Camping at Lazy Bend on the Clack this weekend. Any advice?

[thelibrarian]

This will be my first time targeting Steelhead. If I'm reading the regs correctly it looks like this area of the river is open for hatchery steelies.

I've not been to Lazy Bend before but judging by the name of the campground and the way the river kind of curves past it I'm thinking this would probably be a good spot to toss out a few spinners in the wee hours before the summer fun crowds show up. Does anybody have experience at this campground and/or advice?

Thanks in advance for any info that might help me with my first Steelhead effort!

 

[DrTheopolis]

The Clack above Faraday (just above Estacada) is closed to salmon, steelhead, and bull trout.

Not to be a jerk, but tossing a few spinners there should produce great success at killing a bunch of wild smolts.

Go down to Cazadero Canyon, or below Rivermill (since there will be about 1000X more stellies and nooks there).

 

[~JM~]

Saturday I drove up past Estacada along the Clack. There is a bridge that crosses the river & there is a nice view of the rock river bank. There were more than 4 people fishing in that location as I drove by.

 

[bubs]

If I'm reading the regs correctly

That would be a no...but good that you asked. I would take Dr T's advice, wouldn't be too far of a drive for the early AM to get below the River Mill Dam somewhere. For example you could probably be riverside at McIver in 20-25 min

 

[Artwo]

Unfortunately the Dr. is correct on the regs................

Mainstem and tributaries (except Oak Grove Fork) upstream of Faraday Diversion (Cazadero) Dam, excluding North Fork Reservoir

• Closed for salmon and steelhead all year.
• Closed to angling from a floating device or from the west shore for the length of the Three Lynx Powerhouse (111 feet).
• Harvest of bull trout prohibited.

It's really to bad because it use to be really fun to fish up there when they allowed hatchery fish up there. Then they shut it down to help re-establish the wild run and it has never worked, failed experiment. We fishermen wish they would return it to what it once was, a great sport fishery.........

 

[DrTheopolis]

Fishing for summers above the dam was glory days on the Clack, but there aren't any anymore. Heck, they used to truck a bunch of them to the Collawash, which was a hoot.

 

[Artwo]

Fishing for summers above the dam was glory days on the Clack, but there aren't any anymore. Heck, they used to truck a bunch of them to the Collawash, which was a hoot.

Ya, we use to deer hunt up there (still do) back then. We'd hunt in the mornings and evenings and steelhead fish the Collawash in the afternoons. Tons of good memories from those days, to bad we can't experience more of that today. You'd think since they know their little experiment failed they'd try to reinstate some more fishing opportunities up there for the sport fisherman........