The largest sturgeon populations are in the Columbia and Willamette rivers, but anglers can find them in bays and estuaries along the coast as well.
Is sturgeon fishing open on the Willamette?
Closed to sturgeon angling including catch-and-release.
When can you fish for sturgeon on the Willamette River?
From December to May you will find sturgeon moving in from the Columbia River to opportunistically feed in the Willamette. Sturgeon are first lured into the Willamette to feed on many items produced by the Willamette River’s wintery water flows.
Are there sturgeon above Willamette Falls?
There is sturgeon retention allowed in the Willamette above Willamette Falls, with a slot limit on size. The overall number of fish in areas above the falls are more modest that the lower river, although some anglers who know the holes quietly do pretty well.
What is the best time to catch sturgeon?
The harvest season runs from late April until early May and early July until late September. The catch and release season runs from early May until mid-May and early October until late April. This means from the second half of May until the end of June you cannot fish for sturgeon fishing.
What is the best time of day to fish for sturgeon?
When fishing outside of the estuary you will find that sturgeon show a strong preference toward feeding heavily in the morning and then tapering off significantly after late morning to early afternoon. Most days the bite will drop off sometime between 10:30 and 1:00.
What is the best bait to catch sturgeon on?
A combination of a nightcrawler and a baitfish is excellent. Additional baits that can work for sturgeon include lamprey, shrimp and crawfish and several cut-baits with local fish species such as suckers.
How many sturgeon can you keep in Oregon?
Daily bag limit is one white sturgeon, 44-50 inches fork length (fork length is measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the fork in the caudal fin (tail) with the fish laying on its side on a flat surface, with the tape measure/ruler positioned flat under the fish).
Has there ever been a shark in the Willamette River?
“I’m inclined to call B.S. on your statistic.” According to the Shark Research Institute, there have been 29 shark attacks in Oregon since 1974. None took place in the Willamette.
Where is the best sturgeon fishing?
Where to Catch Sturgeon. California’s major sturgeon fishing is found in the broader San Francisco Bay system, including its various saltwater areas and tributary rivers including the Sacramento.
How big does a sturgeon have to be to keep it in Oregon?
Sturgeon Regulations Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam sturgeon must be between 38 inch minimum and 54 inch maximum fork length. The Dalles Dam to McNary Dam sturgeon must be between 43 inch minimum, 54 inch maximum fork length.
Can you use bait on the Willamette River?
The river is open to fishing all year for trout, hatchery Chinook salmon, hatchery steelhead, and wild steelhead over 24 inches. Use of bait allowed April 22 – Oct 31 but beginning Nov. 1 anglers may only use lures and artificial flies. In addition to five hatchery trout, two wild trout may be kept daily.
Are there sea lions in the Willamette River?
Sea lions are not native to the Willamette River and are preying on native runs of steelhead and salmon that are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. In addition, California and Steller sea lions are preying on native populations of white sturgeon and lamprey in the Willamette River.
What fish are running in the Willamette River right now?
You’ll find Chinook and Coho salmon, various kinds of trout including Steelhead, rainbow, and cutthroat, sturgeon, smallmouth and largemouth bass, crappie, walleye, catfish, and American shad when fishing the Willamette River.
What rivers in Oregon have sturgeon?
In addition to the mainstem Columbia River, white sturgeon are found in several of its major tributaries, particularly the Snake, Salmon, and Willamette rivers. White sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish species found in North America.
What scent attracts sturgeon?
Types of recommended bait include crawfish, fresh water clams, salmon eggs or carcasses, shad and other small fish. If fresh bait isn’t available, adding scents to the bait will catch the attention of the sturgeon. Shrimp oil, shad oil and sardine oil are just a few of the many fish oils on the market.
What rod should I use for sturgeon?
A 10-12′ surf casting rod is heavy duty enough to tangle with these large fish. You can easily cast the large weights that are sometimes needed for this fishery. The Shakespeare Ugly Stik Bigwater Series spinning rod is an ideal rod for shore sturgeon fishing.
What pound line do you use for sturgeon?
Most sturgeon anglers will use what most call a sturgeon rig. Typically, this is a 18″ snell made of 60 lb line or leader material attached to a 5/0 circle hook. Circle hooks help to prevent gut hooking fish. To weight down this rig, a no roll sinker is the ticket.
How do you rig for sturgeon fishing?
Are sturgeon hard to reel in?
Some Sturgeons will be impossibly difficult to reel in, even with the Trap Bobber, but others will be more forgiving. Hopefully, players encounter Sturgeons often and ones that stay on their line. Once players have gotten the Sturgeon catching process down, they can go for size records.
How can you tell if a sturgeon is biting?
Does WD 40 like sturgeon?
Because sturgeon feed in dark waters up to 100 feet deep, they’re particularly well adapted to feeding by scent. Anglers also use all sorts of scents to enhance the appeal of bait combinations, with a good dousing of WD-40, for example, being one common addition.
What is sturgeon favorite food?
Diet: Lake Sturgeon are benthivores (meaning they eat prey from the bottom of waterbodies), feeding mostly on small invertebrates such as insect larvae, crayfish, snails, clams and leeches.
How big of a rod do you need for sturgeon?
If you want to catch big sturgeon and you’re fishing the deep, fast water below Bonneville or the Dalles Dam, you’ll need to step up to a rod that can handle big bait and heavy lead – a rod that’s 6-1/2 to 7 feet that can handle leads up to 48 oz. and 80# J-Braid.
Can you eat sturgeon?
Sturgeon has a refined flavor and consistency. That charm is why eating it raw is the best way to eat it. You can enjoy the charm of the fish meat by eating it as sashimi, sushi and marinading it. Even when boiled, you can enjoy the tender texture of sturgeon.