Fishing is slow on the Clackamas this week, as evidenced by very little effort and poor returns. The water is low and clear right now, which, coupled with poor hatchery Chinook and summer steelhead returns add up to a challenging situation at best. The good news is almost no one is fishing, meaning you can have long stretches of the river all to yourself. A few hatchery summer steelhead are dribbling in so it’s not entirely a lost cause, fishing-wise. Under these circumstances anglers might want to consider using clear bobbers and small jigs to achieve the stealth they will need to lure any fish into biting. Throwing small spinners at funnels and tailouts, and in pools behind rocks and logs wouldn’t be a bad strategy either. Early in the morning and later in the afternoon are good times to avoid the float tube crowd that comes out from the city to play.

The level of the river is trending downward, and the color is crystal clear.

USGS hydrological data for June 12 shows river flows at 11,340 cfs water temperature on the rise at58° F, and the gauge at 11.32 ft. All of the readings come from the Estacada gauge near Milo McIver State Park. Hydrologic data and river forecasts can also be accessed on the NOAA/National Weather Service NW River Forecast Center -- NW River Forecast Center.