New to Rainbow Trout Fishing Near PDX - Help?

[caught_wet_handed]

I'm new to fishing in Oregon and I would like to try for rainbow trout (specifically to eat). From my understanding, only lakes and the Sandy river (with exceptions) are currently open to trout fishing within the Willamette zone. I don't have any friends in the area that fish, so I have no idea where to start or what to throw in. I have a fly rod and a spinning rod.

I'm looking for any and all advice on where to go and what to throw in for rainbow trout within the Willamette zone or along the Columbia :]

 

[Admin]

https://portland.oregonfishingforum.com/trout/

 

[troutdude]

Welcome to OFF!

You are indeed correct. Pretty much all streams closed, for trout angling, on 10/31.

It does look like the Sandy is open. But you will not only need a standard fishing license; I believe that you will also need a Columbia River Basin endorsement (applies to all streams that feed into the Columbia). EDIT: that Basin endorsement is for angling for salmon, steelhead, or sturgeon. But you would have a hard time proving that you're "trout angling", when it's salmon and steelhead season now. So it would be smart to have that Basin Endorsement, if you fish the Sandy. IMO it would be $9.75 well spent. Versus the cost of a citation.

Otherwise trout fishing, until next Spring's season opener, is a lake thing only. Head up to Timothy Lake, or Lake Harriet, before the roads are snowed in / closed. If you can. Or head Southwestward over to Henry Hagg Lake. NOTE: Hagg has a day use fee ($7 per day, if memory serves). You may pick up a smallie or two, while trout fishing there. Which has produced a state record TWICE.

Good luck and tight lines. Let us know how you do.

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

I'm new to fishing in Oregon and I would like to try for rainbow trout (specifically to eat). From my understanding, only lakes and the Sandy river (with exceptions) are currently open to trout fishing within the Willamette zone. I don't have any friends in the area that fish, so I have no idea where to start or what to throw in. I have a fly rod and a spinning rod.

I'm looking for any and all advice on where to go and what to throw in for rainbow trout within the Willamette zone or along the Columbia :]

You cannot harvest trout during the offseason, not anywhere in the state. Trout fishing is NOT currently open on the Sandy River - not for catch and release, not for harvest.

Harvesting trout from populations close to Portland is almost always illegal, and absolutely always unethical. We do not have strong enough populations of resident fish for anglers to yank them out of their home environment for a meal. If you want to eat rainbow trout, go to the store. If you want to eat fish you’ve caught, go catch hatchery salmon or steelhead. Please, please leave the PDX trout alone. The fishery depends on it.

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

Welcome to OFF!

You are indeed correct. Pretty much all streams closed, for trout angling, on 10/31.

It does look like the Sandy is open. But you will not only need a standard fishing license; I believe that you will also need a Columbia River Basin endorsement (applies to all streams that feed into the Columbia). EDIT: that Basin endorsement is for angling for salmon, steelhead, or sturgeon. But you would have a hard time proving that you're "trout angling", when it's salmon and steelhead season now. So it would be smart to have that Basin Endorsement, if you fish the Sandy. IMO it would be $9.75 well spent. Versus the cost of a citation.

Otherwise trout fishing, until next Spring's season opener, is a lake thing only. Head up to Timothy Lake, or Lake Harriet, before the roads are snowed in / closed. If you can. Or head Southwestward over to Henry Hagg Lake. NOTE: Hagg has a day use fee ($7 per day, if memory serves). You may pick up a smallie or two, while trout fishing there. Which has produced a state record TWICE.

Good luck and tight lines. Let us know how you do.

The Sandy is not open. If the words “open all year for trout” do not appear in the exceptions section under a specific waterbody, it is closed until May 22. Full stop.

 

[troutdude]

The Sandy is not open. If the words “open all year for trout” do not appear in the exceptions section under a specific waterbody, it is closed until May 22. Full stop.

The way it's worded is, IMO, a bit ambiguous.

"Sandy River

Mouth to ODFW markers at Salmon River confluence

• 5 hatchery trout per day, no minimum length.

However, I see other water bodies which do state "open all year for trout", and totally agree that the Sandy is currently closed for trout until 5/22.

@olshiftybiscuits Thanks for unmuddying the waters. ;-)

 

[Davpot]

Well, I guess that leaves the LAKES ONLY!
I stopped by Hagg lk yesterday and hooked into some nice larger trout at a boat launch. Spoke with an experienced angler in a pontoon who reported Nice Catches with a Few “Steelhead” looking fish hooked an lost! He suggested fishing near the Dam

 

[caught_wet_handed]

You cannot harvest trout during the offseason, not anywhere in the state. Trout fishing is NOT currently open on the Sandy River - not for catch and release, not for harvest.

Harvesting trout from populations close to Portland is almost always illegal, and absolutely always unethical. We do not have strong enough populations of resident fish for anglers to yank them out of their home environment for a meal. If you want to eat rainbow trout, go to the store. If you want to eat fish you’ve caught, go catch hatchery salmon or steelhead. Please, please leave the PDX trout alone. The fishery depends on it.

https://www.eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/willamette-zone Are we looking at the same state regs cuh?

There's also nothing unethical about harvesting stocked populations from artificial ponds. I would go to the grocery store if I could afford it, I'm having to turn to subsistence fishing because I can't afford groceries.

I've worked in fisheries for 4 years between two different states, trust me, stocked populations in artificial reservoirs has no real ecological impact.

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

https://www.eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/willamette-zone Are we looking at the same state regs cuh?

There's also nothing unethical about harvesting stocked populations from artificial ponds. I would go to the grocery store if I could afford it, I'm having to turn to subsistence fishing because I can't afford groceries.

I've worked in fisheries for 4 years between two different states, trust me, stocked populations in artificial reservoirs has no real ecological impact.

Sorry, you didn’t specify you were looking for stocked fish. Most of our local trout are wild and the ODFW stocking season near Portland is over. Portland-area waterbodies that contain stocked fish are typically fished out within a couple weeks of the latest plant. You can find some holdover fish on the coast and in the coast range. Lost Lake above the Nehalem River watershed is a good bet. Or, grab a Washington license. They stock their low elevation lakes throughout most of the winter, while Oregon does not.

 

[caught_wet_handed]

Sorry, you didn’t specify you were looking for stocked fish. Most of our local trout are wild and the ODFW stocking season near Portland is over. Portland-area waterbodies that contain stocked fish are typically fished out within a couple weeks of the latest plant. You can find some holdover fish on the coast and in the coast range. Lost Lake above the Nehalem River watershed is a good bet. Or, grab a Washington license. They stock their low elevation lakes throughout most of the winter, while Oregon does not.

I didn't have to specify, you just came in here wanting to be cool and argumentative for no reason. Suggesting angling for salmon over trout (even wild) is also crazy work.

If I'm unable to afford groceries, I definitely can't afford a Washington license or afford the travel to Washington

 

[Chromatose]

Try Bullhead Catfish fishing. All year long and good eats. Night time is the right time. Good Luck.

 

[Admin]

Old good forum.
The guy wants to fish for trout. Not steelhead, not bullhead. Trout.

 

[troutdude]

@caught_wet_handed the pond at Mt. Hood Community College in Troutdale/Gresham, is getting stocked this week. 266 8-10" fish and 50 more larger than that (typically 14-18").

NOTE: stocking can happen on any day of the week. Since Thanksgiving is on Thursday...it'll likely get done before that. But that's no guarantee.

The next nearby stocking, won't happen until January.

Nov. 24, 2025 - Nov. 28, 2025

MT HOOD PD (MHCC CAMPUS)

Willamette / Clackamas

266

50

0

0

316

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

I didn't have to specify, you just came in here wanting to be cool and argumentative for no reason. Suggesting angling for salmon over trout (even wild) is also crazy work.

If I'm unable to afford groceries, I definitely can't afford a Washington license or afford the travel to Washington

You absolutely had to specify. If I think someone is taking wild fish out of season, they’re going to hear about it.

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

Old good forum.
The guy wants to fish for trout. Not steelhead, not bullhead. Trout.

Maybe you need a separate forum for subsistence fishing.

 

[Derick]

Maybe you need a separate forum for subsistence fishing.

There are no Native trout populations near Portland. Sorry, lakes are stocked, trout streams are stocked, Clack is stocked and loaded with Smolts. There are Coastal rivers with Cutties and some headwaters with Cutties, non native Brookies and non native Browns. Central Oregon is about the only place with native Bows....actual resident fish, not juvenile Steelhead and Salmon.

 

[troutdude]

But, again, streams are not open for trout angling.

 

[Chromatose]

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

There are no Native trout populations near Portland. Sorry, lakes are stocked, trout streams are stocked, Clack is stocked and loaded with Smolts. There are Coastal rivers with Cutties and some headwaters with Cutties, non native Brookies and non native Browns. Central Oregon is about the only place with native Bows....actual resident fish, not juvenile Steelhead and Salmon.

Wild fish and native fish aren’t the same thing.

 

[reyaz]

@caught_wet_handed takes a look at these reports for lake stocking updates.

https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/willamette-zone

https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/central-zone

https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/northwest-zone

TAYLOR LAKE (Wasco County): Rainbow trout

Taylor Lake was stocked on 12/10/2025 with 400 surplus brood trout from Oak Springs. Last Updated 12/10/25.

It’s an hour and a half from Portland, but might be worth checking out.