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Home › Waters › Oregon › Umpqua River
River · Southwest Oregon in Douglas County, from the Roseburg forks down through Elkton to Reedsport and the coast · Oregon

Umpqua River Fishing Guides

The mainstem Umpqua below the forks is one of the great multi-species rivers of the West, with a smallmouth fishery that can produce a hundred fish in a day.

Gauge location. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Guides on the Umpqua River

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About the Umpqua River

The Umpqua forms near Roseburg where the North and South forks meet, then runs northwest through Elkton and the Coast Range to reach the Pacific at Reedsport. The mainstem below the forks has a character all its own. It is broader and warmer than either fork, running over basalt ledges and long gravel bars through the ranch country and then into the timbered canyon on the way to the coast. It also has the distinction of holding every anadromous species found in Oregon, which is a claim very few rivers can make honestly.

For most visiting anglers the mainstem is a smallmouth bass river first. The population is enormous and largely unfished, and a summer float between Elkton and Scottsburg can produce numbers that sound like exaggeration until you have done it. They hold on every ledge and boulder and take poppers all day. Around that, the seasonal runs give the river its depth: spring chinook and summer steelhead come through in the warm months, fall chinook and coho arrive later, winter steelhead follow, and sea-run coastal cutthroat move up in late summer. American shad run in good numbers in late spring.

Most guided work is drift boat or raft fishing on scheduled floats between the public ramps, of which there are a good number along Highway 138. The river warms considerably in summer, which is why the bass fishing is so strong and also why salmon and steelhead anglers shift to the forks in that window. The gauge near Elkton carries temperature alongside flow, and both numbers matter for choosing what to fish for on a given day. Anglers planning a first trip should decide early whether they are coming for numbers of smallmouth or for a shot at anadromous fish, because the two goals point to different months and often to different parts of the drainage entirely.

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Access

River Forks Park near Roseburg - the top of the mainstem where the North and South forks meet.
Umpqua Landing and Cleveland Rapids - upper mainstem ramps used for smallmouth floats.
Yellow Creek and James Wood landings - mid-river drift boat access along Highway 138.
Elkton boat ramp - the gauge site and the most-used launch on the middle river.
Scottsburg landing - the standard take-out at the bottom of the classic smallmouth float.
Reedsport and Winchester Bay - tidewater ramps for fall chinook and the estuary fishery.
Tyee and Bullock Bridge access - additional public ramps spread through the canyon reach.

Seasons

Spring: shad and spring chinook move through, flows drop steadily, and smallmouth begin turning on.
Summer: warm water and low flows make this the peak smallmouth season, with summer steelhead present.
Fall: fall chinook and coho enter the river and sea-run cutthroat are in the lower reaches.
Winter: high water and winter steelhead, with the bass fishing effectively shut down until spring.

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Questions

What is the current flow on the Umpqua River?

As of Sep 8, 1:15 am, the USGS gauge UMPQUA RIVER NEAR ELKTON, OR reads 1,040 cfs, with water temperature 68.7 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.

What species can you catch on the Umpqua River?

Anglers target American Shad, Chinook Salmon, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Coho Salmon, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead on the Umpqua River in Oregon.

Where can you access the Umpqua River?

River Forks Park near Roseburg - the top of the mainstem where the North and South forks meet. Umpqua Landing and Cleveland Rapids - upper mainstem ramps used for smallmouth floats. Yellow Creek and James Wood landings - mid-river drift boat access along Highway 138. Elkton boat ramp - the gauge site and the most-used launch on the middle river. Scottsburg landing - the standard take-out at the bottom of the classic smallmouth float. Reedsport and Winchester Bay - tidewater ramps for fall chinook and the estuary fishery. Tyee and Bullock Bridge access - additional public ramps spread through t...

When is the best time to fish the Umpqua River?

Spring: shad and spring chinook move through, flows drop steadily, and smallmouth begin turning on. Summer: warm water and low flows make this the peak smallmouth season, with summer steelhead present. Fall: fall chinook and coho enter the river and sea-run cutthroat are in the lower reaches. Winter: high water and winter steelhead, with the bass fishing effectively shut down until spring.

Where are the fishing regulations for the Umpqua River?

Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Oregon agency site: https://myodfw.com/fishing/regulations