Coast Fork Willamette River: Stocked the week of April 15 with 1,566 legal-size rainbow trout. The river is open to fishing all year for trout, hatchery Chinook salmon, hatchery steelhead, and wild steelhead over 24 inches. Bait is allowed through Oct. 31; beginning Nov. 1 anglers can use only lures and artificial flies. In addition to five hatchery trout, two wild trout can be kept daily.
April 22 was a busy week for trout stocking in the Willamette Valley.
Fish went to Blue River Reservoir, Haldeman Pond, Junction City Pond, Trojan Pond, Freeway Lake-East, Leaburg Lake, Blue River, Walling Pond, Foster Reservoir, Salmonberry Lake, EE Wilson Pond, the McKenzie River, Silver Creek Reservoir, Huddleston Pond, and Detroit Reservoir. Timothy Lake, which was scheduled to receive trout, was not stocked due to access blocked by snow. Fish will be released at this location at a later date.
Elsewhere, Leaburg Lake and the McKenzie River were stocked with trout for the first time in 2019 this last week.
Cottage Grove Pond (Row River Nature Park Pond): Stocked the week of April 8 with 1,500 legal-size rainbow trout. Cottage Grove Ponds are open to year-round fishing and via an asphalt pathway behind the truck scales on Row River Road. In addition to fishing, these ponds also offer wildlife viewing opportunities and a fishing dock is available on-site.
Cottage Grove Reservoir: Stocked the week of April 15 with 5,000 trophy-size rainbow trout. Cottage Grove Reservoir is south of Cottage Grove and is open to fishing all year. Lakeside boat ramp is now open.
Alton Baker Canoe Canal: Stocked the week of April 22 with 1,500 legal-size rainbow trout. The canoe canal is located within Alton Baker Park and can be accessed from Club Road in Eugene. A 4-acre pond at the midpoint of the canal is a good spot but it can be fished all along its two-mile length from Day Island Road in Eugene to Aspen Street in Springfield. The canal is open to fishing all year.
Note: In-season regulation changes
Effective through Aug. 15, 2019, two-rod angling is allowed in areas upstream of Willamette Falls as follows:
In all areas of the Willamette River above Willamette Falls, including the tributaries and flowing waters, that are open to angling for hatchery Chinook, hatchery steelhead, trout, or warmwater gamefish, anglers with a valid 2019 Two-Rod Validation may use up to two fishing rods while fishing for any game fish or non-game fish species except sturgeon.
Anglers under 12-years- old can use two rods in these areas without purchasing the Two-Rod Angling Validation.
Angling for sturgeon remains restricted to the use of one rod per angler.
— Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department
