ODFW Recreation Report. Sept. 19, 2017

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1 ODFW Recreation Report Sept. 19, 2017 Cooler temperatures boost fishing prospects Rainfall and cooler temperatures are improving fishing prospects all over the state as cooler temperatures and improved flows give fish a reason to become more active. Trout stocking has resumed at several locations, fall salmon fishing is peaking on the Columbia and coastal streams. Still, in the aftermath of recent forest fires it may still be worthwhile checking out Oregon Smoke Forecast before venturing out in the wilds on a fishing or hunting expedition. Archery season closes Sept. 24 Just a few more days left to bow hunt deer and elk. If you didn t fill your deer tag, remember there is a late season in parts of Western Oregon in November-December. Know before you go Check for fire closures, restrictions While fire season is still in effect, most forests will have restrictions on activities and motorized use and some private lands will be closed to public access. Oregon Department of Forestry s Public Fire Restrictions Map is a great place to start to find out current restrictions. ODF and the Oregon Forest Industries Council keep a Corporate Closure List about access restrictions on industrial timberland, including phone numbers of landowners to check the latest status. If you plan to hunt on public land, check with the land manager (US Forest Service or BLM, ODF) for public lands information. Remember it s your responsibility to know before you go and follow any restrictions Youth waterfowl hunt this weekend Youth age 17 years and younger with hunter education certification can hunt waterfowl this weekend, see regs for details and note that not all public lands are open. Band-tailed pigeon closes Sept. 23 High numbers of these native pigeons have been seen in forested areas of the coast range, especially where cascara trees are abundant. Fee pheasant hunts at western Oregon wildlife areas This great western Oregon hunting opportunity is available at following wildlife areas: Fern Ridge Sept. 11-Oct. 8, Denman Sept. 18-Oct. 1, Sauvie Island Sept. 11-Oct. 8 and EE Wilson Oct See page 16 of the Game Bird Regs for details. Free pheasant hunts for youth hunters Sign up now Just a few of these events left, which are only open to youth who have passed hunter education. An adult 21 years of age or older must accompany the youth to supervise but may not hunt. More info.

2 FISHING Weekend fishing opportunities: Chinook fishing is open in coastal streams and fishing has been fair in streams to good in tidewaters. Cape Mears, Town, Coffenbury, Lost, and Sunset lakes are being stocked with trophy rainbow trout this week. Send us your fishing report We d love to hear about your recent fishing experiences. Send us your own fishing report through ODFW Fishing Reports the information will be forwarded to the local biologist who may use it to update various ODFW resources such as the Weekly Recreation Report. NORTH COAST LAKES Most North Coast lakes have been stocked with trout throughout the spring. Cape Mears, Town, Coffenbury, Lost, and Sunset lakes are being stocked with trophy rainbow trout this week. Recent rains and cooler nights are bringing down water temps, and fish should be hungry and willing to bite. Lakes like Coffenbury, Cullaby, Lytle, Cape Meares, Town, and Vernonia offer opportunity for warmwater species, particularly largemouth bass. Warmwater fishing should be good through the fall, but will start to drop off as the weather cools. MID COAST LAKES Olalla Reservoir has been stocked with about 100 surplus summer steelhead from the Siletz Falls trap, this season. These fish get fairly active in the lake and offer a unique fishing experience. Once in the lake they are considered trout and do not require a Combined Angling Tag. Anglers are reminded, however, that only one trout per day over 20 inches may be retained, and these fish will almost all be in that size range. Mid Coast lakes been stocked with trout throughout the spring. Trout stocking is over until the fall but there still should be fish around to catch. Water temps are great and fish should be hungry, so go catch them! ALSEA RIVER: Chinook, trout Fall Chinook opened Aug. 1 and with the rain early this week fishing is starting to pick up in tidewater. Trout season opened May 22, and there should be some nice cutthroat around. Remember the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8-inches.

3 Anglers are reminded the two-rod validation is only valid while angling in standing water bodies excluding coastal lakes with wild coho seasons. Two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. KILCHIS RIVER: trout The Kilchis opened for fall Chinook on Aug. 1 and for catch and release chum salmon fishing on Sept. 16. It s still a little early for both of these runs on the Kilchis, but with the recent rains there should be a few fish sneaking in. Bobber fishing bait, back-bouncing, backtrolling plugs or divers and bait, or casting spinners can all be effective methods. In addition Chum will hit jigs and flies if presented well. Trout season opened May 22, and there should be some nice cutthroat around. Sea-run cutthroat should be entering the lower river now, too. Remember, the limit is two per day over 8-inches, and no bait is allowed through Aug. 31. NEHALEM: trout, Chinook There are fall Chinook being caught on Nehalem bay but the action has been sporadic thus far. The Nehalem River is open for Chinook, we haven t heard many reports yet, but with the rain there should be a few fish sneaking into the river. In addition, hatchery coho should be showing up soon. Anglers are reminded that there is NO wild coho retention in the rivers and bays this year, and that two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. Notice: In water construction activities on the Miami Foley Road bridge at Foss, will be restricting boat access on the Nehalem River. Boaters going downstream from Roy Creek should use caution. Trout season opened May 22, and there should be some nice cutthroat around. Remember the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8-inches. NESTUCCA RIVER AND THREE RIVERS: steelhead, trout Fall Chinook season is open on Tillamook River and Bay. Fishing on the bay has been moderate with a few fish being caught at the mouth, and up in the estuary. Trolling herring or spinners, bobber fishing bait, or casting spinners are all good techniques. The river just opened above Cloverdale Bridge on the 16 th, and we haven t had many reports yet, but with recent rains there should be a few fish sneaking into the lower River. Bobber fishing bait, Back-bouncing, back-trolling plugs or divers and bait, or casting spinners can all be effective methods. Anglers are reminded that the Nestucca is closed to all salmon angling above First Bridge (near Beaver) Aug. 1 to Dec. 31, and that there is NO wild coho retention in the rivers and bays this year. Also, two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. Summer steelhead fishing has been moderate to slow, but there are fish throughout the system. September can be a great time to target these fish as cooler nights and recent rains lower water temps, and fish that have been holding get more active. Fish are throughout the system. Target riffles and the top of pools during first and last light, and concentrate on deeper holding pools once the sun is on the water. Fishing stealthy, with light gear, and targeting first and last light is often the key to success with these fish.

4 Trout season is open, and recent surveys by ODFW found good numbers of cutthroat in the basin, and sea run cutthroat are entering the lower River now, too. Remember the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8-inches. Three Rivers is closed to all angling downstream of the hatchery through Sept. 30. SALMON RIVER: Chinook, trout Fall Chinook opened Aug. 1 and with the rain early this week fishing is starting to pick up in the estuary and upriver to the hatchery. Trout season opened May 22, and there should be some nice cutthroat around. Remember the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8-inches. Anglers are reminded the two-rod validation is only valid while angling in standing water bodies excluding coastal lakes with wild coho seasons. Two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. SILETZ RIVER: steelhead, Chinook, trout The Siletz River opened for fall Chinook on Aug. 1 and with the rain early this week fishing is starting to pick up in tidewater. Anglers are reminded the two-rod validation is only valid while angling in standing water bodies excluding coastal lakes with wild coho seasons. Two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. Trout season opened May 22, and there should be some nice cutthroat around. Remember the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8-inches. SIUSLAW RIVER: Chinook, trout Fall Chinook opened Aug. 1 and with the rain early this week fishing is starting to pick up in tidewater. Trout season opened May 22, and there should be some nice cutthroat around. Remember the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8-inches. Anglers are reminded the two-rod validation is only valid while angling in standing water bodies excluding coastal lakes with wild coho seasons. Two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. TILLAMOOK BAY: Chinook Fall Chinook fishing has picked up a bit, and is moderate on Tillamook Bay. There are fish being caught from the jetties through the upper bay, although action has been spotty. Trolling herring in the lower bay and spinners in the upper bay are the go to techniques. Anglers are reminded that there is NO wild coho retention in the rivers and bays this year, and that two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. TRASK RIVER: salmon, steelhead, trout Fall Chinook fishing opened on the Trask River Sept. 16. We haven t had many reports yet, but with the recent rains, there are probably a few fish sneaking in; both Chinook and

5 hatchery coho. Bobber fishing bait, back-bouncing, back-trolling plugs or divers and bait, or casting spinners can all be effective methods. Anglers are reminded that the dam hole (MP 7 on Trask River Rd up to Blue Ridge Creek) is closed to angling Sept. 1 - Nov. 30, and that 200 feet upstream and 900 feet downstream of Gold Creek at Trask Hatchery (which includes the Hatchery Hole) is closed to angling July 16 Oct. 15. WILSON RIVER: Chinook, steelhead, trout Fall Chinook fishing opened on the Wilson River Sept. 16. With the recent rains, there are probably a few fish sneaking in. Bobber fishing bait, back-bouncing, back-trolling plugs or divers and bait, or casting spinners can all be effective methods. Anglers are reminded the Wilson River is closed to salmon angling Aug. 1 to Dec. 31, upstream of Jordan Creek (River Mile 21.9). Summer steelhead fishing on the Wilson has been moderate to slow, but there are good numbers of fish throughout the system. Late August and September can be a great time to target these fish as cooler nights lower water temps, and fish that have been holding get more active. Target riffles and the top of pools during first and last light, and concentrate on deeper holding pools once the sun is on the water. Fishing stealthy, with light gear, and targeting first and last light is often the key to success with these fish. Trout season opened May 22, and there are some cutthroat around, but fishing for them in the Wilson s clear summer flows can be tough. Remember, the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8 inches. YAQUINA RIVER: Chinook, trout Chinook is open and with the rain early this week fishing is starting to pick up in tidewater. Trout season opened May 22, and there should be some nice cutthroat around. Remember, the limit on streams and rivers is two per day over 8-inches. Anglers are reminded the two-rod validation is only valid while angling in standing water bodies excluding coastal lakes with wild coho seasons. Two rods are prohibited on all coastal rivers, tidewater, estuaries and bays. NORTH COAST HUNTING OPEN: COUGAR, BLACK BEAR, ARCHERY DEER AND ELK (closes Sept. 24), FOREST GROUSE & QUAIL, BAND-TAILED PIGEON (Sept ) Hunting forecasts now available Biologists from around the state weigh in on what to expect this fall. See the Big Game and Bird Hunting forecasts online. Hunting and fire danger in Oregon ODFW does not close hunting seasons due to fire danger. However, hunters may face restrictions due to fires burning on public land and reduced access to private lands during fire season. More info including list of private land closures

6 Recent rains have greatly reduced fire danger in northwestern Oregon, and industrial fire precaution levels have dropped correspondingly. Consequently, more industrial forest lands have opened up for hunter access. Please check with the landowner s access policies for the latest news on hunter access. Cougar are most effectively taken by using predator calls. However, cougar densities are relatively low on the north coast. Successful hunters, remember you must check in cougar (hide and skull) at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest and bring them in unfrozen. It s also a good idea to prop their mouths open with a stick after harvest for easier tissue sampling, teeth collection and tagging. Fall Black Bear season goes through Dec. 31 on the north coast. Most wild berry crops are starting to diminish or rot with recent rainfall, so apple and other fruit trees in old abandoned homesteads would be worth checking out. Another strategy is to scout seldomtravelled or grown-in roads for fresh sign to key in on areas bears are frequenting. Successful hunters, remember you must check in bear (skull at a minimum) at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest and bring them in unfrozen. It s also a good idea to prop their mouths open with a stick after harvest for easier tissue sampling, teeth collection and tagging. Archery Deer and Elk seasons close Sept. 24. Recent rains have reduced fire danger on private industrial lands and resulted in easing up on hunter access restrictions in place in recent weeks. The breeding period, or rut, should be in full swing and will go on through the end of the season later this month. Forest grouse and mountain quail season is ongoing through January 31, Decent numbers of birds have been seen during the late summer period, so prospects should be good. Look for ruffed grouse on cool mid-slope and creek bottom areas. Blue or sooty grouse are generally found higher in elevation on ridge tops. Mountain quail are most frequently spotted near older, brushy clearcuts, especially on west of south-facing slopes. Band-tailed pigeon season ends Sept. 23. High numbers of these native pigeons have been seen in forested areas of the coast range, especially where cascara trees are abundant. NORTH COAST WILDLIFE VIEWING Early southward migrants have been reported for a number of shorebird species on north coast estuaries and beaches. The very first of breeding shorebirds and waterfowl have been spotted recently migrating south. Green-winged teal, wandering tattlers and dunlins among others have been spotted locally. TILLAMOOK COUNTY Bayocean Spit on Tillamook Bay is a popular stopover for migrating shorebirds. Migrating waterfowl will be found out on the bay near the spit. A gravel path is closed to motorized access, but is a good hike to catch glimpses of birds along the bay. The first green winged teal were spotted here last week.

7 CLATSOP COUNTY The Astoria Mitigation Bank Wetlands are along the west bank of the Lewis and Clark River on the north side of Alternate HWY 101. The freshwater and tidal wetlands attract many species of migrating ducks and shorebirds. Virginia rail, sora and American bittern are resident species. Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area Elk viewing has been good at Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area. Best viewing has been in the evenings until dark on warm sunny days. Elk tend to be in the open areas a little longer in the mornings and evenings on cool cloudy days. Most of the meadows have been mowed so elk should be easier to spot. Good places to look are the Fishhawk Tract along Hwy. 202 and the Beneke Tract along the first 1.5 miles of Beneke Creek Road.

8 FISHING Weekend fishing opportunities: Anglers are reporting that smallmouth and perch fishing has been good using hardbaits at Ford s Pond. Recreational crabbing is open along the entire Oregon coast and has been good both in the ocean and in the bays. Summer steelhead are providing some fair to good action on the middle and upper Rogue. Fishing for Spring Chinook is now closed upstream of Dodge Bridge. Anglers are catching tuna and salmon off the south Oregon coast. The Rogue River above Lost Creek Reservoir offers trout fishing opportunity for anglers who want to escape the heat of the valley, enjoy beautiful scenery and catch some fish. Fishing for trout in Diamond Lake continues to be good. Fall trout fishing at Diamond can be great. Largemouth bass fishing in the Tenmile Basin has been good and should continue. Send us your fishing report We d love to hear about your recent fishing experience. Send us your own fishing report through ODFW Fishing Reports - the information will be forwarded to the local biologist who may use it to update various ODFW resources such as the Weekly Recreation Report AGATE LAKE: largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, bullheads The lake is 40 percent full and the boat ramp is open from dawn until dusk. Fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, and other warmwater fish should be good. With the warm, sunny weather, fishing will be best early and late in the day. APPLEGATE RESERVOIR: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout Applegate Reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout. Early or late in the day will be best for all fishing at the reservoir. Surface temperatures have cooled to 65 degrees F with the recent weather. Fishing for smallmouth bass should still be good. Anglers trout fishing will still want to fish deep or near the inlet. The reservoir is at 35 percent capacity and all boat ramps are currently open. For the most current Applegate Reservoir information, call

9 APPLEGATE RIVER: winter steelhead, trout The Applegate River is open for trout fishing. Two hatchery trout may be harvested per day. Wild trout must be released unharmed. For the most current information on releases of water out of Applegate Reservoir, call ARIZONA POND: rainbow trout The pond level is being lowered to help control aquatic vegetation. BEN IRVING RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bass, bluegill, yellow perch, crappie Ben Irving has been stocked several times with legal-size trout and was recently stocked with Labor Day Lunkers. There are still opportunities to catch carryover fish, but trout fishing should pick up with cooler temperatures predicted in the short-term forecast. Warmwater fishing should be good. CHETCO RIVER: cutthroat trout, Chinook Anglers will want to check current conditions of the Chetco Bar fire prior to fishing the Chetco River. Road closures are in effect for the majority of the watershed. Anglers may want to start trolling the bay as Chinook salmon start to nose into the estuary in September and early October. COOPER CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bass, bluegill Cooper Creek has been stocked with several hundred trophy-size trout and has received several deliveries of legal-size trout. The reservoir was stocked recently with Labor Day Lunkers. Trout fishing has been good. Fishing for bass and bluegill should continue be productive into the fall. COOS COUNTY LAKES/PONDS: warmwater fish, trout Largemouth bass fishing has been good in many of the area smaller lakes. Bluegills can be found in area lakes right along the weed lines. Rainbow trout are scheduled to be stocked in Powers Pond, Bradley Lake, Butterfield Lake, Empire Lakes, and Saunders Lake during the month of October. COOS RIVER BASIN: Dungeness crab, bay clams, rockfish, salmon Streams and rivers are open to trout fishing until Oct. 31. Anglers are allowed to use bait in streams above tidewater starting Sept. 1. Anglers may harvest two trout per day that are a minimum of 8 inches long. Anglers were catching Chinook salmon from the BLM boat ramp in the lower estuary up through the Coos River and South Fork Coos River. The bite was best a couple hours before the slack tides. A few wild coho have been caught lately. There is not a wild coho season inside Coos Bay this year so all wild coho must be released but anglers may keep an adipose fin-clipped hatchery coho. Salmon anglers are having the best luck trolling cut plug herring behind a flasher. As of Monday, Sept. 18, fishing for lingcod, rockfish, cabezon, greenling or other bottomfish are closed because the quotas for several species have been reached. This includes the ocean along with bays and estuaries.

10 Crabbing continues to be good for those crabbing from a boat and from the docks in Charleston. Crabbing has been best near Charleston but legal crab can be caught all the way up the bay to the BLM boat ramp off of the North Spit. There was a mixture of hard and soft shelled legal Dungeness crab. Recreational harvest of bay clams remains open along the entire Oregon coast. Clamming is excellent during low tides near Charleston, off Cape Arago Highway, and Clam Island. There are also good places to dig clams even on positive low tides in Coos Bay. The recreational harvest of razor clams is CLOSED from Cascade Head to the California Border for elevated levels of domoic acid. This includes all beaches and all bays. Recreational harvesting of mussels is open along the entire Oregon coast. Before any shellfish harvest trip, make sure to check the Oregon Department of Agriculture website for any updates. COQUILLE RIVER BASIN: crab, trout, smallmouth bass, salmon Streams and rivers are now open to trout fishing until Oct. 31. Anglers are allowed to use bait in streams above tidewater starting Sept. 1. Anglers may harvest 2 trout per day that are a minimum of 8 inches long. Chinook salmon are being caught throughout the Coquille River. Most anglers are fishing the lower river from Riverton to the jetties. Salmon anglers are having the best luck trolling cut plug herring behind a flasher. There is no wild coho season in the Coquille River this year so all wild coho must be released but anglers may keep an adipose fin-clipped hatchery coho. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good throughout the Coquille and South Fork Coquille rivers. Anglers are having success catching smallmouth bass on small spinners, crankbaits, jigs, and worms. Recreational crabbing has been good in the lower Coquille estuary. DIAMOND LAKE: trout Trout fishing is still producing good catches. The smoke should be subsiding with rain/ snow in the forecast. A significant portion of fish caught have been larger than 12-inches. Trolling lures and bottom fishing with PowerBait across all depths continue to be productive angling methods. Fly-anglers are having good luck on the south end of the lake as well. Diamond Lake has been stocked with tiger trout. These fish are intended to assist in controlling illegally introduced tui chub. Tiger trout are catch-and-release only and need to be released immediately and unharmed if caught. As part of the 2016 regulation simplification process, Diamond Lake is now back to the Southwest Zone regulation of 5 rainbow trout per day. Anglers that are planning on taking a trip to Diamond Lake should check with the Umpqua National Forest ( ) for information on seasonal camp and ramp closures. Anglers can check fishing and water conditions at Diamond Lake on the Diamond Lake Resort website, or call their toll free number at , ext. 5 for updates. Diamond Lake is open year-round.

11 ELK RIVER: cutthroat trout Early morning or late evening is usually the best time to fish. EMIGRANT RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie Fishing for bass, crappie, and other warmwater species should be good. Jetski and pleasure boat pressure should be cooling off, along with the weather, so fishing should be getting better for the fall. Surface temps should drop early this week but warmwater species are still the target out here. As temperatures decrease the warmwater species should begin to be more accessible close to shore. The lake is currently 34 percent full. FISH LAKE: rainbow trout, brook trout, spring Chinook Fish Lake is stocked with rainbow trout, tiger trout and Chinook salmon and fishing has been good. Brook trout are also available. Still fishing on the bottom with Powerbait continues to be one of the best options for shore based anglers, especially if water clarity is poor. A portion of the rainbow trout have external parasites called copepods that can be scraped off the fish prior to cooking. Fish parasites do not pose a threat to people when cooked properly. With the lake cooling down with the recent weather trolling should begin to be better. Still target fish near the springs on the east of the lake and about mid water column. The reservoir is holding fairly steady at 52 percent full. The USFS boat ramp is usable and water clarity this past weekend was 4-5 feet. FLORAS LAKE: rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bass The lake is best fished by boat. Anglers can launch at an improved boat ramp at Boice Cope County Park. Boat anglers are reminded to clean all aquatic vegetation off their boats and trailers before heading home to help control the spread non-native plants and animals. FORD S POND: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie Ford s Pond (just west of Sutherlin) was purchased by the city of Sutherlin in The pond is open to the public and has a lot of bank access. Ford s is restricted to non-motorized boats and does not have a good access point for larger boats. The pond is shallow and therefore only supports populations of warmwater fish. Anglers are reporting that smallmouth and perch fishing has been good using hardbaits. GALESVILLE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bass, coho smolts Galesville has been stocked several times in 2017 with legal-size trout and with over 50 trophy-size trout. In addition to trout, the reservoir has been stocked with coho smolts and there have been reports of them being caught in good numbers. Many people mistakenly think these fish are kokanee. The coho smolts should be adipose fin-clipped, and please remember to release the ones less than 8-inches long. In Galesville Reservoir, all landlocked salmon are considered trout and are part of the fiveper-day trout limit, with only one trout over 20-inches long allowed for harvest. Fishing for bass and other panfish should be good. Call for information on camping and boat launching conditions.

12 GARRISON LAKE: rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bass Anglers will want to watch the weather and fish when the lake is not too windy. ODFW is implementing a tag reward trout study for Anglers will be asked to report tagged trout that are caught. Some of the tags will be worth money. Anglers can report the tag number to the ODFW Gold Beach office (541) or on ODFW s website. Tags can be cut off or pulled out of fish being released. The study is an effort by ODFW to see what size of trout contribute to the fishery the best. Garrison is always an excellent trout fishery, and this study will only help improve it. HEMLOCK LAKE & LAKE IN THE WOODS: trout Anglers fishing the high lakes in the Umpqua District are encouraged to fishing reports. Contact the Forest Service at for road conditions and fire information. Anglers at Hemlock have been consistently catching trout and was stocked recently with Labor Day Lunkers. Lake in the Woods has been stocked several times in 2017 and was recently stocked with about 100 Lunkers. There are opportunities to catch holdover rainbow trout that were stocked in previous years. Remember only trout over 8- inches may be harvested, and only one trout over 20-inches may be kept per day. HOWARD PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout Still fishing with bait is the best bet for trout anglers at Howard Prairie right now, and Powerbait continues to be the bait of choice. Trolling worms continues to produce some fish but is generally slow to fair. Many of the trout show evidence of copepods or copepod scars. This is a natural parasite that lives on the outside of the fish and can simply be scraped off prior to cooking. Howard Prairie water levels remain high with the lake still at 79 percent capacity. The temperature at Howard Prairie Lake and Dam outflow which is near the bottom of the reservoir was averaging 61 o F this past week. Surface temperatures should be dropping to the mid-60s. Water clarity at the marina boat ramp was very good this past weekend at about 20 feet. HYATT LAKE: rainbow trout and largemouth bass The reservoir remains at 40 percent full, and should be cooling down to the mid to low 60 s. The Bureau of Land Management has closed the main campground at Hyatt Lake along with the two associated boat ramps, although Wildcat boat ramp remains open. Angler access is primarily from the bank along Hyatt Prairie Road. Fishing for largemouth bass is still a good option. As temperatures decrease the warmwater species should begin to be more accessible close to shore. The parking area near the dam has been closed by the Bureau of Reclamation this season as the agency begins repairs on the dam.

13 ILLINOIS RIVER: trout, steelhead The Illinois River is now open for trout fishing. Since only hatchery trout may be retained, and hatchery trout are not likely to be to be found in the Illinois River at this time of year, fishing will be primarily catch-and-release for the native cutthroat trout. LAKE MARIE: rainbow trout, yellow perch Lake Marie has been stocked several times this year with legal-size trout. The lake was stocked recently with Labor Day Lunkers. Anglers are reporting good catch rates. Most anglers use PowerBait or worms to catch trout and yellow perch. LAKE SELMAC: trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie Rainbow trout are available and fishing for bass and panfish should be good. Remember that it is easy to cast too far for bass and panfish at Selmac. Many of these fish can be caught (and even seen) fairly close in. As temperatures decrease the warmwater species should begin to be more accessible close to shore. Still the trout will likely be found in the deeper areas of the lake for a few more weeks. Lake Selmac has a lot of aquatic vegetation this time of the year around the shores. Road construction at the dam requires a detour via Deer Creek road in order to access Lake Selmac Resort on Lake Shore Drive. Eagle Loop Campground is still open, but the Mallard Loop and Trout Shelter boat ramp is currently closed due to fire camp activity. The South Shore boat ramps can still be accessed via Lakeshore Drive. More information LEMOLO RESERVOIR: brown trout, rainbow trout, kokanee The reservoir has been stocked with 6,000 legal size and was recently stocked with Labor Day Lunkers. There are also excellent opportunities to catch large brown trout and kokanee. Kokanee in Lemolo are considered trout and therefore fall under the daily limit for trout of five per day with only one of those measuring over 20-inches. Contact Lemolo Lake Resort at for weather/road conditions and additional information. LOON LAKE: rainbow trout, bass, bluegill Loon Lake has been stocked several times in 2017 with legal-size trout. Fishing for crappie, bluegill and bass should continue to be productive as we move into the cooler fall months. Slower presentations such as jigging can be a good technique. Visit the BLM and Loon Lake Resort websites for information on opening dates and camping. LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bass Lost Creek Reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout and fishing should be very good. Many more large trout are being stocked in Lost Creek than in past years. Good bets in summer include trolling a wedding ring/worm combination behind an oval egg sinker in the main body of the lake. Upstream of the Highway 62 Bridge, Lost Creek is generally good for trout in summer using a variety of techniques, plus anglers avoid the speedboaters. Bank anglers can try the Takelma day use area. Additionally, Chinook stocked into Lost Creek are available in the deeper parts of the lake and can be fished for like kokanee.

14 Fishing for smallmouth bass should be good and the largemouth bass population is improving with recent projects by ODFW, local bass clubs and volunteers. The reservoir surface temperature is 70 o F and the reservoir is 47 percent full. All boat ramps are still open. For the most current Lost Creek Reservoir information, call MEDCO POND: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, bluegill Medco Pond is stocked with rainbow trout, and fishing for bass and panfish should be good. Anglers are reminded that Medco Pond is privately owned. Gas engines are not allowed on the pond, and bank access is restricted to the west shore. PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: bottomfish, surf perch, crab, salmon, halibut Recreational crabbing is open along the entire Oregon coast and has been good both in the ocean and in the bays. As of Monday, Sept. 18, fishing for lingcod, rockfish, cabezon, greenling or other bottomfish are closed because the quotas for several species have been reached. This includes the ocean along with bays and estuaries. The Central Oregon Coast nearshore halibut season (inside 40 fathoms) reopened on Sunday, Sept. 3 and will be open seven days a week. Seven percent of the quota is left for the nearshore halibut season as of Sept. 10. The next All Depth Halibut days for the Central Coast Subarea will be Sept , if there is enough quota remaining. Halibut is open seven days a week for the Southern Oregon Subarea (Humbug Mountain to OR/CA border) with 57 percent of the quota remaining. Recreational Chinook salmon fishing is open from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain. Anglers may have two salmon per day but is closed to retention of coho. The non-selective coho seasons closed on Sept. 8. The recreational harvest of razor clams is OPEN from Tillamook Head (south of Seaside) to Cascade Head (north of Lincoln City). The recreational harvest of razor clams is CLOSED from Cascade Head to the California Border for elevated levels of domoic acid. This includes all beaches and all bays. Clatsop Beaches are CLOSED for the annual razor clam conservation closure. This area includes beaches from the Columbia River south to Tillamook Head. The conservational closure will be lifted on Oct. 1 if domoic acid levels are below the closure limit at that time. The recreational harvesting of mussels is OPEN along the entire Oregon Coast from the Columbia River to the California border. Before any shellfish harvest trip, make sure to check the Oregon Department of Agriculture website for any updates. Surf perch fishing has been good when ocean swells are small. Surf perch anglers will do the best fishing with sand shrimp or Berkley Gulp sand worms. Fishing is typically best on the incoming tide. PLAT I RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, bass Plat I has been stocked several this year with legal-size trout. Trout fishing has been slow but should improve with forecasted cooler temperatures in the coming week. In addition to

15 trout fishing, the lake also has good bass fishing. Anglers may have success catching trout and bass with bait such as PowerBait and nightcrawlers where access is available. Some of the trout may have copepods which are tiny parasites on their bodies and gills. These are not harmful to humans, but the lesions can be removed and the meat should be thoroughly cooked. ROGUE RIVER Rogue River, lower: Chinook, summer steelhead, half pounder steelhead, coho Chinook are spread throughout the lower river and estuary. The Chinook fishery has been one of the best is recent years and should continue into October. Anglers are picking up a few coho trolling the bay. Coho numbers should continue to build through September. Boat and bank anglers are picking up Chinook side-drifting eggs in some of the deeper runs downstream of Agness. Rogue flows are dropping this week and should really improve fishing conditions for summer steelhead and half pounders. The half pounder steelhead run is also doing very well. Anglers are picking up fish all through the lower river. Spinners or flies fished in the tail outs and head of pools is a good method to catch these fish. ODFW has started seining the lower Rogue River at Huntley Park (river mile 8) to monitor escapement of steelhead, Chinook, and coho. The project runs from mid-july to the end of October. Anglers interested in what is being caught can visit ODFW s website and look under Fish Counts for two week updates. The seine counts at Huntley Park. Rogue River, middle: Chinook, steelhead, trout Anglers are reminded that Chinook angling is now closed from Fishers Ferry Boat Ramp, upstream to Cole Rivers Hatchery through Dec. 31. Anglers can still fish for Chinook below Fishers Ferry Boat Ramp, downstream to Hog Creek boat Ramp through Sept. 30, but will remain open below Hog Creek. September is the prime time for Chinook angling in the Grants Pass area from Gold Hill to Graves Creek. Steelhead fishing should also be good with the lower water. In the Grants Pass area, Chinook anglers should find success using back-trolled plugs, back-bounced roe and/or sand shrimp, or bobbers with roe. Plugs wrapped with a sardine fillet or a wobbler in deep holes have had the best luck. The best bet for summer steelhead is drifted night crawlers, small roe or small yarn balls. They can also be still caught on a small k-9 or k-11 plug. Now is the time to start thinking about pulling out the fly rod and swing copper johns or egg imitations. The river is also open for trout fishing. Five hatchery trout may be harvested per day. Wild trout must be released unharmed. Water levels have dropped to close to the lowest levels for the year. For those interested in checking conditions before getting on the river, the City of Grants Pass Water Division s website offers information on river conditions at Grants Pass as well as a link to a river camera.

16 Rogue River, upper: steelhead, trout, Chinook Anglers are reminded that Chinook angling is closed from Fishers Ferry Boat Ramp to Cole Rivers Hatchery through Dec. 31. Summer steelhead angling is still open and is providing an excellent opportunity in the upper river and should only get better as the season progresses. Trout are also available and fishing can be very good for trout in the summer months. Only hatchery rainbow trout and steelhead can be kept, while all cutthroat and wild trout and wild steelhead must be released unharmed. Anglers should be aware of spawning spring Chinook and not walk on their redds (gravel nests) or disturb these fish s activity. As of Sept 12, a total of 1,833 summer steelhead (147 new fish last week) and 4,174 spring Chinook (119 new last week) have returned to Cole Rivers Hatchery. (Track the current return counts of fish to Cole Rivers Hatchery). The river discharge has also decreased to fall lows of 1,147 cfs. For the most current releases of water out of Lost Creek Reservoir, call Rogue River, above Lost Creek Reservoir: trout The weekly stocking of rainbow trout has ended, however, there have been reports of anglers doing very well in the river above the reservoir. Not a lot of angling pressure, especially toward the latter half of summer due to fires, and plenty of stocked trout are a recipe for a great time for those anglers willing to take a little drive!. Smoke should now be down with the recent rains, but there still could be some fire closures in effect. In addition to the stocked trout, the river and its tributaries also support naturally produced rainbow, cutthroat, brook, and brown trout. SMITH RIVER, Umpqua: trout, Chinook Trout fishing closes Sept. 15 in the mainstem and tributaries. Chinook fishing in the lower Smith should be decent as more fish move into the system but reports have indicated pretty slow fishing thus far. There is no Chinook fishing allowed above the confluence with Spencer Creek in the mainstem Smith nor above Johnson Creek in the North Fork Smith. SODA SPRINGS RESERVOIR: closed Soda Springs remains CLOSED. The reservoir is closed to evaluate its use by salmon and steelhead. TENMILE BASIN: trout, bass Streams and rivers are now open to trout fishing until Oct. 31. Anglers are allowed to use bait in streams Sept. 1. In streams, anglers may harvest 2 trout per day that are a minimum of 8 inches long. Trout fishing in Tenmile Lakes, Eel Lake, Saunders Lake are open all year. Largemouth bass fishing has been very good with anglers catching lots of bass on Senkos and other plastics. Bass will be spreading out and found in deeper water during the day. Fishing for bass will be best early mornings and evenings. TOKETEE LAKE: brown trout, rainbow trout Fishing is open in Toketee year-round but make sure to check fire conditions and road closures before heading out. For more information call the U.S. Forest Service at

17 UMPQUA HIGH LAKES AND FOREBAYS: trout Reports from early in the season indicated a good catch rates. Anglers fishing the high lakes in the Umpqua District are encouraged to fishing reports. Contact the Forest Service at for road conditions as lakes may be difficult to access due to fire, and check air quality conditions before heading out as well. Lakes accessible from hiking trails and that were stocked last year: Calamut, Connie, Bullpup, Fuller, Cliff, Buckeye, Maidu, Twin b, Pitt, and Skookum lakes. Red Top Pond, which offers excellent bank fishing opportunities, has been stocked several times and was stocked recently with Labor Day Lunkers. In addition, there should be plenty of holdover legal-size trout from previous stockings in these waterbodies. Anglers fishing the high lakes in the Umpqua District are encouraged to fishing reports. UMPQUA RIVER, MAINSTEM: Chinook, bass Chinook fishing in the estuary is steady, but slow. Bank anglers in Half Moon Bay are consistently catching Chinook and a good number of hatchery coho. There have been reports of folks catching fish throughout the main. From July 1 Dec. 31, anglers can harvest two wild Chinook per day, and in combination with the other salmon/ steelhead recorded on your salmon tag, up to 20 fish total. Fin-clipped hatchery fish can be recorded on a separate hatchery harvest tag that is available. There is no limit on the number of hatchery tags that can be purchased. Daily limits still apply. Trout fishing on the mainstem Umpqua tributaries closed Sept. 15. UMPQUA RIVER, NORTH: steelhead Check with the US Forest Service regarding potential fishing closures on the North Umpqua above Susan Creek. The North Umpqua Spring Chinook season closed July 1. The North Umpqua is closed to Chinook fishing till February. Trout fishing in North Umpqua tributaries from the mouth to the fly area boundary at Deadline Falls is closes Sept. 15. Summer steelhead fishing below deadline falls has been spotty but may pick-up with cooler temperatures. Note that from July 1 through Sept. 30 fishing in the fly water area is restricted to the use of a single, unweighted, barbless artificial fly. UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH: trout, bass The South Umpqua mainstem and tributaries closed to all angling starting Sept. 16 to protect fall Chinook. It re-opens to winter steelhead fishing in December. WILLOW LAKE: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, black crappie, brown bullhead Fishing for bass and other warmwater species should be good and getting better with cooling surface water temperatures. These species should begin to be more accessible near shore. The lake is 65 percent full.

18 WINCHESTER BAY: bottomfish, perch Fishing for bottom fish in the Triangle and South jetty has been successful. WINCHUCK RIVER: cutthroat trout Anglers are picking cutthroat in the estuary. Early morning or evening tends to be the best time. Anglers will want to check current conditions of the Chetco Bar fire prior to fishing the Winchuck River. Road closures are in effect for some of the watershed. SOUTHWEST ZONE HUNTING OPEN: COUGAR, COYOTE, BEAR, ARCHERY DEER AND ELK (closes Sept. 24), FOREST GROUSE, MOURNING DOVE, QUAIL, BAND-TAILED PIGEON (closes Sept. 23) Hunting forecasts now available Biologists from around the state weigh in on what to expect this fall. See the Big Game and Bird Hunting forecasts online. Hunting and fire danger in Oregon ODFW does not close hunting seasons due to fire danger. However, hunters may face restrictions due to fires burning on public land and reduced access to private lands during fire season. More info including list of private land closures Wolves and coyotes can look alike Most wolves in the state today are in northeast Oregon but a few have dispersed further west and south. Wolves are protected by state and/or federal law and it is unlawful to shoot them. Coyote hunters need to take extra care to identify their target as wolves can look like coyotes, especially wolf pups in the mid-summer and fall. Please report any wolf sightings or wolf sign to ODFW using the online reporting system. Use the Oregon Hunting Map to see where to hunt. COOS COUNTY Fire Season Closures on Private Forestland The Coquille Valley Wildlife Area will be closed through at least Oct. 1. Construction and restoration work has begun on the Wildlife Area which is part of a larger effort to restore tidal influence and wetland function to the Coquille Valley. These projects will provide a multitude of benefits for our native fish and wildlife species and infrastructure improvements will facilitate hunter access to previously closed portions of the Area. Current fire concerns may have an impact on the completion date of this project which may affect when public access can be allowed. Any questions or comments, please contact the Charleston Field Office, Boat Basin Drive, Charleston, OR ( ). Hunters need to be aware that ownership of several timber land parcels in Coos County has recently changed. In some cases the new owners have different access policies than their

19 predecessors. Make sure you know what the policy is before accessing private land and don t assume the policy is the same as prior years. Elk Bow season closes Sept. 24. Elk populations are slightly down from previous years but hunters can still expect to find animals distributed across the county. Hunters are best served focusing on clear-cuts and open slopes in the morning and evening hours. Riparian drainages and meadows can also be productive for bugling bulls. Cool rainy conditions are finally here. This should result in elk becoming more active Fire precautions levels have been reduced due to the weather but hunters should check with local land managers to ensure access rules and regulations. Deer - Bow season closes Sept. 24. Deer numbers are in line with long term trends and hunters can expect to find animals across the county. Riparian areas, clear-cuts, and agricultural lands can all be productive. In the mornings and evenings. When deer become more active, they may move on to brushy hill slopes and grassy meadows to feed. Fire precautions levels have been reduced due to the weather but hunters should check with local land managers to ensure access rules and regulations. Bear Fall bear season continues. Bears are numerous in the county and can be found along riparian areas. As the berry crop continues to progress, hunters should focus their efforts on blackberry patches, particularly along abandoned/closed roads, where bears will be concentrated. Focusing on patches that have been trampled and/or where berries are missing should be productive. Hunting these areas from tree stands or ground blinds can be very productive under the present conditions. Most opportunities will come in the early morning or late evening hours. Grouse & Quail hunters can expect average harvest this year. Both grouse and quail occur in low densities along the Coast Range. Ruffed grouse can be found at lower elevations around riparian areas. Sooty grouse can be found at higher elevations, along timbered ridges. Mountain quail most often occur in young reprod and can be hunted any time of day but mornings are when birds are most active and can be found foraging along closed forest roadways. Mourning Doves - Hunters can expect an average year. Eurasian collared dove numbers are on the increase throughout the state and our county. They can be harvested and they are NOT part of the mourning dove bag limit. These birds may provide a good alternative to mourning dove hunting if mourning doves prove hard to find. Band-tailed Pigeons Final reports are not yet available but survey numbers in the county were far below average. Hunter success may be limited if these results were part of a larger trend. Hunters can expect to find pigeons along the banks of coastal waterways and in lower densities along open ridges at higher elevations. Coyote - Numbers are strong throughout Coos County. Using predator calls to lure them in can be an effective method for harvesting coyotes. Try calling in early morning and late afternoon. Be sure to ask permission before hunting on private land. Cougar - Hunters can expect an average year. Cougars are abundant throughout with indicators pointing to stable or increasing numbers. Hunting cougar is a challenge because these animals are very secretive, but harvest success is greatest adjacent to private land with high deer populations using a predator call.

20 DOUGLAS COUNTY Fire Season Closures on private land (pdf) Elk - A few controlled elk hunts opened Aug. 1. Bow season is open now. The Cascade General Bull Elk Season runs from Oct this year. Elk populations are similar to last year so this hunting year will be average. During the early part of the archery season, hunters should find elk on the northerly slopes and in dense conifer stands. Elk numbers are highest in the Tioga with lower levels in the Dixon, S. Indigo and Melrose units. Deer - Bow season ends Sept. 24. General Western Deer Rifle Season starts Sept. 30 Deer populations are similar to last year, with low levels at upper elevations and high population levels on the Umpqua Valley floor. Most low elevation lands are privately owned so hunters are reminded to obtain permission before hunting on those lands. During the early part of the archery season, hunters should find deer on the northerly slopes and near water and green up areas. Black Bear General bear season is open. Hunters can expect an average year. As fall arrives, watch for bears utilizing late berry crops. Glass clear cuts and meadows early mornings and late evenings to find bears taking advantage of food sources. Bear numbers are good with the highest numbers in the coast range, and with smaller populations in the Cascades. Western Gray Squirrel Squirrel season is open. Hunters can expect an average year. Squirrels are widely distributed throughout the county with good numbers in areas of oaks and conifers. Many areas of high squirrel populations are on private lands so hunters are reminded to ask for permission on these lands before hunting. Grouse & Quail - Hunters can expect an average hunt year. Hunting availability and success for forest grouse should be good this year. Blue grouse success is best in mid to high elevations of the Cascades in partly open conifer stands. Ruffed grouse can be found near creeks mostly at mid elevations of both the Cascades and Coast Range. For quail, success is best in the lower elevation agricultural lands for California quail and midelevations of the Cascades and Coast Range near brushy clear cuts on secondary forest roads for Mountain quail. Hunters that kill grouse and Mountain quail are asked to drop off in a paper bag the frozen wing and tail of each grouse at the local ODFW office. Please use one bird per bag with each frozen bag of grouse parts including the species, sex, age, unit and general area of harvest for proper analysis. Fall Turkey - The season is from Oct. 15 Dec. 31. There are 4000 first come-first serve tags available for this Western Oregon hunt, with tags going on sale September 20 th. Hunters can expect a good year. The 2017 summer chick counts showed good production with excellent carryover from the last year. Most turkeys are on or adjacent to low-mid elevation private lands associated with oak savannah habitat. Good turkey numbers can be found on National Forest lands around Toketee in the Diamond Lake Ranger District and around Tiller in the Tiller Ranger District. These birds are enjoying great higher elevation oak savannah habitat and are producing well. These populations are supplemented yearly through releases of turkeys removed from private lands, where they were causing property damage and general nuisance. Mourning Doves - Hunters can expect an average year. In addition, keep in mind the nonmigratory Eurasian collared doves numbers are on the increase throughout the state and our county, and they are NOT part of the mourning dove bag limit.

21 Cougar The cougar season is currently open. Hunters can expect an average year. Cougars are abundant throughout with indicators pointing to stable or increasing numbers. Hunting cougar is a challenge because these animals are very secretive, but harvest success is greatest adjacent to private land with high deer populations using a predator call. Coyote - Numbers are strong throughout Douglas County. Using predator calls to lure them in can be an effective method for harvesting coyotes. Try calling in early morning and late afternoon. Be sure to ask permission before hunting on private land. Eurasian Collared-Doves These non-natives are expanding throughout Douglas County. These birds have no protections in Oregon, so there are no closed seasons for these invasives and no limits to their harvest. Target Eurasian collared-doves around agricultural areas and forest openings where food sources are abundant. Be sure of your identification before you hunt these abundant invasive birds. Identify this species and its habitat JACKSON, JOSEPHINE, CURRY COUNTIES Deer: Archery deer season closes Sept hunter success remained the same as it was in This upcoming 2017 season should be good as well. Remember that deer in the Dixon, Rogue, and Evans Creek unit typically are at high elevations during the summer and as fall approaches they migrate down to lower elevations; however there are resident deer on the valley floor year round. In the Applegate and Chetco units deer that are present at higher elevations usually only move when pushed out by severe weather. Remember when heading out this archery season that many areas here in Southwest Oregon are at a fire danger level of Extreme which imposes restrictions based on the land you are hunting on. Visit the US Forest Service or Oregon Department of Forestry websites for more information. Elk: General Archery Elk season closes Sept. 24 in the Applegate unit and lands outside of the US Forest Service s National Forest boundaries in the Rogue, Dixon, and Evans Creek units. Within the National Forest boundaries in the Rogue, Dixon, and Evans Creek unit as well as the entire Chetco and Sixes units hunting is restricted to bull elk only. Always refer to the 2017 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulation before heading out to hunt. This is expected to be an average harvest year with a slight decrease in hunter success in 2016 compared to the previous season. During the first part of the season when the weather is warmer look for elk in the cooler drainages as well as on north facing slopes. Finding and sitting on active wallows and other water sources can be very productive in hot weather. Remember when heading out this archery season that many areas here in Southwest Oregon are at a fire danger level of Extreme which imposes restrictions based on the land you are hunting on. Visit the US Forest Service or Oregon Department of Forestry websites for more information. Fall Black Bear season continues. Hunters can expect another good year. The Applegate unit has historically had some of the highest harvest in the state so focus your efforts there; however the Rogue and Evans Creek can also be very productive. Huckleberry patches at high elevations and blackberries at low elevations seem to be a good place to start your search for bears feeding in early morning and late evening. Fawn calls can also be a useful tool when trying to harvest a bear. Here in Southern Oregon you are allowed two fall bears by purchasing your SW Additional Fall Black Bear tag, this tag is good for all of units Remember that there is a mandatory check in of your bear skull at an ODFW office or designated collection site within 10 days of harvest, the skull must be unfrozen. In addition if you harvest a female bear you must turn in the entire reproductive tract to ODFW. See page 30 in the big game hunting regulations for more information.

22 Youth Antlerless Elk seasons are currently open for units in our area; these are controlled draw hunts that provide a limited number of youth to harvest an elk in our area. This is a great opportunity for the youth to harvest an elk. These hunts are designed to provide young hunters with a safe, well supervised, low-stress setting where they can enjoy the hunt while building fundamental skills. A reminder that youth are required to wear hunter orange. Cougar season is open statewide year-round or until zone quotas are met (see zone quota page). With the upcoming elk and deer seasons remember to purchase your cougar tag since majority of the cougars are harvest while in pursuit of other species. There is a mandatory check in of all cougars harvested within 10 days of the after harvest; the unfrozen skull, hide, and proof of sex must be taken to an ODFW office during normal business hours. If a female cougar is harvested it is also mandatory to bring in the reproductive tract in order to gain valuable population data. For more information refer to page 34 of the 2017 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations. Fee Pheasant hunt on the Denman Wildlife area begins on Sept. 18; in order to hunt you must purchase a $17.00 tag which allows you to harvest two pheasants, you can purchase additional tags if you would like. You must also have the proper licenses and validations. We will be releasing 160 pheasants a week until the end of the fee hunt on Oct. 6. For more information refer to the Oregon Game Bird Regulations. SOUTHWEST ZONE WILDLIFE VIEWING COOS COUNTY The Coquille Valley Wildlife Area will be closed through at least Oct. 1. Construction and restoration work has begun on the Wildlife Area which is part of a larger effort to restore tidal influence and wetland function to the Coquille Valley. These projects will provide a multitude of benefits for our native fish and wildlife species and infrastructure improvements will facilitate hunter access to previously closed portions of the Area. Current fire concerns may have an impact on the completion date of this project which may affect when public access can be allowed. Any questions or comments, please contact the Charleston Field Office, Boat Basin Drive, Charleston, OR ( ). Shorebirds- Numerous shorebirds have been spotted out at Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon, as well as flocks out in the mudflats of the Coquille River which are visible at the Bandon National Wildlife Refuge. Another viewing spot for these birds is out at the North Spit, near Coos Bay. Please keep in mind that some portions of beach are closed to access this time of year to protect nesting Western snowy plovers. Closed beaches will have clear signage to this effect. However for more information visit the Oregon State Parks office or Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office which are both located in Charleston. Phone numbers are (541) for Oregon State Parks and (541) /18/2017 Marine Mammals PLEASE, remember that feeding any marine mammal is illegal! Feeding can cause of host of problems including a loss of natural wariness towards humans, which may lead to confrontations with humans, both wildlife watchers and recreational users. Seals and sea lions can become aggressive and can weigh in excess of 350

23 and 1,000 pounds, respectively. These animals should be viewed, and enjoyed, from a distance. Seal and sea lion abundance in coastal waters around Coos County is high at this time of year, especially south of Coos Bay. At Simpson Reef, a heavily used haul out exists. Presently, large numbers of Steller and California sea lions are using the haul out. Also, large numbers of harbor seals are present. It is likely that Northern elephant seals are there too. All of these animals are visible from the look out at Simpson Reef located along Cape Arago Hwy. Do not approach seals and sea lions you may find on Oregon beaches. California grey whales, humpback whales and others tend to migrate through Oregon waters in spring as they head back to the North Pacific and the Bearing Sea. At times several whales can be seen at once from one vantage point. California grey whales will often come very close to shore feeding. It is not uncommon to see these huge animals next to jetties and nearshore rocks or just outside of the furthest breaking waves on beaches. Cape Arago is a wonderful place to see these animals, for those wanting to see them. Occasionally these whales will even enter Coos Bay. Generally, the best time is at or near high tide, when the water next to shore is deepest. If you think an animal you find is in trouble, contact your local ODFW office to report the animal or contact the Marine Mammal Stranding Network an (800) Birds of Prey The fall migration should be ramping up in the coming weeks. Viewers can expect to see increased hawk activity in the coming weeks and months. Many birds of prey, including bald eagles, osprey, and peregrine falcons, can be viewed locally along the coast and up the various rivers and inlets around Coos Bay. Both bald eagles and osprey build large nests and are most visible in the early mornings and late afternoons. Ospreys are known for their elaborate hunting behaviors which include diving into the water from high distances and lifting fish out of the water. Their feet are specially adapted with rough pads and long, sharp talons, making the task of grabbing fish easier. Once out of the water, fish are turned to face forward, reducing drag and making flight easier. Band-tailed Pigeons High concentrations can be found adjacent to mineral sites utilized by the birds. These sites are commonly along river or inlet edges and can be found by looking for large movements of birds in the early morning. These birds can travel upwards of 32 miles per day to feed and drink. While the Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeon has experienced long term declines in numbers, the past 5- and 10-year intervals were less conclusive, perhaps signifying a halt in that decline. 7/10/2017 Shorebirds-Those interested in seeing these birds can find good viewing opportunities on the beach at Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon, Bandon National Wildlife Refuge and the North Spit, near Coos Bay. Please keep in mind that some portions of beach are closed to access this time of year to protect nesting Western snowy plovers. Closed beaches will have clear signage to this effect. However for more information visit the Oregon State Parks office or Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office which are both located in Charleston. Phone numbers are (541) for Oregon State Parks and (541) /18/2017

24 DOUGLAS COUNTY Turkey Vultures - Watch for roosted turkey vultures with wings wide open, warming in the morning sun. Watch out for turkey vultures as you drive the local roads. Many vultures are hit and killed by vehicles as they forage on road struck animals. Gamebirds The young chicks of California quail, blue and ruffed grouse, wild turkey and pheasants are now being seen throughout the county. Coveys of California quail are common on the Umpqua Valley floor usually associated with blackberry cover and water. Many blue and ruffed grouse and their young are found in mid to high elevation forested areas in our local mountains. Wild turkeys and their poults are very common throughout the Umpqua Valley usually on private lands in oak savannah habitat. Most pheasants are found in central Douglas County associated with pastures and ranches. Reptiles Lizards and snakes will be taking advantage of morning and evening sun and southern exposed rock formations (and roads) to warm themselves. Turtles will be seen basking on logs and banks of local ponds, streams and reservoirs. Bats Look for bats at dawn and dusk. Watch street lights and water bodies, where insects concentrate, bats may show up to eat up to 1000 insects per hour. 9/19/2017 JACKSON and JOSEPHINE COUNTIES Table Rocks The two Table Rocks of southern Oregon provide excellent nearby hiking opportunities. Upper Table Rock is located off of Modoc Rd and is slightly shorter of the two, whereas Lower Table Rock is located off of Table Rock Rd it is longer yet slightly less of a steep climb. Both of these trails provide a good opportunity to see a variety of wildlife that the Rogue Valley has to offer. Once you reach the top you have great views of the surrounding Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges. These hikes are lower elevation so it will get hot, because of this hiking in the early morning and late evening should provide the most enjoyable experience. Rogue Valley Audubon Society First Wednesday of the month bird counts at Agate Lake. On the first Wednesday of every month the Rogue Valley Audubon Society gathers at Agate Lake outside of White City to conduct a bird count. The event is open to the public and starts at 8:30 a.m. Denman Wildlife Area Take one of two trails off Touvelle Road and enjoy birdwatching and sightseeing. This is the time of year when the wildlife area greens up with variety of flowers and wildlife. Below the fourth pond and to the north, you will find the Denman horse trail (2.5 mile) that provides great views of the Upper Table Rock and opportunities to see birds that live in oak trees, wedge leaf ceanothus and areas of riparian vegetation along the Little Butte Creek. The trail to the south that runs along the forth pond dike is our interpretive trail, come in to the office and pick up and interpretive trail guide. You will learn of some of the history of the wildlife area and the different environment unique to our area. A wide variety of wildlife can be found along this 1 ½ mile trail.

25 A covered viewing station on the Denman Wildlife Area provides a good opportunity to view waterfowl, egrets, raptors and songbirds. The structure was built by the Oregon Hunters Association and is accessed by a paved, ADA-accessible pathway. Two additional fishing dikes have been created on Whetstone pond to provide more fishing access, it is possible to catch bass, bluegill, bullhead catfish, black crappie, and carp. Warm water fishing should become more productive as the weather improves. The pond is located just north of the ODFW Rogue Watershed Field Office in Central Point. Mourning Doves Mourning doves are found across the Rogue Valley wherever there are open grain fields and areas with roosting trees that have plenty of water. They are currently found nesting in trees or other shaded structures. They can have multiple nests throughout the early summer. They are a fast flying, graceful, wing whistling birds. They feed on small seeds of weeds and various grains. A species that is similar but slightly larger is the Eurasian collared dove. Unlike the Mourning Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves are a non-native species. They are seen around residential areas and have known to visit bird feeders. Unlike the pointed tail of the Mourning dove their tail will be square shaped. Quail We have two species of quail here in Southwest Oregon, the first being the Mountain Quail. This species typically lives at higher elevations and is characterized by its long straight head plume and chestnut colored throat and flanks. California quail or sometimes referred to as Valley Quail is the second quail species in our area. As the name suggests this species of quail is typically found in the valleys with lower level elevation. Unlike the mountain quail, California quail have a curved head plume and the feathers on their chest give them a scaled appearance. Both of these species recently finished nesting and are now caring for their young. If you happen to see an adult look closely because there may be a large amount of young quail following nearby. For a great birding trail along the southern coast, visit Oregon Birding Trails. (6/20/2017)

26 FISHING Weekend fishing opportunities The first coho are showing up in the Willamette system, and a good place to catch them early in the season is near the mouth of the Clackamas River. Spring Chinook and summer steelhead are still available in the Sandy River but in dwindling numbers. Coho should be showing up soon. Trout will be released this week in the following Willamette Valley locations: Algon Baker Canal, Detroit Reservoir, Foster Reservoir, Hills Creek Reservoir, North Fork Reservoir, Small Fry Lake. Spring Chinook are still available in the Santiam River system but the season closes at the end of the month so the fish can spawn unmolested. A few springers could also be holed up in the Molalla, below Trout Creek. There is still time for a trip to the high mountain lakes, many of which are stocked with rainbow, cutthroat or eastern brook trout. Don t wait too long, though, as it won t be long until the snow flies. Send us your fishing report We d love to hear about your recent fishing experience. Send us your own fishing report through ODFW Fishing Reports the information will be forwarded to the local biologist who may use it to update various ODFW resources such as the Weekly Recreation Report. Updated 2017 Trout Stocking Schedules High Lakes stocking ODFW takes very small fish to Oregon s high lakes by helicopter, mule and river boats. Take a look at where these fish were released in the past and where you might even encounter some of them on your next backpacking trek. It typically takes only a year after stocking for fish to reach catchable size. North Willamette High Lakes Stocking Mid-Willamette High Lakes Stocking South Willamette High Lakes Stocking Check out our interactive trout stocking map Find the location and details about the many lakes ponds and streams that receive hatchery trout from ODFW s fish hatcheries on our Google-based stocking map. Click on the fish icons to bring up all the pertinent information about the state s trout fishing locations.

27 ALTON BAKER CANOE CANAL: trout Stocked the week of Aug. 28 with 865 rainbow trout, including 150 larger trout. The canoe canal is located within Alton Baker Park and can be accessed off of 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. BENSON LAKE: rainbow trout, white crappie, largemouth bass, brown bullhead Stocked in the spring with 4,000 legal-size rainbow trout. This is a 40-acre lake located in Benson State Park in the Columbia River Gorge. From Portland, head east on I-84; the park is located on the south side of the freeway about 1/2 mile west of Multnomah Falls. BETHANY POND: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, bullhead Stocked in the spring with 1,000 legal-size rainbow trout. This is a 10-acre pond located at Bethany west of Portland. The pond is maintained by Tualatin Hills Park and Rec. Amenities include picnic tables, restrooms, and a paved, ADA accessible trail. BLUE LAKE: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, black crappie, bluegill Stocked in the spring with 1,500 trout. Try fishing from the docks or along the bank near the boat ramp. From October to April private boats are also allowed if under 14 ft. with motors of less than 3.0 horsepower. This 64-acre lake is located in Blue Lake Regional Park three miles west of Troutdale. Amenities include picnic areas, restrooms, walking trail, and ramp for small boats. Park is maintained by Metro. The cost to enter is $5/car and there is ample parking once inside the park. The park is open from 8 a.m. until legal sunset. For further information call BLUE RIVER: trout Upstream of Blue River Reservoir was stocked the week of June 26 with 750 hatchery trout, including 150 larger trout. Two wild trout may be harvested per day above Blue River Reservoir only. Otherwise, anglers may keep five hatchery trout per day. Anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. BLUE RIVER RESERVOIR: trout, warmwater species Stocked in June with 2,000 legal-size hatchery rainbow trout including 100 larger trout. Blue River Reservoir is located east of Eugene near the town of Blue River, north of Hwy. 126 and is open to year-round fishing. The boat ramps are not accessible at current reservoir elevations. BREITENBUSH RIVER: trout This river flows through mostly U.S. Forest Service land into Detroit Lake and is open yearround (however salmon fishing is prohibited). During the summer it is stocked fairly

28 regularly with hatchery trout. It was stocked for the last time last week with 1,800 legalsize hatchery trout. Anglers may keep up to five trout per day. CANBY POND: trout, bass, crappie, bluegill Stocked in the spring with 800 rainbow trout. Canby Pond is a one-acre pond located on the south end of Canby, in Canby City Park. This pond is open only to youth 17 years old and under, as well as persons who possess ODFW's Disabled Hunting and Fishing Permits. CARMEN RESERVOIR: trout Clear Lake is open to fishing all year, and was stocked the week of July 10 with 3,431 hatchery trout of various sizes. In Clear Lake, you could catch a fish with a tag that could win you a $50 gift card as part of ODFW s tag reward program. Clear Lake is accessed from Hwy. 126 approximately 70 miles east of Springfield. Linn County s Clear Lake Resort rents cabins and boats. CLACKAMAS RIVER: summer steelhead, spring Chinook Clackamas River anglers can finally rejoice in significant rainfall that has improved flows and allowed some coho to move up into the system. Fishing effort has seen an immediate bump in the past few days, with decent catches of coho found down in the lower river just above the Hwy 99E Bridge in Gladstone. It s also probably safe to assume that as the rain continues most of the week that coho will make it further up into the river. Given that it s now approaching late September the spring Chinook fishing is on the tail end of its season, while there should still be a few decent summer steelhead found. Good bank access for can be found in many locations along the river from Gladstone, Cross Park, Riverside Park, along Clackamas River Road, Carver, Barton, and McIver parks. Clackamas River Drive closely follows the river below Carver Park, but be sure to not trespass on private property. If you have a drift boat, you can put in at Riverside Park, Carver Park, Barton Park, Feldheimer s off Springwater Road, and at both lower and upper McIver Park ramps. USGS hydrological data for Sept. 18 shows river flows at 1,130 cfs, with a gauge reading of feet and the water temperature down some at 58. All of the readings come from the Estacada gauge near Milo McIver State Park. CLEAR LAKE: trout Clear Lake is open to fishing all year, and will be stocked with 3,431 hatchery trout of various sizes. In Clear Lake, you could catch a fish with a tag that could win you a $50 gift card as part of ODFW s tag reward program. Clear Lake is accessed from Hwy. 126 approximately 70 miles east of Springfield. Linn County s Clear Lake Resort rents cabins and boats. COAST FORK WILLAMETTE RIVER: trout The Coast Fork Willamette River was stocked the week of June 12 with 1,100 hatchery trout, and is open to fishing all year. Bait use is allowed Apr. 22- Oct. 31, but as of Nov. 1 anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. In addition to five hatchery trout, two wild trout may be kept daily.

29 COMMONWEALTH LAKE: rainbow trout, bass, bluegill, crappie Stocked in May with 1,000 hatchery trout. This is a three-acre stocked lake within the Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton, Oregon. Commonwealth Park is maintained by Tualatin Hills Park and Rec. Amenities include ADA accessible trail, picnic tables, playground, and restrooms. COTTAGE GROVE POND (ROW RIVER NATURE PARK POND): trout, warmwater species Stocked in the spring with 1,900 trout. Cottage Grove Ponds are open to year-round fishing and are accessed via an asphalt pathway behind the truck scales on Row River Road. The pond was stocked with a total of 3,250 legal-size hatchery trout the past two weeks. In addition to fishing, these ponds also offer wildlife viewing opportunities. A fishing dock is available on-site. COTTAGE GROVE RESERVOIR: trout, warmwater species Stocked in the spring with 4,250 legal-size hatchery trout. From this release, 200 fish were marked with floy tags as part of the ODFW s tag reward program, including 20 tags that can be redeemed for a $50 gift card. Cottage Grove Reservoir is south of Cottage Grove and is open to fishing all year. DETROIT RESERVOIR: trout, kokanee The reservoir is slowly being drawn down to provide winter storage capacity. At the moment it is about 17 feet below full pool with most boat ramps still in the water. Best bet is to use Mongold boat ramp. The reservoir was stocked mid-july with 4,500 hatchery rainbow trout. Anglers report good catches of both trout and kokanee in the 12 to 14 inch range. NOTICE: Anglers are encouraged to report their catch on forms available at signs and kiosks which are being installed at key locations around the lake. Simply fill out the form and return in the designated drop boxes. There is also an on-line form. DEXTER RESERVOIR: trout Stocked in the spring with 2,800 legal-size rainbow trout. Dexter Reservoir is a location where ODFW released tag reward fish, so you could catch a fish with a tag that could win you a $50 gift card. Dexter Reservoir near Lowell is visible from Hwy. 58. Boat and bank access is available from state and county parks. Parking and bank access are also available from the causeway near Lowell. Largemouth bass and some smallmouth are also available to anglers in this reservoir. DORENA RESERVOIR: trout, warmwater Stocked in the spring with 6,000 legal-size rainbow trout. Dorena Reservoir is a location where ODFW released tag reward fish, so you could catch a fish with a tag that could win you a $50 gift card. Dorena Reservoir is east of Cottage Grove on Row River Road and is open to fishing all year. Trout and warmwater fish are available. It was also stocked the week of March 27 with 6,000 legal-size rainbow trout.

30 DORMAN POND - trout Stocked in May with 1,000 legal-size hatchery trout. This is an 8-acre pond west of Forest Grove at the junction of Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 6 EAGLE CREEK: coho The long-awaited rain has helped improve flows on Eagle Creek, enough to allow some fresh coho to swim in once they make their way up the Clackamas River. Anglers have been picking up a few coho in the lower Clackamas since late last week, and since a majority of these fish are headed to Eagle Creek it s just a matter of time before that fishery gets going. The first spot to try is in the Bonnie Lure Park area, from there you can find limited access near the Hwy. 224 Bridge. Since much of the creek bank lies on private property the next good access will be along Eagle Fern Road around the lower fish ladder up to and through Eagle Fern Park. Keep in mind that long stretches of Eagle Creek do indeed run through private property, particularly up near the hatchery and from an area below the lower ladder on down near Bonnie Lure to the mouth. Anglers are advised to pay close attention to where you fish and we encourage you to ask permission prior to accessing or crossing private lands on your way to your favorite fishing hole. See Page 15 of the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation pamphlet for more information on Your Rights to Use the Surface, Bed, and Banks of Oregon s Rivers and Lakes. EE WILSON POND: warmwater species, trout NOTICE: The pond is now dry and is no longer fishable. A good fishing alternative is Adair Pond just 2-3 miles to the south off of Hwy 99W in Adair Village. Follow the signs to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Office. The pond is 200 yards past the parking lot. Adair Pond offers good bass and panfish angling, as well as a few channel catfish. ESTACADA LAKE: trout, steelhead Stocked again this week with another 1,500 legal-sized rainbow trout. The lake was also stocked last week with 3,000 trout. This lake was stocked several times earlier in this fishing season. FALL CREEK: trout Fall Creek above Fall Creek Reservoir was stocked the week of June 19 with 1,750 hatchery trout including 250 larger trout. Open all year for trout. Bait use is allowed Apr 22- Oct 31, but as of Nov. 1, anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. Below Fall Creek Dam the creek is open all year for hatchery Chinook, hatchery steelhead and wild steelhead greater than 24-inches. Five hatchery trout and an additional two wild trout may be harvested daily in the river. FARADAY LAKE: trout Stocked again this week with another 1,500 legal-sized rainbow trout. The lake was also stocked last week with 2,500 trout. This is a 25-acre reservoir located 1.1 miles southeast of Estacada on Hwy. 224 next to a PGE hydro plant. No boats, walk-in only.

31 FERN RIDGE RESERVOIR: largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead This 9,000-acre lake just 12 miles west of Eugene is the Willamette Basin s largest water body. For local information regarding the lake and available boat ramps, contact the Lane County Parks Department at There is good bank access at several rest stops and campgrounds, and three seasonal boat ramps. Reservoir is pretty much filled up and the boat ramps at Orchard Point, Perkins, and Richardson Park are currently available. FOSTER RESERVOIR: trout, bass, perch, catfish Foster Reservoir will be stocked this week with 5,000 rainbow trout. Another 5,000 are scheduled to be released in this waterbody next week as well. This scenic 1,200-acre reservoir on the South Santiam River is located just 30 minutes from Interstate 5. There is good bank access at several rest stops and campgrounds, and three seasonal boat ramps. At the moment, all boat ramps including Calkins Park are available to launch boats. Look for smallmouth bass and yellow perch near underwater structure and drop-offs. Please remember that only kokanee and adipose fin-clipped trout may be kept as part of the trout bag limit, but there are no limits on size or number of bass. Retention of warmwater fish species such as bluegill, catfish, crappie, and yellow perch is also allowed; no limit on size or number. This reservoir receives hatchery trout in the spring and fall. FREEWAY LAKE, EAST: trout, bass bluegill crappie This water-body actually consists of three interconnected ponds and features some good size bass and crappie. A boat ramp is available at East Freeway Lake, and there is good bank access around Middle Freeway Lake. Fishing in the spring for warmwater gamefish such as bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish can be very good, especially early and late in the day. It was stocked in May with 900 hatchery rainbow trout. GOLD LAKE: brook trout, rainbow trout Gold Lake is a 100-acre lake located north of the Willamette Pass summit off Hwy. 58 approximately 23 miles southeast of Oakridge. Gold Lake has special fishing regulations in place which include no retention of rainbow trout, no limit on brook trout, no motorboats, fly-fishing only (has to be a fly rod, no spinning rigs) and barbless hooks. Fishing is currently good for both rainbow and brook trout in the lake. The lake re-opens to anglers each year around May 22. GREEN PETER RESERVOIR: kokanee, trout, bass Trout as well as bass are good options for anglers this time of year. Look for them near ledges and drop-offs as well as near underwater structure. Anglers report good success with kokanee below 40 feet. Reservoir water levels are in very good shape for this time of year. Currently the reservoir is 41 feet below full pool. Thistle Creek boat ramp is available, but Whitcomb boat ramp is closed for the year.

32 HALDEMAN POND: trout Stocked the week of April 24 with 2,000 legal-size rainbow trout. This is a stocked two-acre pond on the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area that offers good bank access. This site is ideal for kids. A parking permit is required while on the wildlife area. Permits are available from all ODFW license vendors. HARTMAN POND: trout, crappie, bass, catfish This is a year-round warmwater and spring trout fishing pond in the Columbia River Gorge, with easy access for non-boating anglers just off Interstate 84. It was stocked with legaland trophy-size trout in the spring and also supports year-round populations of crappie, bass and catfish. It will be stocked again this week with 1,250 legal-size rainbow trout. From I-84, take the Benson State Park exit. The pond is adjacent to the Columbia River adjoining Benson State Recreation Area. HARRIET LAKE: trout Stocked on Aug. 28 with 2,000 eight-inch trout and 667 trophies, weighing two pounds or more apiece. Get in and get them soon because Harriet is scheduled to close to public access from Sept. 11 through mid-october for campground and parking upgrades. HENRY HAGG LAKE: rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, yellow bullhead, native cutthroat trout Stocked several times in the spring. Hagg Lake, located near Forest Grove, is one of Oregon s premier warmwater fishing locations, with populations of record-class largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, and bullhead. It also supports a resident population of native cutthroat trout and is frequently stocked with hatchery trout. The lake is now open year-round and is stocked regularly throughout the spring and fall. This is a 1,110-acre lake waterbody located seven miles southwest of Forest Grove. Maintained and operated by Washington County, the park features numerous picnic areas, two boat launching facilities, more than 15 miles of hiking trails, and observation decks for wildlife and bird watching. HIGH MOUNTAIN LAKES: trout (rainbow, brook, cutthroat) Fire danger is extreme this time of year, so check ahead for conditions before venturing into the woods for restrictions and safety advisories. There are several mountain lakes available in the area for day use or overnight camping that require only a short hike to reach. Many are easy day hikes, perfect for packing in a lunch and doing some fishing then heading home in early evening. Others require a bit more planning and prep as the distance and terrain dictates so a good topographical map should be considered. When hiking into any of the high lakes be prepared for the unexpected from weather, to mosquitos, to accidents. And please pack out what you pack in! Although the high lakes season is at its peak right now there s still a good chance of encountering snow or ice at higher elevations. The cold winter and considerable snowpack

33 has left a few spots inaccessible or at the very least with areas of remnant snow on roads, trails and around lakes. Hikers may also encounter a few trails with downed trees or boulders across them as a result of the heavy snowfall this past winter. It s best to contact the U.S. Forest Service for up-to-date information if you re considering a venture into areas you re unsure of. Some of these high lakes get very little use, and anglers will often find the solitude incredible. If you plan to camp keep in mind that overnight temperatures at the higher elevations can be quite chilly, even in mid-summer. And with the wildfire season now in full swing you should check on restrictions regarding open campfires. Maps should be available from the local U.S. Forest Service office. Lists of stocked Willamette basin high cascade lakes are available on-line see Willamette Zone, North and South Willamette High Lakes. HILLS CREEK RESERVOIR: trout, warmwater fish Was stocked the week of May 1 with 3,000 legal-size hatchery rainbow trout. This reservoir is located about four miles southeast of Oakridge and is open to year round fishing. It is stocked with 60,000 adipose fin-clipped rainbow trout fingerlings and 100,000 adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook salmon fingerlings annually to provide a harvest fishery the following year. Trout and salmon must be adipose-fin clipped to be harvested. Large native trout are available for catch-and-release fishing. HUDDLESTON POND: trout, bass, bluegill Stocked recently with 1,350 trout, including 50 trophies weighing two pounds or more. This is a 5-acre pond located within Huddleston Pond Park in the city of Willamina, Ore. A former mill pond, this venue has "kid-friendly" edges, is ADA accessible in places, with a restroom and picnic areas nearby. JUNCTION CITY POND: trout, crappie Junction City Pond was stocked in early June with 1,000 legal-size hatchery trout. Holdover trout may still be found in the deepest parts of the pond, and there are crappie and other pan-fish available as well. Best times to fish are early and late in the day. LEABURG LAKE: trout Stocked the week of Aug. 28 withy 1,400 hatchery trout. Leaburg Lake is open to fishing all year. Bait use is allowed Apr. 22- Oct. 31, but as of Nov. 1, anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. All wild trout must be released. Only hatchery fish may be kept. Leaburg Dam closures have ended and the dam should be open as usual. MCKENZIE RIVER below Leburg Lake: trout salmon, steelhead The McKenzie River below Leaburg Lake will be stocked this week with 2,750 hatchery trout. All non-adipose fin-clipped trout must be released unharmed. As of Nov. 1, anglers may only use lures and artificial flies.

34 The lower McKenzie River is open to retention of adipose fin-clipped salmon and steelhead and non-adipose fin-clipped steelhead greater than 24 inches in length. A Columbia River Basin Endorsement is required for anglers targeting salmon and steelhead in the McKenzie. Leaburg Dam closures have ended and the dam should be open as usual. MCKENZIE RIVER above Leaburg Lake: trout, steelhead The McKenzie River above Leaburg Lake was stocked recently with 1,250 hatchery trout from Finn Rock to Goodpasture Landing. All non-adipose fin-clipped trout must be released unharmed. As of Nov. 1, anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. MIDDLE FORK WILLAMETTE RIVER: trout, salmon, steelhead The Middle Fork Willamette River is open to bait below Dexter Dam only. Reminder: Restrictions from Dexter Dam to appoximately 700 ft downstream to the markers: No angling from the north shore, from a floating device, or while wading (pg 44 in regulations). This river reach is open to retention of adipose fin-clipped salmon and steelhead and nonadipose fin-clipped steelhead greater than 24 inches in length. A Columbia River Basin Endorsement is required for anglers targeting salmon and steelhead in the Middle Fork Willamette below Dexter Dam. The Middle Fork Willamette above Lookout Point and Hills Creek reservoirs is open to fishing using lures and artificial flies. All wild trout must be released upstream of Lookout Point Reservoir. The Middle Fork Willamette River is not stocked with hatchery trout. MOLALLA RIVER: spring Chinook The Molalla River saw a slight jump in flows early this week and some additional rainfall will improve fishing conditions on the river. There have been reliable reports that some late season springers are holding up in the area below Trout Creek; these fish are surely returning adults from the annual 100,000 smolt acclimation pond releases of two or three years ago. At this late date the quality of any spring Chinook caught will be marginal at best as spawning season approaches. The Willamette Falls spring Chinook passage began improving considerably in late May, then showed some steady numbers through early July but as of Aug. 15 springer counts have ended for the 2017 season. However, with the surprising spring Chinook passage counts there are certainly a number of these fish headed back to the Molalla River as acclimation pond returns. Through the final count date of Aug. 15 the number of springers passing upstream at the falls in Oregon City stood at 34,186 adults and 2,442 jacks, while the winter steelhead counts ended May 31 at a very low 822 total. USGS hydrological data for Sept. 18 has river flows at 54 cfs and a gauge reading of 9.51 feet. All of the readings come from the Canby gauge. MT HOOD POND: trout, crappie, bluegill Mt. Hood Pond will not be stocked this week as scheduled due to elevated water temperatures. Mt. Hood Pond is located on the Mt. Hood Community College campus in Gresham, at SE Stark St.

35 Fishing at this location is restricted to youths age 17 and under and Disabled Angler licensees from April 1 - Aug. 31. NORTH FORK RESERVOIR: trout, steelhead, salmon Stocked again this week with 5,100 eight-inch trout. The reservoir was also stocked previously this season with more than 20,000 trout. This is a 350-acre reservoir of the Clackamas River behind North Fork Dam approximately 5.2 miles east of Estacada, Ore. This reservoir has two boat ramps, boat moorage, 50 campsites, picnic areas, boat rentals, grocery story, fueling station, and ADA-accessible fishing platforms. OLALLIE LAKE: trout Stocked in mid-july with 125 trophy trout and 2,800 legal-sized rainbows. It was stocked the previous two weeks with 6,800 trout, and some of those fish should still be available. This is the largest of more than 200 lakes within the Olallie Lake Scenic Area. Located on the southern edge of the Mt. Hood National Forest it is a popular summer recreational destination for people from Portland and Salem, Ore. There are three campgrounds and a rustic cabin resort on this lake as well as a hiking trail that encircles the perimeter. Yurts, cabins, and boat rentals are available at Olallie Lake Resort. There is a boat ramp at Peninsula Campground on the southwest shore of the lake. Camping is also available at Olallie Meadows Campground and Paul Dennis Campground. Olallie Lake is also a popular jumping off point for backpackers who want to fish the surrounding high lakes or access the Pacific Crest Trail. PROGRESS LAKE rainbow trout, brown bullhead Stocked in May with 1,000 legal-size rainbow trout. This is a 4-acre pond next to the Progress Ridge Town Center in Beaverton. The pond is an old rock pit and has a maximum depth of 54 feet. There is a sidewalk, fishing platform and viewing platform on one side of the lake. QUARTZVILLE CREEK: trout Hatchery trout are stocked in late spring and summer. In winter and early spring there are resident trout and very few anglers. It was last stocked in late June with 2,000 hatchery trout. Stream flows continue to drop and are in excellent shape for fishing, currently around 95 cfs (conditions best for fishing are below 300 cfs). Anglers may keep up to five trout per day all year. SALISH POND: trout, warm water species West Salish Pond was stocked in May with 500 hatchery trout as efforts get underway to bring the pond back into the regular ODFW stocking rotation. Most local anglers know it s been quite some time since the pond was stocked with hatchery trout and both The City of Fairview and ODFW are very happy to bring trout fishing back to West Salish Pond.

36 Parking is available at the school after 5 p.m. weekdays and all weekend. Parking is no longer available adjacent to the pond along Glisan St. Informational signs regarding use of the area have been posted by the City of Fairview around the pond s shoreline. SALMON CREEK: trout Salmon Creek near Oakridge will be stocked this week with 850 hatchery trout, including 150 larger trout. Salmon Creek is open to fishing all year. Bait is allowed Apr. 22 Oct.31, but as of Nov. 1 anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. Trout are released at multiple locations upstream to Black Creek. Two wild trout per day, 8-inch minimum length, may be kept in addition to five hatchery trout. SALMONBERRY LAKE: trout, sunfish Stocked with trout in the early spring. Salmonberry Lake is owned by the city of St. Helens and is about three acres in size. It is a former municipal water supply secluded in the woods off of Pittsburgh Road. The road to the pond is gated and anglers must walk about 1/3 mile to access this pond. SALT CREEK: trout Salt Creek is an unstocked tributary to the Middle Fork Willamette River east of Oakridge. Salt Creek and its tributaries are open to angling all year. As of Nov. 1, anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. Two wild trout may be kept per day, 8-inch minimum length. SANDY RIVER: summer steelhead, spring Chinook, coho After a summer of extremely low water the Sandy River saw a good jump up in flows thanks to this rainy week, offering much better opportunity for salmon and steelhead anglers who ve been dealing with the very low water. Unfortunately the river is a bit muddy but conditions should improve once the heavy rains subside later this week. It s getting late into the season for those in pursuit of summer steelhead or spring Chinook, but there should be a few decent fish still to be found. Meanwhile once the water settles down the lower Sandy will certainly be putting out some fresh coho as the run just gets going in early fall and these salmon make the right turn from the Columbia on their way up to Sandy Hatchery. The ODFW broodstock collection trap on the Bull Run River has continued to catch fair numbers of springers on a daily basis, going back to July, as these fish return from acclimation releases done two or three years ago. As a result the Sandy River around Dodge Park has been putting out a few late Chinook, and anglers fishing the Garbage Hole and the Pipeline have been finding some success as well. This late into the season expect to find that these fish will be turning dark and their quality deteriorating, but there s still the chance for few nice springers to be landed. Anglers can find bank access to the Sandy River in several areas from Troutdale up to Brightwood. Lewis and Clark Park, Dabney Park, Oxbow Park, and Dodge Park all offer good spots for bank fishing as well as having boat ramps if you have a driftboat or sled. USGS hydrological data for Sept. 18 shows the Sandy flows up nicely at 775 cfs, with a gauge reading of 8.41 feet and the water temperature down considerably at 52 F.

37 SANTIAM RIVER (NORTH FORK): steelhead, Chinook As of Sept. 19, flows are around 2,000 cfs at the Mehama gauge. River levels best for fishing are below 3,000 cfs. The river is now closed to angling for Chinook salmon, but anglers may still target hatchery steelhead and hatchery trout. In addition there will be small numbers of wild coho returning over the next few months. While out on the rive,r please take care to avoid harassing spawning adult Chinook or walking through their egg deposits called redds that the adult fish have constructed, usually found at the tail-outs of pools. When the bite is on, bobbers and jigs are the preferred fishing method with spoons, spinners and egg clusters also being effective. Currently the entire river below Packsaddle Park (near the Minto Fish Facility) is open year-round to hatchery steelhead. As of May 22, the river has reopened for the harvest of hatchery trout. All wild trout must be released. SANTIAM RIVER (NORTH FORK) above DETROIT: This section of the river is open year-round for trout. It was stocked the last time in late July with 3,000 legal-size hatchery trout. The river is running clear and is in great shape. Anglers may keep up to five trout per day. This section of river is closed to salmon fishing. SANTIAM RIVER (SOUTH FORK): steelhead, Chinook, bass Extra water is being released out of Green Peter Reservoir so that Chinook have access to more spawning habitat. Flows in the river at Waterloo are currently around 1,670 cfs. Fishing for Chinook is now closed until October 15 in order to protect spawning adults. If you see spawning fish, please keep your distance in order not to disturb them. The river is still open for hatchery steelhead and hatchery trout. Anglers may also target wild coho salmon below Lebanon. Best times for catching trout are early and late in the day. Current conditions SHERIDAN POND: trout Stocked the first week of June with 1,000 legal-size rainbow trout. To get to Sheridan Pond, take Hwy. 18 to Exit 33 onto Balston Rd. Go south on Balston Rd. approximately half a mile and turn left onto a gravel road leading about a quarter mile to the pond. SHORTY S POND: trout Shorty s is a 4-acre pond located within Ivor Davies Nature Park in the city of Molalla. It can be accessed by the Fifth St. Trailhead across from Heckard Football Stadium. Aquatic vegetation can make for challenging conditions during warmer weather.

38 SILVER CREEK RESERVOIR: trout, catfish Stocked in June with 5,650 trout. This is a 65-acre reservoir on Silver Creek 2.5 miles south of Silverton on Hwy SMALL FRY LAKE: trout Stocked again this week with another 200 trout. This is a small youth-only fishing pond located next to Promontory Park and North Fork Reservoir near Estacada. It was stocked several times earlier this season. SMITH RESERVOIR: trout The Eugene Water & Electric Board has begun a five-year construction project to retrofit, refurbish and upgrade capital equipment at its Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project. The work is being conducted in anticipation of a new federal operating license for the project. The capital construction projects planned for the time frame will create significant public access constraints due primarily to safety concerns. In order to keep the public and construction personnel safe during the five-year project, EWEB and the Forest Service agreed to close access to Forest Road 730 at the Powerhouse. The closure will deny public access to Trail Bridge Campground, Smith Reservoir and Lake s End Campground. The closure of the road to the public will begin in March 2017 and continue through ST. LOUIS PONDS: trout, bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, channel catfish Stocked the week of Aug. 28 with inch trout, and inch trout. St. Louis Ponds is a 240-acre fishing complex of seven ponds owned and managed jointly by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Marion County Parks Department. The site has a 2,300-foot paved ADA footpath with turnouts, fishing platforms, restrooms and picnic tables. It is stocked throughout the year with hatchery trout and has many other species of warmwater fish. A gate providing access to the last mile of dirt road to the complex is open March 1-Sept. 30, although anglers are still permitted to walk in to fish during the seasonal gate closure. March/April hours are 7 a.m. 8 p.m. St. Louis Ponds is located 13 miles north of Salem and west of I-5. To get to there from the north, take the Woodburn exit off I-5. Then go east to Hwy. 99E. At Hwy. 99E, head south to the town of Gervais. At the light, go west on Gervais Rd. through Gervais. Gervais Rd. changes to St Louis Rd. Continue west on St Louis Rd. as it crosses over I-5 to Tesch Lane, at the railroad crossing. Go left on Tesch Lane and follow the signs to the ponds, about a mile to the main parking lot. SUNNYSIDE PARK POND: bass, bluegill This 4-acre pond is located two miles above the upper end of Foster Reservoir. It was stocked early June with 340 hatchery trout. The pond also offers bluegill and largemouth bass year round. The park has a campground and picnic area and is a great place to take kids fishing. There is also boat ramp access to the Middle Fork arm of Foster Reservoir.

39 To get there from I-5, take US 20 through the town of Sweet Home and continue around Foster Reservoir to Quartzville Creek road. Take a left and follow this road for two miles to the park. TIMBER LINN LAKE: rainbow trout This is a family-friendly fishing pond located within Timber-Linn Memorial Park in Albany. It was stocked in late May with 180 legal-size and larger hatchery rainbow trout. Please keep in mind that only one fish over 20-inches may be taken per day. Timber-Linn Lake can be reached by turning east off I-5 onto the Santiam Highway (Hwy. 20), then immediately turning north onto Price Road and proceeding to the park entrance. TIMOTHY LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, eastern brook, cutthroat trout, crayfish Stocked recently with 3,000 legal-sized rainbows and 500 trophy trout. Timothy Lake is located within the Mt. Hood National Forest approximately 75 miles southeast of Portland via Hwy. 26. Designated in 2015 as one of ODFW s trophy trout lakes, it is one of the most popular family camping and fishing destinations in the Mt. Hood National Forest. The lake's south shore features four developed campgrounds and boat ramps. Three smaller, less developed campgrounds are found in the north. A trail system for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians circles the lake. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail also traverses the area along the east side of the lake. Motorboats are allowed on Timothy Lake, although a 10 mph speed limit is in place. TRAIL BRIDGE RESERVOIR: trout The Eugene Water & Electric Board has begun a five-year construction project to retrofit, refurbish and upgrade capital equipment at its Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project. The work is being conducted in anticipation of a new federal operating license for the project. The capital construction projects planned for the timeframe will create significant public access constraints due primarily to safety concerns. In order to keep the public and construction personnel safe during the five-year project, EWEB and the Forest Service agreed to close access to Forest Road 730 at the Powerhouse. The closure will deny public access to Trail Bridge Campground, Smith Reservoir and Lake s End Campground. The closure of the road to the public started in March 2017 and will continue through ODFW has discontinued stocking of Trail Bridge reservoir for the duration of the closure hatchery fish allocated to the reservoir are being redistributed to other stocked waterbodies. Only adipose fin-clipped trout may be harvested from Trail Bridge Reservoir. Only flies and lures may be used. TRILLIUM LAKE trout Stock with 3,000 legal-sized rainbow trout and 333 trophy-sized trout on Aug. 28. Trillium is a 60-acre lake located approximately three miles east of Government Camp off of Hwy. 26. This lake is popular for fishing, camping and photography, often clearly reflecting Mount Hood. Adjacent Trillium Lake Campground is administered by the Zigzag Ranger

40 District of the Mount Hood National Forest. The large campground features a seasonal boat ramp and wheelchair-accessible floating dock. TROJAN POND trout, panfish Stocked in the spring with 500 trophy trout weighing approximately two pounds each. This is a 15-acre pond just east of Rainier on the north side of Hwy. 30 at the Trojan nuclear facility. The pond is located on the right side of the road as soon as you turn onto the Trojan Access Road. WALLING POND: trout, crappie, bass Stocked in May with 300 hatchery trout. This is an eight-acre privately owned pond located in Salem at the northeast corner of McGilchrist and 16th Streets, S.E. WALTER WIRTH LAKE: trout, crappie, bass Stocked in the spring with 1,850 hatchery rainbow trout, including 150 of those being larger-size. As a reminder, the bag limit is five trout per day, but only one over 20 inches. Walter Wirth is a 20-acre lake located within the City of Salem s Cascades Gateway Park. Good fishing opportunities remain for warm water species. WILLAMETTE RIVER: coho, spring Chinook, sturgeon, warm water species The early coho have arrived in the lower Willamette River and the best chance for angler success is around the mouth of the Clackamas River, where the fish will hold up some on their way up into the Clackamas itself. Spring Chinook and summer steelhead fishing are essentially done for the season, leaving anglers waiting until coho and winter steelhead begin to show up in good numbers. Warm water fish and sturgeon are still an option. The last day of spring Chinook passage counts was Aug. 15 at Willamette Falls while the very slow summer steelhead movement goes on. Through Sept. 15 numbers for summer steelhead stood at a very low 2,074 and the unofficial final spring Chinook count ended up at 34,186. Although it s very early the coho passage number at the Willamette Falls fish ladder stands at 40 through Sept. 15. Anglers will find there are plenty of warm water fishing opportunities on the Willamette for bass and small pan fish, working the rocky shorelines and around areas with structure, particularly near Cedar Island and Milwaukie. The use of barbed hooks is allowed when angling for salmon, steelhead, or trout in Willamette River downstream of Willamette Falls (including Multnomah Channel and Gilbert River) and in lower Clackamas River upstream to Highway 99E Bridge. Barbless hooks are still required when fishing for sturgeon. USGS hydrological data for the Willamette River on Sept. 18 has flows up just slightly at 8,600 cfs, the water temperature at 67 F, and visibility excellent at 7.7 ft. YAMHILL RIVER and tributaries: trout The river was stocked in May with 1,900 legal- and larger-size rainbow trout. The Yamhill and its tributaries are now open year-round for trout under the 2017 Oregon Sport Fishing

41 Regulations. Fishing shifts to catch-and-release for trout from Nov. 1 to May 21. Fishing and harvest of warmwater fish is also allowed during this period. WILLAMETTE ZONE HUNTING COUGAR, BLACK BEAR, ARCHERY DEER AND ELK, FOREST GROUSE, MOURNING DOVE, QUAIL UPCOMING: General Deer Coast and Cascade Buck (Sept. 30), Waterfowl (Oct. 14) EVENTS: Deer butchery with Eugene Meat Collective and Scott Haugen, Sept. 24 in Eugene Deer Hunting Classic with Scott and Tiffany Haugen, Sept. 30 at Cabela s Eugene Hunting forecasts now available Biologists from around the state weigh in on what to expect this fall. See the Big Game and Bird Hunting forecasts online. Youth Hunting Opportunities Statewide Youth Waterfowl Season (Sept ) Some public lands are not open for hunting during this season, please check with the appropriate management agency for allowance of youth hunting. All ODFW wildlife areas allow youth hunting. Note: only the Westside unit of Sauvie Island Wildlife Area is open, and this youth hunt will be conducted in the same manner as the Westside units during general waterfowl season Free pheasant hunts for youth hunters Sign up now Free hunts are being held in Corvallis, Eugene, and Portland, The Dalles (Tygh Valley). These events are only open to youth who have passed hunter education. (ODFW has many hunter education classes and field days available before the events.) An adult 21 years of age or older must accompany the youth to supervise but may not hunt. More info. For more youth hunting opportunities refer to page 26 of the 2017 Oregon Game Bird Regulations Take a Friend Hunting Win a Prize ODFW is hosting the new Take a Friend Hunting Contest to encourage friends and family members to enjoy time together in the outdoors this year. Hunting and fire danger in Oregon ODFW does not close hunting seasons due to fire danger. However, hunters may face restrictions due to fires burning on public land and reduced access to private lands during fire season. More info including list of private land closures

42 Please remember to check with the landowner for access restrictions prior to entering private lands. Private timberlands access policy. Hunters are reminded to have permission to hunt or make sure hunting is allowed before accessing private lands. In addition, industrial forestland owners will usually have information regarding access to their property posted on their gates and usually have a hotline devoted to providing upto-date access for hunters. BIG GAME 2017 Oregon Big Game Regulations ARCHERY DEER AND ELK season closes Sept. 24. As usual for this time of year, temperature plays a major factor in deer and elk activity levels. The animals can be expected to spend most of their time feeding in the late evenings and early mornings. During the heat of the day, they will typically bed in shady, cool locations such as north slopes of timber stands. Hunters using tree stands or ground blinds could have the advantage early in the season. Hunters should use binoculars to glass for animals in the early morning hours and hunt bedding areas during the heat of the day. As the temperatures begin to cool, animal activity during the day will begin to increase. Elk rutting activity should begin to pick up a little as the weather begins to cool. Hunters can expect to find bulls with or near the cow and calf groups as the rut develops. Please remember to check with landowners for current access restriction before hunting on private lands. The 2017 COUGAR season is open until Dec. 31 or the zone quota is met. Remember to purchase a 2017 Hunting License and 2017 Cougar Tag if you are planning to hunt for cougar this year. A productive hunting technique is to use predator calls to mimic a distressed prey species. Approaching cougars can be difficult to see when you are predator calling so hunting with a partner is advised. Successful cougar hunters will need to check-in any cougar taken at an ODFW office within 10 days of the kill. Hunters are reminded that biologists located in field offices may be out in the field handling other issues so call ahead to make arrangements to have your cougar checked-in. The hide and skull must be unfrozen and the skull and proof of sex must be attached to the hide. Cougar hunters are reminded that it is required to submit the reproductive tract of any female cougar taken. The reproductive tract provides valuable information on the number and frequency of kittens born annually in Oregon and is a critical part of ODFW s cougar population models. Please review the 2016 Big Game Hunting Regulations before your hunting trip to ensure that you are familiar with all of the requirements. SEE 2017 COUGAR REGULATIONS FOR DETAILS BEARS The Western Oregon General Black Bear season opened on August 1, 2017 and will close on December 31, With the coming of the summer/fall berry crops, hunters should key on areas that support ripe berries such as raspberries, trailing blackberries, Armenian blackberries, cascara trees, and huckleberries. Also pay attention to bee and hornet nests, as well as, rotten logs and stumps with ant colonies. Remember it is unlawful to take cubs less than one year old or sows with cubs less than one year old. This year s cubs will learn denning behavior from sows this winter, which is critical to their survival. Cubs will also stray further away from sows at this time of year compared to spring. Some cubs can be separated from sows up to 100 meters for short durations. If hunters suspect a

43 bear is a sow, then watch the sow and surrounding area for several minutes to make sure she does not have a cub(s). All harvested bears need to be checked in at an ODFW office. Only the skull is required for check in. Please call your local ODFW office and schedule a check in appointment prior to bringing the unfrozen skull in to ensure a Wildlife Biologist will be available to check in your bear. ODFW staff will remove a small premolar tooth to obtain the bear s age and check for a special staining related to our long term mark-recapture study to generate a population estimate. Both the age and stain marks are used to manage bear populations and continue to support bear hunting seasons with biological data. Your participation is critical in this effort. Hunters should try to collect the female reproductive tracts to add to our biological information. Female bear reproductive tract collection is voluntary, but very much appreciated. Upland Game Bird New This Year - Edible Portions of game birds means, at minimum, the meat of the breast associate with the sternum. Page 13 in the 2017 Oregon Game Bird Regulations. Quail, Mountain / California Open season from Sept. 1 to Jan 31. These brush loving birds are often found running between hiding and feeding areas in both brush land and riparian zones. Please remember that the daily bag limit is 10 birds and the possession limit is 30 birds singly or in aggregate when both California and mountain quail seasons are concurrent. Remember that wildlife laws state that the head or one fully feathered wing must be left attached to all game birds in the field or while in transit to the place of permanent residence of the possessor. Forest Grouse Open season from Sept. 1 to Jan 31. The forest grouse group collectively includes the Ruffled and Blue (dusky/sooty) grouse species. Look for grouse along the edges of timber patches during morning and evening times. Remember that the daily bag limit is 3 of each species and possession limit is 9 of each species. Remember that wildlife laws state that the head or one fully feathered wing must be left attached to all game birds in the field or while in transit to the place of permanent residence of the possessor. Your participation is greatly needed ODFW would appreciate your help in obtaining important information about the health of grouse and mountain quail populations. To do so we would like the tail (including the rump feathers) and one whole wing off of any grouse or mountain quail you harvest. Look in the 2017/18 Oregon Game Bird Regulations on page 25 for specific instructions for removing wings. Below is a list and location of individual wing collection barrels to help locate the one closest to you. The barrels are blue with highly visible yellow signs and are mounted horizontally on wooden stands. They read (Attention Grouse Hunters) on them. 1. Clackamas Office SE Evelyn St. Clackamas, OR Hillockburn Rd S. Hillockburn Rd. Estacada, OR. 3. Glen Avon - Intersection of S. Dickie Prairie Rd. & S. Molalla Forest Rd. 4. Rhododendron - Mt. Hood Foods: U.S. Hwy. 26, Rhododendron, OR Ripplebrook - Near the Ripplebrook Camp Store: Clackamas Hwy., Estacada, OR Estacada Ranger Station 595 NW Industrial Way Estacada, Or Scappoose Vernonia Hwy Intersection of Scappoose Vernonia Hwy. and Hwy Enterprise Mainline Rd. Intersection of Enterprise Mainline Rd. and Hwy. 47.

44 9. Stimson Mainline- Stimson Mainline Gate ( , ) 10. Sauvie Island Office NW Sauvie Island Rd. Portland, Or Migratory Game Birds New this year Legal shooting hours for geese in the Northwest Permit Zone are listed in the shooting time table on page 23 of the 2017 Oregon Game Bird Regulations. (Sunrise to Sunset) Mourning Dove Open season from Sept. 1 to Oct. 30. Remember the daily bag limit is 15 birds and possession limit is 45. Scout for habitat with plenty of perch locations near open areas. Also keep an eye out for water sources during dryer portions of the season. Many doves leave Oregon once fall weather starts approaching so hunting is best early in the season. Remember that wildlife laws state that the head or one fully feathered wing must be left attached while you are in the field or transporting the bird(s) home. WILLAMETTE ZONE WILDLIFE VIEWING Valleywide Wildlife Viewing OSPREY are fledging their young at this time of year. These fish-eating birds build large twiggy nests on the top of tall trees. In urban areas, they can be found on the top of human-made structures such as cell phone towers and telephone poles. A concentration of sticks on the tops of these structures is indicative of an osprey nest. Osprey are a protected species under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so be careful not to disturb a nest. NEWTS, a type of salamander common in the Pacific Northwest, may be observed in their migration from terrestrial environs such as rotten logs and moist soil to their breeding grounds in ponds, small lakes and the edges of streams. These small amphibians may be found if you are hiking in forests during or just after it rains. HARLEQUIN DUCKS are Oregon s only anadromous duck. This seaduck winters in the churning rocky intertidal zone at the coast and then moves inland to breed on turbulent mountain streams that mimic the crashing waters of their coastal environment. This bird has adapted to a unique way of life geared to taking advantage of the abundance of food that occurs where water flows fast and frothy. Harlequin ducks can be viewed in the spring and early summer along the middle and upper McKenzie River at Cooks Rapid or Bear Creek Rapid and the Middle Fork Willamette River around the town of Oakridge. They can also be found on the North Santiam River from Mill City upstream to above Marion Forks. Corvallis Area EE Wilson Wildlife Area. Trapper education for youth this Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. There are lots of deer, shorebirds and waterfowl to see on the Wildlife Area look for goose, mallard, hooded merganser and wood duck broods. Wildlife viewing remains good for waterfowl and shorebirds. Neotropical migrants in the area include yellow-breasted chat, American goldfinch, various swallows, warblers, thrush, kinglet and common yellowthroat.

45 Spring and summer are great times for birdwatching migrants as well as waterfowl including mallards, wood duck, hooded merganser, western Canada goose. Snipe and other shorebirds are periodically seen. Note: Dogs are required to be on a leash inside the wildlife area boundary. Rifles and pistols are prohibited year round. Find directions to EE Wilson Wildlife Area. Eugene Area Delta Ponds Turtles This time of year viewers can observe native western pond turtles as they soak up the sun basking on logs. The best time to observe turtles is mid-mornings on sunny days. The turtles will retreat back into the water if the temperature is too hot. Please try to observe the turtles from a distance to avoid disturbing them. Unfortunately, viewers will likely see Red-eared Sliders in addition to the Western Pond Turtles. The sliders are a non-native invasive species that compete with our native turtles for habitat and food. For more information, visit the City of Eugene Parks Web site. Fern Ridge Wildlife Area Fern Ridge Wildlife Area is open daily for public use providing great wildlife viewing opportunities. Observant visitors may catch a glimpse of black tailed deer and furbearers including beaver and otter, mink, red fox and coyotes. Some of the unusual and special bird species to be on the lookout for include white pelicans, black terns, band-tailed pigeons, yellow-headed blackbirds, osprey and bald eagles. This is a great time of year to look for waterfowl, shore birds, wading birds, songbirds, raptors, reptiles, and amphibians. There is an elevated viewing platform in the Fisher Butte unit just south of Royal Avenue that is open year-round. A second viewing platform is located 1/4 mile north of the Fisher Butte unit parking lot on Hwy 126. Portland: Sauvie Island Wildlife Area The Sauvie Island Wildlife Area Eastside units and Westside, Oak Island and North units are scheduled to close on Oct. 1 and will remain closed through April 15, Rentenaar Road, Eastside Viewing Platform and Coon Point will remain open for viewing. The trail to Warrior Rock Lighthouse remains open and offers a great hike along with bird viewing. All open areas are on Reeder Road and require a parking permit. When planning your trip to the island please see the current Game Bird Regulations for the hunt schedule and plan accordingly. Viewing opportunities are plentiful as the fall migration is upon us with a variety of waterfowl and migratory birds currently returning to the island, including geese, pelicans and peak numbers of sandhill cranes. Be sure to bring your binoculars. Sauvie Island is a main stopping point for migratory birds as they travel along the Pacific Flyway. ODFW actively manages the area to provide food and cover.

46 Sauvie Island Wildlife Area is located on Sauvie Island, only 10 miles north of Portland off Highway 30. A parking permit is required for the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area and can be purchased at ODFW License agents, ODFW offices, or online. For more information, call (503)

47 FISHING Weekend fishing opportunities: North and South Twin Lakes each were stocked with 1,000 rainbow trout, making this a great fishing opportunity. Anglers are reporting much better rainbow trout fishing than the last few years at Prineville Reservoir, with fish averaging 16 inches The entire lower Deschutes River is now open for trout fishing. Bull trout and kokanee fishing has been picking up on Lake Billy Chinook. Reports of good trout fishing on Crane Prairie. Recent sampling of Antelope Flat Reservoir and Walton Lake showed excellent winter survival with most trout in the 12 to 14-inch range. Lost and Clear lakes are now accessible: Both have been stocked and each has received an extra load of trophy-size fish. Send us your fishing report We d love to hear about your recent fishing experience. Send us your own fishing report through ODFW Fishing Reports -- the information will be forwarded to the local biologist who may use it to update various ODFW resources such as the weekly Recreation Report. ANTELOPE FLAT RESERVOIR: rainbow trout The water is dirty, but anglers are reporting good catches of both stocked and carryover rainbow trout from inches. Water levels are still good, the water is just below the paved portion of the ramp. BEND PINE NURSERY: rainbow trout, bluegill, bass Anglers may keep two fish per day. BIKINI POND: rainbow trout The pond has warmed past best fishing opportunities for trout. Good opportunity will return in late summer or early fall as temperatures cool. CENTURY POND: rainbow trout The pond is located ¼ mile west of the junction of USFS Rd 46 (Century Drive) and USFS Rd 4635.

48 CLEAR LAKE: rainbow trout No recent reports, the lake is likely getting low due to irrigation withdrawals. CRANE PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, kokanee Wild rainbow trout must be released. Only one trout over 20-inches per day. Cooler weather should distribute fish throughout the reservoir and increase feeding activity. CRESCENT LAKE: rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout and kokanee Open to fishing all year. One lake trout per day, 24-inch minimum length. CROOKED RIVER: redband trout, mountain whitefish Angling opportunities for redband trout and whitefish are improving. Recent surveys indicate the trout population has rebounded considerably from Most fish are in the 8-12 inch range, with the occasional larger trout. We are excited to see this popular fishery coming back. CULTUS LAKE: rainbow trout, lake trout Open to fishing all year. DAVIS LAKE: largemouth bass, redband trout Open to fishing all year. Restricted to fly-fishing only with barbless hooks. Catch-andrelease for trout. No limits on warmwater fish. DESCHUTES RIVER, MOUTH TO THE PELTON REGULATING DAM: redband trout, summer steelhead, whitefish Fall salmon fishing in the Deschutes should be good. The pre-season forecast for fall salmon returning to the Deschutes is about 17,000 adults. September and early October will be the best time to fish. Anglers are reporting quite a few fish caught in the Sherars Falls area. The fall salmon season closes on Oct. 31, Steelhead fishing has improved on the lower Deschutes from Moody Rapids upstream to Sherars Bridge and should continue to be decent until mid-october. Anglers who catch a tagged hatchery steelhead with an orange anchor tag, are encouraged to report catch information to ODFW at Anglers catching a tagged wild fish should release it immediately without recording any information. Counts at the Sherars Falls salmon and steelhead trap. The trap is only in operation from July to the end of October. Trapping has ended at Sherars Falls for the season. Lake Billy Chinook to Benham Falls: rainbow trout, brown trout Open for trout all year. Fishing restricted to artificial flies and lures. No size or limits on brown trout and no harvest of bull trout. Fall is a great time of year to fish this section.

49 Benham Falls upstream to Little Lava Lake: Wild rainbow trout must be released. 2 trout per day (including brook and brown trout, kokanee, and hatchery rainbow trout). Opportunities for brook trout upstream of Crane Prairie Reservoir are excellent. DEVILS LAKE: rainbow trout Open to fishing all year. EAST LAKE: rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee Anglers report good fishing. Open to fishing all year. Wild rainbow trout must be released. Cooler weather should provide excellent angling opportunities, particularly for brown trout along the shoreline. ELK LAKE: brook trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout Open to fishing all year. 25 kokanee per day in addition to daily trout limit. No size limits on kokanee. Fall is an excellent time to target brook trout along the shoreline. FALL RIVER: rainbow trout Anglers report good fishing for rainbow trout. Open to fishing all year. Restricted to flyfishing only with barbless hooks. HAYSTACK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill Fishing should be good this year. The reservoir was stocked with 9,500 legal-size trout and 75 brood fish. Warmwater fish are plentiful but tend to be on the smaller side. HOOD RIVER: Summer steelhead Anglers will find a few summer steelhead available in the river. Water temperatures may limit fishing opportunity, as glacial melt will limit water clarity. Angling for fall Chinook in the Hood River is prohibited. HOSMER LAKE: brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout Anglers report good fishing. Open to fishing all year. Restricted to fly-fishing only with barbless hooks. Catch-and-release for all species. KINGSLEY RESERVOIR: rainbow trout The area around Kingsley is closed to public access due to the Eagle Creek Fire. LAKE BILLY Chinook: bull, brown and rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass Bull trout are concentrated in the upper end of the Metolius Arm prior to and following spawning. Harvest limited to one fish over 24 inches. Tribal permit required for Metolius

50 Arm. Opportunities for kokanee are poor. Brown trout opportunities in the upper part of the Deschutes Arm are excellent. LAKE SIMTUSTUS: bull trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass Opportunities for inch rainbow trout are good. Tribal permit required. LAVA LAKE (BIG): rainbow trout Open to fishing all year. Fall fishing for large rainbow trout should be very good. LOST LAKE: rainbow trout The area around Lost Lake is closed to access due to the Eagle Creek Fire. METOLIUS RIVER: redband trout, bull trout Anglers report good fishing for bull trout. Fishing is restricted to fly fishing only upstream of Bridge 99 (Lower Bridge). Catch-and-release for trout including bull trout. Bait is not permitted below Bridge 99 (Lower Bridge). NORTH TWIN LAKE: rainbow trout Open to fishing all year. Fall fishing should be excellent. OCHOCO CREEK UPSTREAM TO OCHOCO DAM: rainbow trout Fishing is restricted to artificial flies and lures only; two trout per day with an 8-inch minimum length. Trout 20-inches and greater must be released unharmed. OCHOCO RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, black crappie, smallmouth bass Opportunities for both wild and hatchery rainbow trout continue to be very good. Average size is inches. Trout are widespread throughout the reservoir. Black crappie and smallmouth bass are also available. The boat ramp is unusable now. ODELL LAKE: lake trout, kokanee, rainbow trout Open to fishing all year. All tributaries to Odell Lake are closed to fishing. All bull trout must be released unharmed. Kokanee are preparing to spawn and getting darker. PAULINA LAKE: brown trout, rainbow trout, kokanee Open to fishing all year. Wild rainbow trout must be released. Fall angling for brown trout should be good. PINE HOLLOW RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, largemouth bass Lake levels are low but fishing has continued to be fairly good. PRINEVILLE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie

51 Anglers are reporting much better rainbow trout fishing than the last few years with fish averaging 16 inches. Despite a die-off earlier this year, opportunities for black crappie continue to be excellent. The reduction in numbers will increase growth and size of remaining fish. The Powderhouse Cove boat ramp may be unusable but the State Park ramp is good. PRINEVILLE YOUTH FISHING POND: rainbow trout and largemouth bass Trout stocking will resume when the water temperature is suitable. ROCK CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout No recent reports. Lake levels are likely dropping from irrigation withdrawals. SHEVLIN YOUTH FISHING POND: rainbow trout Open to youth only (17 years and under) and disabled anglers. Limit is two fish per day. SOUTH TWIN LAKE: rainbow trout Open to fishing all year. Rainbow trout fishing should be excellent SPARKS LAKE: cutthroat trout Open to fishing all year. Fly fishing only, barbless hooks required. SPRAGUE POND: rainbow trout Turn at Cow Meadow sign off USFS Rd 40. Take first left at first dirt road and follow road to pond. SUTTLE LAKE: brown trout, kokanee Open to fishing all year. 25 kokanee per day in addition to daily trout limit. No size limits on kokanee. TAYLOR LAKE (Wasco County): rainbow trout, largemouth bass No recent reports, likely slow for trout fishing. THREE CREEK LAKE: rainbow trout, brook trout Open to fishing all year. Opportunities for rainbow and brook trout are excellent. WALTON LAKE: rainbow trout Angling for rainbow trout is excellent with both boat and bank anglers reporting good catches of inch rainbow trout. All gear types are producing good results. Anglers are reminded no boat motors are allowed on Walton.

52 WICKIUP RESERVOIR: kokanee, brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass Reservoir is pool is drawn down and about one-third full. Anglers are encouraged to not disturb spawning kokanee and brown trout in the Sheep s Bridge area. Snagging or attempting to snag a fish is unlawful. CENTRAL ZONE HUNTING OPEN: COUGAR, COYOTE, BEAR, ARCHERY DEER AND ELK (closes Sept. 24), FOREST GROUSE, MOURNING DOVE, CALIF QUAIL, MTN QUAIL IN HOOD RIVER, WASCO COS, BAND-TAILED PIGEON (closes Sept. 23) Hunting forecasts now available Biologists from around the state weigh in on what to expect this fall. See the Big Game and Bird Hunting forecasts online. Free pheasant hunts for youth hunters Sign up now Free hunts are being held in The Dalles (Tygh Valley). These events are only open to youth who have passed hunter education. (ODFW has many hunter education classes and field days available before the events.) An adult 21 years of age or older must accompany the youth to supervise but may not hunt. More info. Hunting and fire danger in Oregon ODFW does not close hunting seasons due to fire danger. However, hunters may face restrictions due to fires burning on public land and reduced access to private lands during fire season. More info including list of private land closures Wolves and coyotes can look alike Most wolves in the state today are in northeast Oregon but a few have dispersed further west and south. Wolves are protected by state and/or federal law and it is unlawful to shoot them. Coyote hunters need to take extra care to identify their target as wolves can look like coyotes, especially wolf pups in the mid-summer and fall. Please report any wolf sightings or wolf sign to ODFW using the online reporting system. Use the Oregon Hunting Map to see where to hunt. PRINEVILLE/OCHOCO WILDLIFE DISTRICT Fall Black Bear season opened August 1, and runs through November 30 in Eastern Oregon. Highest bear densities in the district are on timbered forest lands at higher elevations on the Ochoco National Forest. Remember, check in of harvested bears is mandatory within 10 days of harvest, please check the regulations for required parts and make an appointment. Archery Deer and Elk seasons are underway, and run through Sept. 24. The season has been hot and dry to this point, with difficult hunting conditions leading to mixed success. Forecasted cooler and wetter weather should help hunters with quieter

53 conditions and more animal activity. Reminder: The Ochoco and Maury units are controlled entry hunts, and hunters must possess the proper controlled archery tags. Cougar are present throughout the Maury, Ochoco, and Grizzly units. The Maury and Ochoco units are recommended because of their greater amounts of public lands and better accessibility. Cougars must be checked in at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest. Please consult the synopsis for all required parts and be sure to call first to make an appointment. Coyotes can offer an exciting challenge. Both the Maury and Ochoco have sizeable areas of public lands that provide hunting opportunities. Hunters should use caution, be properly equipped and prepared for whatever the weather might bring. Mourning Dove season opens September 1. Hunters are reminded that Eurasian-collared doves are unprotected and can be taken year round. Grouse Season opens September 1 and includes both Blue and Ruffed Grouse w/ a daily bag limit of 3 of each species. Blue Grouse are typically found on semi-forested ridge lines, while ruffed grouse can be found along creek drainages. THE DALLES DISTRICT Archery Elk: Season dates run until Sept. 24. The bag limit for the West Biggs, Maupin, White River, and Hood Units is one elk. Hot and dry conditions have made hunting difficult for most of the season, but new rain in the forecast has potential to increase your odds of success for the final week of the season. There is a large fire burning in the Hood unit right now. All public lands in the unit have been closed to access. Make sure you check with The USFS before you make any plans of hunting there. If planning to hunt private timberlands in the Unit, make sure you check with them to make sure the lands are open to access. Archery Deer: Season dates run until Sept. 24. One buck with a visible antler is the bag limit in the White River. One deer is the bag limit in the West Biggs, Maupin, and Hood units. There is a large fire burning in the Hood unit right now. All public lands in the unit have been closed to access. Make sure you check with The USFS before you make any plans of hunting there. If planning to hunt private timberlands in the Unit, make sure you check with them to make sure the lands are open to access. Coyotes: Try calling for them from open fields, meadows, and pastures. The best areas to find them will be near farm grounds on the eastern boundary. Look for them in early morning or evening and pay close attention to wind direction. Cougar: Cougars can be found in the same areas as deer and elk as they follow them through their migration routes. Fall Black Bear: Bear season started August 1 and runs through November 30 in Eastern Oregon. Bear populations are healthy in the White River and Hood units, with populations more heavily concentrated in the Hood unit. Focus on fall berry patches and glassing open areas for your best shot at finding bears. The bag limit is one bear per tag, except that it is unlawful to take cubs less than one year old or sows with cubs less than one year old.

54 Please refer to page 28 of the 2017 Big Game Hunting Regulations for information on specific season restrictions. Hunters are required to check-in the unfrozen hide and skull, with proof of sex attached to an ODFW office within 10 days. Hunters are also required to provide the reproductive tract of harvested female cougars and bears. See pg. 42 of the regulations for details. White River Wildlife Area Archery Deer: General season runs from Aug. 26 thru Sept. 24. One buck with a visible antler may be harvested in the White River Unit. Most of the larger migratory bucks are summering at higher elevations but some resident bucks can still be found scattered throughout the wildlife area and bordering private lands. The cool wet spring produced and abundance of feed but the summer heat wave that we are experiencing has dried much of it up. The extremely dry conditions will make stalking bucks a little more challenging than normal. Archery Elk: General season runs from Aug. 26 thru Sept. 24. The bag limit for elk is one elk. Elk can be found throughout the Wildlife Area. Look for areas with good food, cover, and water sources to help find tracks, scat, and other sign that elk are using the area. BEARS can be found throughout WRWA but you may be more successful locating food sources in the higher elevations within Mt. Hood National Forest. Locate chokecherry, bittercherry, and elderberries, search for tracks and scat on roads and trails. Scan canyon slopes and open areas to try and spot them feeding in early morning and evenings. Mourning Dove: September 1 st October 30; Daily bag limit 15. Good numbers of doves can be found throughout the wildlife area. White River Wildlife Area has standing wheat, sunflowers, barley, and oats that will concentrate doves. Once you ve located a good feeding, watering, or traveling route, sit and wait for the doves to come to you. Early season hunting has better odds of success as doves will begin migrating with a change in the weather. Cougar: Cougar season is open Jan. 1- Dec. 31 or until Zone Mortality Quotas have been met. Calling with distress calls or cougar vocalizations can be effective. However, locating a fresh, naturally made kill has the best chance of success. Coyotes: Populations are good throughout the wildlife area. Be aware that bobcats and cougars may respond to predator calls, and separate licensing and season limitations exist for these species. CENTRAL ZONE WILDLIFE VIEWING CROOK COUNTY Red-tailed, rough-legged and ferruginous hawks, northern harriers, American kestrels, prairie falcons and golden eagles can be found throughout Crook County and are usually associated more closely with open/agricultural areas. Bald eagles and osprey can be found associated with water bodies. Northern goshawks can be located throughout the Ochoco National Forest.

55 Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area: The Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area offers access to view a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, coyotes, otter, beaver, raptors, shorebirds and waterfowl. Maps of the wildlife area are available at the Prineville ODFW office, at Prineville Reservoir State Park office and the ODFW website. Note: The exterior gates are now open, after being closed all winter to protect wintering mule deer. Vehicles must remain on open roads, designated by a green dot, and cross-country motorized travel is prohibited. Deschutes County At this time of year the hot weather conditions can make viewing wildlife challenging. Birds are more active in the early morning hours and many mammals will find a shady bush, hollow tree, burrow, or safe rocky area to escape the heat of the day. Even reptiles, that require the sun to bring their bodies up to working temperature, have to seek shade during the hottest hours, as they are unable to sweat or pant to shed heat. That said; if you are out and about during the heat of the day, the best places to see wildlife are wetlands, lakes, and rivers with robust riparian and emergent vegetation. This is generally true at any time of the year, but especially so when the thermometer rises and wildlife change their activity patterns to avoid temperature extremes. Like us, wildlife will look for a shady spot to gain refuge from the heat, and being flushed from their shelter to avoid contact with curious humans can cause them unnecessary stress; therefore, it is best to provide wildlife space and enjoy them from a distance with the aid of binoculars or a spotting scope. Deschutes County is home to an impressive array of reptiles that includes 7 lizard and 8 snake species. Be careful if you come across a rattlesnake. Never try to pick one up and if you hear the warning rattle, but cannot see the snake, locate the sound and move in an opposite direction. At this time of year many reptiles are more active in the early morning and late evening hours. Western fence lizards and sagebrush lizards can be seen through much of the day, but as previously mentioned, they will seek shade during the hottest hours. They can be found in many areas of Deschutes County, but good places to find them include sagebrush habitats with rocky outcrops. If you find yourself in open areas with volcanic soils or in pine woodlands, look for the diminutive short-horned lizards as they sit motionless near active ant mounts ready to enjoy a meal of their favorite six legged food. Vegetated margins of ponds and lakes are great places to find treefrogs, western toads, and long-toed salamanders. Late summer is the time when most amphibian species change from tadpoles and larvae into mini frogs and salamanders. One site that usually has an abundance of newly changed tree frogs and western toads is Sparks Lake on the Cascade Lakes Highway, but be careful where you step as they can sometimes be found carpeting areas in the hundreds or thousands. Excellent places to visit and increase your chance of seeing wildlife include any of the Cascade lakes and reservoirs, such as Wickiup, Davis, Elk, and Crane Prairie. Lower elevation sites include Smith Rock State Park at Terrebonne and Hatfield Lakes (just northeast of the Bend airport) where you can expect to see a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds and multiple gull species, along with deer, rabbits, and a diversity of other mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Bird watching is not just limited to wild places. Residents and visitors to Bend can see a wide variety of birds along the trails that follow the Deschutes River in Bend or watch Vaux s swifts flying over the former Bend library (at 507 NW Wall St.) and disappearing into the chimney at dusk.

56 Whether you re interested in song birds, water birds, or raptors and prefer remote or urban birding experiences, directions to a list of great birding locations can be found at East Cascades Audubon Society web site. 8/1/2017 THE DALLES DISTRICT The Lower Deschutes River provides ample wildlife viewing opportunities. California bighorn sheep are frequently observed in the canyon and can provide fantastic viewing all times of the year. The best spot to view sheep is from the BLM access road just downstream and across the river from Sherars Falls (along Hwy 216). Focus your efforts near large cliff complexes for best viewing. Sheep can also be viewed from The Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area access trail on the east side of the river by hiking up from the mouth of the river. Sheep can be seen about as low as river mile 7 or 8. Many different raptor species can be seen in the Deschutes River Canyon this time of year including Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Prairie Falcons, Peregrine Falcons, Golden Eagles, and Osprey. Great wildlife viewing opportunities also exist on The Woosley Tract of Lower Deschutes Wildlife area. Many unique bird species can be found throughout the area. Bighorn sheep also can be found using the area. It can be accessed through BLM lands at the mouth of Oak, Ferry, or Ward canyons. You will need a boat to access the area, which provides a very remote experience, with usually very few other people around, if any. Please call The Dalles district office at with any questions about accessing the area. WHITE RIVER WILDLIFE AREA Elk can be found throughout White River Wildlife Area, often seen traveling back and forth from bedding to feeding areas. Large herd bulls will soon be moving in to gather cows for the rut and can be heard bugling in the early morning and late evening. This year s spring weather has produced healthy stands of grasses, forbs, and other browse making the elk more dispersed. Bald and golden eagles and various other raptors, such as northern harriers, American kestrels, red-tailed and rough-legged hawks, are commonly observed. Other birds to keep an eye out for are Lewis s Woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers, western bluebirds, horned larks, western meadowlarks, Townsend s solitaire, Flickers, and lots of robins. Other animals that can be seen on the area are coyotes, badgers, bobcats, bears and cougars. These animals are very secretive and are hard to locate. You may get to see a coyote scavenging for mice in open pastures and fields but the other animals are much harder to find. Consider yourself lucky if you get to see one of these cautious animals. With the warmer weather be mindful that wildlife are trying to escape the heat in the middle of the day, so if you see something hiding in the shade please observe from a distance. 9/5/2017

57 FISHING Weekend Fishing Opportunities: With cooling temperatures leading into this weekend fishing should get better in your local waterbodies! Fishing is excellent for yellow perch in Upper Klamath Lake near Recreation and Crystal Creeks. Delintment Lake has been fishing well recently with consistent catches of 8-10 inch rainbow trout. Due to fire the allotment of rainbow trout scheduled for Campbell and Deadhorse Lakes were stocked into Fourmile Lake a couple weeks ago. Keep on the lookout for radio-tagged redband trout in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Williamson, Sprague and Wood Rivers. Please release these fish unharmed. Regional resources Klamath District Stocking Schedules Klamath Wilderness Lakes Fish Presence Lakeview District Stocking Schedule Google Maps of Stocking Locations Southeast Zone Fishing Guide This guide, produced in 2015, has better descriptions of waterbodies and directions to those waterbodies. Current regulations and water levels might not be accurate. Send us your fishing report We d love to hear about your recent fishing experience. Send us your own fishing report through ODFW Fishing Reports -- the information will be forwarded to the local biologist who may use it to update various ODFW resources such as the Weekly Recreation Report. ANA RESERVOIR: hatchery rainbow trout, hybrid bass Fishermen this past week were picking up rainbow trout in the range trolling rapalas and other baitfish imitations. Bait fishing from the bank has also been producing trout recently. This lake is open year-round, providing a great opportunity to catch hybrid bass and rainbow trout. A 16-pound hybrid bass was caught earlier this season and hybrid bass larger than 20-inches are not uncommon. Hybrid bass are targeted successfully using crank baits and fishing bait along the bottom. A new state record hybrid bass (white and striped bass cross) was caught in Ana Reservoir on Dec. 10, The fish was caught using a Rapala crankbait on 10 lb. test line and measured 31½ inches with a girth of 24 inches. The fish weighed 19 lbs. 12 oz. The new

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