Looking for any tips/suggestions on the Sandy River

[NookieNailer]

Just moved to Troutdale last month. I've been fishing the Sandy almost every day for salmon and steelhead and I've learned a bunch but still haven't caught much besides small trout. I've been at Oxbow mostly, lots of big fish jumping around but no luck. If anyone has any tips or suggestions for someone that's new to the Sandy I'd greatly appreciate it!

 

[pcstock]

Trout??? Not many in the Sandy. Were they whitefish or pikeminnows?

 

[scched]

Are you who I spoke to in the parking lot at Dabney last night? Lots of new people on the river lately!

 

[NookieNailer]

Are you who I spoke to in the parking lot at Dabney last night? Lots of new people on the river lately!

Haha, yeah man thats me!

Trout??? Not many in the Sandy. Were they whitefish or pikeminnows?

Maybe they were steelhead or salmon fry, definitely not whitefish or pike-minnow.

 

[scched]

Haha, yeah man thats me!

Nice, glad you found the forum. I got a fish after you left, posted it in the Salmon Show Off thread. There’s also a few tips in the other Sandy thread I started.

Feel free to shoot me a message if you have specific questions or if you want to lemme know when you’re going out and I’ll help as much as I can. There are others here much more knowledgeable than I am, though.

 

[Kent]

I'm in greaham but drive by the sandy every morning to drop the kids off out in Corbett, it sounds like there's still time for salmon fishing but I'm new to it, are coho what's running now? And sorry for my lack of knowledge but what is a tule?

 

[Diehard]

I'm in greaham but drive by the sandy every morning to drop the kids off out in Corbett, it sounds like there's still time for salmon fishing but I'm new to it, are coho what's running now? And sorry for my lack of knowledge but what is a tule?

Yes coho and tule are in the river as well as some leftover summer steelhead this is a really bad water year for fishing the sandy unfortunately but they are being caught tule is a strain of wild chinook in the sandy right now good luck out there

 

[beerheaven]

I guess September is the best month for Coho fishing at Sandy river, however which month is the best month for Chinook?

 

[scched]

I guess September is the best month for Coho fishing at Sandy river, however which month is the best month for Chinook?

September and October are both good months. There will be dark fish around, but bright fish of both species will move in with the big rain. I do think a lot of fish have powered there way upstream despite subpar conditions, but there are more coming too

 

[beerheaven]

Thank you for advice. That’s really helps
I’ve been checking salmon number passed WILLAMETTE FALLS and BONNEVILLE DAM.

However, both places passed the peak fish number already a couple of weeks ago. That’s why I was wondering when is the best time for fish at the Sandy river since sandy is located lower part of those spots.

 

[NookieNailer]

September and October are both good months. There will be dark fish around, but bright fish of both species will move in with the big rain. I do think a lot of fish have powered there way upstream despite subpar conditions, but there are more coming too

Stoked you found my post! Gonna head out to Dabney tonight. Thanks for being so helpful man.

 

[scched]

Stoked you found my post! Gonna head out to Dabney tonight. Thanks for being so helpful man.

It’s pretty dead. I missed one on Thursday night twitching jig, went out again last night and barely any signs of life aside from a couple chinook rolling around and a sturgeon jumping clear out of the water. It’s so dead I was the only one fishing the entire park. Good luck!

 

[NookieNailer]

It’s pretty dead. I missed one on Thursday night twitching jig, went out again last night and barely any signs of life aside from a couple chinook rolling around and a sturgeon jumping clear out of the water. It’s so dead I was the only one fishing the entire park. Good luck!

Yup, similar results for me last night. Man I watched a huge sturgeon go airborn at Dabney a few weeks ago and thought it was just a spectacle.

 

[beerheaven]

I must say thank you for @scched

i’m new to NWP and salmon fishing. However his knowledge and information give me a motivate for get a fish.

Unfortunately, I haven’t catch any fish from Sandy river even after I tried 5 times fish there.
But I got a fish from Lewis and Lincoln City.

Thank you

 

[scched]

I must say thank you for @scched

i’m new to NWP and salmon fishing. However his knowledge and information give me a motivate for get a fish.

Unfortunately, I haven’t catch any fish from Sandy river even after I tried 5 times fish there.
But I got a fish from Lewis and Lincoln City.

Thank you

Congrats!! Did you take any pictures?? What did you catch?

 

[beerheaven]

I didn’t take a picture.
I caught hatchly Coho at both places.

I would like to catch Chinook next and feel difference of the fight of fish difference.

 

[Diehard]

I trolled the big c @ the mouth of the sandy river with wiggle warts early Saturday morning no fish marked or rolling pretty bad wish I had a better report for you up river guys I'm sure there are a few getting through come on with the rain already

 

[scched]

I trolled the big c @ the mouth of the sandy river with wiggle warts early Saturday morning no fish marked or rolling pretty bad wish I had a better report for you up river guys I'm sure there are a few getting through come on with the rain already

Good to know, I almost hiked out there and fished the mouth on Sunday. Glad I didn’t now. Not really sure what the rain is going to do for us this weekend, I had been holding out hope. I haven’t given up yet but not TOO optimistic

 

[beerheaven]

This is the number of salmon this week. However a month ago over 30,000-50,000 salmon cross the Bonneville.

I wonder may be even rain come by now because of most of salmon run is finished already and a lot of fishes are die before rain comes?

 

[scched]

This is the number of salmon this week. However a month ago over 30,000-50,000 salmon cross the Bonneville.

I wonder may be even rain come by now because of most of salmon run is finished already and a lot of fishes are die before rain comes?

They won’t have died yet, they’ll have either already forced their way up river or they’re holding in deeper, cooler pools in the mainstream. My guess is a fair amount have forced their way up and we’ll get another push this weekend

The bonneville ones have mostly passed but they’re not the ones going into the lower tributaries and they have plenty of water to move up