Tualatin River Fishing

went to fish the tualatin at tualatin city park (the park across the river from cook park). i caught one decently sized small mouth (i think, you never know whats in that river..) about 8" in about an hour and a half. i had about 3 strikes total. it is a really neat river to fish. you never know what you are going to catch. i might head out there tommorow!
 
where do you find river access from tualatin park that is across from cook? I was at cook earlier today and was wondering that. I left because it was getting annoying with the hill billy's setting up the festival there asking me the same questions every 2 mins.
 
there is a boat ramp kind of where the train tracks cross the river. i was the only one fishing it around 2
 
Launched the canoe today from Cook with my younger son. I wanted so bad for him to catch something, but as always seems to happen, he got to watch dad catch fish and not him. I don't get it, since I rigged him up identical, and even traded poles. Oh well, got my first ever pike minnow though.

*Crosses Pike Minnow of the species to catch list. Now to find a carp.
 
Did you kill it? I think its worth a few bucks lol

Caught my first on the Tualatin the other day had no idea it was a squawfish so I released it. Lucky bastard. Next time it'll be the last time.
 
PDXKush said:
Did you kill it? I think its worth a few bucks lol

Caught my first on the Tualatin the other day had no idea it was a squawfish so I released it. Lucky bastard. Next time it'll be the last time.
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The Tualatin isn't a bounty river, and he is native so I released him. As an example to my son more than anything. I think I'm going to start saving them for crawdad bait though.
 
:clap: Good job. For the kids.
 
I read in the regs that the T has a decent run of coho... how big is it? :D
 
Hello, I lived up here for years and its just now occuring to me that I should fish the Tualatin, I've got some spare time so Im gonna be starting up. I have read this thread and am surprised at the varity of fish in this river. I'm gonna grab a new spinning rod/reel any thoughts for this river, would a levelwind be better? What pound test should be good? I'm gonna fish from Tualatin park down to Cook park thats pretty much where I will fish mostly. Thanks in Advance. :)
 
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I think a trout spinning rod would be perfect there.

Save the baitcaster for when you get into salmon and steelhead.
 
Tualatin river tributaries

Tualatin river tributaries

Mckay Creek, Rock Creek (near TV Hiway) and Especially Dairy Creek still have excellent populations of resident cutthroat trout. Since Hagg Lake was built and the regulations changed to no bait and catch and release almost no one fishes these creeks. I grew up in Verboort (between Banks and Forest Grove and we loved fishing for cutts with worms or fresh crawfish tails. We easily limited out (ten at the time) early in the season. I have seen cutts 17-18 inches with most between 8-10 inches. The fish are still there!!!! They are harder to catch using rooster tails/lures or flies. Last year I was flyfishing upper dairy around Mountaindale and talked to someone a young man who said he had just released a 17 in cutt he had landed using a rooster tail (his father saw the fish also). Last september I was flyfishing Mckay under the bridge at peterson farms (Glencoe road) and landed a nice fat healthy 12in cutt. Absolutely a surprise and a beautiful fish. I have also landed nice trout on Rock Creek right at TV Hiway using roostertails. Most of the time I see NO ONE ELSE. It is sad this entire generation will miss out on this fun fishery we grew up with. Until people start at least fishing these waters again no one will remember these still excellent fishery.
 
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I used to, and still do when I get a chance, fish Deer Creek in Sheridan above Deer Creek park. Unfortunately there is no public access , but I grew up there and know most of the landowners. Don't fish up there without permission, some of those farmers will shoot first and ask questions later, and I'm honestly not joking about that.

Nobody ever fishes it, and it's a trout a cast. But you have to move a lot since there are only a few nice fish in each hole, and like I said they make themselves known on the first cast. C&R only there these days. I'm not sure when that changed, because when I was a kid we could keep 5.
 
Tualatin River System

Tualatin River System

Most of this thread seems to have addresses the historical runs of fish in the Tualatin system, with some fresh insight to current offerings. Some of these comments need to go to the tread about "are you happy with ten" or what ever. They have been looking for local fisheries that are not stocked and where PB is not allowed. Sounds like some of these creeks fill the bill for that.

As a historical note; I moved to Oregon in '85 and meet an old farmer at church one sunday who told me that when he was a kid his dad MADE him go down to Dairy Creek with a pitch fork and get some of the salmon out of the creek for fertilizer to put in the wifes garden. He said there were so many in the creek it was like pitching hay in the barn. I guess we can be thankful there are any fish at all in there today. Seems the newfangled fertilizer isn't so good for the fish.....

GD

P.S. I'll have to try Rock Creek by the Cemetary, with the fly rod that is.....:dance:
 
If I knew one of the farmers with land along East Fork Dairy Creek I would be all over it. Right there where hwy. 6 crosses it reminds me of the Donner and Blitzen River in Eastern Oregon. Driving by there in the evening I've seen many ripples that looked like fish rising. Would be a lot of fun with a fly rod.
 
Do they let you fish off the bridge there at Tualatin Park?
 
they used to I dont know anymore with the commuter train running the tracks now:(

Mike
Futura said:
Do they let you fish off the bridge there at Tualatin Park?
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We are gonna start fishing it up this weekend. I met a nice guy at Bi-Mart that fishes the Tualatin sometimes he was saying just a chunk of nightcrawler works great, I was gonna try that and the old stand by Blue Fox when I get bored with worms. What else works good in the Tualatin?
 
Futura said:
We are gonna start fishing it up this weekend. I met a nice guy at Bi-Mart that fishes the Tualatin sometimes he was saying just a chunk of nightcrawler works great, I was gonna try that and the old stand by Blue Fox when I get bored with worms. What else works good in the Tualatin?
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I've been told crank baits are good in there for the bass, but I haven't tried for fear of losing one on every cast. That river is full of submerged trees. Great structure, but snag city.
 
spinners work well but don't forget your good old curly tail grub jigs.
 
Im just gonna start at the Fanno Creek Inlet and go from there.
 
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