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Post by Admin on Jun 3, 2015 10:11:14 GMT
 The recreational opportunities listed on the webpage for Winchester Bay are brought to you by wwww.clamdigging.info for the benefit of the members of the Clam Digging and Crabbing Community.
The Umpqua River Estuary is Oregon’s third largest bay and one of the most productive. Historically the catch rate for coho and Chinook salmon in the offshore waters is one of the highest of any port along the Oregon Coast. There is a lighted whistle buoy located .9 tenths of a mile west of the south jetty light. The south jetty is marked with a light with a seasonal fog signal and radar reflector. A 086 degree lighted range and a buoy mark the entrance channel which is subject to frequent changes. Early settlers realized the potential of establishing a commercial port at the Umpqua River Estuary, and at the settlers urging, the Federal Government built the first lighthouse on the Oregon Coast at the entrance to the Umpqua River Estuary in 1857. Building the lighthouse on the sand was a mistake and by 1861 erosion had undermined the lighthouse and it collapsed. Click on the image to enlarge it.
The bar of the Umpqua River Estuary is subject to expected closures by the Coast Guard. Oregon's bar closure website. Check the NOAA Bar Observations website for updated closures and restrictions.
Ships crossing the bar at the Umpqua River Estuary were at the mercy of an unstable channel that was constantly shifting. Nature was unmerciful when the brewery vessel Willamina ran aground at the entrance to Winchester Bay while attempting to deliver Pacific Pride beer to thirsty fishermen. The construction of the north jetty in 1919 and the south jetty in 1933 helped to establish the Umpqua River Estuary as a major port of entry for sport fishermen, but the entrance to the bar and the jetty channel are still subject to dangerous tidal conditions. Recorded weather and bar condition reports are available by calling (541) 271-8417. Breaking waves can be encountered on the Umpqua River bar at any time. The following underlined areas describe some of the dangerous tidal conditions that affect boating safety in the jetty channel of the Umpqua River or crossing the Umpqua River Bar as listed on the Web Page for Oregon State Marine Board at www.boatoregon.com.
The Umpqua River is Oregon’s second longest coastal river and is dominated for extended periods by freshwater runoff from seasonal rains and/or snowmelt originating in the Cascades. The tidal reach of the Umpqua and the Smith Rivers extend upriver for 27.09 and 23.98 miles respectively. Public access to the riverbanks in the tidewater reach of the Umpqua River is limited by private property. Public access to the riverbanks in the tidewater reach of the Smith River is more accessible than the Umpqua River.
The Smith River is a large coastal river that flows into Umpqua River Estuary 11.49 miles above the jetty jaws and was named after the legendary Mountain Man, Jedediah Smith. Jedediah was the first white man to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains into California and to walk from California to the Columbia River. Jedediah was one of eighteen trappers camped at the confluence of the Smith and Umpqua Rivers. Jedediah and two other trappers were away from camp when Kelawatset Indians attacked the trapper’s camp killing all but one of the trappers.
Crabbing:
The Lower Umpqua River Estuary. Click on the image of the map to enlarge it.
Winchester Bay on the Umpqua River Estuary: The Crab Watch Report is provided by the Stockade Market. On 04/18 the Stockade Market reports Crabbing has been fair to good from the Port docks. Crabbing productivity is directly related to the level of salinity in the lower estuary. Crabbing is good and producing limits from boats in Half Moon Bay and the lower estuary across from Winchester Bay. Contact the Stockade Market at 541 271 3800 for additional information. The Stockade Market carries a complete line of equipment for crabbing and clam digging.
In August 2012, I took my wife Crabbing at Coast Guard crabbing dock at Winchester Bay, but the strong NW wind kept her in the truck. We arrived at 10:30 and crabbed for 2 hours. Even though I caught over 100 plus Dungeness crabs I only managed to take 2 legal crabs using 2 Crab Max crab traps. One crab was soft and the other crab had lost its pinchers and having no desire to keep a hard shell crab with very small pinchers I returned both to the bay. I crabbed with a new collapsing crab pot using the heads and guts from 8 cutthroat trout we caught yesterday evening. I pulled the pot twice in 2 hours and managed to catch 2 small crabs. This is the second time I have used trout heads for bait and each time the catch was disappointing; so from now on I will use the heads and guts from the trout I clean as garden bait.
Crabber Ted and another crabber both took the 6 Dungeness crabs using crab rings. Ted and the other crabber started crabbing at low slack around 5:30 am. Ted had been camped at Winchester Bay for a week and had limited out each day, but he had to crab during the entire incoming tide each day to do so.
How to humanly kill Dungeness and red rock crabs is the question my wife wants me to answer. She can't stand to see anything suffer. Striking the Thoracic ganglion with a crab mallet kills the crab immediately. The crab does not suffer as it would if submerged in boiling water and neither does my wife. Killing and backing the crabs prior to cooking them shortens the total time it takes to cook and clean large numbers of crabs.
Click on the following video clip to view a professional crab shaker Picking Dungeness crabs. Using this method cuts the time to pick a crab in half.
Additional Information for Crabbing From the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Rim:
Click on the following links for additional information about taking crabs in the Pacific Northwest. Click on ODFW's website crab page or click on Washington State's information on recreational crabbing or click California's information on recreational crabbing. Click on Alaska's comments on Dungeness Crabs and on permits and regulations for SE Alaska. Click on Dungeness Crabs at Netarts Bay. Click on Species Profile for Dungeness Crabs PDF file. Click on Species Profile for Red Rock Crabs to view PDF file. Click on Dungeness and Red Rock Crabs to view information on taking crabs from Oregon's Bays and ocean water.
My website, Dungeness and Red Rock Crabs has a lot of useful information about crabbing along the Oregon Coast.
Clam Digging:
This trail access leads to the location in the following video showing how to dig softshell clams.
Umpqua River is one of Oregon's largest estuaries, however, high freshwater influence makes the bay seasonal for crabbing. Softshell clam populations in the Umpqua River are among the highest in the state, additionally, they are large clams. The softshell clams in the following photograph were dug from Bolon Island.
02/28 clam diggers report diggers did very well on softshell clams at Bolon Island taking limits of large clams during the last series of low tides. Softshell clams are the dominate clam species in the Umpqua River Estuary. The tidal flats associated with Bolon Island and Gardiner offer the digger the best access. Click on Digging Softshell Clams on Umpqua River Estuary to view the video showing one of the best methods for digging softshell clams.
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Post by Admin on Jun 10, 2015 0:01:26 GMT
Fishing in the Umpqua River Estuary and Winchester Bay:
Chinook Salmon return to the Umpqua River in the spring and fall and to the Smith River in the fall. Feeder Chinook salmon often enter Umpqua River Estuary in July and are caught between Winchester Bay and buoy 19. The largest Chinook salmon ever landed in Oregon weighed 83.0 pounds and was caught in the Umpqua River in 1910. Spring Chinook salmon in the Umpqua River offer anglers one of the best opportunities to set a new state record.
Spring Chinook salmon enter Winchester Bay in April, peaking in late April or in May and running into June. The run of Spring Chinook salmon is usually comprised of high percentage of mature 5 and 6 year old fish. Spring Chinook spend very little time in the lower tidal reach of the Umpqua River Estuary. Some anglers experience success trolling for spring Chinook salmon along the south jetty with a plug cut herring, but the most productive fishing occurs above Scottsburg. Fish with bait wrapped Flatfish lures, Rogue Bait Rig and anchovy combinations, spinners or bait sweetened Spin–N–Glos using a wire spreader rigged with a 12 inch sinker dropper line and a 36 inch leader line to present the bait to the salmon. It usually requires a 2 to 8 ounce sinker to walk the bait to the desired location, 15 to 60 feet behind the boat. During periods of low river flows, anchor above and fish in the deeper water between the slots of the rock ledges. During the increased flow of spring runoff, anchor in the shallow water on the inside of a curve and fish at a depth of 4 to 10 feet from the inside out.
My friend Bill Morris (RIP) caught this Spring Chinook downstream from Reedsport in 2013. My friend Steve caught the fat red meated Chinook jack with his hand tied red ant fly at the deadline of Winchester Creek (see the video for more informatiion) at Winchester Bay. Click on images to enlarge them
 
The fellow in the video catches twice as many Chinook using a bobber with eggs as he does using spinners.
Umpqua River fall Chinook salmon begin returning in late August or early September peaking in late September into early October. The age class of the returning Chinook is usually comprised of higher percentage of younger 3 year old fish followed by 4 year old fish.
Early in the run concentrate fishing in lower Winchester Bay. Most anglers fish between the East Basin and buoy 12 trolling a plug cut herring with the incoming tide in the channel that parallels the east shore along the south jetty to buoy 12 or in the deepwater channel that parallels the west shore from buoy 12 in a straight line to buoy 15 then to buoy 17 on east shore. As the number of returning fish increase troll a plug cut herring or rainbow colored spinners from buoy 17 to the International Paper Co. Chinook salmon often hold the deepwater between buoy 19 and buoy 21. Anchor and fish with bait wrapped Flatfish lures or with wobblers. Fish for Chinook salmon holding underneath the Highway 101 Bridge at Reedsport or in the deeper holes at confluence of the Smith and Umpqua Rives by trolling a plug cut herring or rainbow colored spinners.
To fish the tidal reach of the Umpqua River above the Smith River, launch a boat at the Umpqua Wayside State Park or at Scottsburg. Trolling a plug cut herring with the high incoming tide is the most productive method used to catch Chinook salmon followed by trolling a bait-wrapped Flatfish lure, spinners or a spinner bait combination. Back bounce, back troll or troll with the outgoing tide using a plug cut herring, bait wrapped Flatfish lures, spinners, a spinner bait combinations, wobblers or with a walnut sized gob of salmon eggs topped with a sand shrimp. Anchor up current above the deeper holes above Scottsburg and bobber fish with salmon eggs and sand shrimp or fish on the bottom using salmon eggs topped with sand shrimp, bait sweetened Spin–N–Glos or wobblers.
Fall Chinook salmon return to the Smith River in October. The run usually peaks in late October, and the age class of the returning Chinook is usually comprised of 4 and 5 year old fish. In early October fish for Smith River fall Chinook in lower Winchester Bay using the same methods used to fish for fall Umpqua River Chinook. Fish in the lower tidal reach of the Smith River from the confluence with the Umpqua River to the South Side Bridge trolling a plug cut herring, bait wrapped Flatfish lures or spinners with the incoming tide. Back bounce or Back troll with the outgoing tide using a plug cut herring, a walnut sized gob of salmon eggs topped with sand shrimp, bait wrapped Flatfish lures or spinners. To fish the upper tidal reach of the Smith River launch at the Noel Ranch launch or the Riverside boat launch. Drift with the tidal current using a free sliding bobber to fish a walnut sized gob of salmon eggs topped with a sand shrimp just off of the bottom. During the outgoing tide anchor up current above the deeper holes and fish with bait wrapped Flatfish lures, bait sweetened Spin–N–Glos, wobblers, a walnut size gob of salmon eggs or bobber fish with salmon eggs and sand shrimp.
Coho salmon return from September peaking in October and running into early November. Fish for coho salmon early in the run trolling plug cut herring, chartreuse hoochies or streamer flies with the incoming tide in the lower bay from the south jetty to buoy 12. Troll these baits behind a diver or wire spreader in the upper half of the water column. Be sure to troll a plug cut herring with a tight spin and at speeds between 3 and 5 knots. Fly fishing and/or trolling or casting spinners in the tidal flats associated with the City of Gardiner and the site of the former International Paper Mill is a favorite of local anglers. The water in the Umpqua River is often stained or murky with sediment. Fish with rainbow or dark colored spinners with brass or copper blades in stained water and light colored spinners with silver accents in clear water. Pink or chartreuse colored spinners are very effective when fishing for coho in the tidal flats. Umpqua Bay boast the highest catch rate of coho salmon for any of Oregon’ coastal bays. ODFW INFORMATION REPORT Series NUMBER 2018-01Coho salmon
Steelhead in the Umpqua River Basin Overview and Mainstem
The 50 Places to go Fishing within 60 minutes of Roseburg publication features several steelhead fishing spots and is available on line, at the Roseburg Visitor Center, and the Roseburg ODFW office.
The Umpqua is famous for its steelhead fishing. There is year-round harvest of adipose fin-clipped steelhead in the Mainstem and North Umpqua, while the South Umpqua and Smith River are open for adipose clipped winter steelhead from Dec. 1, 2013 through April 30, 2014. The wild run has been strong the last several years, so there are good catch-and-release opportunities throughout the basin. Anglers should remember that no wild steelhead can be harvested in the Umpqua Basin.
The Umpqua River Basin has an estimated population of 30,000 to 40,000 winter steelhead. An estimated 7 to 11 percent of the winter steelhead that swim through the Mainstem are fin clipped. Thus anglers should anticipate hooking more wild fish than hatchery fish, particularly in the Mainstem, Smith and North Umpqua. The hatchery program is based in the South Umpqua so anglers wanting to harvest a steelhead should concentrate their efforts in the South Umpqua from Canyonville downstream. During the last couple of years 75,000 to 109,000 winter steelhead smolts have been released in the South Umpqua. Thus 3,000 to 5,000 fin clipped steelhead should be returning.
From December through mid-February all of the steelhead bound for the North and South Umpqua are still making their way through the Main Umpqua. This makes for an incredible catch-and-release fishery as up to 90 percent of the steelhead hooked will be wild fish and must be released unharmed.
The best fishing opportunities in the Mainstem begin after Thanksgiving and continue through early March. Winter steelhead fishing begins just above tidal influence at Scottsburg. Bank fishing begins at Family Camp and continues upstream on the south side of the Umpqua River to Lutsinger Creek. Sawyer's Rapids and Scotts Creek are just upstream and are popular bank and drift boat spots. There also is good bank access at Bunch Bar wayside, which is owned by Douglas County and at Yellow Creek, Cleveland Rapids and River Forks Park.
Drift boaters can access the river at the Scotts Creek boat ramp and the Sawyer’s Rapids RV Park. Boat fishing is also available at Elkton, Yellow Creek, Osprey, James Woods and Umpqua boat ramps. Boat fishing on the Mainstem tends to be best when water levels area between 8 and 10 feet. Low and cold water conditions can keg steelhead up. Anglers fishing under these conditions should be particularly mindful of practicing good ethical catch-and-release techniques and handle the wild fish as little as possible.
Fishing in the North and South Umpqua starts in late December, with peak catch rates in late February through March. Winchester Dam counts show that by Jan. 15 only about 11 percent of the run has crossed Winchester Dam. By Feb. 15 normally about 30 percent of the run has reached the dam while by the middle of March about 66 percent have crossed the dam. Assuming that the South Umpqua steelhead are traveling at the same speed, it means that the fishing in the South Umpqua will be most successful from late February on. Since the fish tend to move more with rising water temperatures, anglers should be aware that a cold snap can stop the migration and slow the bite. Steelhead fishing in April can be productive, but by then many anglers have shifted their interest to spring chinook.
The North Umpqua and Smith River are typically the first waters to come back into fishable shape after a storm. The Mainstem Umpqua and South Umpqua are best fished when water levels are rising or falling. Higher flows cause the migrating winter steelhead to travel closer to the banks making them easier for bank anglers to target. Many of the best plunking holes on the Mainstem can only be fished at higher flows.
Fishing Techniques
Bank anglers on the Mainstem are successful plunking with a Spin-N-Glo, with or without prawns or roe, on a 20-24-inch leader rigged with appropriate weight from a three-way swivel. Bank anglers on the North and South Umpqua Rivers prefer drift fishing with a corky, yarn or egg rig. Most will use pencil lead or a slinky about 24 inches above the bait, with just enough weight to keep the bait near the bottom. Anglers in the North Umpqua fly waters should double check the angling regulations since gear use varies by time. Most boaters throughout the Umpqua basin prefer side drifting with eggs or pulling plugs.
Contact the District Office of ODFW at Roseburg, 541-440-3353, for more information on fishing techniques, and up-to-date fishing conditions. Or check out the ODFW weekly Recreation Report for the latest on fishing conditions.
North Umpqua River Click on the North Umpqua River to view the Oregon Field Guide video segment on the North Umpqua River.
Anglers should remember that the North Umpqua no longer has a wild fish harvest. Only adipose fin-clipped steelhead may be kept in this area. Only about 5 percent of the winter steelhead in the North Umpqua are hatchery fish. However, with the strong wild population there is still a lot of catch-and-release opportunity in the North Umpqua.
Boat access is readily available on the lower 30 river miles of the North Umpqua River. Hestness Landing provides access for anglers to the lower North Umpqua River, and Amacher Park boat ramp is located just below Winchester Dam. A drift from Amacher Park to Hestness Landing is often productive for winter steelhead anglers. Above Winchester Dam, boat access is available at Whistlers Bend Park, Gravel Pit boat ramp, Colliding Rivers boat ramp, and a drift boat slide on Lone Rock Road. A boat take-out-only is located on the south side of the river off Page Road. The best boat fishing occurs when the North is between 4 to 7 feet or 1,688 to 6,400 cfs. The North Umpqua can be difficult to float for inexperienced boaters and caution should be used when floating this river.
Bank fishing in the lower river can be found at River Forks Park, Amacher Park, Whistlers Bend Park, near Colliding Rivers, the Narrows and just below Rock Creek at Swiftwater. Winter steelhead fishing above Rock Creek to Soda Springs Dam is part of the fly water area and is limited to wading and bank fishing. Fishing in the fly water can be productive throughout the season depending on river conditions -- optimal flows are from 1,500 cfs to about 5,500 cfs. Successful fly anglers use 10 to 14-foot spey rods and sink tips to “swing” large weighted or unweighted flies in the winter.
Winchester Dam counts are also posted on the ODFW website. The counts are not meant to be “real time” counts but can provide a look back at what the run timing has been in recent years.
The best way to use the Winchester Dam counts is to click on the time frame you’re interested in from the previous year. Then you can view 10 years of data to see what percent of the run has normally reached Winchester Dam by that time. Run time is generally the same from year to year with some adjustments for flood events, or cold snaps that can slow the run down a little. By viewing 10 years of data by 2-week increments anglers can plan their trips accordingly.
South Umpqua River
The South Umpqua is the center of the Umpqua’s winter steelhead hatchery program. The goal of the hatchery program is to acclimate and release 80,000 –120,000 winter steelhead smolts per year. To help maintain the best possible genetics for the hatchery program, about 50 percent of the fish used for the broodstock are wild fish. Some of these fish are provided to the program through guides who have permits from the ODFW and Oregon State Police, while the rest of the fish are captured at various traps in the South Umpqua basin.
The South Umpqua winter steelhead program also provides a lot of public outreach. Volunteers from ODFW’s STEP program are an integral part of operating the acclimation sites and assisting with the broodstock collection. The ODFW has two acclimation sites on Canyon Creek, one operated by STEP volunteers and the other by the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The ODFW also runs one acclimation site in cooperation with Eastwood Elementary School. This provides steelhead that tend to linger in the Canyonville and Roseburg areas. The STEP program and volunteers provide a variety of tours and field events at the acclimation sites so visitors can learn about fish life-cycles, the needs of fish, and fish management techniques.
With the release of nearly 94,000 smolts in 2011,109,000 in 2012, and about 75,000 in 2013 we are expecting a good hatchery return this year. Most of the fish that return come back in 2 years; therefore, fishing for hatchery fish is predicted to be good. Again, although these hatchery fish will be available in the Mainstem and North Umpqua, they will compose a small percentage of the steelhead in those basins.
Boat ramps include Templin Beach in Roseburg, Douglas County Fair Grounds and Happy Valley. The new Harold and Sid Nichols boat ramp in Winston opened in October 2012. It is off Highway 42 near Douglas High School.
The South Umpqua River provides the best opportunity to catch and keep adipose fin-clipped steelhead.
Several unimproved boat ramps are located at Boomer Hill, Gazley Bar, Stanton Park and Canyonville County Park. These boat ramps tend to be in the portion of the South with the highest concentration of hatchery fish. Above Canyonville there are unimproved ramps at Days Creek, Lavadoure Creek, Milo and Tiller. Catch-and-release fishing for wild steelhead is popular in this upper section of the South. The best boat angling is when the water levels are between 7 to 9 feet or about 3,000 to 6,500 cfs.
Bank fishing can be good at Templin Beach, Happy Valley Boat Ramp, the Myrtle Creek Bridge and Stanton County Park. There is also bank fishing available behind Seven Feathers Casino. Cow Creek is open to Middle Creek for steelhead fishing. Both Cow Creek and the South Umpqua River also provide above-average opportunities to catch and release large wild winter steelhead.
Smith River
Smith River provides anglers an opportunity to catch and release wild winter steelhead. The regulations do allow harvest of adipose-clipped steelhead, but there is no hatchery program in the Smith River basin and stray hatchery fish are rare. Bank access below Smith River Falls is limited due to private landownership. Boat access below the falls is available at the Wasson Creek Bridge, a drift boat slide near Dailey Creek, a wayside just above Doe Creek, and an unimproved boat slide just below the falls. Bank fishing access improves above Smith River Falls, as landownership becomes BLM and private industrial. Several unimproved boat slides exist above the falls, with good boat access at Vincent Creek. Several good drifts are available in the Smith River basin.
Striped bass enter the Umpqua River Estuary from middle of March before spawning in the Smith and Umpqua Rivers in June, but they only spawn successfully in the Smith River. The larger mature striped bass enter the estuary followed by schools of smaller striped bass feeding heavily on spawning herring from middle of March into early April. The striped bass move upriver to the Scottsburg reach feeding on smelt and shad during their respective runs. After spawning in June the stripers move down river feeding heavily before returning to the ocean in the middle of September. Oregon’s largest striped bass at 68.0 pounds was caught in the Umpqua River.
Fish for striped bass upstream from lower Umpqua River Estuary from the south jetty to the confluence of the Smith River using the methods detailed in the section describing striped bass. Concentrate fishing around the islands upstream to the confluence of the Smith River and in Scholfield Creek. Fish in the structure associated with the bridges and railroad trestles that cross the Smith and Umpqua Rivers. Fish in the main stem Umpqua River from the confluence with the Smith River to the head of tidewater above Scottsburg. Launch above tidewater at Sawyer’s Rapids and drift to Scottsburg Park. Fishing from Scottsburg to Sawyer Rapids can be exceptional anytime from the middle of March as the stripers feed heavily on smelt. Shad return the Umpqua River during May and June. Back bounce using whole smelt or strip bait cut from shad from Sawyer’s Rapids to Scottsburg during their respective runs during March–April and May–June. Fish striped bass in the tidal reach of the Smith River from Hudson Slough or Otter Slough to the head of tidewater. Most anglers fishing in the Smith River concentrate fishing for stripers in the Noel Ranch area from the middle of March to June.
Black rockfish and blue rockfish fishing is poor during heavy freshwater runoff from November through February. Fishing is usually good from late spring through October except for periods of heavy runoff from snowmelt in the Cascades. The best fishing occurs after sunset on an incoming tide in the channel along the jetties or in the harbor. Remember if you’re going to fish in the jetty channel at night do so only on an incoming tide and when the ocean is clam.
Click on Distinguishing the new species of Blue rockfish, the Deacon rockfish, from Black and Blue rockfish is significant to meet the retention requirements for Deacon, Blue and Black rockfish. Meet the Deacon rockfish.
Pileperch, striped seaperch, walleye surfperch, redtail surfperch and white seaperch enter Winchester Bay in spring. Schools of perch move onto the tidal flats feeding heavily on intertidal animals. Perch are caught upriver as far as Double Cove Pt on the east shore and Buoy 17 on the west shore. Fish between Buoy 12 and 15, ODFW reference. Striped perch are the predominant perch species caught in the bay except during the years when redtail surfperch enter the bay. The greatest numbers of striped perch are caught at the triangle while redtail perch and pileperch are taken further inside the bay to buoy 15 and along the east shore of the East Basin. The fishing ranges from fair to excellent late spring through fall depending on the tides, weather and snowmelt runoff.
Greenling: kelp greenling, whitespotted greenling and rock greenling enter Winchester Bay with the tide from late spring through the summer months. The best fishing occurs along the rocky structure associated with the triangle followed by the jetties and occasionally the structure associated with the boat basins.
Lingcod spawn along the rocky structure of the jetties from late January throughout March. Fishing is excellent during the spawning period along either ocean side or the bayside of the triangle and the south jetty. Historically the fishing for lingcod rates behind Yaquina Bay in productivity.
Cabezon are year–round residents. February through March is the most productive time of the year along the south jetty at the triangle. Fishing is slow the rest of the year.
Pacific herring enter the bay to spawn from February into April. Live herring are available at the Umpqua Bait Co. in the East Basin of Winchester Bay.
Starry Flounder fishing is fair during spring and poor for the rest of the year. Drift from the East Basin seaward using sand shrimp, blood worms or pile worms for bait.
White sturgeon enter the bay for most of the year. The sturgeon fishery ranks second behind sturgeon fishery of Tillamook Bay. The best fishing occurs from January through June but declines sharply from the middle of July before picking up again in December. Mud and/or sand shrimp are the most productive bait throughout the year followed by smelt, shad and herring.
Big Bend is the transition area between the lower and upper bay and is the most popular location to fish for sturgeon. Fish in the deeper holes associated with the channels and tidal flats around the islands in Big Bend. Fish in the deeper holes upstream from Buoy 12 to Buoy 21. Fish from Buoy 12 to Buoy 15 in water that is 15’ to 20’ deep. Fish from Buoy 17 to Buoy 19 in the deepwater channel along the outside of Big Bend. The “Wall Hole” which is nearly 50 feet deep at buoy 19 in Big Bend is the most productive location to catch sturgeon in the lower bay.
Fish upriver from the Wall Hole to the paper mill and in the holes associated with the islands at the confluence of the Smith and Umpqua Rivers.
Fish the deeper holes in the Umpqua River from the confluence with the Smith River to the Deans Creek elk viewing area or from Deans Creek to Scottsburg using smelt or shad for bait. Fishing in the holes associated with the power lines or below the confluence with Mill Creek is very productive. The smelt run anytime from January through March. Fresh smelt or shad is the most productive bait during their respective spawning seasons. Fish for sturgeon from May through June using shad caught at Sawyer Rapids for bait. The Umpqua River boast one of the best shad runs on the Pacific Coast.
Sand Sole enter the bay in small numbers from April through August.
Bank fishing: Fish for perch, greenling, bass, lingcod and salmon from the jetties and triangle breakwater in the lower bay. Fish for striped bass from the shore at half moon located just above the south jetty. Fish for pile and stripped perch along the east shore north of the Coast Guard Station in the East Basin. Fish for salmon and perch from shore at end of Oak Point located between the West and East Basins. Fish for Chinook salmon in the East Basin just below the bridge over Winchester Creek. Fish at night for bass on an incoming tide from the south jetty. Park at the turnout on the west side of Highway 101 located at mile mark 210.0 and fish for sturgeon and striped bass on the downstream side of the railroad trestle. Fish for sturgeon upriver on the Umpqua River at the confluence with Mill Creek. Fish for striped bass and salmon along the guardrail section of the Smith River Road above East Gardiner. Fish for striped bass at night during an incoming tide using frozen sardines rigged with a sliding sinker. Patience is required, because it may take hours for a school of stripers to appear.
Internet links of interest for the Umpqua River Estuary:
Know your harbor. Familiarize yourself with the conditions at the bar. Click on the Oregon State Marine Board and click on Forms Library Scroll down to Publication for download (Many publications no longer in print). Click on Umpqua River Bar Hazards The interactive PDF file webpage describes the navigational hazards that boaters encounter when crossing the Umpqua River Bar.
Click on the Marine Forecast from Florence to Cape Blanco featuring Small Craft Warning.
Tidal Projections: Click on the NOAA tidal projections for Oregon. Scroll down to Umpqua River Estuary and click on your area of interest.
Click on the Marine Forecast from Florence to Cape Blanco featuring Small Craft Warning.
Click on Northwest River Forecast Center: Scroll over the river gauge station. Click the river gauge station icon to display the river gauge station information
NOAA's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service Scroll down and click on the river of interest.
Click on the height of the river level for the Umpqua River – Near Elkton
Recommended link: Click on the following link to see an detailed hourly forecast for weather and surf conditions on the southern Oregon Coast. Then click your coastal zone of interest to view the detail information compiled on the Marine Digital Point Forecast Matrix Interface.
Recreational Advisories:
Always call the Oregon Shellfish Hotline at (503) 986-4728 or 1-800-448-2474 toll free outside of Oregon before harvesting clams or mussels for messages listing the areas closed to harvesting shellfish due to high levels of marine toxins.
Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisories and Guidelines. In mid July the State issued shellfish advisory for elevated levels of arsenic in soft shell clams. The CDAO does not recommend consuming contaminated clams or fish species of any species. However the purple varnish clams in Tillamook Bay are free of contamination from arsenic; and the clams have not been contaminated by Domoic Acid or PSP that have closed the Oregon Coast to the taking of razor clams and mussels.Always Check Oregon's Beach Monitoring Program. The Oregon Public Health Division conducts several activities to protect people living, working and playing near Oregon's beaches, rivers, lakes and other water bodies.
Oregon's Beach Monitoring Program helps protect people who play in the coastal waters. The program does regular water testing to look for high levels of bacteria and lets visitors know when there is a health concern.
The Algae Bloom Surveillance program advises the public when a harmful algae bloom has been detected in a lake or river. Not all blooms are harmful, but some species of algae, such as cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, can produce toxins that can cause serious illness in pets, livestock, wildlife and humans.
Please see the Oregon fish consumption guidelines for more information abut the health benefits of fish and how to make healthy fish choices.
Umpqua Bay boat launches on the north shore are located in the community of Gardiner but is usable only at high tide and on Bolon Island, and the Bolon Island boat launch located between the Umpqua and Smith Rivers on Bolon Island. Turn east onto the Smith River Road from Highway and left again into the launch area. We suggest launching larger trailer boats in Winchester Bay or at the boat launch located the Umpqua River Discovery Center in Reedsport.
The Reedsport boat launch, formerly the Rainbow Plaza boat launch is located on the south shore in the upper bay at the Discovery Center in Old Town Reedsport. To get there from mile post 211.5 on Highway 101 turn East onto Highway 38 which becomes Umpqua Ave. Travel for .2 of mile and turn left onto E Railroad Ave for .3 of mile to the single lane boat launch. Turn right onto River Front Way. The double lane boat launch at the Umpqua Discovery Center is just ahead to the left. Finding a parking place during the spring of fall salmon season can be challenging.
The Umpqua Bay boat launches in the lower bay are located at Winchester Bay’s Salmon Harbor West or Salmon Harbor East.
There are two boat launches located in the upper tidal reach of the Umpqua River, the Umpqua Wayside State Park 9.2 miles and Scottsburg Park 16.0 miles and two boat launches located above tidewater at Scott Creek and Sawyer Rapids. The Scott Creek boat launch is located approximately 5 miles above Scottsburg. The boat launch at Sawyer Rapids is a primitive launch operated by the ODFW. To access the Sawyer Rapids boat launch drive to Elkton. Drive across the river and turn right on Henderer Road to Hooker Road to the boat launch. The Alfred S. Tyson City Park Boat Launch is located 36 miles East on Hwy 38 in Elkton. Turn right onto 3rd St. to River Road. Turn Right onto River Road and left into driveway of the Alfred S. Tyson Park.
There are number of boat launches located in the Smith River basin from the Douglas County Boat Ramp located in Gardiner on Hwy 101 just prior to leaving town headed south. The Bolon Island Boat Ramp is located off of Hwy 101 by turning east onto the Lower Smith River RD and left again into the Bolon Island Recreation area. Continue up the Lower Smith River RD. to the Smith River Marina & Campground, a private marina and campground, at mile marker 7.9 on the Lower Smith River RD. The Noel Ranch Boat Launch no use fee boat launch is operated by the U.S. Forest Service. The Noel Ranch boat launch is located at mile post 8.5. The Riverside Boat Launch a use fee boat launch operated by Douglas County is located at mile post 11.3 on the Lower Smith River Road. The Art Moss primitive boat launch is located 17.8 miles from Hwy 101 on the Lower Smith River Road. The no use fee boat launch is operated by ODFW. For additional information call 800-720-6339. The Dailey Ranch Boat Launch is located 22.2 miles from Hwy 101. The no use fee Dailey Ranch Boat Launch is operated by ODFW. For additional information call 800-720-6339. The Fawn Creek Boat Ramp is located 24.7 miles from Hwy 101. The use fee Fawn Creek Boat Ramp is operated by the BLM. For additional information 541-756-0100. The Lower Drift Take-Out is located 26.2 miles from Hwy 101 on the Lower Smith River RD. The no fee use Lower Drift Take-Out boat launch is operated by ODFW. For additional information call 800-720-6339.
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Post by Admin on Jul 20, 2015 17:11:41 GMT
Mile by Mile Guide Between the Umpqua River Estuary and Coos Bay.
The Deans Creek Elk viewing area on Hwy 38.
Don't miss visiting the Hinsdale Estate just a mile up Hwy 38 from Deans Creek when the gardens bloom at Spruce Reach Island: The Oregon Coast's Secret Rhododendron Garden. The gate at the Hinsdale Estate is only open a few days a year, but the Friends of Hinsdale allow trespassing. Parking at the gate driveway is not allowed, so drop off your visitors at the gate and park at the Deans Creek parking area. We discourage walking on Hwy 38 because the danger to pedestrians by distracted drivers watching the Elk
2018 Visiting Schedule Saturday, April 28 and Saturday, May 12 (Mothers day weekend)
Oregon Dunes camping and R/V parks.
215.7 Ziolkouski Beach Park is located south of Umpqua Bay and is reached through the community of Winchester Bay by taking the Salmon Harbor Recreational Area Exit west from Highway 101. Follow the signs along county road 251 to the three beach parking areas. Parking is free at the first parking area. A parking permit is required at the second and third parking areas. A wheelchair access area is available at the second parking area. The third parking area offers ATV access to the sand dunes only from the south jetty to Spinreel Campground. The fishing on this section of the beach is excellent for redtail surfperch and striped bass.
Steelhead fishing access in the Ten Mile Lake Basin is available at the Forest Service’s Spinreel Park, just west of Hwy 101. Spinreel Park has a small boat ramp where anglers can launch a drift boat or small boat with a motor. This area is popular with bank anglers that plunk or drift eggs. The Forest Service charges a fee for day use in the park. Steelhead smolts are acclimated and released at the mouth of Saunders Creek in Spinreel Park, in Tenmile Creek near Hwy 101, and at the outlet to Eel Lake. Adult hatchery steelhead are drawn back to these areas and provide for excellent catch rates. Steelhead fishing is open in Eel Creek (below Eel Lake) from Jan. 1 through April 30.
Fishing lower Tenmile Creek downstream of Spinreel Park begins with a hike through the dunes, and offers a unique steelhead fishing experience. With the big lakes acting as a settling basin, Tenmile Creek is often fishable when other area rivers are muddy following heavy rainstorms.
Lower Tenmile Creek is an interesting water body to fish for winter steelhead. Consisting of mostly sand bottom, it has a different “feel” than rivers with a gravel bottom. It can be difficult to locate holding fish in this creek, as it does not exhibit the typical pool-riffle pattern like other rivers.
North and South Tenmile Lakes and Eel Lake are open from Nov. 1 through April 30 each year for harvest of adipose fin-clipped steelhead; however, steelhead are primarily in the lakes from January through April. Some anglers troll the upper ends of the lake arms for steelhead.
From May 1 to Oct. 31, rainbow trout over 20 inches are considered trout, and may be harvested one fish per day, in accordance with Southwest Zone regulations. They do not need to be fin-clipped to harvest during this “trout” fishing period, nor do they need to be recorded on a tag. This regulation allows harvest of some large “holdover” rainbow trout from the ODFW stocking program. During the period when wild steelhead are passing through the lakes on their way to spawning grounds, the regulations help protect these unmarked fish from harvest.
222.5 The Umpqua Trailhead is located between Coos Bay and Winchester Bay west of Highway 101 just south of the Lakeside junction. Turn west from Highway 101 onto the trailhead access road. Access to the beach is by a four mile hiking trail. The fishing is excellent for redtail surfperch and striped bass.
224.3 The Spinreel Campground provides easy access to the beach by off road vehicles to the sand dunes and to the beach by ATVs to Horsefall Beach. The fishing is excellent for redtail surfperch and striped bass.
232.3 North Bay Viewpoint is located on the west side of Highway101. The viewpoint is the access point to the tidal flats associated with the slough of North Coos Bay and a good location from which to view wildlife. Softshell clams are dug along the shore.
232.8 The Trans Pacific Parkway provides access to Horsfall Beach, North Beach and the west shore of Coos Bay. Turn west from Highway 101 drive toward the far shore and park at the turnout at the far side of the small bridge. Fishing the incoming tide for perch and striped bass is good. The tidal flats are a favorite location to pump for mud or sand shrimp
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232.8 Horsfall Beach is located above North Beach. Access is gained by turning west from Highway 101 onto the Trans Pacific Parkway and right on Horsfall Beach Road. The beach has full service camping facilities and equestrians are welcome. Horsfall Beach is the surf fishing hot spot for Coos County for redtail surfperch and an occasional white seaperch. Fishing for striped bass is good to excellent.
232.8 North Beach located just north of the entrance to Coos Bay is listed by ODFW as a location to dig for razor clams. North Beach is administered by the BLM. North Beach is accessible by off road vehicles via the jeep trail from the Trans Pacific Parkway. Driving on the wet and dry sand areas of the beach is allowed from September 16th through March 14th and restricted to the wet sand area from March 15th through September 15th. Check with the BLM office to confirm the areas open to vehicles. The regulations for driving on the sandy dunes and on the beach for the BLM differ from those of the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area, so be prepared to fulfill the requirements for both agencies. The fishing is excellent for redtail surfperch and striped bass.
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The recreational opportunities listed on the webpage for Winchester Bay are brought to you by wwww.clamdigging.info for the benefit of the members of the Clam Digging and Crabbing Community. 
