When it comes to trout fishing, my old friend and colleague, Don Hill, a former local riverboat builder, always had something to say. Don was a robust individual with a big smile, an infectious laugh, and a sharp wit. He was among the best riverboat operators and all-around fishermen I have ever known. He was never short of hyperbole, especially when discussing drift boats, river guides, and fishing. His repertoire of fishing one-liners was as deep as the Blue Pool on the McKenzie River, but most of them wouldn’t be appropriate for the family-friendly pages of this paper.
One of Don’s quotes that I can share – always delivered with a healthy dose of sarcasm – was, “If it’s wet, the ODFW is going to stock it with trout.” While that might be an exaggeration – since not every water body can support hatchery trout – it is somewhat true that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has always ensured that anglers have plenty of opportunities to catch fish raised in one of Oregon’s state-managed fish hatcheries.
Approximately 2.6 million trout were planted recently in hundreds of Oregon water bodies. When you read this installment of the Angler’s Log, those trout should be well acclimated to their new homes in the wild and ready to bite. In the coming weeks, about another five million trout will be planted on top of what is already out there, making rainbow trout the most abundant fish species in Oregon’s waterways.
However, no other river in the state receives as many hatchery trout as the McKenzie River. Starting last week, the McKenzie will receive about 80,000 fin-clipped hatchery trout in 2025. An additional 20,000 trout will be stocked directly into Leaburg Lake, which is primarily managed as a year-round catch-and-release wild trout fishery. From May 1 to Oct. 31, anglers can keep up to five fin-clipped hatchery trout per day along the section of the river from Hendricks Wayside Park upstream to Forest Glenn Landing in Blue River. In addition to the year-round regulations allowing flies and spinning lures, anglers can also use organic bait, including processed salmon eggs, worms, crickets, and PowerBaits, but only in areas where hatchery trout are stocked.
The McKenzie is a large river that takes on a “pool and drop” configuration upstream from Leaburg Lake, with good bank access. The fish-rich pools are separated by class one and two rapids, with a couple of class three rapids. While these areas can be highly productive, their size can seem overwhelming to many anglers. Additionally, the banks drop off sharply in many places, and the current is swift, making safety a concern. Therefore, I always recommend that everyone fishing in the upper river wear a life jacket.
Below Leaburg Dam, the river becomes more forgiving but is not as easily accessible due to the amount of private property. The hardscape of the upper river’s rapids softens significantly, and the pools are separated by shallow gravel shoals, making it best fished from a boat. Leaburg Lake itself is a classic still-water fishery and a relatively safer place to fish with children.
The best advice I can offer to any angler planning to fish a large river is to avoid walking up to the bank and casting as far as possible. Instead, break down the river into smaller sections, making several casts before moving to the next section.
For a deeper look at how to catch trout in Oregon, the ODFW has produced a video that covers all the basics of rigging your rod for fishing with bait or spinners and offers other essential skills. myodfw.com/articles/how-fish-trout.
Email Frank: [email protected]
