e xplor e
LIKE A LOCAL
JANET & BILL
ROBERTSON
Never met a fish they didn't like
Bill Robertson has deep roots in the county; his
grandparents homesteaded on Rudio Creek, and his
parents on Holmes Creek. Janet moved to the county
in 1962 and the couple have raised their family here.
As he grew up, Bill fished across Grant County,
soaking up the history and beauty of the place as he
explored.
“There is nothing as satisfying as catching a
salmon or steelhead, while a bald eagle flies overhead
and some deer watch from the other side of the river,”
he says.
Today, both Bill and Janet are avid anglers, and
they also enjoy hunting, hiking, camping – basically
anything they can do with family.
Bill was a builder and worked for the Forest Serv-
ice, and the couple have owned several businesses
including The Outpost Restaurant in John Day. They
retired three years ago, and are enjoying the great
outdoors.
When friends come to Grant County, the Robert-
sons have no shortage of ideas for entertainment:
“We like to take them to Magone Lake, the Strawberry
Mountain Wilderness, the John Day Fossil Beds – and
of course, fishing.”
“What we love about Grant County is the pace of
life. We have so many friends and family members
here, and we like the way people smile at you when
you meet them on the street.”
FISHING
Whether you like to cast a fly rod over a rippling river or dangle a bobber in
a serene lake, there’s no shortage of opportunities in Grant County.
Depending on the time of year, you can try your luck with steelhead,
rainbow trout, kokanee or bass and other species.
Special fishing regulations apply in some waterways, as the John Day Basin
is home to protected and recovering fish species.
STREAM FISHING
Fishing for adipose fin-clipped steelhead is permitted during various seasons on
various segments of the John Day River.
For further information, please check the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet,
available where sporting licenses and tags are sold. It is also available for download from
the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website, www.dfw.state.or.us
LAKES AND PONDS
State wildlife officials continue to increase the number of fish that are stocked in Grant
County ponds and lakes.
In 2014, ODFW crews stocked ponds and lakes with nearly 20,000 legal-sized
rainbow trout, 12,500 fingerlings, and 2,700 trophy rainbows. Coming in 2015, anglers
can expect to see more than 3,000 trophy fish, plus 10,700 sub-legal fish and 21,600
legal keepers, introduced to the waterways.
For information on fishing the Forrest Conservation Area: Call 541-820-4521.