Early June steelhead-need advice

[eyedoc]

My wife and I plane to be in Eugene around the 10th of June for the NCAA Div I track and field championships to watch our daughter compete and I would like to make the trip into a fishing trip either before or after she competes. I need some recommendations about rivers and outfitters in the area around Eugene and would also consider a couple of days down on the Rogue if the fishing would be enough better to warrant the trip down there. We are from Missouri and fish the White River heavily for big browns and rainbows. I have fished salmon and steelies in Michigan a few times and have always wanted to come to Oregon for steelhead. I fly fish some but more interested in spin fishing on this trip and would like to do it from a drift boat if that is practical that time of year. I know this is not necessarily the best time to come but we are bound by the dates of the championships.

My priorities would be maximum numbers of fish more so than maximum size because I want my wife to enjoy herself too. What is the fishing like during the 2nd-3rd weeks of June? Are we just as likely to do well around Eugene and the McKenzie or is it worth it to head elsewhere? While we are in Eugene, is there access for decent self guided bank fishing on the McKenzie for an afternoon or morning trip within an hour of the city. That is how I've done most of my fishing in Michigan on the Pere Marquette.

All advice and names of recommended guides are sincerely appreciated.

Thanks so much!

 

[eugene1]

June is a great time to fish the Willamette or the McKenzie for summer run steelhead around Eugene. July may be a bit better, but still a solid number of fresh fish in June. You can check out the fish monitoring page here as they come up the river: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/fish_counts/willamette falls.asp

There is abundant public river access along the banks for a diy trip. There are one or two gear guides working that reach as well, but I forget their names at the moment.

What event is your daughter competing in?

 

[plumb2fish]

Steelhead and Spring Chinook will be in catchable numbers in the McKenzie and Willamette River. The Willamette flows through Eugene. The McKenzie enters the Willamette just north of Eugene.
There are a lot of great guides that will put you on fish. I have fished with Craig Putnam of Slayers Guide Service on multiple occasions as well as Jason Tibbitts of 4 Reel Guide Service. Both are local and will be worth checking out. my son with a steel head and my daughter with a spring Chinook fishing with Craig.

 

[eyedoc]

She qualified in the high jump last year and ended up 2nd team All American and is hoping to make it there again this year. The problem is you never know who is going until the national preliminaries one week before. By then airline tickets are way to expensive. We are buying tickets now to save money, and if she doesn't qualify for nationals, we will just make it a pure fishing trip.

 

[DrTheopolis]

June is a wonderful time on many rivers in Oregon.

 

[OnTheDrop]

June is a wonderful time on many rivers in Oregon.

Yup!!!

 

[DrTheopolis]

And if a person were to be in the southern reaches of the Portland area in June, I'm guessing a certain well-known-to-OFF guide service could get a person into some steel and Chinook in June... just a guess.

 

[eyedoc]

I'm talking to a few guides right now and am presented with the option of standard trips (early morning till afternoon), as well as the option of 2pm till dark trips on the McKenzie. The guide recommended the morning for weekdays and afternoon trips for weekend due to the fishing pressure on weekends. Any advice on this? Are the afternoons pretty good due to less fishermen by then or are the fish spooked by all the traffic by then? Or are afternoons trips just left over times that are hard to fill in their schedules? I'm not trying to be cynical about it, just want to make the best choice.

 

[eyedoc]

I was also told the chinook in full swing although no steelhead in the McKenzie yet. What are the chances of steelhead heading up there by June 12? Would I be better off on the Willamette if we want both salmon and steelhead?

 

[eyedoc]

I was also told the chinook in full swing although no steelhead in the McKenzie yet. What are the chances of steelhead heading up there by June 12? Would I be better off on the Willamette if we want both salmon and steelhead?

 

[DrTheopolis]

I'm not familiar with the Mac fishery, at all.

But... the water is very low this time of year, which means water temps are high. As a general rule, early morning OFFers the period with the lowest temps, which on paper, is better.

I haven't really got out, but have fishing buds who have. And so far, the Valley springer/summers fishery is spotty, at best. A good guide will give you a good chance, though. Might want to talk to that Tanner guy.

 

[Native Fisher]

My uncle fishes the mckenzie and got 2 springers last week, says the steelhead fishing is pretty slow though...

 

[coyo7e]

My uncle fishes the mckenzie and got 2 springers last week, says the steelhead fishing is pretty slow though...

This is the feeling I'm getting as well. Look at the numbers, 40k vs like 2k.

Was steelhead fishing on the river in Eugene today and spent some time hanging with a dude who pulled a 12 lb chinook out of the water there yesterday, with a pic and date stamp. Gave me hope (and sent me back to Bi-Mart...) for decent fish within a long walk from my house.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Summer steelhead fishing will not be worth most peoples time this year unless 600 steelhead a day start coming over the falls! That's not going to happen so I would plan on Spring Chinook. McKenzie has been hit and miss but should be good once the fish stack up. I would fish the upper Rogue thought as its been really good and the fish nice and fresh for how far up river they are. We will be fishing it next week. Good luck.

 

[Paul Smith]

Check out Matt O'neil at All Star Outfitters; he guides the Willamette and McKenzie and I have had a few great trips with him, he is a blast to fish with. He will fly or gear fish or both. Good Luck! There should be lots of fish.