Klamath River Report

OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff

Report Date:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us

Keno Dam to J.C Boyle Reservoir

This section of the river opened Oct. 1. Fishing success should be very good for numerous 16- to 18-inch redband trout. Water temperatures have increased to around 70 degrees. Flows (846) are good for fishing. Public access is difficult but you can drive a horrendous road to immediately below Keno Dam. All other sites require a significant hike to the river.

Redband trout this time of year start gorging on the incredible insect life that is hatching. There are blizzard hatches of caddisflies and mayflies. Flies that mimic caddis pupae and emerging mayflies work best. Damsel flies are also beginning to hatch. The water is always slightly off color so this is not a place for dry flies.

This section of the river is very challenging fishing with white water and treacherous wading. The river is loaded with boulders and drop offs that eat fishing gear. ODFW recommends a wading staff, wading belt, excellent wading boots with studs, and maybe even a helmet and shin guards!

J.C. Boyle Dam to J.C Boyle Powerhouse

Open all year. Flows are low and stable. Catch rates should be good. Fishing is best below the spring inputs. The springs start to discharge into the river approximately one mile below J.C. Boyle Dam. This section of river requires a hike down steep grade to the river with the exception of the area just above the powerhouse.

Use small flies as fish are small in this section. Good hatches of mayflies and caddisflies are occurring. Dry fly fishing will be good. A few salmonflies will be hatching.

There is good access at the powerhouse. Park and walk upstream. This area is fished hard but you can hike to get away from the pressure. Hiking or wading upstream is difficult. Small nymphs such as pheasant tails and prince nymphs work well in this section. Small black Panther Martins or Rooster Tails work well cast upstream into the deeper pools. 

J.C. Boyle Powerhouse to State Line with California

Open all year. Catch rates are high during low flow periods. Flows are mostly high during the day. Best fishing is before 8 am. Look for the salmonflies hatching.

Best fishing is when flows are less than 900 cfs. Flow estimates are available and you can check them at PacifiCorp Weekly Flow Estimates. You can also call the flow line at 1-800-547-1501. Fishing can be excellent this time of year if flows are fishable. Blue winged olive mayflies are hatching, which will provide some nice match the hatch dry fly fishing. The mayflies typically hatch from noon until four. Look to the backwater eddies and foam lines for rising fish.

Large attractor flies such and wooly buggers, bead head prince, stimulators, and rubber leg stoneflies under a strike indicator work best this time of year. Olive and black wooly buggers almost always work well. Black spinners and Panther Martins can also work.

Below the JC Boyle Powerhouse the redband/rainbow trout get slightly larger than the aforementioned reach and average 12 inches but rarely exceed 16 inches. Currently, most redband caught are in the 10- to 14-inch range.

More Reports


OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, May 19th, 2021
Lower Willamette River: Lower Willamette River sturgeon retention season planned for two Saturdays in June
Nestucca River: Sprink Chinook Fishing Is Slow But There Are A Few Fish Being Caught
Trask River: The Trask is Still a Little Slow and Water Conditions are Very Low Above Tidewater
Wilson River: Summer Steelhead Should Be Showing Up This Month
Alton Baker Canoe Canal: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 1,000 Legal-Size and 200 Pound Size Rainbow Trout
Breitenbush River: The Forest Service Road Up the Breitenbush River is Closed
Coast Fork Willamette River: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 1,000 Legal-Size Trout
Detroit Reservoir: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 4,200 Hatchery Trout
Dexter Reservoir: Was Last Stocked The Week of April 12 With 2,000 Pounder-Size Rainbow Trout
EE Wilson Angling Pond: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With About 1,000 Hatchery Trout
Fall Creek: Will Be Stocked This Week With 1,333 Legal-Size Rainbow Trout
Foster Reservoir: Reservoir Water Level Will Slowly Rise Throughout The Spring
Gold Lake: Gold Lake Will Open This Coming Saturday!!
Green Peter Reservoir: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 7,300 Trout
Junction City Pond: This Pond Will Be Stocked Again This Week With About 1,500 Hatchery Trout
Leaburg Lake: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 800 Legal-Size Rainbow Trout
McKenzie River: When Boating, Treat This Section of River Like It Is The First Time You Have Been On It
Middle Fork Willamette: Spring Chinook Are Still Coming Upriver
Quartzville Creek: Trout Are Active Year-Round and Anglers Are Allowed to Keep Up to Five Fish Daily
Salmon Creek: Was Last Stocked The Week of May 12 With 1,350 Legal-Size Rainbow Trout
Santiam River ( North Fork) : Trout Harvest is Now Closed and Will Not Re-open Until May 22
Santiam River ( North Fork) Above Detroit Lake: This Section of The River Is Closed to Salmon Fishing
Timber Linn Lake: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With Around 1,600 Legal-Size Trout
Walling Pond: About 1,500 Trout Are Going to be Stocked in This Pond This Week
Waverly Lake: This Lake Will Be Stocked This Week With About 1,500 Legal-Size Trout
Hat Rock Pond: There Will Be 1,000 Legal and 100 Trophy Trout Stocked This Week
Magone Lake: Fishing Has Been Excellent The Last Few Weeks
McNary Channel Ponds: There Will Be 5,000 Legal and 300 Trophy Trout Stocked This Week
Umatilla River: Steelhead Fishing Is Closed and Will Not Open Until Sept. 1
Antelope Flat Reservoir: Recent Sampling Indicates Excellent Overwinter Survival
Crane Prairie Reservoir: Anglers Report Good Fishing
Crooked River: Irrigation Season Has Started So The Water Level Is Higher
Davis Lake: Water Is Low and It May Be Difficult to Launch a Bigger Boat
Deschutes River: Anglers Report Good Fishing
Haystack Reservoir: With The Warm Weather, Trout Will Be Harder To Catch During The Day
Lake Billy Chinook: Bass Fishing is Picking Up
Lava Lake: Access To The Lake Is Open
North Twin Lake: Lake Will Be Stocked With Rainbow Trout This Week
Ochoco Reservoir: Water Level is Extremely Low
Odell Lake: Anglers Report Fair Fishing For Kokanee and Good Fishing For Lake Trout
Paulina Lake: The Road to Paulina Lake is Now Open!
Prinevile Reservoir: Trout and Bass Fishing Have Been Good
Shevlin Youth Pond: Pond Will Be Stocked Again This Week
South Twin Lake: Lake Will Be Stocked With Rainbow Trout This Week
Wickiup Reservoir: The Reservoir Level is Low But Boats Can Be Launched Safely At This Point
Agate Lake: There Should Still Be Some Trout Hanging Around At Agate Lake
Applegate River: Hatchery Staff Are Still Making Weekly Checks Here
Chetco River: Trout Fishing Opens May 22
Coos River: Trout Fishing In Streams and River Open This Saturday May 22
Coquille River: Boat Anglers Have Been Catching Shad On The Mainstem Coquille River Near The Town of Coquille
Eel Lake: Trout Fishing Has Been Good in Eel Lake for Both Boat Anglers and Bank Anglers Fishing From the Fishing Dock
Elk River: Trout Season Opens May 22
Emigrant Reservoir: Bass Fishing Has Really Picked Up in The Last Few Weeks
Empire Lake Lower: Bass Fishing Should Be Picking Up in Lower Empire Lake
Fish Lake : Fish Lake Received 500 "Pounder" Rainbow Trout This Week
Howard Prairie Reservoir: Howard Lake is Accessible!
Hyatt Lake: Was Recently Stocked With 5000 Legal Rainbow Trout
Illinois River: Trout Fishing Will Reopen May 22
Lake Selmac: Trout Fishing Should Be Good
Medco Pond: Fishing Has Been Good Out Here
Rogue River - Middle: Trout Fishing on the Rogue is Closed and Reopens on May 22
Rogue River- Upper: The Hatchery Hole is Closed to All Fishing Through July 31
Tenmile Lakes: Trout Were Stocked in North and South Tenmile Lakes Recently
Willow Lake: Trout Fishing at Willow Lake Should Be Excellent
Ana Reservoir: Fishing should be excellent!
Campbell Reservoir: Lake is Low For This Time of Year
Heart Lake: Heart Lake Report
Holbrook Reservoir: Stocked Recently
Upper Klamath Lake: Catch rates for redband trout continue to improve
Krumbo Reservoir: Anglers Catching Plenty of Trout
Lake Of The Woods: Heavily Stocked With Trout
Owyhee Reservoir: While crappie fishing has been good throughout the reservoir
Owyhee River: Caddis hatches are happening right now
Phillips Reservoir: water levels are currently the lowest observed in it’s 56 year history
Sprague River: Sprague River Report
Wood River: Flows Are A Little High
Yellowjacket Lake: Yellowjacket Lake Report
States set additional Columbia River spring Chinook fishing days
Columbia River

OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff

Report Date:

CLACKAMAS, Ore.—Following a run upgrade, fishery managers from Oregon and Washington adopted additional fishing days for recreational spring Chinook salmon......

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