Nestucca River Fishing Regulations

Great egrets Tillamook area pastures along the Nestucca, Tillamook, Trask and Wilson rivers. These stylish-looking white birds are somewhat smaller than their cousins, the great blue herons, however can on occasion be seen foraging together in the same fields. If you’re inquisitive where the birds use up the night, they usually roost in some spruce trees right along Hwy 101 just north of the crossing of the Kilchis River between Tillamook and Bay City . (dfw.state.or.us)

The Little Nestucca, is open May 23-July 31 for adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook salmon. Spring Chinook aren’t stocked in this river and the fishery is restricted to a small number of strays from other rivers. Three Rivers is open April 1 – July 15 below the hatchery for adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook and adipose fin-clipped summer steelhead. While Three Rivers receives significant fishing pressure, fishing success may be good as fish tend to congregate in the river below the hatchery. Bank access and parking are available off of Hwy 22 now downstream of the hatchery. Small 1/8 or 1/16 oz jigs floated under a bobber may be efficient for summer steelhead on Three Rivers and other regions. (dfw.state.or.us)

The Nestucca River may occupy a county with better-recognized Tillamook Bay-area rivers to the north, and it’s well outside some of the North Coast s bigger towns. But with good runs of fall and spring chinook and winter and summer steelhead, this year-round stream between Tillamook and Lincoln City is far from undiscovered. In fact, the drive is just over an hour from Salem and about two hours from most of the Portland area, putting it inside easy reach of many Oregon anglers. (bestfishinginamerica.com)

Back to my presentation; the gentleman had the flyer we had sent out to our membership for our end-of-year donation ask, highlighting our success on gaining more riparian area on private forest lands for the fish we care so much about. He was visibly upset about the ‘land grab’ that was going on as was many private landowners throughout the months-long discussion with the Oregon Department of Forestry. After explaining why I was so passionate about deadly summer water temperatures in comparatively intact watersheds and their relation to healthy riparian buffers, I think he could see my point. (theguidesforecast.wordpress.com)

There are some number of factors that helped protect the Salmonberry. One is its remoteness. Some logging roads approach it in the upper reaches, and the Nehalem River road lets access at the mouth. The Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad, now not operational, follows the river from the mouth to the upper reaches. If there had been a road following the river canyon, as on the Wilson River to the south, the story may have been different. Another factor was management by benign neglect : except for some failed hatchery plants in the early 1960 s, the river was free of hatchery influence. The period of comparative calm following the last Tillamook Burn allowed the watershed to recover untouched, till timber harvest began in the 1990 s. (nativefishsociety.org)

Three Rivers is a tributary of the Nestucca River near Hebo and the place of Cedar Creek Hatchery where the returning fish were raised. Biologists suggested the season extension because it seems there will be more hatchery spring chinook returning to the hatchery than will be needed for brood stock needs. Biologists also credit the expanded season to new gear limitations and a coordinated enforcement program with the Oregon State Police, Fish and Wildlife Division. (democratherald.com)

Three Rivers is a tributary of the Nestucca River near Hebo and the place of Cedar Creek Hatchery where the returning fish were raised. Biologists suggested the season extension because it seems there will be more hatchery spring chinook returning to the hatchery than will be needed for brood stock needs. Biologists also credit the expanded season to new gear limitations and a coordinated enforcement program with the Oregon State Police, Fish and Wildlife Division. (outdoorhub.com)

January steelheaders are hearty souls, braving the worst mother nature has to offer, all in hopes of catching a steelhead. Weather during the January was pretty common marked by one long period of high, dirty, blown out rivers in the center of the month and the rest of the month the river was up, green and fished great. The Coastal river blow out in the center of the month marked the end of the early hatchery runs and 1st big push of native steelhead. Numbers of fish dropped off somewhat during the month, however the quality increased tremendously. We hooked lots of big fish late in January, landed some and lost a bunch. (oregonriverguides.com)

Starting from the mouth of the creek, the 1st place to attempt could be Bonnie tempt Park, which is off of Dowty Road. Take a right from Hwy 224 in the community of Eagle Creek to find the park area. From Bonnie tempt Park you may also access almost a half-mile of the Clackamas River for bank fishing. The creek passes under Hwy 224 just past Eagle Creek Store and there’s also some bank access there. Close to this highway crossing is Wildcat Mountain Road. Go left towards the hatchery, then follow the hatchery signs on Eagle Fern Road, you’ll soon meet some number of pull-offs on the right that supply great access to the creek. (nwsportsmanmag.com)

Tidewater and tide changes are the big deal on the lower Alsea River. Typically in the summer the upper river lacks decent water goes, however the lower river is where the action starts. And these fish are big. Says guide Travis Moffitt with Travis Moffitt Guide Service 541-914-0720 . ‘If you fish down in tidewater on the tide changes, you may be able to start picking them off as they are coming in. Alsea Bay is not as well-liked as some of the other bays, however it is becoming more well-liked because the kings you may be able to get are big. A 40-pounder does not deserve a gawk on this river system anymore. (gameandfishmag.com)