Need Suggestions for Christmas Fishing near Florence

My family is coming up for Christmas and the old man really wants to fish for steelhead and/or trout. We are renting a house in Haceta Beach, near Florence, and I would really appreciate any tips for locations to fish around there from our kayaks or the bank.

I have only incidentally caught steelhead while fishing in Alaska and I don't have much experience targeting them. I can figure out bait/tackle rigging but I am in need of ideas for locations that might produce around that time.

I am mostly looking at the Alsea and the Siuslaw as well as some of the lakes around there for trout. Hopefully everything won't be blown up still...

We are just looking to do some good ol' catch and release.

Company would always be welcome! We are thinking the 26th-28th whenever the weather/conditions are best.


Thanks so much for any tips! Feel free to send a PM.

Rivers are blown out and muddy. Not much of a Steelhead fishery around that are that I can think of. There are some running the Siuslaw and perhaps further up the Alsea... but Im not familiar with the latter.

Good costal lake fishing for trout. You can pretty much take your pick but expect it to be generally slow this time of year.

I would recommend Woahink Lake for Yellow Perch this time of year. just find structure or deep hole on the bottom with a worm suspended up with weight on the bottom and let it sit. Good eating too!

Tenmile Creek would be another possibility for steelhead. It is south of Florence and I don't know much about it other than they have a hatchery run. If you go to Alsea, the bank access starts at about Scott Creek which is above the community of Tidewater. A lot of the land is posted but if you just look for well-worn pullouts with a trail to the river, that's where the fishing holes are and it goes on for many miles.

For methods, you might try bobber and jig or a pink worm under a bobber. It's the easy way. Hardware like spoons and spinners are also good choices. I love spoons.

trout would be very slow this time of year and coho is done.

Siuslaw needs to drop below 8 to fish for steelhead, once it does there is bank access at Farnam landing, Thompson creek, Tide, Konnie, and up Lake Creek including at Schindler's Landing.  Once the water level drops, winters will start getting caught and I'll be fishing for steelhead in those areas.

gage link:  http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?MPLO3

I am not as familiar with the Alsea locations but when it drops to the correct level, should be lots of steelhead catching going on.

Tenmile Creek is another steelhead option, I'll be heading there with my kayak once these storms settle down.

cheers, roger

Thanks for the advice guys! I think we will have to wait to see what river conditions are like by then. I am guessing we will just try to find a fun scenic river paddle and maybe wet a few lines.

Munsel lake in Florence is fishable year round and holds decent size trout and bass.

Thanks for the advice guys! I think we will have to wait to see what river conditions are like by then. I am guessing we will just try to find a fun scenic river paddle and maybe wet a few lines.

This time of year that scenic river paddle might be more like a hold-onto-your-hats roller-coaster ride... but it'll be fun, for sure.

Have a good time, and Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Munsel lake in Florence is fishable year round and holds decent size trout and bass.

not sure if you have fished Munsel much recently, I am not aware of many bass being caught in the last couple years and it is pretty much cleaned out of trout by August (last planting is early May)...yellow perch yes.   also young coho in Munsel that must be released, so be aware of that.

I would go to Tahkentich for bass but they might not be very active in this cold water...cheers, roger

I'vve been told that Woahink fishes well for good-sized perch in December, but deep -- 50-60 feet of water.

Thank you guys for the advice. I definitely found the steelhead today, but couldn't get them to bite in the time I was there. Tomorrow I give them everything I've got!

 

Well, We saw a couple steelhead today but the water was clear and they were spooked very easily.

My brother and I ended up getting a few Cutthroat and my dad somehow caught a big old spawned out hen that we quickly released. I wasn't expecting that!

Munsel lake in Florence is fishable year round and holds decent size trout and bass.

not sure if you have fished Munsel much recently, I am not aware of many bass being caught in the last couple years and it is pretty much cleaned out of trout by August (last planting is early May)...yellow perch yes.   also young coho in Munsel that must be released, so be aware of that.

Its been a couple years and my last time I did indeed get skunked, which was a first for me on that lake. Sad to hear, that lake use to produce some monsters. Was one of my favorite lakes for a long time.

Well, We saw a couple steelhead today but the water was clear and they were spooked very easily.

My brother and I ended up getting a few Cutthroat and my dad somehow caught a big old spawned out hen that we quickly released. I wasn't expecting that!

So you had a good day, huh?  Glad you got into something, and well done.

Yup, it was a good day! Kind of torturous watching big steelhead in clear water that wouldn't bite anything I had. But it's all a learning process for me!

And just so everyone knows, all of the cutthroat were released!