River levels best for fishing are at or below 3,000cfs, and the river is currently running at 2,500cfs at the gage in Mehama. The chinook run usually starts in late March, along with summer steelhead. A few have begun to trickle in over Willamette Falls, but it will be several more weeks before they arrive in numbers in the basin. So far 500+ adult summer steelhead have migrated above the falls as of April 5. Spin cast with lures or swing large streamer flies through the pools.

There are several large, downed trees in the river creating some dangerous hazards for boaters in the lower river. For more information check out the Oregon State Marine Board website.

Fishing for hatchery steelhead is open year-round, but the use of bait is not allowed between Nov. 1 and April 21 to protect wild winter steelhead.