Umpqua River smallmouth bass fishing

NKlamerus · Mar 20, 2022

I'll be posting Umpqua reports here unless it's something special like Big K, but for the most part this will be public launches along the south and the main. Feel free to join and post!

4 of us kayak fished from River Forks yesterday 2pm-6pm, and caught 1 trout!

The water was high and dirty, not murky, just dirty with debris.

It was also probably the roughest I've seen it, the wind was ripping up the main and white capping any turbulent flow, wind would die for a few minutes and it would be really nice, then get ugly as the next front came.

Not a single smallmouth, but I've seen multiple reports of 20lb+ 5fish bags within the last week. So I know they are out there

Admin · Mar 20, 2022

What depth is there? It looks quite deep.

NKlamerus · Mar 20, 2022

Admin said:
What depth is there? It looks quite deep.

Main river im not too sure, I would imagine 20-30 depending on water height

We were averaging 15ish on the south drain

Vintageflyguy · Mar 27, 2022

Thanks for keeping info flowing - used to live over there - now have to rely on reports on temp and height - from Bend area - but still like to come over and drift the Umpqua...thanks again

NKlamerus · Mar 27, 2022

No problem.Waiting to get a sonar unit, then I can report more accurately the temps at least.

NKlamerus · Mar 27, 2022

2 small fish yesterday from Umpqua Landing

I launched underneath the bridge and went upstream to the first bend, water is still high compared to Google Earth, I didn't have to stick in the channel, but didn't want to risk hitting the motor anywhere

jamisonace · Mar 27, 2022

I was fishing around a couple bass fishermen yesterday. They didn't get a lot but at least one was 4lbs.

NKlamerus · Mar 27, 2022

jamisonace said:
I was fishing around a couple bass fishermen yesterday. They didn't get a lot but at least one was 4lbs.

What section if you don't mind me asking? Did I miss you at river forks?

Personally I've been eliminating water, I have seen 20lb+ 5 fish limits pulled multiple times within the last few weeks

I have an idea of where, next weekend will decide it for sure

jamisonace · Mar 27, 2022

I better not say. These guys are hardcore bass guys and have searched a long time for this spot. They were the only bass fishermen I saw all day on that section. I will say they are in a camo print drift boat and you'll see them on the water. You should introduce yourself. The guys name is Doug and super friendly. Also, you wouldn't make it to this location in a kayak. Lots of big rapids that need to navigated in a drift boat.

NKlamerus · Apr 2, 2022

Launched at river forks and went downstream to leatherwood

7 smallmouth in total, the biggest was 3lbs 15oz. Pretty decent size to all of them though

All on a Ned

Also saw an extremely poor looking zombie salmon at the surface, just barely kicking along upright

jamisonace · Apr 2, 2022

You floated through to Leatherwood? Those yaks are more capable of rapids than I thought.

NKlamerus · Apr 2, 2022

jamisonace said:
You floated through to Leatherwood? Those yaks are more capable of rapids than I thought.

I floated from the river forks ramp down to leatherwood. Would have been an even easier drift without a trolling motor to worry about. Definitely wouldn't be fun without polarized glasses

But then again the river is still a couple feet higher than summer levels (from what I remember last year)

Next week I'll probably focus on leatherwood and Cleveland. I don't think I could make it down garden valley

Maybe in the summer without a trolling motor, just incase!

jamisonace · Apr 2, 2022

Ah, i see what you mean.

The map has Cleveland Rapids labeled as Leatherwood. Leatherwood is actually the first rapid above Umpqua Landing.

NKlamerus · Apr 3, 2022

jamisonace said:
Ah, i see what you mean.

The map has Cleveland Rapids labeled as Leatherwood. Leatherwood is actually the first rapid above Umpqua Landing.

Oh no way I'd make it that far lol, there's definitely some tight spots mixed in there

Mine has leatherwood right above Cleveland

Wonder who labels them

jamisonace · Apr 3, 2022

It's been mislabeled forever.

Oregunner · Apr 3, 2022

I have been reading here for a while, but just joined. I fish the main Umpqua, mainly for bass in my driftboat, but don't shuttle. I fish River Forks and Umpqua Landing. I haven't found any good resources, labeling the rapids on the main river. I know that Cleveland rapids is downstream from the forks, and Leatherwood is up stream from Umpqua Landing. Hutton is in there somewhere and so is Crow. I think Hutton is above Leatherwood, and Crow is below Umpqua Landing, but am not sure. Ferguson and Yellow Creek are further down. I have caught smallmouth from the Forks to the top of the tidewater at Scottsburg. Fun fishery, and close to home. I get tired of not catching steelhead.

jamisonace · Apr 3, 2022

Here's the order from Forks to Umpqua

Cleveland
Hutton
Crow
Leatherwood

There are other rapids but I've never heard their names.

There is good bass water above Leatherwood.
It would be worth it to learn the float from Forks to Umpqua for sure. When I take the kids for bass we float from either Umpqua to James Wood or James Wood to Osprey. The farther we get from the ramp the better the fishing by far.

JMak97008 · Apr 21, 2022

Former Michigan Lake St Clair smallmouth fisherman who is just now getting into chasing smallies around Oregon. Thinking of taking my boys down to camp at Tyee Campground the weekend of May 20th. I am wondering if I'll be near some solid bank fishing spots and how the timing might be? Thanks in advance.

Vintageflyguy · Apr 21, 2022

Not sure the name but, up river from the bridge at Tyee on the far side (across from restaurant) is a launch about 1 mile upstream (kinda dim road but should work for a kid outing if the river is the right level....I'm a sucker for taking a kid out

JMak97008 · Apr 21, 2022

Brad said:
Not sure the name but, up river from the bridge at Tyee on the far side (across from restaurant) is a launch about 1 mile upstream (kinda dim road but should work for a kid outing if the river is the right level....I'm a sucker for taking a kid out

Thanks! My boys are 13 and 15, so not very young, but adventuresome and willing to get dirty, so Im willing to do some crawling around the banks to find spots.

After doing some more reading, seems Im at the tail end of spring fishing in mid-May and might right after spwaning where the females are still recovering. Maybe Ill try to get out sooner...

Umpqua River smallmouth bass fishing

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