North Santiam River Report March 8

[billsan]

March 8, 2004

North Santiam River Report

Summer steelhead around Green’s Bridge are cause for excitement. We saw several that were caught last weekend, along with more winter steelhead that were released. Since our trip was a group venture and we had more than 20 boats and we drifted 15 miles in four hours, most of our fishing was vicarious. We did observe a dozen boats with serious anglers.

North Santiam River Guides, Steelheaders, and the Watershed Council participated in sponsoring a trip on March 6 with good attendance. The group drifted from Green’s Bridge five miles down the North Santiam into the main Santiam to Jefferson and continued another 10 or 11 miles to the Willamette River at the Buena Vista Ferry slip on the East side of the river. Many of the participants had not seen that lower section of river, and many of them will return to fish or drift on their personal trips.

The night before our trip, the river level dropped because of adjustments to Detroit Lake level and also because extra water was used for several days to help salmon and steelhead smolts on their downriver trip to the Willamette River and to the ocean. It always takes a day or two for the fish to settle down and bite well after river level changes, but quite a few steelhead were caught that day anyway. Steelhead and salmon do bite well as the river drops, but it is unknown whether they will bite during the drop or if they will wait a day or two for stable conditions. Mysterious variables exist, but some great steelhead were caught that day. I would hazard a guess that the bite will even improve with some stabilization of the river level.

Big trees move around during high river levels, and this happened at the little island a quarter of a mile above the confluence with the South Santiam. We used to be able to easily run either side of the island, although the North side was shallower. The South side had a few branches sticking out into the boating channel, but they were avoidable. This season, the North channel is quite shallow and there are some new rootwads at the top. Although one boat did go through there safely, the South side has more water and is completely free of obstructing branches and trees. Steelhead fishing is excellent both above and below the island. It is a great place to either anchor or to even get out of the boat and fish from the shore of the island.

Not much changed in the mainstem Santiam during the winter high waters. There used to be a few trees partially blocking some of the river channels and corners, but Mother Nature was kind to the boating public and moved them off to the sides of the river. All the boating channels are clear. There are so many gravel bar islands that ideal fishing drifts are abundant. The peace and tranquility of this lower section of river is noteworthy. The river meanders throughout valley farmland with many riffles but few rapids or other difficulties. Although there is lots of boat traffic between Green’s Bridge and Jefferson, the traffic is light between Jefferson and the Willamette. Boaters who love solitude and big numbers of fish will love this section, but boaters who love whitewater will wish they had gone upstream.

So far (as of March 4) 5695 winter steelhead and 19 summer steelhead have come up the Willamette and most of them go to the Santiam Rivers. Some fish are already upstream at the top of both the North and South Santiams, with catches recorded at Foster and Minto/Packsaddle. However, most of the fish are still in the middle and lower rivers. Big native winter steelhead were caught last week in Mill City, Minto Park, Lebanon, Foster, and all lower river sections. Although the odds may be best around Jefferson, a balance between good fish numbers and solitude may be found in upriver sections. Some river sections have around 50 steelhead per mile, and other sections have less. All sections have some fish.

The next club trip for NSRGA and the Steelheaders is on April 3 from Stayton to Green’s Bridge. This section used to have problems with logjams and tree trunks in the middle of boating channels, but the main channels are clear this week. Future rainstorms will change things, so it is important to keep track of recent developments and river levels regarding this section.

Detroit Lake is filling slowly, and the North Santiam River is running lower than normal winter levels. Fishing is pretty good, and the weather is pretty variable.

Bill Sanderson


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[Beaver1]

Thanks Bill!

[RiverRogue]

Bill, thanks again. Wanted to be there as well but had other committments. One question...I know last year below Shelburne, several boats got into trouble. I was warned that someone with limited skills should stay clear of that stretch of river. What would you advise?

[billsan]

Boaters with limited skills should follow someone through the sections above Green's Bridge before rowing themselves without direction. Some of the channels are less than obvious, and it is a nuisance to go down the wrong channel and have to drag the boat back upstream or over logs. There are safe channels for novices to row, and knowing which ones to take will make for a safe trip. Although six or eight boats sank there last year, it is much safer this year if you know where to go.

[SKP]

I fished the Santiam system for a couple hours on Saturday.

I had a massive take down on a frog water drift, on a bobber/jig + pink worm, but didn't get it to stick, as is my luck so far with bobber/jig. It was a First Cast pink/white jig, with added pink worm, about 1/3 cut off and Marie's shrimp scent. The jig still was heavy on the worm side, so it hung down, so that must be the reason I keep missing these fish on the jigs.

I did not see any hooked, but talked to one boat that saw a summer steelhead landed.

SKP

[Phishin Phool]

SKP Have you tried tipping your Jig with a small piece for prawn tail? That should eliminate them tugging on the end of the worm.

Bill I know I asked you in an earlier post but you either didn't reply or I missed it. Has the Log Jam been washed down river or is it still there? I haven't made the drift yet this year but would like to soon.

--PP/Russ

[billsan]

Yes, the log jam is gone. There is still a rootwad to row around, but is relatively easy to identify the safest channel and row around it. It really helps to know the proper channels ahead of time, and that involves following someone through there the first trip. Since you have done it before, you can go the same way and the big log problem is abated. Good luck--it's fishy there now.

[Phishin Phool]

Bill I've never run that high up with my sled. I know it's do-able. Is it pretty challenging though. I've been up as high as probably a couple mile below the jam. Don't want to take any unneccesary risks but would like to go above shelburn and work my way down, if it's safe.

--PP/Russ

[RiverRogue]

Phishin Phool, I drifted the Santiam last Wed from Stayton down to shelburne. I didnt see anything that would be a hinderance at the level the water was at then. I believe it was around 4 feet at Mehama. The most difficult area I remember is right below Stayton where the river turns south down a bumpy drift. If the water level were to get much lower, it could be too shallow for larger sleds. I have a 23' sled and have run above Greens Bridge about two miles with the water as low as 3 feet at Jefferson. Hope that helps.

[nsantiam]

Thanks for the info Bill. Hope to make the trip with you on the 3rd. Fished around shelburn on friday with no luck, Saturday fished up near the island and did a little better.

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Leave your Diver & Bait at home... There are still way too many wildfish present to fish this presentation. Also This report is a tad misleading there have proably been less the 20 fresh summers so far this season, (proable a few more retreads) not very good odds considering the pressure.