Fish report for April 9-15, 2014
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Here is the weekly fishing report for selected areas in and around Central Oregon, provided by fisheries biologists for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (last updated April 2):
ANTELOPE FLAT RESERVOIR: Fishing has been fair. The water level is to the bottom of the paved portion of the ramp. Water clarity is low. Using scent or lots of flash will help the fish find your offering. The majority of the fish range from 12 to 14 inches long.
CLEAR LAKE: Snow will limit access until late April or early May.
CROOKED RIVER BELOW BOWMAN DAM: Flows have increased significantly now that Prineville Reservoir is full. The fishing is usually poor until the flows have had a few days to stabilize.
FALL RIVER: Depending on weather conditions, some good midday hatches have been reported. Restricted to fly-fishing with barbless hooks. Fall River below the falls closed at the end of September.
HAYSTACK RESERVOIR: Trout fishing has been slow to fair. The bass and bluegill will become more active as the water warms.
HOOD RIVER: The bulk of the winter steelhead run is entering the Hood River and the end of March to the end of April will be prime for catching a big Hood winter steelhead. Anglers have been reporting some bright, beautiful fish. The Hood River will open for adipose fin-clipped chinook from April 15 through June 30 from the mouth to mainstem confluence with the East Fork, and the West Fork from the confluence with the mainstem upstream to the angling deadline 200 feet downstream of Punchbowl Falls. The catch limit will be two adult adipose fin-clipped salmon per day, and five adipose fin-clipped jack salmon per day.
HOSMER LAKE: Rainbow and cutthroat trout are now available in Hosmer and are available for harvest.
LAKE BILLY CHINOOK: Fishing for bull trout was slow but fishing for kokanee was excellent. Anglers are reminded there are small numbers of spring Chinook and summer steelhead in Lake Billy Chinook as part of the reintroduction effort. Please release these fish unharmed.
LAKE SIMTUSTUS: The reservoir is now open to fishing year-round. Anglers will need both a tribal fishing license and a fishing license from ODFW. The reservoir is stocked annually with 30,000 rainbow trout and has a decent, self-sustaining population of smallmouth bass.
LOST LAKE: Lake is frozen. Snow will limit access.
OCHOCO CREEK UPSTREAM TO OCHOCO DAM: Angling is restricted to artificial flies and lures; two trout per day with an 8-inch minimum length. Trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead and must be released unharmed.
OCHOCO RESERVOIR: Trout fishing has been slow to fair. The bass and crappie will become more active as the water warms.
PRINEVILLE RESERVOIR: Fishing has been slow to fair for trout up to 18 inches long.
TAYLOR LAKE: Taylor has been stocked and there should be good fishing for rainbows.