Wood River Fishing Update

Wood River - Klamath Falls, OR (Klamath County)


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
7-14-2021
Website

Petric Canal is considered part of the Wood River and is catch-and-release for redband trout. Fishing is good throughout the river below the town of Fort Klamath to the mouth.

This is one of the best months for match-the-hatch fly-fishing. Best section is from Fort Klamath to Weed Road. Grasshoppers are extremely abundant in certain sections, especially from town to Loosley Road.

Using grasshopper dry fly patterns is likely the best method for catching brown trout.. Best fishing is from a boat. There is ample public property to fish on the Wood River at the BLM Wetland but access to the river is difficult due to an excellent riparian area.

Most boats launch at Weed Road and float to Petric Canal take out. Fishing kayaks can be launched at all the road crossings, the USFS day use area or Kimball State Park. The float from Fort Klamath to Weed Road can be productive but there are numerous dams and obstacles that need portaged. A typical drift boat cannot make it under the bridges. Water temperatures are still very cold, therefore there’s not much activity in the upper river.

Also, all radio tagged redband trout must be released unharmed. Redband trout will have what looks to be fishing line coming from the abdomen. These fish will be 6-18 inches in length.