Fishing in Oregon in April 2020 is a good time to prepare to go fishing in May. Clemens Marina in Eugene was able to service my Alumaweld sled and get it in top shape. The power boat is ready to start chasing spring Chinook and fall Chinook. If you have not fished on this boat with me you are missing out. The boat has plenty of space and is very fishy. I have spent my down time between seasons prepping organizing and ordering gear. Expect to see some new rods and fishing tackle next time you come out on the boat!
A reminder to guests that all fishing trips are sold as private trips. If you book a trip with DGG Fishing LLC only your group will be fishing on the boat that day. I do NOT book separate seats or have individual guests jump on the boat last minute to intrude on your fishing party. My commitment to keeping trips private has been reinforced with the COVID 19 virus. I will continue to keep trips private to create the best and safest experience for my guests by reducing guest exposure to people not in their own party.
The winter Steelhead season is finally over. The season was filled with ups and downs. January started with slow fishing and low Steelhead returns followed by several large rainstorms that kept the rivers high and unfishable for most of the month. In January I fished a total of five days the rest of the days in the month had unfishable conditions. The five fishable days in the month offered great fishing and many nice hatchery Steelhead were landed. In February we had great water conditions and experienced many great days of Steelhead fishing. I transitioned from the Alsea River to the Siletz River and groups were landing many large wild Steelhead that put up incredible acrobatic fights. Later in February the water levels began dropping and we entered a period of little rain. With this change in the weather fishing slowed and the low water levels created tough fishing conditions. Some days offered decent fishing and other days it seemed as if the Steelhead had disappeared from the river. Moving into mid March fishing began picking up as pods of Steelhead began migrating up the Siletz River regardless of the low water. The last week I fished offered good fishing on bright ocean fresh Steelhead with several hatchery fish mixed in. Due to concerns over the COVID 19 virus I halted all guiding operation on March 23 to ensure the health and safety of my guests. Unfortunately this caused us to miss out on the prime season for large wild Steelhead on the Siletz River. I was informed by the Assistant District Biologist that the river received several freshets of rain that allowed good number of Steelhead to migrate upriver and spawn! Great news for future fishing years.
Upcoming Fishing Seasons for 2020 … Tentative
- Summer Trout Fishing May 22 thru October 31
- Spring Chinook a possibility June 1 thru 31
- Summer Steelhead and Trout June 10 thru September 15
- Fall Chinook August 1 thru November 15
Future fishing seasons are uncertain at this time. I have been receiving updated information from the Oregon Guide Outfitter desk weekly and it looks like normal fishing and guiding operation may begin again in June. DGG Fishing LLC is planning to resume guiding operation June 1 2020 unless conditions change. This will allow for a month of prime spring Chinook Salmon fishing on the Upper McKenzie River. Days on the upper Mckenzie start early in the morning but can end with the ultimate reward … a fatty spring Chinook chalked full of Omega 3 fat. These fish are hands down the best eating Slamonids around. I will also be offering Trout fishing trips on the South Santiam and the Mckenzie Rivers. These are great trips for kids and beginner fly anglers due to the large number of trout present in the river. Full day Trout trips also include a home cooked shore lunch. A guest favorite from last year was the combo Trout and Steelhead trips I will be offering these again in 2020. These trips are best in mid-June through August and include shore lunches and the opportunity to land a trophy summer Steelhead while also fly fishing for trout.
Fall Chinook salmon opens in August on the Alsea Yaquina and Siletz Rivers. I will keep everyone updated as this season gets closer but be warned my calendar fills up quickly for this fishery. Please book your trip now for for summer and fall trips. Fishing in Oregon in April 2020 is a good time to prepare to go fishing in May.
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