Oregon & Washington May Trout Stocking Schedules

May Stocking Report

It's time for our May stocking report! Last month, we debuted a new recurring series to provide monthly updates on what to expect and where to fly-fish for stocked trout within three hours of Portland.

With warm spring weather already here and opening day of general trout season less than two weeks away, there's certainly no shortage of opportunities to chase wild trout all across Oregon right now. That said, quite a few waterbodies that contain wild fish are also supplemented by ODFW and WDFW to provide additional opportunities for fun and sustenance.

Most of the lakes and rivers stocked this time of year are at higher altitudes, in wooded, mountainous areas that are absolutely beautiful to explore with a fly rod in hand. We've also opened up the geography slightly to include destinations just a bit further out, like the Fall River in Central Oregon. This time of year, with 16 hours of daylight to enjoy, a slightly longer trek can be well worth the time spent.

Tactics and Gear

As the weather warms and fish become more and more active, expect even the stocked fish to start behaving like wild residents. They'll prefer flies and patterns that mimic the natural forage available in their new habitats. Leeches, crawdads, and chironomids will be critical subsurface patterns on our local lakes, and you'll want a variety of dry flies in your box, including midge patterns, Chubby Chernobyls in orange, yellow, and purple across a variety of sizes. Smaller foam ant patterns will become increasingly critical as days in the 80s become more frequent and afternoon winds blow.

River Stocking

For anglers looking to pursue stocked fish in a river environment, the Upper North Santiam and Breitenbush rivers can be a lot of fun to fish and see very low fishing pressure. Both river corridors suffered bad burns back in 2020, so access can be limited. The downside of that is obvious — but the upside might surprise you. These are also the only locations ODFW can access, and many of the stocked fish don't travel far from where they're planted. You might find a pod of 40-50 fish in the 12-14 inch range stacked up in a pool, which is a blast on a light three-weight rod. Plus, both rivers also contain small wild cutthroat that you'll run into every once in a while as well.

As always, be sure to check last month's stocking schedule to see which waterbodies received fish earlier in the spring season. Many of these lakes fish well into summer thanks to holdover trout and low fishing pressure, particularly out on the coast.

Remember, WDFW provides exact stocking dates after the water body is stocked. Simply check the WDFW stocking schedule to confirm. Most low elevation stocking efforts in Southern Washington are conducted during the summer season. ODFW does not provide exact stocking dates, but rather a range of days. We have provided our own dates next to each Oregon waterbody. On or after those dates, these locations will hold stocked trout and should be fishing well.

Oregon Stocking Schedule

* Good bank fishing opportunities for anglers without a float tube or watercraft.
Italicized locations indicate multiple plants throughout the month.

Washington State Stocking Schedule

* Good bank fishing opportunities for anglers without a float tube or watercraft.
Italicized locations indicate multiple plants throughout the month.