ODFW Recreation Report
October 3rd, 2019
Pheasant, chukar, and eastside duck hunting opens this weekend
Several popular bird hunting season open this Saturday, including the general Northeast and Central fall turkey hunts. To see how the season could be shaping up, check out the 2019-20 Game Bird Hunting Forecast.
Fall bird and big game migrations make for great wildlife viewing
The fall migration of ducks, geese, and other birds is underway across the state. Both serious birders and casual viewers look forward to this annual passage. Big game animals like deer and elk also are on the move as they shift from summer ranges in the mountains to lower elevations and better forage.
Best bets for fishing
With many outdoor enthusiasts preoccupied with hunting, this can be a good time to hit the water. Fish like the cooler weather and you’ll like the quieter, slower pace.
- The recent rains were enough to get hopes up, but not rivers levels in most north coast rivers. Instead, look for fish to be stacking up in the bays waiting for a big rain to bring river levels up.
- Lost Creek Reservoir was stocked this week with legal-size and larger trout, with the cooler temperatures the fishing will be good and both boat ramps are accessible.
- Coho continues to move into the Sandy and Clackamas rivers.
- Anglers have been catching decent numbers of steelhead on the lower Deschutes River from the mouth to Sherars Falls.
- Fly-fishing on the Chewaucan River has been excellent, with one angler landing a 28-inch redband!
- The Klamath River below Keno Dam is the best bet for good fishing in the Klamath Basin.
- Trout fishing on the Grande Ronde and Wallowa rivers has been good and should be good throughout the cool days of fall.