The final Free Fishing Days of the year are the weekend of Nov. 29-30. On these days, folks do not need a fishing license or harvest tags to retain salmon, steelhead, or shellfish. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce family and friends to the sport.
If, by chance, you have a basic fishing license, you can add to your knowledge bank by taking advantage of the tag-free fishing options that your basic license doesn’t allow.
Let’s talk about where you can fish for free with a reasonable chance of bagging a limit.
Regulations still matter. “Free fishing” is not a “free for all” – you still need to observe all the other regulations related to the water body you select.
For instance, in sections of the McKenzie River where hatchery trout are liberally spread and where bait fishing was allowed from May through October, the limit is still five hatchery trout per day. You are now restricted to only using flies and lures throughout the river.
Also, remember that a year-round bait restriction extends down the McKenzie from Hendricks Wayside, past the confluence of the Willamette River all the way to Harrisburg.
The catch-and-release trout fishing on the Lower McKenzie and Willamette rivers can be excellent in the fall and winter. But if you are looking for keepers in the McKenzie, target the river upstream from Hendricks Wayside up to Blue River.
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In addition to trout opportunities on the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, several urban fisheries will soon receive fresh hatchery trout.
Beginning two weeks before free fishing days, Alton Baker Canal will get a couple of 750 rainbow trout deliveries – though none for Thanksgiving week, when the Oregon Ducks are scheduled to play the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium.
But crowds should not be a problem on those days at the recently remodeled Junction City Pond or the Row River Nature Park in Cottage Grove. Both water bodies are scheduled to be planted specifically for the free fishing days with plenty of fresh and feisty rainbows.
Hatchery winter steelhead usually shows up on the Siuslaw River right around Thanksgiving. The river is already open for steelhead in the section upstream from the confluence of Lake Creek, although Lake Creek itself does not open until Dec. 1. I have no recent reports of any steelhead being caught yet. The “gray ghost” will suddenly appear in the river without advance fanfare.
Don’t overlook the opportunity to spend the two days collecting shellfish or crabbing along the coast. You need a tide chart available in your cell phone app store. Waterproof footwear is recommended; plan to layer up and top off with a waterproof shell.
Visit myodfw.com/shellfish for a wealth of information with lots of specific “how to” information.
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We had a wonderful fall salmon fishing season on the coast, but the recent rainfall drew both coho and chinook to upriver spawning beds and out of the reach of anglers for the year. The opportunity to see salmon on their spawning grounds hasn’t been this good in years.
One of the better salmon-viewing opportunities is along the upper Siuslaw or in one of its many tributaries, like Lake Creek, Wildcat Creek, Clay Creek, and Whittaker Creeks. Spawning habitats are all permanently closed to salmon fishing but open for viewing. This protects these magnificent fish at a time when they become the most vulnerable to disruptions that could limit their spawning potential.
Layer up and bring rain gear; wet river rocks can be treacherous, so I always recommend some sort of walking staff.
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