Tualatin River bass fishing

I am pretty sure the Tualatin is closed right now. Bass fishing is generally restricted to trout, salmon, or steelhead seasons. The Tualatin will open for bass when it opens for trout in may.

Lakes: Open all year.
Streams: Open
during trout, salmon
or steelhead
seasons, except
mainstem Willamette
River and sloughs
and tidewater
areas of Columbia
River tributaries
downstream from
Bonneville Dam are
open all year.

The Tualatin is only open May 23rd through October 31st. It does not have any salmon/steelhead season other than for coho, and that ends in October. it is not a tidewater portion of the Columbia river tributaries, and only the mainstem Willamette is open all year.

Even if it were open, you can't use bait this time of year.

I saw some kids fishing the other day at cook park. I asked at a couple of different tackle shops, they said it wasn't closed. I would be using artificial lures only and it would be all catch and release. just before this storm, the river looked pretty good, I imagine this storm will blow it out for a few days... I'll wait for it to start to clear.

Tualatin River Closed to fishing until May 23!

Tualatin River Closed to fishing until May 23!

nicholas said:

Lakes: Open all year.
Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except
mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and tidewater areas of Columbia River tributaries
downstream from Bonneville Dam are open all year.

The Tualatin is only open May 23rd through October 31st. It does not have any salmon/steelhead season other than for coho, and that ends in October. it is not a tidewater portion of the Columbia river tributaries, and only the mainstem Willamette is open all year.

Click to expand...

per my check of the 2015 regs, nicholas is quite correct, he quoted above the Willamette zone regs for Warmwater Game Fish, we then check the special regs for the Tualatin River (below) and find nothing that modifies the zone regs, therefore the Tualatin is closed to fishing except during trout, salmon or steelhead season, which means it opens on May 23. cheers, roger

Tualatin River (Clack./Washington Co.)
1. From mouth upstream to Hwy 47 bridge at Gaston
• Open for trout May 23-Oct. 31, 2 trout per day.
• Use of bait allowed May 23-Oct. 31.
• Open for coho salmon Aug. 1-Oct. 31.
2. Mainstem and Tributaries upstream from Hwy 47 bridge, and Tualatin River Basin tributaries not listed
• Open for trout May 23-Oct. 31, 2 trout per day.
• Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures.

Dude, doesn't matter if you saw some kids fishing, they probably never even read the regs, just know that they fish it without getting ticketed so, it must be open! Nah. It is most definitely closed. Even if people say it is open, the rulebook for fishing rivers is the odfw regs. I would highly recommend to not fish it, or risk a fine...Plus, I hate the Tualatin. Always muddy, full of snags, just boring.

Agree with everyone here about it being closed and checking the regs, however Sapo you did forget to mention the smell in your list of complaints

I believe in years past it was open to C&R with a no-bait rule in effect year round, but this year's regs (and I think last year was the same) seem to clearly show it's closed.

But you can fish at the mouth, as long as you stay out of the Tualatin. There's a boat ramp there (that you'll have to yourself).

I remember closure for the 6 years I've lived in tualatin so far. Sapo, I don't understand your dislike for the open sewer. I've caught some pretty cool fish in there, and the smell is...... BREATHTAKING

I'll wait till it opens and then explore it. I was hoping I could get some helpful information other than when it is open. Thanks guys

Sweet. Fishwhisperer, I can't offer much info on that river, but I know that drifting worms along for bass, artificial lures, spinners, are all effective at some point and some time. I met a guy down at Cook Park who was fishing for catfish with tuna belly, or some tuna stuff, and he was catching biiig ones! Mouth of fanno creek has bass and apparently under that bridge there in Cook where fanno enters there are tons of bass...I have seen them caught but never caught them there.

I have fished the "big T" a number of times from the bank and a few times from my kayak. I agree that under the walking bridge near where Fanno creek dumps in is a good spot (and it is shore accessible). That is one of the deeper spots around that area and it forms an eddy there. I also have done well around Cook park. Mostly I throw inexpensive soft plastic baits. There are a lot of snags in the river so be prepared to lose some baits.

Also, if you are looking for places to explore sooner for bass with your kick boat you might want to consider Swan Island harbor. I have never fished it for bass much (great winter sturgeon spot), but I have to believe that a lot of bass are in the calm water - especially near the mouth of the harbor - in the winter time. That is a 1 mile trip (2 mile round trip) from the launch so perhaps that is not worth it.

Other spots to try are launching at Cedaroak park and fishing the lagoon in Cedaroak island. I have not fished it in the winter, but I know folks have caught bass there in the winter time. Other spots that you could try right now would be Vernonia pond (open year round and nice and small) or Blue lake park (open to non-rental boats except in the summer).

Best of luck!

Thank you bass. This info was very helpful.

When it opens, you could use a bicycle to shuttle a drift between Cook and Tualatin Community park. Short drift, which covers the spots mentioned here. Take you all of about 5 minutes or so to make the shuttle -- much longer to drive your vehicle back. I ride my bike through there frequently. I've caught a smallie or two, and pikeminoow like they're going out of style. But my best Tualatin smallmouth was just above the mouth (trying to intercept coho last fall, since I was in the neighborhood). I don't think you can drift the very lower section (as usual, I could be wrong), due to obstacles. But the Toiletown is chock-full of fish. Not many cutties in the lower sections, but plenty of cats, carp, squaws, and smallies.

When in doubt, drift a worm on the Tualatin. Go light on weight, since as mentioned, it's a big-time tackle-grabber.

And anywhere you find an eddy, you'll find the fish.