Siletz question

[Willerman]

A buddy and I are going up to the Siletz tomorrow to go after something that will bite our hooks. I saw that it opened last month for springers, and would love to get into one of those. I figured it is still early in the run, so we were going to focus on the lower river. Does someone with experience down there have any know if it would be safe for us to use my 14' aluminum boat and drop it in down there right now? I was thinking at Bear Park:

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8725099,-123.9218179,249m/data=!3m1!1e3

It looks pretty calm in the google pictures, but I assume that picture was taken in the middle of the summer. We might bring the yaks as well. ALSO.... best way to target these fish? If all fails we might just head up to the gorge to go after late winters or something.

TIA

 

[O. mykiss]

You would be just fine putting in at Ichwit. I don't know much about the fishery other than it's a very small run numbering only a few hundred fish and it's a very tight lip fishery. Only a handful of people even fish it

 

[troutdude]

From the ODFW Recreation Report, dated 5/9:

SILETZ RIVER: steelhead, Chinook

The Siletz River opened for wild Chinook on April 1 (1 per day and 2 per season). A few summer steelhead are starting to be caught in the lower river. Drift boaters are having success from Moonshine Park to Siletz; and bank anglers are catching hatchery fish in the Siletz gorge. Casting spinners, drifting bait or using a bobber and jig can be effective.

 

[troutdude]

I'm not sure, exactly, who wrote this. But these details online:

Historically, the number of returning spring Chinook salmon is small. The catch rate for spring Chinook averages a 170 fish per year. The run begins about the last week of May peaking June and running into July. Spring Chinook unlike their fall cousins spend very little time in the bay or the lower tidal reach but instead hold in the upper tidal reach of the river channel. Fish for spring Chinook salmon 6 miles upstream from the Highway 101 Bridge to the head of tidewater located 15.5 miles upstream at Cedar Creek. Launching facilities are limited in the upper tidal reach of the Siletz River. Launch a boat at Strom Park and fish with the incoming tide to the head of tidewater or fish downstream to Sunset Landing with the outgoing tide. Fishing is also productive in the river above the head of tidewater. Launch at Morgan Park and fish the deeper holes to the takeout at Strom Park but the drift boater must be prepared to deal with the tide.

Source:

 

[troutdude]

On a brighter note...these may be Fall fish; but this outta getcher blood pumpin'!

 

[Willerman]

Thanks for the replies, good information for the future. It looks like it would be more worth time to target summers, and hope for a random nook. If anyone remembers the weather on Thursday morning, we decided to not go fish.. I had to be in Beaverton at 4 anyway, so it would have been a short day. Cool video too!

 

[Willerman]

Any recent reports on the Siletz? Steelhead? Am thinking about heading that was after a morning at Hagg. The rec report for Siletz is pretty ambiguous.

 

[Casting Call]

I am not say'n. Tony

 

[Casting Call]

You would be just fine putting in at Ichwit. I don't know much about the fishery other than it's a very small run numbering only a few hundred fish and it's a very tight lip fishery. Only a handful of people even fish it

Again! I am not say'n. Tony

 

[Hooked Up]

Again! I am not say'n. Tony

Haha! That says it all.

 

[troutdude]

Haha! That says it all.

It's a pretty good indicator, ain't it? LOL