Steelhead fishing near Eugene

[Contron]

Hey all, I have been hitting up the Willamette near U of O campus lately and been really successful spin fishing for trout. I'm looking to move on to bigger and better things as the season moves on and was wondering if anyone knows of some good steelhead spots around this area. I'm willing to hit the Mckenzie as well but am mainly looking for spots pretty close to campus. If anyone has some tips I would appreciate them very much!

 

[troutdude]

Here's a map of the town run, which you're pretty much in the middle of already. But, maybe this will help. P.S. Don't let my fellow Beaver Believers, know about this! :yikes:



Source: Northwest Sportsman's Atlas / 2013 / Volume 4
www.nwsportsmanmag.com

 

[eugene1]

ODFW plants summer steel at boat ramps, and the fish will return to them based on the smell of the water.

I posted it before, but they put them in at several areas around town: Beltline, Alton baker, D street, the next one and so on up the line to the middle fork dam (which is the mother of all plants on the Willy).

Look for decent holding water around any of those boat launches and you'll find the steel.

Good luck to you,

 

[Contron]

Thanks for the tips on the locations! I have been riding my bike up and down those paths looking for some good water so that will help me with my search. Do you have any tips on how to catch them? Lately I have been spinning blue foxes, but I also float steelhead jigs under a slip bobber.

 

[willfishforfood]

Practice, it takes a lot if effort to get into steelhead. They don't call it a thousand cast fish for nothing. You will want to practice reading the water to know where they might hold. Pools below rapids. Rocks or boulders that create a hole or eddy in the current. Flats or tail outs above rapids are very good. Also look for seams and channels, areas where slow/fast or deep/shallow water meet. Don't get discouraged, they aren't up here in good numbers yet.

 

[JeannaJigs]

The town run steelhead are lazy. That flat ugly water below the ferry street bridge by mcmennamins that looks disgusting like nothing could live in such shallow, slow frog water...I've hooked steelhead in there. I don't know why they're in there it's barely moving, but they are. I have found them in other similar types of water between there and beltline. Dead drift a sandshrimp with some split shot through there.

 

[troutdude]

If you're using a float and jig; be sure to spread out a few split shot down towards your jig. You want that OFFering, to be in the fish's strike zone (near the bottom).

Good luck.