COOS BASIN STEELHEAD
Trout anglers should find some good fishing on several area lakes and reservoirs including Lake Selmac, Lost Creek Reservoir and several Coos County lakes such as Empire and Bradley, according to the Oregon Department of Wildlife.
Applegate Reservoir was stocked this fall with 1,000 large and 200 trophy rainbow trout. Boat anglers have been having luck trolling spinners. Bank anglers are catching fish on night crawlers with a small red egg on the hook.
Water level at Applegate Reservoir is 1889 feet. The French Gulch boat ramp is open but the lower end of the ramp is muddy and launching may be difficult.
In the Applegate River, fly-fishing with egg patters or casting small lures can be successful for steelhead.  The lower river is the best bet until more rain gets fish moving.
Fishing pressure for trout in the Coos County lakes is very low, but fishing is good at Empire Lakes, Bradley Lake, Powers Pond, Saunders Lake, Tenmile Lakes, and Butterfield Lake. In Tenmile Lakes, rainbow trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead until after April 30. Trout are biting PowerBait, spinners and small streamers.
Fishing for steelhead in the Coos River Basin was good this past week, especially in areas near the acclimation sites. Steelhead have been biting on eggs, sand shrimp, corkies, jigs, or egg flies. Fishing is best when the water is up and dropping.
The West Fork Millicoma is the first river to clear followed by the East Fork Millicoma and then South Coos River. “We are expecting a good return of steelhead (hatchery and wild) to the Coos Basin this year, according to ODW. “Access to the South Coos River above Dellwood is by permit from Weyerhaeuser Company, and is subject to their rules.”
Steelhead fishing was productive this past week in the North Fork and South Fork Coquille rivers. There is good bank fishing access on the North Fork at LaVerne Park and on the South Fork Coquille at access points from Broadbent to Powers. Bottom bouncing eggs, corkies, or sand shrimp have been real effective for catching steelhead
Elk and Sixes River steelhead fishing should improve late this week as flows start to stabilize. The best river height for Elk River is 5.0 feet and dropping. Anglers can check river height and color of Elk River by calling Elk River Hatchery (541)332-0405.
In Fish Lake, nine hundred trophy-size rainbows were stocked in Fish Lake this fall. Fishing for both legal and trophy-sized rainbow trout has been good.
Galesville Reservoir was recently stocked with about 5,000 adipose-clipped hatchery coho that should be catchable size this summer. In Galesville Reservoir, all landlocked salmon are considered trout. Thus, there is a five per day trout limit, with only one trout over 20 inches in length allowed for harvest.
About 8,000 trout were stocked in 2009, and stocking for 2010 will begin in early March. Anglers are reminded all bass between 12 and 15 inches must be released, and only one bass over 15 inches may be taken per day.   Call 541-837-3302 for information on camping and boat launching conditions.
At Garrison Lake the best way to fish for trout is by boat, but there is some bank access at the State Park. Fly fishing or slow trolling wedding ring spinners are regular producers for trout. Anglers should keep an eye on the weather as the lake can be very windy.
The Illinois River is open for steelhead and adipose fin-clipped trout Jan 1–Mar 31 and May 23-Dec 31. Angling is restricted to artificial flies and lures only. Non-adipose fin-clipped rainbow trout, steelhead and cutthroat trout must be released unharmed and should not be removed from the water.
Beginning Jan. 1 in the mainstem Illinois River from the confluence with Briggs Creek upstream to Pomeroy Dam, non-adipose fin-clipped (wild) steelhead at least 24 inches in length may be kept, one per day, five per year, as part of the daily or annual steelhead/salmon catch limit. “Anglers should try to fish the Illinois with small spoons while flows are dropping,” ODW stated.
Lake Selmac was stocked this fall with 1,000 large rainbow and 150 trophy trout. This stocking should provide some excellent fishing opportunities this winter. Anglers have been catching fish using nightcrawlers and Pautzke egg. Casting with spinners has been effective on sunny afternoons. Try little Cleos or #4 Panther Martins.
Loon Lake was stocked with 8,000 trout in 2009. The lake was also stocked with some fingerlings so anglers should remember to release trout less than 8 inches long.  Loon Lake will start 2010 stockings in early March.
Lost Creek Reservoir was stocked this fall with 850 trophy-sized rainbow trout. If you are after large trout from a boat, try above the bridge where Hwy 62 crosses the reservoir. Anglers should try trolling slowly at different depths with wedding rings with worms; flashers and rooster tails have also been catching fish. Some limits of rainbows are being caught. Bank anglers should do well using Power Bait, worms and salmon eggs.
When the ocean has been calm, fishing for rockfish, greenling and lingcod has been good off the southern Oregon Coast. Fishing from shore for rockfish and greenling has been decent. Concentrate your fishing near rocky outcroppings and drop-offs.
Surfperch fishing should be good using sand shrimp or sand worms. Fish sandy beaches when the ocean swells are smaller (10 feet or less). Best fishing is typically on the incoming tides.
The Winchuck River is one of those rivers that clears several days earlier than other rivers after a storm. Public access is limited in the lower river, but there is plenty of opportunity on Forest Service property in the upper river. Anglers will want to check the regulations prior to fishing as there are deadlines and angling restrictions.