Where to fish?? (Portland, Milwaukie, Sandy: to rent, live, cost of)

[travelin'bones]

My dad is coming for a visit next month and would love to go fishing. I have no idea where I would take him. I know little about fishing; he has never salmon fished but has trout fished for years. I don't think he cares what he fishes for, he mainly would like to stand by a beautiful river, have a beer in the sun, and hopefully catch something.

Any idea where would be a fitting place that is near Portland? He is not interested in a guided tour, so maybe an option of where to rent gear and the cost of a fishing license?

Thanks!

[skiffrace]

I know little about fishing; he has never salmon fished but has trout fished for years. I don't think he cares what he fishes for, he mainly would like to stand by a beautiful river, have a beer in the sun, and hopefully catch something.

Any idea where would be a fitting place that is near Portland?

I don't fish, but am a sea kayaker who knows all the rivers and lakes around here quite well.
Here are some of the places where I see fishermen every time I kayak there. Perhaps they know something you and I don't, so if you just follow "the wisdom of the crowds"... :-)

1. Elk Rock Island Park in Milwaukie, OR. A rocky peninsula jutting into the Willamette River. During high water you may have to wade a little to get there.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.43564...10568&t=m&z=17

2. Riverbanks of Multnomah Channel along the NW Sauvie Island Road. Go to Sauvie Island across the bridge, go a few miles north of the Wapato State Access Area, park somewhere on the shoulder and fish from the riverbank.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.69910...42272&t=m&z=15

3. Little bay on Vancouver Lake, just south of the Vancouver Lake Regional Park. Park car on the shoulder, fish from the lake shore.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.66944...21136&t=m&z=16

Maybe you'll catch something there, maybe you won't, but all three of them are beautiful places on the water, the last one on Vancouver lake being my favorite.

[Nell Plotts]

Here is the scoop from the folks who ought to know: Recreation Report: Willamette Zone: Fishing - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

This takes a minute to load but should give you lots of information: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?vps=...8fd67609bb5183

I am unaware of any good bank fishing along Multnomah Channel at the moment. Basically sea lions are stealing fish caught before the fisherman can land it.

[travelin'bones]

Excellent! This is a great start, thanks!!

[EnricoV]

If he wants river fishing, either the Sandy or the Clackamas Rivers.

[Hawk J]

The good, friendly folks who are members of OFF, fish & live all around our beloved state...

Oregon Fishing Forum

[Steve Pickering]

The Columbia. My son caught some great fish from the banks. The two rivers mentioned previously, and the Willamette is the best of all.

I once saw a guy fishing in the fountain downtown.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

You can set yourself for smallmouth bass pretty cheaply.
Get your tackle, get in the car and drive down the gorge and stop at the Columbia river state parks, boat ramps and such.
There are thousands of places where you can access the river and throw some plastic baits around (3" Senkos are my bait of choice) and catch bass all day long.
You can have a nice day checking out the gorge and fish too....

Check out the forums on Ifish.net.

http://www.ifish.net/board/forumdisplay.php?f=3

They have a trout forum and a bass and panfish forum that will point you in the right direction.

[travelin'bones]

The Columbia sounds like a great option.

I'll take more specific questions to the fish forum!

Thanks for everyone's help!

[travelin'bones]

[quote=Nell Plotts;30369307]
This takes a minute to load but should give you lots of information: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?vps=2&hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=21490854 3798798432115.0004ac48fd67609bb5183
quote]

Very cool!