Willamette float from RM 130 (Corvallis) to RM 80 (past Salem)

[fishes2catch]

Hi,

New to the forum.

I'm planning on floating from Corvallis to Salem staying two nights on the river. I would like to stay in boat camps along the way that have slow back water near by. I'm collecting threepine stickleback for a project. I also plan to fish along the way. Is this stretch floatable this time of year in a drift boat? Any advice on places to stay?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Modest_Man]

You can do it in a drift boat (drifting) just fine. We've been all over it this summer in a 23' jet sled - and haven't hit too much. Most of the times we've come close have been upstream of Corvallis. Do you have the River Guide?

Luckiamute Landing (RM 110) might not be a bad spot to camp - there is a big slough like area just below it where the Luckiamute dumps into the Willamette.

May I ask what the project is? We were trying to collect 50 from a single site for genetic analysis (but I don't know who for), but we never collected anywhere near that number.

 

[steelhead1]

Definitely get through in a drifter,but keep in mind this is a VERY slow section of water,and the wind will push upstream in the afternoons. You shouldnt have a problem finding good campin spots along the river.Good luck!

 

[fishes2catch]

Thanks for the advice! This project is for genetic analysis and I may be the person that you are collecting for. I'm doing a survey of the stickleback in the Willamette Basin. I find that there are few stickles in water with any amount of flow and finding them in the sloughs as Modest_Man suggested.

Are motors allowed in this section of the river? I have a 8 hp Evinrude that I'm thinking of taking in case the river is too slow. Also, what kind of sport fishing will I encounter? Anyone fishing for bass with poppers and a fly rod?

Thanks

 

[Modest_Man]

Motors are allowed. If you want to fish for bass again hit up the sloughs - we've only found very small bass in calm mainstem water.

 

[fishes2catch]

Does anyone know of a sloughy type area along the Willamette near Corvallis that I can access by car?

Thanks!

 

[hawgcaller]

Across from the golf course there in corvallis there is a pond that you can walk around. If you park right there and walk to the lake and go to the left, there are some trails that will take you to a little slough back there. You can put in a pontoon and access it from the lake would be easier. or kayak. put in the lake and go to the left side of the lake and you will see an opening to the slough. Might have to pack your boat a few feet.

 

[Modest_Man]

Try

44°33'1.11"N
123°14'57.29"W (upstream of the Crystal Lake boat ramp - in the park)

or

44°31'39.40"N
123°15'20.01"W (this is actually a very long, very slow side channel - it should be accessible through the housing development) I think it's called Keiger Island Slough

or

44°27'14.01"N
123°12'39.61"W (This is the Peoria boat ramp - it launches into a slough - lots of macrophytes and fish though we did not sample here)

Try using Google Earth and look for sloughs near roads. There aren't many. We accessed them all by boat, and frankly our numbers of sticklebacks have been pretty low.

The guys to talk to would be Stan Gregory or Randy Wildman at OSU. Randy knows the river amazingly well.