In most cases a trout rod will do, but it’s nice to have something with a little more length and backbone in case you luck yourself into a chrome slab. Umpqua shad fishing also can get going full speed a bit earlier than the Columbia and Willamette. The above rivers offer your best shot at shad in Oregon and Washington, but there are a few smaller runs around. There’s a boat launch at the lower end of the locks with access to the Bonneville Pool’s sturgeon, salmon and other fisheries. trailer Boat anglers do well throughout this area, often anchoring is relatively shallow water along mainland and island shorelines. Upriver on the Oregon side, another good place to catch shad from the bank or boat is at Giles French Park, near Rufus on the shoreline below John Day Dam. I highly doubt we will see conditions this year to make Tanner worthwhile. For example, after your gear hits the water make a five count before you begin the retrieve. Nationally, they're often called "America's Fish," a tribute to the Delaware River run that saved Washington's starving army. These silvery sport fish soon established spring spawning runs into rivers in Oregon, Washington and California. “With the constant action and great fight, shad fishing is a great way to introduce someone new to fishing!” said former fishing guide Bill Green. There is a little point with good bank access called Tunnel Point, Corbett Viewpoint or Sturgeon Point. One of the bonuses of fishing for shad in the Umpqua, compared to the heavier waters of the Columbia below its dams or the Willamette below its falls, is that you can employ lighter gear to take full advantage of this little tarpon-like battler. 0000004992 00000 n A less hectic place to catch shad, mostly for boaters, is down on the Multnomah Channel (Slough), which takes part of the Willamette’s flow down the west side of Sauvie Island. Shad fishing is excellent in the Pacific Northwest, where these eager biters and hard fighters come into select rivers by the millions. 0000004204 00000 n
The American Shad Fish mainly feed on plankton.

The main shad fishery stretches from the legal deadline below the falls down past the mouth of the Clackamas River toward Cedar Island Park (West Linn). Willamette River and Multnomah Channel fishing opportunities, ODFW weekly recreation report and regulation updates.
Umpqua shad fishing also can get going full speed a bit earlier than the Columbia and Willamette.

Your terminal setup is pretty much just like you would use to drift fish steelhead. ODFW trout stocking scheduleODFW weekly recreation report and regulation updatesODFW annual fishing regulationsNational Weather Service forecasts. 0000004679 00000 n Most people use fairly heavy rods and weights to swing their lures close to the lock’s concrete walls immediately below them. One of the launches on the Oregon side closest to the action is at The Fishery, a private marina at Dodson. 0000008871 00000 n Our main focus will be on the water surrounding the Bonneville Dam complex. In fact, an argument could be made that many bank fisherman often out-fish many boats on a per rod basis. 0000000016 00000 n How great: The number of shad counted at Bonneville Dam often run into the multi-millions, literally filling the fish ladder with silver. Fish will push up on to the shallow flats to escape the raging current of the channel. 0000001990 00000 n Downstream from Elkton, toward Reedsport along Highway 38, the first place many anglers intercept shad coming up from the Pacific Ocean and through the Umpqua’s long tidewater section is Sawyer Rapids. 0000430966 00000 n You can simply pitch short casts right in front of your position allowing for more casts, and therefore more fish. But better fishing will come in June, with the peak of the run typically occurring in the second or third week of June, when there are often more than 100,000 shad (and sometimes over 200,000) passing Bonneville per day. The most popular fishery is in the heart of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge below Bonneville Dam on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the state line. Downstream just a little ways, try casting from the bank on either side of the Hamilton Island boat ramp near the community of North Bonneville. You can also look for a place to cast at Meldrum Bar, located immediately downriver (north) of the Clackamas mouth in Milwaukie. For Washington anglers, try Cascade Island just below the dam, especially the spillway side. Worthwhile fishing can continue into early July some years. Some people find shad tasty when properly prepared and cooked, and others also eat shad roe. While those bigger rivers tend to peak in June, in the Umpqua anglers sometimes start their shad fishing in late April and May can be excellent. Part of what makes Shad fishing so much fun is that you really don’t need to have an expensive jet boat (or any boat at all for that matter) to participate. Outside the Columbia River Basin, the most reliable shad fishery in the Pacific Northwest is located on the Umpqua River in southwestern Oregon. There are some good bank fishing spots for shad on the Umpqua. “Like” us on Facebook. Sometimes you will notice them biting at the very end of the drift, just before you are about to reel up, indicating the fish are close to shore. Other great spots around this area are the north (mainland) shore below the Second Powerhouse Dam and also at the transmission towers. For starters, know that special harvest cards are required for those larger fish that you don’t need for shad. You might start around the town of Elkton, located at the juncture of Highways 38 and 138. 0000162402 00000 n There are some good bank fishing spots for shad on the Umpqua. Shad runs coincide with spring Chinook and summer steelhead runs on many of these rivers, and those bigger fish will sometimes strike shad lures and cause quite a thrill. Bank anglers have a few options in this area as well, with some of the best success coming from Clackamette Park at the mouth of the Clackamas River (Oregon City side on the south). This is a good spot for boaters to launch for shad fishing trips. Because of their feeding habits, they have very good eyesight. Whether to use a casting or spinning reel is up to your personal preference. This makes shad easily accessible to bank anglers, but boaters can often anchor right in the fish-traveling lanes and catch large numbers. The North side offers both fast paced combat style experience from the rock, up to the angling as well as a slightly more relaxed atmosphere on the lower half of the island. 0000001567 00000 n The most notable are the Siuslaw River upstream from Florence, the Coquille River, and sometimes the Coos River. 0000008309 00000 n There is an interesting and sometimes productive fishery from the old locks at Cascade Locks, a short drive upriver from Bonneville Dam. The first decent numbers of shad appear in late May, after the season typically opens. 62 0 obj <> endobj x�b```f``�e`e`�cf@ a����y/dV�nn�2�;��A=�Z������7��1��d0��F�Y����H�x�5��g!�N�ڢ�m�ӴT�Zt������8m1HĘOb!���'�:﷖I殀����YT�V'z#u\dŜ�� ��u��699,O�8���D1�w �! Bradford Island- Probably the most consistent producers on the Oregon side of the Channel. <<48AD48FA4D266A4199110865273C485D>]>> Depending on water height, the cast can be rather difficult as you may be standing in the bushes and trees, so a shorter rod is a good idea. Probably the best place to intercept shad coming up the channel is along Coon Island, a boat fishery reached from several public and private launches on this waterway. The trick to finding fish is to stagger your sink time until you locate them consistently. Here is a look at some of the best areas to target: Tanner Creek- This is an area that tends to fish best when the water line is up in the bushes. 0000139821 00000 n Not to mention you will be standing on a steep bank of loose rip-rap. Typically, you should look for shad in fairly swift water that’s not much more than about 10 to 15 feet deep (and often as shallow as waist deep in some areas), usually within about 30 feet from shore.

0000006926 00000 n And by “Crowded” I mean shoulder-to-shoulder. Read about more Willamette River and Multnomah Channel fishing opportunities.