Once listed as a top 10 Oregon fishing river the Sandy has been through many changes in management and often the key to learning the river is to learn the current basin management plan first. The river supports runs of spring chinook, fall chinook, coho, winter steelhead, and summer steelhead. In some years the sand flow is so great that many popular fishing holes fill in and you can see the sand boiling off the bottom of the river when it runs with good visibility. When the river is not full of sand it can be very snaggy as the bottom of the river bed is medium size rock throughout most of the middle and upper river. This makes it a good river for bobber fishing of all types. Salmon and steelhead do not like to sit in areas with boiling sand so when there is allot of sand in the river try fishing the tailouts and slower moving holes. Bank fishing the Sandy is easy with many locations to fish from on foot. Oxbow regional park has several miles of fishable water and a boat ramp for drift boats and rafts. Dodge park, Dabney park, and Lewis and Clark park also offer good areas to explore and have boat ramps as well. The sections of river below Highway 84 is also currently public and is often fished by plunkers during the winter and spring. A very well known boat fishery exists right at the rivers mouth where it meets with the Columbia during many months of the year for chinook, coho, and the occasional summer steelhead. Running bait behind plugs used as a diver is a great way to work the lower river from a boat. Magnum wiggle warts and Magnum Hot-n-tots with the hooks removed are the local secret diver or choice. small jet divers are also used often. Backtrolling sardine wrapped Qwickfish 65 feet behind the boat can be a sure bet. Back bouncing and bobber fishing can also be very productive as the spring and fall salmon return. Mepps flying-c and Blue Fox #4 spinners are also commonly used for fall salmon. The upper river is mostly a trout fishery now and even though many of the non clipped native and wild fish reach this point they are to be released unharmed. Marmot dam is to be removed in 2007-2008 by PGE. The dam is also the site of a fish ladder that acts as a collection point for hatchery fish that moved beyond the hatchery at Cedar creek With the dam removed the management of the river will change once again with all of the hatchery fish kept in the lower river through acclimation so that inner breeding with wild and native fish does not occur. Fishing for native trout is fair in the upper river but will take a good knowledge of the rivers aquatic insect life and the trout's preferred holding water in sandy conditions that often occur during the warmer months. Such information should be available at local fly shops. The salmon river also holds a good fishery for small trout and whitefish. Current regulations are catch and release for the upper Sandy and Salmon river trout. No hatchery trout are planted in these upper river areas.

The Sandy river fish hatchery located on Cedar creek has a coho smolt release goal of 700,000 smolts to be released in the lower river each year. Annual returns can very greatly with run between 500 and 5000 depending on commercial fishing catch rate. As with all Sandy river runs created of hatchery stock they return to the cedar creek area. Coho begin to show in September with fishing through October for qaulity fish. Spring chinook are planted in the sandy and seem to return in fair numbers from time to time. Upper basin wild stock rebuilt from Clackamas and Willamette stock are doing well and will become a brood stock for the run in the coming years as the programs shifts once again due to the removal of Marmot dam. The hatchery holes can become very crowded during the time of their return in aprill through July. Fall chinook in the Sandy are mostly a Tule stock. No hatchery programs address these fish and regulations can be stringent. These Tule chinook salmon spawn in the lower river from Big Bend up to the Cedar creek area naturally with the bulk stopping around Oxbow Regional Park. Tules can be observed spawning there in Oxbow in September. No fishing is allowed in Tule spawn bed areas. A second strain of "bright" chinook enters the river some years and are caught by anglers in the Troutdale area. Check regulations as this run can often be closed to retention or angling entierly. Summer steelhead runs are less then 2000 fish and mostly return to the hatchery area. They are caught pretty quickly as they arrive in April and May to the same area heavily fished by anglers looking for hatchery spring chinook. A hike in only area but there is always plenty of savvy anglers willing to make the 1.5 mile trek. 160,000 winter steelhead smolts are also released in the lower river to create sport fishing opportunities. Returning from December through January they fill the area below the mouth of Cedar creek after each rain. Fishing for strays above this point can be good at times for all of the hatchery's runs but the goal is for only unclipped fish to move beyond this point. Often times the area around Revenue bridge will fish well for a few days during the peak of these runs as small pods stray beyond their return point. Sandy river native steelhead are now used for the brood stock to create the hatchery runs. They are later returning fish that run from January to March. These native fish travel well beyond the hatchery and all the way into the upper river tributary's. Sea run cutthroat, rainbow, and whitefish can also be present in the Sandy.

FISHABLE TRIBUTARIES & LAKES

• White River
• Little Deschutes River
• Fall River
• Tomalo Creek
• Lake Billy Chinook
• Crain Praire Res.
• Wickiup Res.
• Little Lava Lake: Deschute Source

FLY FISHING: Fly fishing the lower Deschutes river sparks visions of steelhead risen to the dry by long rod spey casters. A legend known in fly circles around the world that has long been known as one of the best fly fishing rivers for steelhead anywhere in the Northwest. A number of excellent fly fishing video productions have come from the Deschutes with names like Waller, hazel, Shoenborn and Teeny staring and educating. Although all different type of fly fishers make a showing here it is the spey rod that has taken shape as the preference for elite fly anglers. Eliminating the need for back casts the spey allows greater distance while casting in front of the grass choked banks all along the lower river. Dry fly's are often used here for steelhead as the water warms in the summer and fall. Patterns such as the Waller Waker, Steelhead Bee and the Bomber will rise aggressive summer steelhead. Wet fly's fished grease line or downstream swing just under the surface accounts for many of the fly caught steelhead. Green Butt Skunk, Purple Perrill, Polar Shrimp, Burlap and Skykomish sunrise are all classic Deschutes wet fly patterns. In Spey a 6 or 7 weight fly rod will handle most Deschutes steelhead. In standard fly gear a 7 or 8 weight 9'6" graphite rod will fish well in the many pleasant and consistent drifts. Fly fishing for trout in the Deschutes is also well known. Redside trout that often reach the 20 inch mark are at a density of almost 1000 fish per mile from Maupin down to just below Mack's canyon. Numbers above shearer's falls are higher than below the falls. Trout below the falls often go un fished for days at a time while savvy anglers concentrate their efforts on the steelhead. Small caddis and variations of the stone and yellow stone fished on light tippet will produce a few nice fish for a day of fishing. The size and beauty of these redside trout are reason alone to invest the effort. An evening rise occurs on warmer summer days, like popcorn the fatted Deschutes redside gorge on the bounty of aquatic insects this desert oasis has to offers. A knowledge of the rivers entomology will be mandatory to seek the best the river has to offer.

General run timing

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

Au

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Spring Chinook

Summer Steelhead

Winter Steelhead

Trout: Open all year in places

Indicates Peak Time

CONSERVATION CONTRIBUTIONS : Sandy Fish Hatchery is a huge part of the success of Sandy river fisheries and are always looking for volunteer help. Kids fishing day events or working with returning fish and even fish collection.

There is also a very well organized Sandy River-Northwest Steelheaders chapter that meets monthly at Glen Otto Park behind Jack's Snack & Tackle in Troudale, Oregon.