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THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM
WEDNESDAY EDITION | JANUARY 19, 2019 | $1.00
ODFW R EGIONAL F ISHING
R EPORT
www.dfw.state.or.us/RR
Sports &
Recreation
Calendar
Winter Sports
openers:
Dec. 4
• SHS boys BB
hosts Newport
7:15 p.m.
• SHS girls BB
hosts Newport
5:45 p.m.
• MHS boys BB
hosts Lowell
7 p.m.
• SHS girls BB
hosts Lowell
5:30 p.m.
7 p.m.
Dec. 6
• SHS wrestling
at Harrisburg
Noon
Tide Tables
Entrance Siuslaw River
High Tide
Low Tide
Nov. 27
12:28am / 7.0
11:46pm/ 8.8
5:52am/ 2.5
6:45pm/ -1.3
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
This Friday and Saturday, Oregonians can fish, clam or crab for free.
F ISH , HIKE FREE THROUGHOUT
O REGON THIS WEEKEND
T
hose who find them-
selves feeling stuffed
after Thaksgiving
tomorrow can remedy that
by fishing, hiking, crabbing
or clamming for free
throughtout Oregon on
Friday.
The Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife hosts its
annual Free Fishing Days the
two days after Thanksgiving.
That means on Friday and
Saturday, Nov. 29 and 30, no
fishing licenses or tags
(including a Combined
Angling Tag or Columbia
River Basin Endorsement or
Two-Rod Validation) are
required to fish, crab or clam
anywhere in Oregon.
Even relatives or friends
visiting Oregon from out of
state can come along because
non-residents are also free
on these two Free Fishing
days.
Although no licenses or
tags are required, all other
fishing regulations apply
including closures, bag limits
and size restrictions.
If you’re planning to fish
for salmon, steelhead or
COURTESY PHOTO
Hiking within state parks will be free to Oregonians and
visitors to Oregon on Friday.
marine fish, make sure to
check the zone where you are
fishing on the ODFW’s
Recreation Report for the
latest on season and bag lim-
its because regulations for
these species change in-sea-
son.
The Recreation Report
comes out weekly and also
features the latest on fishing
conditions and opportuni-
ties, so check it out before
you make your Free Fishing
Days plans.
Beginning anglers can try
fishing for holdover trout
available where lakes and
ponds have been stocked
earlier in the year; trout are
actively feeding in prepara-
tion for winter.
Crabbing can be also be
good during the winter
months.
For anyone crabbing or
clamming, remember to call
the Shellfish Safety Hotline
at 1-800-448-2474 or check
ODA’s Recreational Shellfish
See
FREE 3B
Nov. 28
1:17am / 6.9
12:36pm / 8.5
6:37am / 2.9
7:28pm / -1.2
Sea of Lights returns to aquarium
Nov. 29
2:05am / 6.8
1:07pm/ 8.1
7:23am/ 3.2
8:12pm/ -0.9
Nov. 30
2:54m / 6.6
1:50pm / 7.6
8:11am / 3.5
8:57pm / -0.3
Dec. 1
3:45am / 6.4
1:50pm / 7.6
9:04am / 3.6
9:44pm / 0.2
Dec. 2
4:37am / 6.3
3:28pm / 6.3
10:05am / 3.7
10:33pm / 0.8
Dec. 3
5:30am / 6.2
4:30pm / 5.9
11:15am / 3.6
11:25pm / 1.2
The
Oregon
Coast
Aquarium invites you to illu-
minate your holiday SEAson
by joining us for our annual
Sea of Lights celebration.
Sea of Lights is the largest
holiday light display on the
central Oregon coast.
Explore the aquarium after
dark surrounded by the illu-
minated shapes of your favor-
ite sea creatures and thou-
sands of colorful holiday
lights. Santa will be busy
granting holiday wishes and
posing for photos with guests.
This family-friendly event
kicks off with a special cele-
bration Dec. 6 and 7, from 6
to 9 p.m.
Admission to this first
Friday and Saturday of Sea of
Lights is $2 plus two items of
nonperishable food for people
or pets for the Food Share of
COURTESY PHOTO
Visitors can have photos taken with a SCUBA-diving
Santa during the annual holiday event, which kicks off
Dec. 6 at the Newport Aquarium.
Lincoln County and the
Lincoln County Animal
Shelter.
Entry is $10 per person
See
MID COAST LAKES:
Stocking of the mid-coast
lakes ended in June. Check
the stocking schedule online
for dates and locations of
stockings. Some of the bigger
lakes have “hold-over” trout
and the fishing typically picks
up in the fall when these trout
are feeding to prepare for the
winter months ahead. In the
mid-coast these lakes include:
Olalla, Big Creek reservoirs,
Cleawox, Mercer, Munsel and
Siltcoos.
Warmwater fisheries are
slowing down for the year as
water temperatures cool
down.
SIUSLAW RIVER: Fall
Chinook
Fall Chinook fishing con-
tinues to be fair on the
Siuslaw River. The river is low
and clear and there are still
some fish in the estuary, but it
has been slow. Fish are still
holding in the upper tidewa-
ter areas waiting for the next
big rain event. Expect more of
the same until we get some
more rain.
Reminder: Lake Creek (a
tributary of the Siuslaw River)
is closed for the fall salmon
season to protect the forecast-
ed low number of returning
Chinook.
Due to low forecasted fall
Chinook returns, this year’s
daily bag limit has been
reduced to 1 wild Chinook per
day and 5 per year for the mid-
coast aggregate (Siletz River to
Siuslaw River).
No wild Coho retention for
the 2019 season.
ALSEA
RIVER:
Fall
Chinook
Fall Chinook fishing on the
Alsea River continues to be
slow with the low and clear
conditions. There are still
being some fish caught in the
estuary as fish start to stage
and wait for the next big rain
event. With little rain in the
10-day forecast expect more of
the same for the next few
weeks.
Due to low forecasted fall
Chinook returns, this year’s
daily bag limit has been
reduced to 1 wild Chinook per
day and 5 per year for the mid-
coast aggregate (Siletz River to
Siuslaw River).
No wild coho retention for
the 2019 season.
Trout fishing in streams
closed Oct. 31.
SALMON RIVER: fall
Chinook
Fall Chinook fishing has
slowed down on the Salmon
River with the low and clear
conditions. Most of the fish
have moved up and out of the
estuary headed for the spawn-
ing grounds and the run is
almost done for the year. A few
fish are still being caught in
the estuary and the pressure
has been light.
Due to low forecasted fall
Chinook returns, this year’s
daily bag limit has been
reduced to 1 wild Chinook per
day and 5 per year for the
north
coast
aggregate
(Necanicum River to Salmon
River).
No wild Coho retention for
the 2019 season.
SILETZ
RIVER:
Fall
Chinook, summer steelhead
Fall Chinook fishing on the
Siletz River continues to be
slow with the low, clear, and
cold conditions. Fish will start
to stage in the estuary again
waiting for the next big rain
event. With no considerable
SEA 2B
See
FISHING 2B
Warm Wishes at Thanksgiving
As I celebrate the many blessings I’ve been so lucky to enjoy this year, we count good
friends and clients like you among them. May you enjoy laughter and happiness around
the table this Thanksgiving and an abundance of good fortune to last all year!
Thank You & Happy Thanksgiving!
Lynnette Wikstrom
Broker
Cell: 541.999.0786
lynnette@cbcoast.com
100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR • 541.997.7777
“We’re next to the Bridge.”
COAST REAL ESTATE