The rain this week should finally get the river levels to rise to more normal conditions and get larger number of steelhead moving upriver. Steelhead anglers will most likely find a mixture of bright and dark fish that they can catch this week. There is bank access at the Millicoma Interpretive Center on the West Fork, Nesika Park on the East Fork Millicoma and for 7 miles along the South Fork Coos rivers. Anglers wanting to fish the South Fork Coos River above tidewater will need a fishing access permit from Weyerhaeuser.

Boat and bank anglers fishing from the jetties have been catching rockfish in the Coos Bay estuary. Early March is still a good time period to catch a lingcod along the jetties. Jigs fished with a twister tail trailer is always a good option to catch bottomfish. 

Herring were in the lower Coos Bay estuary to spawn in February. Although the majority of the herring have probably spawned there can still be additional groups of fish that haven’t yet. Herring typically spawn in eel grass or other in-water structure where their eggs can adhere to. Bigger groups of herring can be found by looking for large concentrations of birds and seals. 

Trout fishing in streams and rivers reopen May 22.