Afternoon fishing to be shut down on Oregon rivers

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to shut down afternoon fishing on most rivers and creeks in Oregon, and prohibit fishing entirely on the lower Willamette River, in an unprecedented step resulting from statewide drought.

In a move aimed at avoiding stress to native fish suffering from high water temperatures and low stream flows, fishing for trout, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon will be closed from 2 p.m. to one hour before sunrise on all but a handful of streams beginning Saturday.

The move comes on the heels of multiple fish die-offs on rivers from Willamette to the John Day during the past month.

“We’ve never had to do anything like this before — we’re in new territory,” said Bruce McIntosh, assistant administrator of ODFW’s Fish Division. “We’ve had selective closures in the past, but we’ve never gone to a statewide approach like this.”

The rules do not apply to lakes, reservoirs or the ocean. Anglers can still fish for warmwater species such as smallmouth bass and crappie.

In streams hit the hardest, including the lower Willamette and lower Clackamas, fishing will be shut down completely. In a handful of mountain rivers with cooler water, including the Metolius and McKenzie, normal fishing hours will stay in effect. The majority of streams in Oregon, though, will have the afternoons closure.

McIntosh said the idea was borrowed from Montana, which occasionally limits fishing to the morning hours when cooler temperatures make fish more resilient.

“By the afternoon, fish are already stressed by the heat, and when you add hooking and handling them, it’s another load for them to bear and potentially a deadly one,” McIntosh said. “Our goal is to give fish a break.”

Reaction in the fishing community was mixed. While many bemoaned the salmon tags they might not get to fill – or the lost business for outfitters – others saw the importance of helping fish survive a challenging summer.

“It’s obviously unfortunate, but I’m all for” the new rules, said Jason Mitzner, owner of Home Water Fly-Fishing in Eugene. “The way the year has been going, and how warm the rivers have been, it really isn’t a surprise. At the end of the day, you have to make sure there’s some fish for next year.”

Penalties for breaking the rule would be the same as fishing out of season any time of the year – a misdemeanor and a fine – but McIntosh said Oregon State Police would begin by issuing warnings and communicating with people.

“We certainly understand that there’s going to be a big eduction process,” he said. “It’s a big change, and not everybody is going to know about the rule right off the bat.”

ODFW said that while this action – and this year – are unusual in terms of heat and dryness, the agency is prepared for more challenging years ahead due to climate change.

“As extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change, we need to be prepared for the stress these conditions will have on fish, wildlife and their habitats,” said Ed Bowles, Fish Division Administrator. “Planning for the effects of these changing climatic conditions presents a unique challenge for us, yet we are committed to doing our best to enhance resiliency to climate change and avoid significant impacts on our natural resources.”

States close sturgeon fishing upstream of Bonneville Dam

The Columbia River will close to sturgeon fishing upstream of Bonneville Dam until further notice under temporary rules adopted by the states of Oregon and Washington.

The closure takes effect on Saturday, July 18 and applies from Bonneville Dam to the Oregon/Washington border upstream of McNary Dam, including adjacent tributaries. All sturgeon angling, including catch-and-release, and retention is prohibited until further notice in this portion of the river.

Fishery managers approved the closure after reviewing survey reports that showed increased sturgeon mortality as a result of the drought conditions in some of the mid-Columbia River reservoirs.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for seven years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Facebook at Zach’s Oregon Outdoors or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.

Rivers shut down to fishing

On these sections of river, fishing will be prohibited at all times for trout, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon.

Willamette River downstream of Willamette Falls, including the Clackamas River up to the Interstate 205 Bridge, the Multnomah Channel and the Gilbert River.

The following sections of the John Day River will also have complete closures: The mainstem of the John Day River above Indian Creek near Prairie City; the Middle Fork of the John Day River above Mosquito Creek near the town of Galena; the North Fork of the John Day River above Desolation Creek and Desolation Creek.

Streams open for angling under normal hours

All rivers and creeks in Oregon will closed to fishing for trout, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon after 2 p.m., beginning Saturday, except the sections of river listed below, which are open for normal hours of fishing and mostly located at higher elevations.

Northeast Zone

The Wallowa River above Sunrise Road; Lostine River above Pole Bridge Campground; Prairie Creek; Hurricane Creek; Spring Creek; and all streams within the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area.

Southeast Zone

The Malheur River and its tributaries; the Owyhee River below the Owyhee Reservoir; and the Blitzen River and its tributaries above Page Springs Weir and Bridge Creek.

The Klamath River and its tributaries.

Central Zone

The Deschutes River above Macks Canyon; the Metolius River; Fall River; the Crooked River (from mouth to Bowman Dam); and Tumalo Creek.

The Hood River and its tributaries and the White River and its tributaries.

Willamette Zone

The McKenzie River and its tributaries; the Middle Fork of the Willamette River below Dexter Dam; the Middle Fork of the Willamette River and its tributaries above Lookout Point Reservoir; and Alton Baker Canoe Canal.

The mainstem of the South Santiam River below Foster Dam; Quartzville Creek; the North Santiam River above Detroit Lake; and the Breitenbush River.

Southwest Zone

The mainstem Rogue River from Fishers Ferry upstream to William Jess Dam and all tributaries upstream of the William Jess Dam and Lost Creek Reservoir.

On hot days, ODFW recommends:

Use a thermometer to check water temperatures frequently. Stop fishing when temperatures exceed 70 degrees.

Consider changing locations to high elevation lakes or shaded streams near headwaters. These places are often cooler.

Use barbless hooks so you can release fish easily without harming them.

Use the appropriate gear and land fish quickly. The longer the fight, the less likely the fish will survive.

Keep the fish in the water when you unhook it and cradle the fish upright until it revives enough to swim away.

Use your judgment. If conditions where you want to fish seem especially severe (low, hot water), consider fishing somewhere else where water conditions are better.