North Santiam salmon

MasterCaster · 07-07-2002, 10:44 PM

Is it true that they hold up the spring chinook at Stayon? If so where and why? Is there any way to find out when they let them go up river? I keep hearing that the salmon are all below Stayton and not being "let" up river yet and have been wondering why?

Anyone been fishing it recently? Im thinking about heading up maybe Tues morning or Wed.

Thanx
Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

fishin62 · 07-08-2002, 07:58 AM

They are not holding the salmon below stayton. i have been drifting from mehema to stayton and am finding lots of salmon above that. in the deep holes, you might try the n.fork hole where the little nfork dumps in, or under the bridge at mill city if its salmon you want.

NEUTRON · 07-08-2002, 02:54 PM

Jon, a few years back we used to bump into a young odfw fish checker that told us they would "trap" fish at bennett dam for statistical purporses. The impression we got that it was a day or so at time and the fish had to be removed by hand. Haven't seen him in a few years and I'm not sure if they still do it. He was a fisherman as well and it gave him a pretty good idea where to fish. River is down to 3.3 at mehama

santiamflyguy · 07-08-2002, 10:19 PM

i wouldn't worry about the salmon being 'held up' at stayton. the pool below the falls in mill city is chock full o' them. it looks like a cuisenart in there some nights, like tonight.

i don't fish right there myself, but close enough to see 'em :smile: .

santiamflyguy · 07-08-2002, 10:20 PM

another place to try is the big hole at north santiam state park. i was there not too long ago and saw as many, if not more, than at mill city and there weren't any people fishin' 'em...

MasterCaster · 07-08-2002, 10:31 PM

Thanx for the info guys.

Santiamflyguy....
Are the fish you have been seeing still a decent color? Not too dark yet?

I dont fish Millcity under the bridge either too many snaggers to deal with and some of them absolutely dont care who sees.

Ive been fishing for stealhead the few trips ive made up there this year but a decent springer would be nice if they are still nice fish in there.

North Santiam State park??? I dont think ive ever heard of it. Where in general is it?

you can e-mail me with any other info if you dont want to post it on here [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] :grin:

Thanx
Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

Cohodependent · 07-08-2002, 11:15 PM

The North Santiam State Park is one of the first ones you come to heading out of Salem. It is a day use only park. You will see the signs if you are looking for them. Good luck. I was thinking of heading down there this next weekend. I am going to a camp out with family and friends up near Detroit.

MasterCaster · 07-08-2002, 11:41 PM

Thanx coho I guess I have just never noticed it before I usually just fish Mehema and another walk in hole I was told is called the "County hole". Ill check it out this week though.

The Santiam is so close to home but I havent really fished it much at all. Im going to be fishing it alot more in the years to come though. It can be a gold mine at times and pretty much right in my back yard.

Thanx
Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

MasterCaster · 07-08-2002, 11:59 PM

Thanx for the info fishin62.

Its not Salmon im after really just been hearing alot of people talking that most of the salmon are still being "held up" below Stayton and it got me wondering why.

anyone else have any info on this?

thanx

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

[ 07-08-2002, 01:02 PM: Message edited by: MasterCaster ]

santiamflyguy · 07-09-2002, 09:35 AM

the fish are gettin' pretty dark, but if you're fishing near the bottom in the big holes, there's still a few fresh ones to be found. about a quarter of the fish i've seen caught i would call 'fresh', about half 'medium', and the last quarter 'dark'.

that of course doesn't count the soreheads snagged by all the idiots [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

santiam slayer · 07-09-2002, 01:21 PM

MasterCaster,

n. santiam state park is a few miles above mehama. we made the drift from there down to mehama last night and got one steelie on a spoon. it's a pretty good little drift, but there are several spots where you just have to know where to go. the fish are spread out still. according to one of the guides we talked to, there are still plenty of steelies as low as shelburn . the chinook are starting to show some color now, but there are still some biters that don't look too bad. we've been hookin' more fish on spoons than anything else, but i've talked to several people who've been getting them using bobber and jig. good luck on your trip.

rhansme · 07-09-2002, 07:35 PM

I picked up a nice little recycled steelie hen at mehema this weekend. Lots of fisherpeople but not many catching. I used Safeway prawns and a pink corkie. When I got hungry I ate some of the prawns (cooked) ! Got some funny looks from the guys on the bank, but they all wanted to know what I was using after catching that airborne steelie! For a picture go to the digital camera thread and my grandaughter is holding it up for a photo shoot...

[ 07-09-2002, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: rhansme ]

fishin · 07-09-2002, 08:45 PM

From the word of mouth that I've got Nuetron has got it right. From what I hear is they trap or count the fish through the fish ladders at both Bennett dams during the week. I think they close it and the fish only goe through as they do the counts during the week days. On weekends they open them up. Last Tuesday the upper Bennett was crammed full of fish. We saw several hook ups and the guy I was with lost one.

I just made a short drift from Mehama to about four miles down river. There were a lot of fish rolling when the sun went off the water. I didn't do any good. One other boat on the river. Saw them hook one chinook, it had a nice tan. Man, I can't seem to do any good this year. Seems like all the fish are giving me the [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] when they go by.

Good luck,
fishin