Umpqua River fishing and best place to live (Eugene, Bend: RV park, homes)

[alikair]

I am a avid steelhead fisherman and will be retiring in the next few years. Thinking I would like to fish the Umpqua river from the mouth to the the north fork.
I haven't fished this river but I think it would keep me busy with the different runs of salmonids as well as stripper bass.

Could someone recommend a few towns I could do research on where to buy a home that would give me great access to this fine river as well as a nice town to shop please.

FYI I normally fish the Clackamas river and know very little about the rivers down in southern Oregon.

[Larry Caldwell]

Elkton or Drain are small towns on the lower Umpqua.

[texasdiver]

Do you want riverfront property where you can fish out your back door?

Or do you want to live in an actual town with shopping and services that is an easy drive to your fishing spots?

Roseburg is the closest actual town with real stores like Fred Meyer. But you can find scattered rural riverfront homes all along the river. Like this random example: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...61061408_zpid/

or this one: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...61070412_zpid/

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

Elkton or Drain are small towns on the lower Umpqua.

Drain is not on the Umpqua. It's about 15 miles away from the river. Elkton is. Also Scottsburg and Reedsport are on the river, and might work for the OP.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by alikair

I am a avid steelhead fisherman and will be retiring in the next few years. Thinking I would like to fish the Umpqua river from the mouth to the the north fork.
I haven't fished this river but I think it would keep me busy with the different runs of salmonids as well as stripper bass.

Could someone recommend a few towns I could do research on where to buy a home that would give me great access to this fine river as well as a nice town to shop please.

FYI I normally fish the Clackamas river and know very little about the rivers down in southern Oregon.

Shouldn't you try fishing on the Umpqua River, before you decide to move there? Also, do you need to be right on the river, or will you have a boat? If you have a boat, you could live almost anywhere in the area.

[Hawk J]

Years ago, a gentleman from the forum, lived in his motor home at The River Bend RV Park, on the Umpqua River, in Winston Oregon. I remember him saying some fishermen/women had some good luck catching steelhead in the area. ...I would suggest for you to find some good holes in the Umpqua. Do some exploring is best.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en...gMbT1N773RqrJF


At the Oregon Fishing Forum & ifish you can read about many stories of folks catching steelhead & a few maybe about catching Striped Bass. You can ask some ?? on these forums about where you can try to get lucky fishing for these beauties. (general area, anyway)


https://www.oregonfishingforum.com/
https://www.ifish.net/board/index.php


In the past i read some stories about catching Striped Bass in the areas around the mouth of the Umpqua River or the Smith River close to Crescent City. Folks might be tight lipped in recent years. I haven't heard of stripers being caught recently.


Years ago i caught some stripers surf fishing less frequented beaches in CA. & a lot of Surf Perch. (good eating)
I caught & usually released some nice sized stripers at:
San Luis O'Neill Forebay. (Soquel fisherman caught one striper that was 66lb+ in 1989)
California Aqueduct- I caught many nice stripers & catfish.
Delta/Mendota canal- caught stripers & catfish.
San Joaquin River- caught some nice stripers.
CA Delta-some nice stripers & catfish.
Sacramento River-caught stripers & catfish.

etc. etc. etc.


Best of Luck to you, alikair...

[alikair]

I do not need to live on the river I can't afford that.
I would like to own a boat and take it on the Umpqua but am just as happy if I only bank fished. That being said is the Umpqua a safe river to navigate or do I need some kind of Driftboat ?

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by alikair

I do not need to live on the river I can't afford that.
I would like to own a boat and take it on the Umpqua but am just as happy if I only bank fished. That being said is the Umpqua a safe river to navigate or do I need some kind of Driftboat ?

I've talked to many folks who fish from the bank.
In the summer when there isn't much dangerous current many fisherfolk use inflated pontoon boats with oars.
Some mount trolling motors on their pontoon boats.
Some use driftboats in some areas. You need to know the waters where you put a boat in. It can be very dangerous if you aren't skilled in the use of the boat.
There are many smallmouth bass in the Umpqua.

[texasdiver]

Are you writing a book or something and is there some reason you are obsessed with fishing every mile of the Umpqua?

If it were me and I was looking to dedicate my retirement to fishing, I'd just pick some inexpensive southern Oregon town like Roseburg or Reedsport or Coos Bay and then fish wherever I wanted from the Klamath to the Columbia depending on the season and weather and what I felt like doing. Maybe even one of the southern Willamette Valley towns outside Eugene like Venita or Cottage Grove. The distances aren't that great if you are tossing a rod in the car and driving.

[alikair]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Are you writing a book or something and is there some reason you are obsessed with fishing every mile of the Umpqua?

If it were me and I was looking to dedicate my retirement to fishing, I'd just pick some inexpensive southern Oregon town like Roseburg or Reedsport or Coos Bay and then fish wherever I wanted from the Klamath to the Columbia depending on the season and weather and what I felt like doing. Maybe even one of the southern Willamette Valley towns outside Eugene like Venita or Cottage Grove. The distances aren't that great if you are tossing a rod in the car and driving.

It never amazes me how somebody finds a way to twist my words whenever I post on a forum.

I am not obsessed with fishing every mile, only every other mile.