HOOD RIVER FISHING REPORTDated 7/26/10 The removal of Powerdale Power Station and Dam are under way as of July 1st. Expect water clarity problems and access difficulty during this time. Dated 6/4/10 Go now or hold your piece!!!!!! The Hood River is full of fish. Checkout the fish counts over the Hood River. Plan on fishing any fairly long riffles on this river as they will hold lots of fish. The area above the second train tressel has poison oak but if your careful this can be an excellent area for summer run steelies. There have been a few spey rodders present every time I have visited the river this spring under the I84 bridge. 5/9/10 The Hood river has been doing very well for winter steelhead the last few weeks. The summer run have just began and spring chinook are present but have not entered in full force. Expect a very good season on this river provided the river does not murk upp to badly Dated 4/26/10 The Hood river is experiencing a great summer run return due to the favorable water conditions. Good numbers of native and hatchery stocks are going over the copper dam and should privide great fly rodding oppurtunitys in the next few weeks through June and July when the runs peak. Current temps in the river are at 44.0 degrees which is perfect for steelhead fishing. With nice weather ahead this fishery should be dynamite. The spring salmon are not currently entering but should soon with increased flows. There are fly rodders at the mouth of this river almost daily using spey rodds and single hand outfits. Checkout the dam counts on the Hood River provided by the Army Corp of Engineers. You can go back and look at the historical times of entry for summer steelies, winters and chinook throughout the past few years. Dated 3/20/10 The Hood River has been experiencing a early return on winter steelies in mixed hatchery and native populations over the last two weeks. Lower than normal angler populations are reported most likely allowing for better fly fishing success. The Hood River usually sees fish returning in the early to mid April time frame. The early returns are most likely a good indication of a strong return this year due to the early returning fish populations. Returns typically peak in Late June through July during the silty time of the year on the Hood River. Checkout the dam counts on the Hood River provided by the Army Corp of Engineers. You can go back and look at the historical times of entry for summer steelies, winters and chinook throughout the past few years. Dated 12/9/09 The water here is running about 37 degrees and fishing is most likely slow due to lower than normal fish count. There are fish present here all year long but most steelhead have moved up stream and we are in between runs here. Fishng here should pickup in late February with the arrival of winter steelies and early summer run fish. This is based on historcal data supplied by the Army Corp of Eng and Ore Dept of Fish and Wildlife. If you catch a fish here it will be prime and a real fighter. Dated 11/12/09 This is defintely the best time to fish the Hood as there are fewer angler this time of year and the fish have moved into the holding areas on the river above and below Copper Dam. Plan on fishing the longer runs and pocket water using sinking tip fly lines and sinking leaders. Standard patterns such as the BH Buggers, Green Butt Skunk, Muddler Minnows, Freight Train and Purple Peril all work. Watch to make sure you are not trespassing on this river as there is lots of private land. Ask permission as required. Dated 10/17/09 The Hood river is prime for the taking of summer steelies using a fly rod. The majority of fish have entered the river and are above rail road tressel about 1.5 miles upstream from the mouth. The area above Copper Dam can also be very good providing great holding water for the steelhead. This is great area to fly fish due the fish hanging close to the banks and lower number of anglers this time of year. Good patterns to consider here are the green butt skunk, muddlers, stone fly nymphs, BH lifters, woolly buggers, freight trains and bunny leeches. As we progress through the fall this river will produce more fish and is truely a great river if you have little time to travel east to the Deschutes. Dated 8/23/09 The Hood River should be good this time of year depending on the clarity of the water. Glacial melt from Mt Hood can turn this river a silty mess but this is a true gem of a river when clear. This river seldom runs over 58 degrees and can produce some brilliant summer run steelhead action, especially on a fly rod. Good patterns to consider here are the green butt skunk, muddlers, stone fly nymphs, BH lifters, woolly buggers, freight trains and bunny leeches. As we progress through the fall this river will produce more fish and is truely a great river if you have little time to travel east to the Deschutes. Dated 6/5/09  Randy Espinosa with a beautiful Rainbow Trout Caught and Released. 6/5/09 |