Many seasoned walleye anglers stick to trolling. We also have a good resource guide for people learning walleye fishing techniques and tips anywhere. Many of the same tactics that walleye anglers use in the Midwest, as well as those deployed in the Columbia River for some decades now, will work similarly well at Lookout Point. Figure on that happening roughly from late spring to early summer, when flood storage concerns are mostly past and before summer drawdowns drop it again. This shoreline vegetation should be most fishable in early to mid-summer in those years when there’s enough water to reach it. If it’s been a good precipitation year and the reservoir fills (or is close to it), try fishing right along the willow trees that have grown up along the reservoir’s edge in several spots. The east end of the reservoir, where the Middle Fork Willamette provides a bit of current, is a likely spot to find congregating walleye during the early season.Īnglers also report that much of the northern bank, although much of the reservoir has fairly steep drop-offs, with some of the slight cove areas dropping more moderately in depths. Look for effort for walleye to pick up in the late winter and early spring as these fish go into spawning mode. Whatever your opinion on walleyes being in the upper Willamette River system is, there’s little denying that these jumbo cousins of yellow perch are extremely tasty fish if you are partial to white, flaky fish fillets. Or, if you’re of the opinion there are too many nonnative fish in this reservoir, enjoy those big fillets at your next fish fry. These days, most of the walleye coming out of the reservoir in coolers are ideal eater-sized fish measuring in the teens, but some larger fish are caught and more big ones should be hooked as the current classes of mid-size fish mature.Īnglers who have a strong interest in maintaining the walleye population here might consider releasing the bigger walleye over 20 inches, especially the big females that contribute eggs to the system.
I wouldn’t be surprised if similar sampling today would net a fair bit more walleye. The report of their findings showed they caught 29 walleye at Lookout Point during fish sampling, among other native and non-native fish. These are spots where biologists are trying to recover spring Chinook salmon in the Willamette Valley but have extra challenges in the form of predatory fish species that like to eat young salmon. They did similar testing in Foster Reservoir, although without finding walleye in that South Santiam River impoundment. Scientists in 2013 found them already well-established in Lookout Point while studying predatory fish (such as northern pikeminnows) in this reservoir. Walleye have been present in Lookout Point for at least a decade, and probably a fair bit longer, quietly increasing their numbers while anglers slowly caught on. We would be willing to bet that increased success is due both to an expanding population of these Midwest native species as well as growing interest and skill among anglers chasing them. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the various fishing opportunities you’ll find at Lookout Point so you won’t be the last angler around to catch onto this growing fishery.Īnglers are pulling more walleye out of Lookout Point every year.
#Fishing in the dark year full
The reservoir is over 4,300 acres at full pool and stretches for 14 miles just north of Oregon Highway 58, a popular route between the Eugene-Springfield area and Central Oregon.
This Eugene-area reservoir has been left off the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s trout stocking schedules for, well, ever.īut the truth is, Lookout Point Lake has become Oregon’s best walleye fishery anywhere south of the Columbia River, and this giant impoundment also can produce really chunky, hard-fighting smallmouth bass that bass fishing tournaments each year.Īdd in some wild trout from the river, some big if sometimes elusive crappie, catch-and-release salmon, and a mishmash of other fish, and you might want to think twice about heading up the road and instead launching your boat and giving fishing at this reservoir a fair chance. This large and very visible reservoir on the Middle Fork Willamette River, also known as Lookout Point Reservoir, has largely been a drive-past spot for most anglers, especially those looking for easy trout fishing.
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