The Willamette is open for hatchery spring Chinook and summer steelhead but fishing for these species is slow. A few fall Chinook and summer steelhead are starting to show up in the daily crossings at Willamette Falls but certainly not in sufficient numbers to get excited about. It is a start though, and a harbinger for upstream fisheries, including the Santiam and Molalla, so stay tuned.

Warmwater fishing remains the only viable option for anglers in the lower Willamette at this time of year. Look for warmwater species around bridges, pilings, wing dams, and other structures, which can be good spots to find walleye, crappie and bass, which are plentiful in the Willamette.

Further upstream, the section between Albany and Harrisburg is open year-round for trout fishing, which can be very good when flows are cooperating. Anglers may keep two trout per day. Smallmouth bass fishing can be excellent between Salem and Albany starting in May.

Hydrological data for the Willamette at Willamette Falls on Sept. 10 showed flows improving slightly to 9,500 cfs, visibility at 8.6 ft., and a water temperature at 70 degrees.