Oregon Fishing Guides

Freshwater Fishing In Oregon

Oregon is a beautiful state with many different types of natural habitats. These include large cities, the Willamette River Valley, the Cascade Mountains, prairies, high desert, and vast expanses of pine forests. The state also has numerous lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams, and pond that provide excellent fishing opportunities.

Numerous lakes and rivers provide salmon fishing for Cohos, Chinooks, chum, and kokanee. Some of the best salmon rivers in the state include the Columbia, the Rogue, the Elk, and the Chetco. Major lakes and reservoirs that hold healthy salmon populations include Odell Lake, Wallowa Lake, crescent Lake, and Phillips Lake.

Trout fishing is very popular here, and the fish can be found all over the state. Species include cutthroat, rainbow, brown, brook, and lake trout. Professional trout fishing guides can help you find the best lake, river, or stream, along with the best chances of landing some nice fish.

Oregon provides some good bass fishing, too. Largemouth bass fishing is usually better in lakes and ponds near the coast, where the winters are milder. The state record largemouth weighed 11 pounds, 10 ounces. Smallmouth fishing is excellent in Oregon, and numerous lakes and rivers have plentiful supplies of smallies. The largest ever recorded in the state was an 8 pound-12 ounce fish that was pulled from Hagg Lake.

Both black and white crappie are widespread. These are fun to catch, and they’re even better on the table. The state record white crappie weighed 4 pounds, 4 ounces and came from the Gerber Reservoir. The state record black crappie was caught in Corvallis Pond and weighed in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces.

Catfish can be found in practically every river and most of the lakes in Oregon. Species include the channel, the white, and the flathead. The largest of these was a flathead that weighed 42 pounds and came from the Snake River.

Fishing Guides In Oregon

Great Fishing Spots In Oregon

Crater Lake – This 15,000-acre lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. At it’s deepest point, the depth measures 1,949 feet. Located in southwest Oregon, Crater Lake provides breathtaking scenery and great fishing. Rainbow trout and kokanee salmon reproduce in the lake naturally, and their populations are healthy.

Hart Lake – Hart is a great place for trout fishing, along with landing crappie, catfish, and a variety of panfish. This lake covers 10,000 acres in south-central Oregon. Hire a fishing guide to help you land a trophy trout.

Brownlee Reservoir – This is a long, narrow reservoir that’s located on the eastern edge of the state. It covers 15,000 acres and is 57 miles long. This is an older reservoir that was created in 1957, and it’s fed by waters rich in nutrients. Because of this, along with the fact that Brownlee is a warmwater lake, fish thrive here. Great fishing can be found for crappie, trout, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill, catfish, and both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Columbia River – If you’re after a big salmon, check out the Columbia River – especially the lower sections. Many salmon anglers consider it to be the best waters in the state for Coho and Chinooks. Fish up to 50 pounds are not uncommon. The river also provides some great sturgeon fishing, world-class smallie angling, and some superior walleye action. The state record walleye was landed here – a whopper that weighed almost 20 pounds. There’s no shortage of knowledgeable fishing guides for the Columbia, either.