Siletz River

Flowing 70 miles through the Coast Range on out to the Pacific Ocean, the very scenic Siletz River drains about 700 square miles and has good driving proximity to Newport, Lincoln City and Corvallis. The boatable stretches begin at Moonshine Park above Logsden and continue on down toward the mouth near Kernville. Most fishing attention is directed toward Fall Chinook and Winter Steelhead and also to a smaller run of Summer Steelhead. A good deal of the trolling effort for the big Fall Kings is focused in the lower tidewater from Kernville on up to
just beyond Echo Creek, while the drift boat fishermen who chase after Winter Steehead love to row various different runs from Moonshine Park on down to Morgan Park well below the town of Siletz. The section from Moonshine Park to Twin Bridges (also known as Sam's Creek) is extremely scenic with its pool & drop character and numerous feeder stream water falls that plunge directly into the Siletz. This run would not be a good choice for a novice rower. Many fishing trips either start or finish at several convenient boat ramps near or in the town of Siletz which has a great small Cafe and also a brew pub. A short 20 minute drive from Siltez is Newport, a larger coastal town that offers plenty of good eateries and lots of choices for lodging. Nearby beaches, crabbing docks, whale-watching opportunities, summer festivals, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Hatfield Science Center, and events at the Newport Performing Arts Center, all combine to make Newport a favorite vacationing spot.

In the tidewater, trolled plug-cut baits and spinners account for most of the Fall Chinook hook-ups though enough fish hit bait-wrapped plugs to make them a viable option. Further upriver, eggs and shrimp, be they back-bounced or float fished, are considered the number one choice. Many of the Siletz Winter Steelhead are taken on side-drifted eggs and jigs, while back-rowing plugs and pitching spinners will also produce. Later in the year, fly fishing can also be quite effective on the Summer-Runs.