Fishing in Douglas County


Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
4192 N. Umpqua Hwy
Roseburg, OR 97470
(541)440-3353

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Lake Fishing Guide (Large Graphic)

Stream Fishing Guide (Large Graphic)

Bass - Large Mouth: The most sought after game fish in the United States. Douglas County has many lowland lakes and ponds, both public and private, that are inhabited by the largemouth. Traditionally, they are good fighters, test the angler's skill, and are great fare.



Bass - Small Mouth: The small mouth bass is a newcomer to the Umpqua basin. It has become an incredibly popular fish, due to its willingness to bite, size and eating qualities. It provides a fishery on both the Umpqua and South Umpqua rivers during the warm months of the year, when there is nothing else biting. They can be caught on anything from worms to flies and are sought by casual and serious fishermen.



Bass - Striped: The mainstream Umpqua River below Scottsburg and the Smith River have striped bass up to 40 pounds. The Umpqua waters, however tend to be marginal for proper success of this animal and angler success is spotty. These fish put up a terrific fight. The meat is second only to halibut for texture and flavor, making an extra effort to catch them worthwhile.



Salmon - Chinook: Referred to as the "King Salmon" along other parts of the Pacific Coast, the chinook is the largest of the salmon family and is regularly found in the ocean, off the mouth of the Umpqua River at Winchester Bay and in the Umpqua River and its streams. The spring runs begin in February or March and extend into June. Spawning occurs in September and October. The fall run chinook start into the rivers early in September and spawn almost immediately upon reaching their termination points.



Salmon - Silver: Also known as the "coho", much smaller than the chinook, and is abundant throughout most of the summer off the mouth of the Umpqua River at Winchester Bay. A favorite among sportsmen, cohos enter the streams with the fall chinook and are most common in the mainstream of the Umpqua River, the South Umpqua, the ocean and Siltcoos and Tahkenitch Lakes.



Salmon - Kokanee: Know to many as the "Land Locked Sockeye Salmon", kokanee may be found in Douglas County in Hemlock and Eel Lakes. Kokanee grow to a length of 16" and turn a brilliant red when maturing. This fish is growing in popularity with fishermen every season.



Shad: A member of the herring family, this fish is growing in popularity with sportsmen because of its fighting spirit. The shad enter the river to spawn in May and June and are found in the mainstream and lower reaches of the South Umpqua. When smoked and canned, the flesh is superb, and the roe is considered a delicacy throughout the world.



Steelhead: Sea-going rainbow trout are referred to as Steelhead. These fish migrate to the ocean in their early life and return to their native streams to spawn. They follow a four-year life pattern common to the salmon family. Summer Steelhead enter the river in May as water temperatures rise. These fish hold over the summer to spawn in March of the next year. Winter Steelhead, the more numerous of the two runs, start into the river as heavy rains cause it to rise, which usually occurs in November. They average seven pounds with a few up to 25 pounds.



Sturgeon: Green and white sturgeon are found in the mainstream of the Umpqua River, especially in the Gardener area. The fishery for these species is rather small but there are times when angler success is really good.



Trout - Brown: The brown trout is a native of Europe recognized by its general golden brownish color with dark brown or black spots on the dorsal and adipose fins. Body spots, especially below the lateral fins, are edged with red and orange. To the angler, he is known as the wariest of trout. The fish is found wild in the upper North Umpqua River, Soda Springs, Toketee and Lemolo Reservoirs.



Trout - Cutthroat (Resident): A native of the Pacific Coast, cutthroat trout are predominately found in tributary headwaters and in Siltcoos, Tahkenitch, Eel and Ten Mile Lakes. Easily recognized by two red slash marks on the underside of the jaw. They do not grow to a large size, tending as they do toward smaller streams. Except for the early spring and again during the fall salmon spawning season, they hide themselves in deep eddies and along undercut banks.



Trout - Cutthroat (Sea Run): Another popular game fish, the sea-run cutthroat enter the Umpqua River and other coastal streams in the late summer and fall months. The average length is 12-14 inches long and occasionally reaching up to 20 inches. The sea-run cutthroat is also know as salmon trout, blueback, harvest trout, etc.



Trout - Eastern Brook: Most of the "backpack" lakes are stocked with eastern brook trout by helicopter by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The cold water at these lakes provides ideal habitat for the fish and they have done well. Early spring and lake fall provide the best catches.



Trout - Rainbow: Rainbow trout are native to the Pacific Coast. They are the most abundant. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife annually stocks the headwaters of the major drainages with catchable sized rainbows and fingerlings in the lakes. A rainbows' ability to exist in warm water temperatures is fairly high among trout species but they cannot survive long in water about 80 degrees.



Warm Water Game Fish: This category includes crappie, bluegill, perch, catfish, as well as both bass species. As there is special interest in the large mouth and small mouth bass, they have been broken out of this larger group. The remaining fishes provide thousands of recreational hours and are abundant in the lowland ponds and mainstream Umpqua.