Montana Fish Report

Steelhead fishing 101, Nov. 3 and 10 in Troutdale
The workshop is for beginning anglers to learn the essential elements of steelhead fishing. On Nov. 3, the workshop runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and covers selecting the right gear, essential knots, fishing ethics and tips and techniques. The Nov. 10 workshop will be an on-the-water session from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. To learn more and register.

Take a friend hunting – Chance win a statewide deer tag or other great prizes
Take someone who is new to the sport out hunting—or even someone who hasn’t hunted in awhile! Then enter to win some great prizes including the grand prize of a statewide deer tag for 2020. Learn all the details.

Best bets for weekend fishing
There’s a beautiful fall weekend in the forecast, and you really should get out and enjoy a day on the water. Here are just a few of the options from this week’s Recreation Report:

• Several waterbodies in the Coos Bay area will be stocked with one-pound trout this week.
• If you’re in the mood for a fish fry, yellow perch fishing on Tenmile Lakes has been very good.
• Coho season is underway on the Clackamas, Sandy and Willametter rivers.
• Anglers are catching fall Chinook at Sherars Falls on the lower Deschutes.
• Chickahominy, Yellowjacket, Cottonwood Meadows and Anthony lakes are all popular destinations for fall trout fishing.
• An October caddis hatch on the Wallowa River can lead to some good dry fly action.
• On the John Day, water levels have come up and steelhead have started to arrive.

If you didn’t apply for a tag, don’t miss getting a point saver
Point savers for deer, elk and pronghorn hunts can be purchased through Nov. 30.

Give us a wing and a tail - Map of collection barrels for grouse and quail now available
If you bag a bird, don’t forget to give us a wing and a tail for any forest grouse or mountain quail you harvest! Use paper bags in the bright blue collection barrels placed at major road junctions or highways in hunting areas and at some ODFW offices and popular rural markets. Mark your harvest date plus county and general location where you hunted.

Here are maps of collection barrels in the NW, SW, Columbia, and NE areas.