Trout season has arrived! What to know about the “West Side” opener
The end of May brings the trout "opener" season in Oregon, and you know what that means! Or, perhaps you don't. If you're in the second camp — or just need a refresher — you've come to the right place.
Oregon's general trout season opens every year on May 22 and runs through October 31. While this doesn't impact the year-round waterbodies we've been fishing since last fall, it does open up the overwhelming majority of trout streams within 45-90 minutes of Portland.
While May 22 is often referred to as the “West Side” opener, that's a bit of a misnomer. Most of our seasonal trout waters are west of the Cascades, but not all — including one of my personal favorites, the Upper Deschutes. This is a beautiful, pristine stream that flows through open meadows and grassy expanses. It's not always easy access or wading, but it's about as idyllic as Oregon fly fishing gets, in my humble opinion.
And though most of our local lakes are open to fishing year-round, some are closed seasonally to protect steelhead and salmon as they migrate through reservoirs on their way upstream. North Fork Reservoir and Estacada Lake, both part of the Clackamas River system, are close by, heavily stocked, and contain wild fish, too.
What's Included in the Opener
Included in today's west side opener are creeks in the Columbia Gorge, like Tanner, Eagle, Multnomah, and Bridal Veil. In fact, just about every small creek that tumbles off the steep walls of the Gorge holds wild rainbow and cutthroat trout — some below the falls, and all of them above. Getting up to these sections requires a bit of research and planning, and a steep climb. In these small, crystalline waters, light tippet is your best friend. Smaller, more delicate fly patterns tend to work best. A box of your favorite small dries is all you'll need, although dropping a size 20 midge or baetis nymph about six inches off the bend of your hook is also effective.
Willamette Valley
In the Willamette Valley, larger streams like the Lower Clackamas and Lower North Santiam offer nearby options to chase wild rainbows and cutts, too. The Lower North Santiam can be difficult to access in some areas due to fires that ripped through the canyon back in 2020, but those burn areas are producing some very large wild fish. Tread carefully and bring a buddy, but don't sleep on this rowdy gem of a river. Focus on the water below Big Cliff Dam — above, the wild trout are small and scarce, and stockers rule the roost. A four-weight will make the small fish more fun, but a five-weight is better suited to making longer casts and fighting trophy trout on this big, fast water.
Lower Clackamas
The Lower Clackamas is likely to get a bit low and warm this summer, so if you want to get out on our backyard river and fish for trout, you'll probably want to do it within the next 4-6 weeks. Don't forget, we offer after work half day guided specials on weekday evenings. And there's a silver lining to this dry spring we've had. The Upper Clackamas, which is usually too high and cold to fish well on opening day, should be in perfect shape right off the bat! Some of its smaller tributaries, like the "other" Eagle Creek, will probably be too low and warm to fish well this season — at least until fall rains return.
Upper Clackamas & Mount Hood Streams
Along with the Upper Clack, a number of small streams on Mount Hood opened up today — Still Creek, the Zig Zag and Salmon Rivers, the Oak Grove Fork and many more. Soon, fish will be feeding on dry flies all day long — particularly terrestrial patterns like foam ants and attractors like a small Stimulator. For now, mayflies and caddis will bring more fish to the surface. Early in the morning or at midday, when the sun is directly overhead, you may need to use a dry dropper to catch your fill. These streams are two and three-weight water, although a four will do the trick.
Coast Range
In the Coast Range, streams like the Wilson, Trask, Kilchis, Nehalem, and Nestucca are all now open and fishable for trout. Flows are excellent, and while you probably won't have a ton of luck fishing searun cutthroat flies, you may still run into these big, migratory fish as they head toward brackish estuary environs for the summer season. May can be a sneakily underrated time to explore our coastal systems for resident trout. My rod of choice this time of year is a nice sturdy four-weight, one that can throw a light indicator rig or delicately present a small dry.
After a winter living and feeding in freshwater, even the biggest cutthroat have adapted to a more traditional trout diet and will be most effectively fooled with nymphs. An indicator or euro rig will work well. Midday, keep an eye out for surprisingly strong mayfly hatches. And don't forget, even our coastal streams get the odd stonefly or two, so a medium-sized purple or orange chubby is another staple you'll want in your box.
Keep in mind that many of our coastal streams have special regulations in place to protect anadromous fish, some of which apply year-round — so be sure you're fishing open sections of water. The Upper Nestucca, for example, is closed to all fishing above Elk Bend, as is the Wilson above its confluence with the Devil's Fork. The same goes for most small tributaries of the Lower Deschutes in Central Oregon, like Bakeoven Creek. Opening day is exciting for everyone, but you still need to know your regulations!
Wherever you decide to celebrate opening day this year, be sure to drop us a line and let us know how you did. What worked? What didn't? How big was that fish you lost right at your feet? Come on in and give us a report.