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Umatilla Oregon

On the Mighty Columbia

"Catch the Vision"

Fishing and Wildlife on the Columbia

The Columbia River is one of the major North American rivers draining into the Pacific Ocean. Originating in northern Idaho and southeastern British Columbia, it travels some 1,210 miles to the ocean, draining much of the Pacific Northwest.

The Columbia River offers many recreational opportunities including water-skiing, boating, swimming, wind surfing, and fishing. Fishing waters include the Umatilla River, Cold Springs Reservoir and other ponds, public and private. Pheasant, goose, duck and quail hunting are popular activities in the Hermiston area. This page is to introduce a few of the natural wonders associated with the greatest natural resource in the region. Hope you enjoy your visit.

Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge

830 Sixth Street
P.O. Box 700
Post Office Building
Umatilla, Oregon 97882-0700
(541) 922-3232
Waterfowl Season Hunting Hotline (541) 922-HUNT (October through January)

DIRECTIONS: Located along the Columbia River in the vicinity of Irrigon, Oregon, and Paterson, Washington. Several access routes. Write for map.

PRIMARY WILDLIFE: Nesting area for Great Basin Canada geese and several species of ducks.90,000 wintering Canada geese. 200,000 wintering ducks, practically all species of ducks found in the west except sea ducks. The largest number of ducks on the refuge at one time was 458,000 on November 13, 1983. Long-billed curlews and other marsh and water birds nest on the refuge. Mammals include mule deer, coyote, and many smaller species. Walleye, steelhead, salmon, sturgeon, crappie, and bass are found in refuge waters.

HABITAT: 29,370 acres of marshes, sloughs, open water, cropland, and sagebrush uplands.

RECREATION AND EDUCATION: Wildlife observation, study, and photography; auto tour route on McCormack Unit; Environmental education; Annual "Curlew Day" in late March. Waterfowl hunting, Pheasant hunting, Deer hunting, Fishing

SPECIAL NOTES: Waterfowl Season Hunting Hotline at (503)922-HUNT, Boating on Columbia River portions of refuge. Boats without motors are permitted on refuge ponds. Nearby state park and other campgrounds are located on both sides of the Columbia River. No overnight camping on refuge. Vehicles must stay on designated access roads. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge

c/o Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge Complex
PO Box 239
Post Office Building
Umatilla, OR 97882
(503) 922-3232

The primary purpose of the Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge is to provide for the resting and feeding of a large concentration of Canada geese and ducks during the winter. Pheasants, quail, and mule deer are common.

Recreational and educational uses of the reserve include wildlife observation, study and photography, as well as waterfowl hunting and warm water fishing for bass, catfish, and crappie.

The reserve is 7 miles east of Hermiston, east on Wall's Road off Highway 207, then south on Tabor Road.

Habitat: 3,117 acres of open water, marsh, sagebrush, grasslands, and trees around the lake.

Special Note: Refuge is superimposed on a Bureau of Reclamation reservoir. Boats with electric motors only. No camping on refuge; camping sites available at Hat Rock State Park, 5 miles N on Highway 730.

Warm Water Fishing with Public Access
UMATILLA COUNTY:

Barth Quarry Pond - 1 acre; I-84N exit 193. Go north 50 yards. Turn east on Whitmore Road and go 1.6 miles, then north 0.3 miles on Nolin Market Road. Largemouth bass, white crappie.

Cold Springs Reservoir - 1,550 acres (200 acres at low pool) 6 miles east of Hermiston. Highway 207 to milepost 3.5. Turn east on E. Punkin Center Rd. Go 3 miles to Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge. (No gas powered motor boats). Largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, white crappie.

Hat Rock Pond - 5.9 acres; 9 miles east of Umatilla. Hwy 730 to milepost 192.1. Turn north into park, follow the signs. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass.

McKay Reservoir - 1,200 acres; (less than 40 acres at low pool), 6 miles south of Pendleton on Highway 395. Open March 1 to September 30. Largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, brown bullhead, bluegill, channel catfish.

McNary Channel Ponds - 25 acres; 1 mile west of McNary Dam on Columbia River. Highway 730 to milepost 184.1. Turn north on Brownell Blvd (100 yards west of I-82). Cross tracks, go east 0.1 miles to McNary Wildlife Nature Area. Turn north to ponds and river. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white crappie, bluegill, channel catfish.

McNary Pool (Lake Wallula) - 11,640 acres; on Columbia River above McNary Dam. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white crappie, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, yellow perch, channel catfish, sturgeon, walleye.

MORROW COUNTY:

Boardman Pond - 1 acre; 1/2 mile west of Boardman, south of I-84N (exit 164). Largemouth bass, white crappie, bluegill.

John Day Pool (Lake Umatilla) - includes John Day Arm and Willow Creek Arm - 52,000 acres; on Columbia River behind John Day Dam. Smallmouth bass, channel catfish, largemouth bass, white crappie, black crappie, brown bullhead, walleye, bluegill, pumpkinseed, sturgeon, yellow perch.

McCormack Slough - 500 acres; 5 miles northeast of Boardman. Highway 730 to milepost 171.9. Turn north on Patterson Ferry Road, go 1.9 miles. Turn west on gravel road (0.1 miles past Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge Information Center and parking area). Largemouth bass, brown bullhead, smallmouth bass, channel catfish.

Messner Pond - 14 acres; I-84N exit 165, north 0.5 miles (1 mile east of Boardman). Largemouth bass, white crappie.
Tatone Pond - 1 acre; 2 miles west of Boardman between I-84N and Columbia River. I-84N exit 159 (Tower Road Exit). Turn north to railroad tracks. Drive east along tracks to parking lot. Walk 0.2 miles north to Tatone Pond. Brown bullhead.

Willow Creek Reservoir - 88 acres; 1 mile southeast of Heppner on Western Route Road. Largemouth bass, black crappie, white crappie, smallmouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed.

Cold Weather Fish of the Columbia

Catfish Catfish are known for easy living with slow baits, black water, and hot, humid, summer days. Usually all you have to do is drag a live shiner across the bottom where they are, wait and the prize is yours. So what do you do when the temperature drops into the 30's and below? You can catch big cats in the summer, but they are real deep and real unusual, they gather in pretty big schools in the reservoirs. If you catch one, mark the spot, because chances are there are many more waiting.	Passive Pike Most pike are thought of as an aggressive fish, prone to chasing and striking fast-moving and flashy-looking lures. But what happens when the weather turns and the pike slow down? To get to the fish you have to slow the presentation down to a crawl. A jig and a soft plastic shad body for these situations seems to work wonders. The pike seem to come and get it when it's just sitting there, not moving at all. If the pike follow but won't strike, that's when the jig seems to perform best. When the pike are not aggressive, lures like spinnerballs, buzzbaits, and spoons move too fast and pike won't focus in on them
Slow Sturgeon Cold water sturgeon are slow moving and sluggish. Expect fewer and lighter hits than at other times of the year, come prepared with a lot of patience. Look for these pre-historic monsters in 40 - 80 ft. holes with slow but steady current flow. Behind dams are a good place for cold water fish. Roll Mop Herring and nite crawlers are the perfect bait. If you choose to use cut baits, they should be as fresh as possible. For the best bites of the year, fish in the months of May and June, October and November. These are the times that the fish are in their most aggressive feeding sessions.	Cold Weather Walleye If you want to know what frustration is, talk to some walleye tournament fishermen after a cold front passes through. Walleye are the toughest fish to catch during cold weather. It seems that during these times the most effective method is to change to a more slower presentation. How slow? Think of walking backwards, blindfolded, toward a 2,000 foot cliff, you want to move that slow. If you are Lindy-rigging with a night crawler or leech, you need to stop the sinker and let the bait do all the work itself. The same thing works for jigs, close to the bottom and hardly moving at all.
Panfish Blues Panfish such as bluegill, crappie, and yellow perch are easy to catch, good to eat, and everywhere. Although these fish are not as sensitive to change in their environment as trout and other game fish, when the weather has sudden changes they seem to be off their feet. You can still catch them if you concentrate on deep holes, dark water, and the opening of weed beds. Just keep moving, until you find fish. Bounce miniature jigs just off the bottom, or suspend a worm, grub, cricket, or other live bait under a tiny supersensitive bobber. Be alert for very sensitive or tentative bites.	Early Season Trout In the cold months when everything slows down, trout loose their appetite and stop looking for food. Instead, they look for shelter and comfort areas where the temperature runs a couple of degrees higher and they feel safe from predators. At times like these, they will eat only if a tidbit drifts toward their mouth. Look for them at the bottom of deep holes and channels. In the gouged-out banks cushion behind boulders, and against undercut banks. Mark these spots, for fish will hold up there until the water starts to warm up. Bump large bead-head or weighted nymphs right along the bottom. Stonefly nymphs, San Juan worms, and Glo-bugs (egg imitations) are especially effective.

Area Tournaments

The circuit is made up of the Smoker Craft Spring Walleye Classic and the High Desert Marine Walleye Derby, both held in Boardman, Oregon, and the Governor's Cup in Umatilla. The tournaments are catch and release with all fish being returned to the river.

The Oregon Governor's Cup is a two day, two person tournament held each September, .the weekend after Labor Day. There is an entry fee with 80% of the total entry fees paid back as prize money to the top ten teams. Winners are determined by total weight of all fish weighed. Every boat must have an aerated livewell of some kind. Teams may weight 6 fish, 18" minimum length, with only two fish being longer than 24". Oregon State fishing regulations must be observed. Fishing is allowed within the boundaries

Fishing Tournament Photo Album

More Fishing and Wildlife Links

U.S. Fish & Wildlife	Mid-Columbia National Wildlife Refuge	Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge	Mid-Columbia Refuges Hunting Information
Ducks Unlimited	Fishing the Northwest	Discovering the Interior - the Columbia River Basin	OPB - History of Fishing in Oregon
Columbia River Walleye Circuit	Lake Erie Walleye Online	Western Washington Walleye Club	Washington State Fishing Resources
Walleye Central - Official Site of the Masters Walleye Circuit	Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife	Oregon River Levels	Oregon Weather Trends
Lower Columbia Walleye Club	ODFW Weekly Fishing Report	Fresh Water Fish of the Pacific Northwest	Walleye's in Washington

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