOIR: trout, smallmouth bass Fishing for adipose fin-clipped steelhead has opened. Get updated information on flow levels. SNAKE RIVER (Above Brownlee Reservoir): channel catfish, flathead catfish, smallmouth bass Flows at the Nyssa gauge averaged 6,687 on Sept. 27. Flows at the Weiser gauge ranged from approximately 8,836 Sept. 27. Flows at both gauges are slightly below flows observed last year at this time. Angling for smallmouth bass remains slow while angling for catfish is slowing.
The most recent harvest numbers for the Columbia River can now be found at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/OSCRP/CRM/sport_fishery_updates.asp MARINE ZONE
MARINE FISHING Ocean conditions kept most tuna fishers in port, with only Newport and Charleston reporting catches. The average catch in those two ports were three (in Newport) and one (in Charleston) albacore per angler. This is the second best tuna year on record. Most years tuna continue to be landed through the end of October. Beginning Oct. 1, bottomfish anglers may fish at any depth. Bottomfish anglers on average continue to land two or three rockfish coast wide. Lingcod landings are averaging one fish per four anglers. Cabezon retention by sport boat anglers is not allowed effective Sept. 12 through Dec. 31 because the ocean boat harvest cap of 15.8 metric tons has been reached. Cabezon have a high survival rate when released carefully. Shore anglers, including shore-based divers, may continue to keep cabezon. The marine fish daily bag limit is seven fish (effective since May). This is the highest marine bag limit since the summer of 2005. The marine fish bag includes rockfish and other species such as greenling. The increased bag limit is based on a favorable stock assessment for black rockfish, the dominant species in the nearshore groundfish fishery. There are separate daily limits for lingcod (2) and flatfish other than Pacific halibut (25). Remember: yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish may not be retained. The Stonewall Bank Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area approximately 15 miles west of Newport is closed to the harvest of rockfish, lingcod, flatfish and others. Sport fishing for salmon in the ocean between Leadbetter Point, Wash., and Humbug Mt., closed Sept. 30. For season details about sport ocean salmon fishing visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/Regulations/OceanSport2009.asp. Halibut fishing is closed off Oregon coast and will not reopen this year. For more information on the halibut season, go to http://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/finfish/halibut/index.asp. SHELLFISH As of Sept. 21 the Oregon Department of Agriculture closed the entire Oregon coast from the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border to the recreational harvest of clams and mussels due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poising (PSP) toxins. For more information go to the ODA shellfish safety page or call the shellfish hotline, 1-800-448-2474. Waters can be closed on short notice because of contaminated waters due to coastal flooding and because of elevated levels of naturally occurring toxins. Crabs are not affected by this closure. MUSSELS The recreational harvest of mussels was already closed along most of the Oregon coast because of elevated levels of PSP toxins. The closure now extends to all of the Oregon coast including bays and estuaries. CLAMS Razor clam harvesting was already closed on part of the coast because of the conservation closure on the Clatsop County beaches north of Tillamook Head continues through Sept. 30. Clamming along the Clatsop beaches after Oct. 1 could be delayed if the elevated levels of PSP persists. Check out the recreational clam pages on the ODFW Web site: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/ then click on the shellfish icon. The pages contain everything you need to know for identifying and harvesting Oregon's clams. CRABS Ocean crabbers brought in an average of between four and seven crab in most ports last week last week. The exceptions were Astoria and Gold Beach where the average catch was 12. Estuary crabbers in August averaged eight crabs out of Coos Bay and three crabs out of Alsea Bay; elsewhere crabbers averaged between four and six crabs out of Tillamook, Netarts and Yaquina Bays. Crabbing in August was the best so far this year in most sampled bays. The best months for bay crabbing in Oregon are August through November. Many male crabs have recently molted and now have soft shells and watery meat. Soft-shelled crabs are best returned to the water so they can fill out with higher-quality meat in the coming months. Crabbing success is often best during the slack tide at high tide or low tide when crabs are looking for food. Recreational Bay Crab Survey data are updated every month on the ODFW Web site Crabbing Reports page (last update 9/10). The crabbing report provides prospective crabbers information on the success of crabbers in sampled bays. Crabbing is open year round in estuaries, on beaches, and off jetties, but the ocean is closed to recreational crabbing from Oct. 16 through Nov. 30. Some sport crabbers have difficulty correctly measuring the minimum size for Dungeness crab, which is 5 3⁄4 inches measured in a straight line across the back immediately in front of, but not including, the points. For a photograph and diagram see page 96 of the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet. MARINE ZONE VIEWING Pelicans U.S. Fish & Wildlife estimate there are 16,000 pelicans on the Oregon coast right now, an unusually high number. While the birds are all up and down the coast, the largest concentration right now is in the mouth of the Columbia River.
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