First of the Season

We can all agree that winter is in full swing in the Pacific Northwest. The days are short, the nights are cold, and we have been greeted in the morning for the last couple of weeks with a dense layer of fog hanging in the air and a frost-covered windshield. For anglers in the Portland area, this changing of the seasons signals one thing: winter-run steelhead are on their way to our local rivers.

Late November, heading into the first weeks of December, were relatively dry and cold weeks close to home, reflected in our rivers. The bump in water level we received in mid-November quickly dissipated, leaving the Sandy at a flow of 850 CFS (8.5 FT) and the Clackamas at 1550 CFS (24.1FT). The cold front that followed also brought the water temperatures down, hovering around 40 degrees and dipping into the 30s on the coldest mornings. These gin clear, cold, and low conditions weren’t exactly ideal steelhead conditions, but with the shot of rain we received on December 7th, things are trending upwards and giving the first fresh, eager fish of the year a reason to come upstream. With flows coming up to 2800 CFS (10.2 FT) on the Sandy and 3130 CFS (25.6 FT) on the Clackamas and temperatures returning to a more moderate zone, it was perfect conditions to get out and have a good shot at hooking into that first fish of the season.

With moderate temperatures and steady rains projected for the next ten days, I imagine there will be more fresh fish pushing into the system, and the early success that anglers had this past week will hopefully continue on and lead to an awesome winter season in the coming months. The holiday season is a busy time for everyone, but if you can find a day to sneak out and get a line wet on one of the rivers nearby, I think it's a great time to do it.