Umpqua smallies

[chinookluvr]

I am planning a camping trip to the Umpqua. I would like to take three one day floats for smallmouth. But I dont know where to put in or take out.Can some one help me with this I have an Atlas with all the boat ramps listed but dont know the best area to fish. Maybe you could help with camping spots to.

[dre5063]

I fished the main umpqua near hubbard creek. There's about a mile of slack water there that works pretty darn good. Are motorin or driftin??

For places to stay...camp or hotel or????

[chinookluvr]

we are planning to float in a driftboat and tent camp. it looks like Hubbard cr. area would be putting in at Umpqua Landing and taking out at James Wood. according to my atlas. Does that sound right?

[dre5063]

That it be the one. If you have a motor you can stay at hubbard creek and motor back and forth in the slack. That way you don't have to shuttle. I don't know anyone who runs a shuttle nearby so you are on your own there.

As far as tent camping...you roughing it or you want showers....????

[hunteraholic]

Just a heads up when the water drops july to aug there is some pretty hairy spots. Lots of slots with rock shelfs on both sides and no room to row. Line up and hang on. Gl my:twocents:

[HammerinHonkers]

Look around elkton, I have heard good reports from guys fishing near there. Good camp spot also. Hope you have a good float. Float trips have become my favorite type of trip to take over the last 5 years. Gotta love the smallies

[chinookluvr]

thanks guys i'm looking forward to going. It will be late july. I might bring my Bad Cat pontoon. I did'nt know there was smallies as far down as Elkton. we will have two or three rigs so will be fine without a shuttle. maybe we should put a moter on the driftboat. I dont know the regs on motors or fishing from a floating device.

[dre5063]

You are good to go fishing from a motorized boat. No restrictions there at all.

Ditto on the hazard. There's one spot that dicey in the winter with fast water and rock hazard's in the middle. I never tried drifting below the bridge at Hubbard Crk in the summer but I can imagine it isn't good.

Smallies all the way to almost Reedsport clear up to Canyonville on the S. Umpqua. Lots of bank access too. There is more camping available on the river the further down you go.

There's a bunch of private access below James if you can get in the know with someone.

[built2fish]

Umpqua is an amazing smallmouth fishery. Go there 3 times a year on the Big K stretch. You will love it. Throw spooks and burn double willow spinner baits. If you want to catch a million, just swim a white grub on a darter head at an even cadence.

[Squareknot]

I was down scouting spots (first time down there) about a month ago and was throwing a crank and pick up about a 31/2 4lb smallie down by mile marker 26. I am not sure but I think that might be called the dollar hole. Some one correct me if I am wrong. Not sure where that sits in you trip, but you will have a blast.

[TJfirebug]

There is a park by Tyee I cannot rember if you can camp there or not. There are lots of places that you can fish them off the bank with just a worm and a splitshot. Yellow creek, right in Elkton, and by kellogg bridge.

[BeatsWorking]

Can you bank fish at Kellogg bridge? What's the protocol for launching a boat there - it's private property?

There is a park by Tyee I cannot rember if you can camp there or not. There are lots of places that you can fish them off the bank with just a worm and a splitshot. Yellow creek, right in Elkton, and by kellogg bridge.

[MikeN]

You have to pay $10 at the little hut where you head down to the river.

There are envelopes and you put your license # etc and put it in the lock box.

There is a cable with a block/tackle set-up to help pull your boat up the bank.

[T. Reeser]

It is worth doing. I had a good time when I did it. Tons of fish. A few quality fish.

[Whopper Stopper]

I floated for a day about ten years ago. We put in at yellow creek and caught over 100 fish between the two of us. We hoped to take out at Elkton. However, we had to abandon ship at the Big K just before dark. I had to hike out to the road and hitch a ride back to the truck. No one at the Big K ever said a thing.

It was a great day but we bit off too many miles and had to oar through long stretches of frog water to get as far as we did. I'd bet you could do Yellow Creek to Elkton over two or three days and take it easy and find the bigger fish. We were in too big a hurry.

Jay

[BeatsWorking]

I fished the Elkton area last week and the river is looking real good right now. The bass are cooperating and you can use most any presentation(I fly fished and spinning gear with 6 lb test).

Yellow Creek float to Elkton is way long for a single day. You would need to camp on the river.

[Best Fishes]

About 4 miles down stream from Yellow Creek is Kellog RV park. There is a ramp there that cost about $7. You can also camp near the top of the ramp & by the RV there are showers.

Best Fishes

[hunteraholic]

yellow creek to elkton :passout:thats close to 30 miles on the river. Ive never ran around the big k ( this fri -sun were making a three day) always been afraid to run it heard of two very bad slots many sunken boats. Im going with a group that has ran it many times. a moter is a good idea in the afternoon the wind picks up. THATS TOMORROW YIPPI :meme:ha

[elkthumper]

good luck. take lots of pics

[jfa686]

doing the same drift tomorrow...those two bad spots are they like chutes? is it possible to walk your boat around'em?

[Best Fishes]

I have been thru one of the "chutes" on the Big K property in early August when the water was low. We stayed in the boat and our guide just pulled in his oars after lining up. There was about 18" on either side of the boat.
If I was in my drift boat, I would drop off my partners to walk around and I would shoot it with no problems.

Best Fishes

[jfa686]

sweet...thanks for the heads up fellas. tight lines

[oregonoutdoors]

I like doing the slide ramp to elkton drift. Cross the river in elkton and follow the river up until you find a steep gravel slide on the left. It makes for a good 1/2-3/4 day float. The campground in elkton is better than the public ramp with the water as low as it is now. It will cost a couple of bucks, but you won't have to drag your boat 100+yrds.

[jfa686]

well we did the 2 day drift yellow creek to elkton and the fishing was good...only pulled like 50 fish a day but we had some rowing to do for a two dayer being my first time on the sticks with a decent water reading knowledge from jetboating let me tell you it was fricken dicey to say the least..that big K rapid is no joke and I did almost lose my boat on the rock in the middle..boat got half full of water and I was really lucky to make it out..anyway anything we used with a silver blade seemed to work when we had time to fish...next time it will be a full 3 day float with more fishing

[MXRacer105]

well we did the 2 day drift yellow creek to elkton and the fishing was good...only pulled like 50 fish a day but we had some rowing to do for a two dayer being my first time on the sticks with a decent water reading knowledge from jetboating let me tell you it was fricken dicey to say the least..that big K rapid is no joke and I did almost lose my boat on the rock in the middle..boat got half full of water and I was really lucky to make it out..anyway anything we used with a silver blade seemed to work when we had time to fish...next time it will be a full 3 day float with more fishing

Scary deal man... that could have turned nasty really quick. Glad you made it out okay and were able to catch some fish...

[jfa686]

ya scary is an understatement...the $h!p hit the fan with a quickness. I will definately be taking any important items out of my boat next time. actually after analyzing my approach and what happened i think i could of avoided the rock in the middle with one oar stroke???... but hind sight is 20/20...all and all I loved the river and the fishing was good too.

[MXRacer105]

ya scary is an understatement...the $h!p hit the fan with a quickness. I will definately be taking any important items out of my boat next time. actually after analyzing my approach and what happened i think i could of avoided the rock in the middle with one oar stroke???... but hind sight is 20/20...all and all I loved the river and the fishing was good too.

Word, what does not kill you makes you stronger and a better oarsmen right!!

It sure is one beautiful river that is for sure....

[BeatsWorking]

MK

Could you walk your boat through any of those chutes at the Big K, or are you committed to the rapids? Think it gets worse or better as the river drops during the summer?

[jfa686]

i would say it would get worse as the water dropped..and if you had a crew of guys you could pull off the side portage i believe...the lower 300 yard chute was portaged by accident by a fellow boater..it wasn't easy or maybe i'm just too new to the sticks to know any differant?

[hunteraholic]

form the guys i went with they just get worse. WE scouted the shout at bradferds i was last and hit it just right the guys that went to far left had alot of trouble missing the rock. Smith ferry is a very long shoot the hardest part i had was the first shoot linnig up it wanted to pull so hard to the right then it was just hanging on trying to keep out of the boils. if you broke an oar man youd be in trouble. Were you in a single boat that passed a line of 7 boats tied together? glad your all right. definitly a three day trip to fish much and a m,oter a must have. HA

[seadog]

I've always wanted to do the yellow creek to elkton float but was wondering where you guys camped with all the private property around that river?

[jfa686]

we were in the 2 old school allumawelds, custom wood db and kayak...we just camped where we could. very low impact and set up at dusk and out at dawn, no fires...so the name of that big k chute is bradferds and the long one is Smith ferry?? .we left the launch at about 9 on sat and pulled out at elkton sunday night at 9pm. next time I will do it for 3 days and fish/flaot more

[CWOregon]

I would like to get my buddies together and do that float/camp out of our pontoons. Between all of us we wouldnt have any problem packing all we need to camp. August has been the best for me as far as numbers go on the Main so maybe I can get everybody together next month. Thanks for the report. Sounds like fun overall!

[hunteraholic]

I would like to get my buddies together and do that float/camp out of our pontoons. Between all of us we wouldnt have any problem packing all we need to camp. August has been the best for me as far as numbers go on the Main so maybe I can get everybody together next month. Thanks for the report. Sounds like fun overall!

I mite be up for it. Im taking the wife for a two dayer with some friend next weekend. it would have to be middle of august, bow hunting starts soon:meme:. My only concern would be the water lever. The guys i went with we telling me stories of the mishaps in the rapids above, boken oars taking on water, they can happen anytime but smith ferry will be a very tight squeeze. Keep me posted HA