Siletz River advice/help

[Ballgame]

This coming weekend is the start of Spring break for my 3 kids so we decided to stay at the thousand trails in Newport for a couple of days. My two boys 10 and 8 want to go fishing for a couple of hours Sunday. I know next to nothing about the Siletz so any advice would be helpful. I'm thinking they will struggle with the line control in order to a decent dead drift so I was going to have them swing a spoon/spinner, anyone have any suggestions about size or color and how much weight to add if any (water level is predicted around 6 ft Sunday)? I mainly fly fish so the gear fishing is a little foreign to me still.

Also somehow my wife said since I'm taking the kids out in the afternoon she knew I wouldn't get to fish and asked if I wanted to go out in the morning for a couple hours at sunrise. I don't think she had finished talking yet before I said yeah. I read the Siletz gorge might be a good starting point, anyone know where that starts? what water level is preferred for fishing? I will be nymphing an attractor pattern with an egg dropper.

As always any help is appreciated.

 

[troutdude]

Will you be chasing trout, or steelhead? I don't think that, trout season will be open yet (but you can check the regs, to be sure). If it's trout you want, there is Big Creek Reservoir #2 at the north end of Newport. And Olalla Reservoir, is even closer. The gorge, btw, is basically upstream from Moonshine park. Good luck.

 

[Ballgame]

They want to try to steelhead fish this weekend would Moonshine Park be a good spot to take them?

 

[troutdude]

IMHO, yes. If it has a native run--the BIG boys, will be coming in w/ this rain. Hopefully the river, won't be blown out. If it is; your best bet would be tossing bright flashy spinners / spoons...or plunking big and scented globs of eggs, or other bait.

P.S. Please remember to refer to the regs, for any catch and release information (and what types of hooks are allowed).

 

[Ballgame]

Awesome thanks for the info. I'm not sure at what water level equal to high on the Siletz. Its predicted to be around 6' Sunday? Is that considered high water, but still fishable for this time of year?

 

[Ballgame]

Like on the nestucca I found that you can fish it above 7 but it's tough fishing the closer it drops to 6' the better.

 

[Willerman]

Here is a site that has some info on the Siletz, with best river levels at the bottom. My buddy is actually at Moonshine as I type this- I'll report back if he caught something.

http://www.bestfishinginamerica.com/or-siletz-river-steelhead-fishing.html

 

[Ballgame]

Cool thanks

 

[troutdude]

My buddy is actually at Moonshine as I type this- I'll report back if he caught something.

http://www.bestfishinginamerica.com/...d-fishing.html

Ha! That will give you the proverbial, "inside scoop".

Looks like the level, will be PRIME for ya!

 

[SailCat]

The NOAA's best guess which indicates the Siletz (at the town of Siletz) dropping to sixish feet and Sunday is definitely the day. I don't fish that river enough to know how that equates to flows at Moonshine but would love to hear the story (with pics, please) about your kids hooking their first steelhead. Woo hoo!
https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/station/flowplot/hydroPlot.php?id=SILO3&pe=HG&v=1420905257

 

[troutdude]

Ballgame Great news. My dad banked one today; and another hook-up came unbuttoned! I don't know any details; only that. Or I would share more. But hey...at least they are, on the BITE!