Have you ever fished the Tualitin River?

[Dakotan]

I live in Forest Grove and usually fish the Wilson.....but I can't help but notice that the Tualitin River flows right by town. Is it worth trying out? Are there fish in the river? Has anyone ever tried before? If so, any luck?
Thanks, I'm just a rookie.

[foxer]

Cherry grove area should have some planters/cutts. May even have a steelhead or two up there. Down low you get bass/crappie and catfish..Is gales creek worth fishing anymore?

[Ex-military]

Gales Creek used to have a decent run of Steelhead...I'm sure they still get a few. Below the town of Gales Creek used to produce a few.

[Ramstrong]

Gales creek used to get stocked with both coho and steelhed. I don't think they stock either anymore. There are some wild fish up in the creeks, but once they hit the valley it turns into a warmwater show pretty quickly. I think the state record white catfish came out of the T.

[fishbait]

Some good fishing but you are about 14 years too late. I believe it is now closed to fishing for anadramous fish. I used to catch steelhead and silvers in the tualatin between Gaston and Cherry grove. Late late run of silvers.

I personally have caught 3 trout over 20 inches in the tualatin, lots of 12-16. Softshell dads are the killer bait, hard shell tails and a drifted nightcrawler my third chouce. I still trap dads there when I fish for summers. It used to be open for trout over 12 inches year around and my buddie and I would hit it as the water dropped in the spring before the general opener, had the whole creek to ourselves and a good day was 20- 30 nice trout apeice. Mostly catch and release, although we did keep the ones mortally hooked. I haven't fished it in probably 8 years, so check the regs as parts are closed for trout fishing. Good fishing from the river road bridge south of Hillsboro up to and past Gaston. A small boat slid down the bank helps but many log jams so it limits travel. Be careful if you boat it, I almost drowned one time swimming to the other side upstream of a log jam to scout the other side. Ok, there the skinny as far as I know.. good luck............ FB

[justdave]

Our family farms are in the Gales Creek area. Growing up I spent a lot of time fishing Gales and tribs and the upper T as well. Where the access road is gated, used to be open when I was a kid and goes to Lee Falls and beyond. About '66-'67, the owner got upset with all the parties and broken glass. Used Dynamite on the falls and ruined an awesome swimming hole and near barrier. The fish would get above though, 12-15' as I remember. I'm sure passage is easier now, but they have closed down the fishery. I think you can still fish regular trout season, no bait. Same as all the northern Willamette tribs. Used to be pretty nice though. Check regs.

Just Dave

[snowball]

i know it can be good near cook park, float tube for bass, crappie etc..

[Gus Orviston]

Use to catch steelies above cherry grove as well. But the gate has changed the access to the upper river. There use to be some holes at and below the town bridge.

Ran a raft from Cherry grove to Gaston once looking for possible fishing spots...boy that was a mistake. They use car bodies for riprap and they plays heck on rubber rafts....Ppssssssssss hey, what's that sound..uh oh.

gus

[snowball]

i know it can be good near cook park, float tube for bass, crappie etc..

[pearl]

It's been about 3 or 4 years but I had taken my son down to the river in the Tigard area just about this time of year. We were just enjoying a sunny day throwing spinners and plunking for carp ( wanted young guppy boy to earn how to play a fish ) and it happened. A bright winter steelhead about 7 or 8 lbs on a spinner.
We did some bass fishing on the Tualatin 20 years ago.
I have also heard of some pretty good cut throat fishing ???
Might be worth exploring in a canoe or kayak

[Mad Mikey]

Catfish, White
15 lbs 0 oz
1989
Tualatin River, Wayne Welch

Ramstrong wins!!!

[Dakotan]

it looks real brown right now. i think it's open only for trout fishing, no keepers though. the ODFW sign posted along highway 47 states it's closed to steelhead/salmon angling. does that mean that both fish DO make it up gales creek? any reports from anyone out there????