Handle fish with care during hot summer weather – On days when temperatures soar, anglers can do their part to reduce the stress fish are under. Here are some tips: Fish early in day when water temperatures are cooler. Use a thermometer to check water temperatures frequently. Stop fishing when temperatures exceed 70 degrees. Look for trout in deep, high elevation lakes or shaded streams near headwaters. These places are often cooler. Use barbless hooks if you plan to catch and release. Use the appropriate gear and land fish quickly. The longer the fight, the less likely the fish will survive. Keep the fish in the water when you unhook it and cradle the fish upright until it revives enough to swim away. Use your judgement. If conditions where you want to fish seems especially severe (low, hot water), consider fishing somewhere else where water conditions are better. Best bets for weekend fishing – Here are some highlights from this week’s Recreation Report: Brown trout in Lemolo Reservoir; Half-pounders in the lower Rogue; Summer steelhead in the Siletz, South Fork Santiam and lower McKenzie rivers; Smallmouth bass in the mainstem Coquille; Coho salmon in Winchester Bay; Stripers in the Smith River. Check the updates in the zone reports for more information and ideas.
