As of June 12, flows were around 1,630 cfs at the Mehama gauge, with good fishing conditions. These flows not are likely to change much over the next couple of weeks. River levels best for fishing are at or below 3,000 cfs.

More fish are arriving daily in the basin but counts at Willamette Falls are below average for both spring Chinook and summer steelhead. So far they have counted around 2,500 summer steelhead and 17,000 spring Chinook at Willamette Falls. As of June 9, 1,979 Chinook and 155 summer steelhead have been counted at the Bennett ladders. Best bets for anglers are in the middle sections of river where the fish are thickest, such as between Stayton to the take out at Shelburn and from Fisherman’s Bend to Mehama. 

Meanwhile, the river is now open for trout through the end of October. Anglers can keep up to 5 hatchery trout per day, but any wild trout must be released unharmed.

Notice:  The counting station at Bennett Dam is not funded after June 30 and the station will be closing down. It will reopen if/when funding becomes available.