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Umpqua River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Umpqua River system around Roseburg: a mainstem ODFW calls one of the country's finest smallmouth fisheries, spring shad, hatchery steelhead and coho, and the North Umpqua's fly water above Deadline Falls.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
973 cfs
Air / High
57 / 62 F
Wind
N 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 14321000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Umpqua River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 973 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind N around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1025 hPa and a high of 62. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:53 AM-11:53 AM and 10:23 PM-12:23 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

SteelheadGood

Main tributary season: fish seams, pool heads and tails and structure with drifted eggs, beads, nymphs or streamers, and plan trips around rising or falling water.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Chinook salmonSlow

Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 71 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Oregon requires a fishing licence from age 12, from $50.00 for residents. What a Oregon licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing steelhead here? Check the size and bag limits with ODFW before you keep anything. The season dates for Oregon, read off the agency, are on the Oregon seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Umpqua River near Elkton.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 14321000.

1,0171,1291,240973 cfs09/2310/0210/1310/23

Today’s flow against 121 years of October 23

At 973 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 14321000 (Umpqua River near Elkton) is at the 9th percentile for the date: much below normal. In half of the 121 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 1,370 cfs; the highest was 14,900 cfs and the lowest 794 cfs.

p10 997median 1,370p90 3,676

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 14321000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp57 F
High / Low62 / 39 F
WindN 5-7 mph
Pressure1025.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain2% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:37 / 18:17
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)56 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Umpqua River this week

The best day on Umpqua River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:53 AM-11:53 AM and 10:23 PM-12:23 AM
Minor period
4:18 AM-5:18 AM
Sun
07:37 to 18:17
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Partly cloudy, 9 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Umpqua River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Great Lakes tributaries from fall through spring; West Coast rivers have both summer and winter runs

Steelhead are rainbow trout that migrate to the Pacific or the Great Lakes to grow, then return up rivers to spawn; unlike most Pacific salmon they can survive spawning and spawn again. Main tributary season: fish seams, pool heads and tails and structure with drifted eggs, beads, nymphs or streamers, and plan trips around rising or falling water.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Chinook salmon illustration

Chinook salmon

Seasons follow the runs: spring, summer and fall runs on the West Coast, and late summer into fall in Great Lakes rivers

The largest Pacific salmon, caught by trolling and mooching at sea and by drifting and plunking in rivers as adults return to spawn; also stocked in the Great Lakes. Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

When to come: the Umpqua River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Chinook salmon
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Umpqua River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Steelhead led the card at good. High of 65 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Steelhead led the card at good. High of 76 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Steelhead led the card at good. High of 72 F, wind to 4 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Oregon requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Oregon angling license, plus a Combined Angling Tag, which every angler needs to fish for salmon or steelhead. ODFW Southwest Zone rules (updated 2026-07-24): only hatchery steelhead kept; mainstem open all year for hatchery steelhead and coho, Chinook Feb 1–Jun 30 and Jul 1–Nov 30; bass and shad in streams, no limit; North Umpqua closed from markers above Rock Creek to Deadline Falls, fly-only (single barbless fly) from Deadline Falls to Soda Springs Dam; streams above tidewater limited to artificial flies and lures May 22–Aug 31 except where bait is listed.

Access

Mainstem: River Forks Park, Singleton Park, Tyee Recreation Area, James Wood Boat Ramp, Mack Brown Park, Elkton Boat Ramp (Alfred S. Tyson Park), Scott Creek County Park. North Umpqua: Amacher County Park, Hestness Park, Highway 138 campgrounds. Several sites charge parking fees (ODFW).

About this water

The Umpqua River system of Douglas County, Oregon: the mainstem from River Forks near Roseburg to the Pacific, and the North and South Umpqua.

Fishing Umpqua River: the full guide

Three rivers around Roseburg

The North and South Umpqua meet at River Forks Park near Roseburg to form the mainstem, which runs to the Pacific. ODFW's list of places to fish within an hour of Roseburg covers all three: mainstem sites at River Forks, Singleton Park, Tyee, James Wood Boat Ramp, Mack Brown Park and Elkton; North Umpqua access at Amacher County Park in Winchester, Hestness Park and the campgrounds along Highway 138; and South Umpqua parks such as Templin Beach, Stewart Park and Stanton Park.

Smallmouth and shad on the mainstem

ODFW describes the lower Umpqua as one of the finest smallmouth bass fisheries in the country. Bass in Southwest Zone streams have no daily limit and no minimum length. American shad also return to the Umpqua in large numbers; ODFW says the best fishing is from May until mid-July, when they run upstream to spawn, and recommends small, bright jigs. Most mainstem access sites on ODFW's list name salmon, steelhead, shad and smallmouth together.

The North Umpqua fly water

On the North Umpqua, the river from the painted markers above Rock Creek to the fly-area boundary at Deadline Falls is closed to angling. From Deadline Falls up to the marker below Soda Springs Dam, anglers must use a single barbless artificial fly (unweighted from July 1 to September 30), may not fish from a floating device and may add no weights or strike indicators to the line. ODFW lists Baker Wayside, Susan Creek, Horseshoe Bend, Apple Creek and Eagle Rock as fly-fishing-only access.

Salmon and steelhead rules

In the Southwest Zone only hatchery steelhead may be kept on the Umpqua. The mainstem from the jetties to the forks is open all year for hatchery steelhead and hatchery coho, and for Chinook from February 1 to November 30 in two periods; from June 1 to September 30, angling is closed within 200 feet of tributary mouths between Scottsburg Bridge and River Forks. Trout are catch-and-release from May 22 to October 31.

Common questions

How good is the smallmouth fishing?

ODFW calls the lower Umpqua one of the finest smallmouth bass fisheries in the country. There is no daily bag or minimum size for bass in Southwest Zone streams.

Where is the North Umpqua fly water?

From the fly-area boundary at Deadline Falls upstream to the marker below Soda Springs Dam, with a single barbless fly and no fishing from boats. The stretch just below, from the markers above Rock Creek to Deadline Falls, is closed.

When do shad run?

ODFW says shad fishing is best from May until mid-July, when they return to spawn; small, bright jigs work well.

Is fishing good at Umpqua River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Coos Bay46 miFern Ridge Reservoir58 miDiamond Lake64 miOdell Lake72 miRogue River78 miCrane Prairie Reservoir88 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 14321000 — Umpqua River near Elkton
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:15 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.2710, -123.4115 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.