Flows have increased because of extra water being released at Detroit. Flows are currently around 2,000 cfs at the Mehama gauge with good fishing conditions. These flows are not expected to change much over the next few weeks. River levels best for fishing are at or below 3,000 cfs.

Spring Chinook fishing is now closed through Oct. 15 to protect spawning fish. If you see these large fish engaging in spawning behavior, please avoid disturbing them. 

Summer steelhead will continue to trickle in throughout the next few weeks, but most fish are already in the basin. Best bets for anglers are in the middle and upper sections of river where the fish are thickest, such as between Stayton to the take out at Shelburn and from Packsaddle Park down to Fisherman’s Bend. 

So far they have counted around 5,100 summer steelhead at Willamette Falls. A few coho salmon have also started to arrive. It will be a few weeks before they will show up in numbers in the lower sections of the river. They have counted 35 adults as of Sept. 8. 

A few coho have arrived in the Willamette Valley, but it’s still very early. In a few weeks when fish begin to enter the Santiam basin, anglers will have an opportunity to catch up to two of these wild fish per day. 

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 currently funded through December of this year.