Bass and or Crappie in Willamette tributaries ???

[TOJIACK FLOATMAN]

OK, So I know there are bass and crappie in the lower Willamette River. As I live in Central Oregon I dont get the opportunity to fish the big river. On a recent trip on 205 s near the Oregon City exit I caught glimpses of the river off to my left and then briefly passed over a smaller river that made me set straight up in my seat and take notice. There was a picturesque view of slow moving green water with a couple fallen trees lying down and shadowy limbs hanging nicecly over and well above the water. In my mind I was already in that water in my Togiack float tube working twitch baits for fat smallies that were uneducated to artificial lures. When I got home and began checking maps it appears this must have been part of the Clackamas River. I know this river to be a prominant Salmon, Steelhead and trout fishery so I started checking on the possibility of Smallmouth bass and possible Crappie in that water. What I come up with is both are in Lake Oswego however rarely caught as is a private lake with extremely limited boat access due to the lake ownership association requireing boats to be steam cleaned if allowed to launch at all to avoid invasive weed or algae threat. So there you have it. Bass and Crappie on both ends of the Clackamas but no mention of them in the river ??? Never known mother nature especially if aided by fisherman with less than cautious fish handling practices , find a way to allow the fish to go from point "A" to point "B" and procreate. Have any of you or anyone you kwown caught either bass, crappie or perch in the Clackamas or any other tributaries into the Willamette ??? I have a chance to return to that area in 2 weeks and would give it a try if they are even remotely available. I have caught my fill of trout for awhile and would love some nice fiesty white meat fish to put on the table. Gimme a holler if you have any insight here. Thanks for reading .

 

[NWDiscer]

im thinking you were over the Tualatin not the Clack. Lake O is on the other side the Willy from the Clack.

 

[Modest_Man]

OK, So I know there are bass and crappie in the lower Willamette River. As I live in Central Oregon I dont get the opportunity to fish the big river. On a recent trip on 205 s near the Oregon City exit I caught glimpses of the river off to my left and then briefly passed over a smaller river that made me set straight up in my seat and take notice. There was a picturesque view of slow moving green water with a couple fallen trees lying down and shadowy limbs hanging nicecly over and well above the water. In my mind I was already in that water in my Togiack float tube working twitch baits for fat smallies that were uneducated to artificial lures. When I got home and began checking maps it appears this must have been part of the Clackamas River. I know this river to be a prominant Salmon, Steelhead and trout fishery so I started checking on the possibility of Smallmouth bass and possible Crappie in that water. What I come up with is both are in Lake Oswego however rarely caught as is a private lake with extremely limited boat access due to the lake ownership association requireing boats to be steam cleaned if allowed to launch at all to avoid invasive weed or algae threat. So there you have it. Bass and Crappie on both ends of the Clackamas but no mention of them in the river ??? Never known mother nature especially if aided by fisherman with less than cautious fish handling practices , find a way to allow the fish to go from point "A" to point "B" and procreate. Have any of you or anyone you kwown caught either bass, crappie or perch in the Clackamas or any other tributaries into the Willamette ??? I have a chance to return to that area in 2 weeks and would give it a try if they are even remotely available. I have caught my fill of trout for awhile and would love some nice fiesty white meat fish to put on the table. Gimme a holler if you have any insight here. Thanks for reading .

Try the Tualatin, lower Molalla, and Pudding lower down. Or try the lower Luckiamute a bit farther up.

I agree that you didn't go over the Clackamas and it was over the Tualatin...

 

[bass]

As others have stated, 205 crosses both the Clack and the Tualatin, but your description of the water matches the Tualatin as it appears from 205. The Tualatin is a very good smallmouth river, some largemouth as well. There are quite a few parks along its course with good access. This site has a nice list (http://www.tualatinriverkeepers.org/river_access.html). There are some other sites with maps as well. Have fun!

 

[TOJIACK FLOATMAN]

Thanks guys, you have made my day ! So answer one more question for me, do you think this would be a good one to do a float tube drift in ? My Togiack handles water pretty well and I have some powerful dive fins that manuver me well. Would of course like to avoid any fast water riffles. The water I saw looked slow and easy . Funny how that water just sang of good warmwater fishing to me and all you guys confirmed it . I will be checking out the site you provided bass for access. Next trip to take the little woman to see the inlaws in Sherwood I am going AWOL !!!

***** Since posting this I have viewed the Tualitin River Keepers website and hear of threats of log jams and launch sites where blackberrys may be an issue. Blackberrys and float tubes full of air dont get along so well as is trying to figure how to negotiate a log jam from one either . Figure could do a 5 to maybe 7 mile fishing/floating stretch in a day without these obstacles being present. would be putting in upriver and getting out somewhere down river. Based on this I would love any recommendations you might have if you were going to try this. I am stoked just thinking about this adventure and maybe hook up with any others of a like mind to give it a go *****

 

[bass]

Thanks guys, you have made my day ! So answer one more question for me, do you think this would be a good one to do a float tube drift in ? My Togiack handles water pretty well and I have some powerful dive fins that manuver me well. Would of course like to avoid any fast water riffles. The water I saw looked slow and easy . Funny how that water just sang of good warmwater fishing to me and all you guys confirmed it . I will be checking out the site you provided bass for access. Next trip to take the little woman to see the inlaws in Sherwood I am going AWOL !!!

***** Since posting this I have viewed the Tualitin River Keepers website and hear of threats of log jams and launch sites where blackberrys may be an issue. Blackberrys and float tubes full of air dont get along so well as is trying to figure how to negotiate a log jam from one either . Figure could do a 5 to maybe 7 mile fishing/floating stretch in a day without these obstacles being present. would be putting in upriver and getting out somewhere down river. Based on this I would love any recommendations you might have if you were going to try this. I am stoked just thinking about this adventure and maybe hook up with any others of a like mind to give it a go *****

As of a month ago I know you can put in at Brown's Ferry park and make it all the way up to the riffle above Durham City park (where Fanno Creek dumps in). My son and I did that paddle in a rented kayak and there were no blockages in that stretch. I paddled through the riffle with no problem, I would guess that you could just stand up and walk it if you wanted to keep going. In looking downstream from Brown's Ferry it was open as far as the eye could see. The current is quite sluggish, I do not think you will have any problems. I can't report on the fishing since we were just out for a paddle. Good luck, I love taking the kids to the Tualatin for a mix of smallmouth, pikieminnows, suckers, carp and occasional largemouth. Last thing, it is a VERY snaggy river so make sure you pack enough tackle.

 

[TOJIACK FLOATMAN]

Thanks Bass ! Where would you put that riffle at upstream from Browns Ferry ? Would it be before you reached Tualitin Community Park or above it ? Am wanting to plan a slow drift of sorts with someone dropping me off and later picking me up downstream. Dont want to over extend myself time wise but by the same token I dont want it to end after 2 or 3 hrs. either. I have much tackle to feed the river gods although I plan to use techniques more suited to keeping it unless the fish steal it from me for that type of fishing.

 

[bass]

Thanks Bass ! Where would you put that riffle at upstream from Browns Ferry ? Would it be before you reached Tualitin Community Park or above it ? Am wanting to plan a slow drift of sorts with someone dropping me off and later picking me up downstream. Dont want to over extend myself time wise but by the same token I dont want it to end after 2 or 3 hrs. either. I have much tackle to feed the river gods although I plan to use techniques more suited to keeping it unless the fish steal it from me for that type of fishing.

They are above Tualatin park. The following are google maps coordinates for the riffles, you can just copy and paste them into Google maps: 45.392945,-122.765764

Good luck!