Klamath River Fishing Report

Klamath River - Upper - OR


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
10-4-2023
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Keno Dam to J.C Boyle Reservoir

This section of the river opened Oct. 1. Opening day was very slow. Most fish caught were in the 12-inch range. Unprecedented drought decreased redband survival in their spawning tributary Spencer Creek.‌

Redband-rainbow trout are primarily feeding on minnow and sculpins this time of year. Mimicking minnows with flies and lures will produce the best results. There is also very abundant crayfish, mayflies, caddisflies and leeches. No bait allowed!‌

Access is very challenging. The road into the dam is very bad. A high clearance vehicle is recommended. There are other points of access that require a long hike to the river.‌

The river is difficult wading. Anglers who wad should have studded wading boots, wading belt, wading staff, polarized glasses and maybe a helmet and shin guards. The bottom is very slick and bedrock ledges can drop off quickly. Visibility is also poor. ‌

Water temperature is excellent right now at 56 degrees, turbidity has decreased slightly to 11 FNU and flows are excellent at 659 cfs. ‌

Please remember no bait and only one redband trout greater than 15 inches. Once you retain your limit of redband trout you must cease fishing for redband trout.

J.C. Boyle Dam to J.C Boyle Powerhouse

Flows typically remain low at about 130 cfs year-round at JC Boyle Dam. Fishing should be good in this section. Open all year. Flows are typically low and stable and typically range from 100 cfs at the dam and increase due to springs to around 350 cfs at the Powerhouse. ‌

Catch rates should be good for this time of year. Fishing is best below the spring inputs. The gate is now closed that accesses the river along the power canal. Access is available by foot traffic only.‌

The springs start to discharge into the river approximately half a mile below J.C. Boyle Dam. This section of river requires a hike down steep grade to the river except for the area just above the powerhouse. ‌

Use small flies or lures as redband trout are mostly small (8-10 inches) in this section. Small elk hair caddis cast to the bank can be quite effective.‌

There is good access at the powerhouse. Park and walk upstream. This area is fished hard, but you can hike to get away from the pressure. Hiking or wading upstream is difficult. ‌

Small nymphs such as pheasant tails and prince nymphs work well in this section. Small black Panther Martins or Rooster Tails work well when cast upstream into the deeper pools.

J.C. Boyle Powerhouse to State Line with California

Flows will be fishable until around 12 p.m. this week Fishing during this time should be good. Make sure you have good tires and 4X4. Best fishing is when flows are less than 900 cfs. You can check flow estimates at PacifiCorp Weekly Flow Estimates. ‌

Large attractor flies such and wooly buggers, bead head prince nymphs, and rubber leg stoneflies under a strike indicator work best this time of year. Olive and black wooly buggers almost always work well. Black spinners and Panther Martins can also work. Caddisfly hatches are the primary food item right now. Small Crayfish patterns also work ok.‌

Below the JC Boyle Powerhouse the redband/rainbow trout get slightly larger than the aforementioned reach and average 12 inches but rarely exceed 16 inches. Currently, most redband caught are in the 10- to 14-inch range.




More Reports

OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, October 4th, 2023
John Day River: Flows remain low but not impossible for a drift boat to navigate
Deschutes River: Anglers have been reporting good trout fishing lately
Fall River: Fly-anglers report excellent autumn fishing in the Fall River
Ochoco Reservoir: The reservoir is 32 percent full
Prinevile Reservoir: Prineville Reservoir at 61 percent full
Wickiup Reservoir: Anglers report fair kokanee and bass fishing
Breitenbush River: With nice weather forecasted this week this river looks to be a nice option for trout fishing
Detroit Reservoir: Water levels are slowly dropping and will continue to drop through the fall
Foster Reservoir: The reservoir was stocked several times this spring
Santiam River ( North Fork) : Coho fishing looks very promising these next few weeks
Santiam River (South Fork): Currently flows are around 2,250 cfs
Alsea River: Fall Chinook is open on the Alsea
Kilchis River: Cutthroat are available throughout the river
Necanicum River: The Necanicum had some fall Chinook move into the river on last week's rain
Nehalem River: Chinook fishing has slowed some but remains fair in Nehalem Bay
Nestucca River: Fall Chinook fishing in the Nestucca has been fair
Siuslaw River: Fall Chinook has started to pick up the last few weeks on the Siuslaw river!
Trask River: Trask River Report
Chetco River: Salmon fishing in the estuary continues to be good
Coos River: Anglers can catch rockfish around the jetties in the lower Coos Bay estuary
Coquille River: Coho salmon has been good for anglers fishing from the Highway 101 Bridge to Rocky Point
Elk River: Recent rains have brought a few Chinook into the river
Emigrant Reservoir: Emigrant is 13 percent full
Fish Lake : Trout fishing should be good
Howard Prairie Reservoir: Howard Prairie is 34 percent full
Hyatt Lake: Hyatt is currently 40 percent full
Illinois River: The Illinois is now closed to fishing between 8 Dollar Bridge and Pomeroy Dam
Lost Creek Lake: Trout and bass fishing should be good
Rogue River- Lower: Angling pressure has dropped considerably in the Rogue Bay
Rogue River - Middle: The current flow is 1280cfs, and the average river temperature is 56 F
Rogue River- Upper: The focus on the upper Rogue continues to be summer steelhead and trout fishing
Rogue River- Upper (Above Lost Creek): The river upstream of Lost Creek remains a good place to fish
Sixes River: The low flow closure is currently in place for the lower river
Tenmile Lakes: The lake surface water temperature is in the low 60s
Chewaucan River: Fly-fishing with beadheads is probably your best bet throughout the day
Dead Horse Lake: Fishing should be great at this lake as it was stocked
Fourmile Lake: A few lake trout are also showing up in the catch
Gerber Reservoir: The reservoir is 16 percent full
Holbrook Reservoir: Holbrook Reservoir Fishing Report
John C Boyle Reservoir: Water levels generally remain very similar and drop as the day progresses

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