Shad Fishing in Oregon

Flyfishing for Oregon Shad is an fly anglers dream come true!  We have a blast each year in June with American shad ranging from 1-5 pounds.  Using fly rods in the #5-6 weight range these members of the herring family fight like crazy!  Not 20 minutes from downtown Portland we find schools of the fish often referred to as the "Poor Man's Tarpon" willingly taking the fly.  This generally productive fishing is the effect of a huge run of fish often numbering 3-5 million fish over Bonneville dam on the Columbia system.

The scenic Oregon City Falls on the Willamette River is a historic area.

Fishing on the Willamette River is varied through the year with different species of fish.  During June you will find Shad, Chinook Salmon, Sturgeon, Steelhead and Small mouth bass.  Large sturgeon (6-10' long!) are often spotted as they jump or roll on the surface.  In addition Lamprey Eel are also migrating at this time.  Occasionally one of our shad anglers will hook a different species than shad.  

Small mouth bass

Spring Chinook caught on a shad fly!

A good day shad fishing is often determined by how many "doubles" you have!

Visiting Portland and want to experience some rod bending fun?  Our shad fishing trips are 4 hours long and always an adventure!  We pick you up at the dock and all you need is a fishing license.  Hop in the boat and lets fish!  Whether you are new to fly fishing or a seasoned expert, Shad are a blast! Trips are $225 for one angler, $325 for 2 anglers and $450 for 3 anglers.  Soda and waters are provided.   For more information on fly fishing fun around the Portland area with Water Time Outfitters call owner Rob Crandall at 503-704-6449.  Visit our website: www.watertimeoutfitters.com  

Shad Fishing Report - June

Shad fishing has started on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.  Here is a blog post from Water Time Outfitters supported Clackamas Fly Fishers Club.  Member Kevin Brooks fished with Rob Crandall of WTO on the Willamette in June.  Here is his recap on the fishing.  Check it out:

http://blogs.clackamasflyfishers.org/2014/06/04/mini-tarpon-fishing-with-cff-sponsor-rob-crandall-of-watertime-outfitters/

Fly Fishing for Shad - Portland, Oregon Fishing!

With the arrival of June fly fishing for shad is off and running on the Willamette River just a few miles from Portland, Oregon.  Shad are tough fighters, ranging from 1-6 lbs and good tackle testers for #5 and #6 weight fly rods.  Shad runs are known to reach over 4 million fish on the nearby Columbia River.  With no counting mechanism on the Willamette river shad little is known on how many actually arrive each year but counts at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia are good indicator of when fish are arriving on the Willamette.  As of today that count is over 600,000 fish and rising fast with 94,000+ fish crossing the dam just yesterday!  What we know is there are plenty of fish!  Water Time Outfitters is the only fly fishing company offering guided trips fly fishing for shad that we know of.  Come join the fun and catch some great fish!  See more about Water Time Outfitters fishing expeditions around Oregon at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com