The local hot spot for king salmon has been the mouth of the Elk River. A lot of salmon are starting to stage, preparing for more rain to open the entire river system. A few salmon have started to push their way into the lower Sixes River. Many fishermen are eagerly waiting to get out the drift boats and take part in these exciting fisheries, but more rain is necessary to make their dreams come true.

The Coquille River still is experiencing a bite of Chinook and coho. The best area is around Rocky Point to Riverton, and the Seven Mile Slough offers a great opportunity for bank fishermen. Wild coho still are being caught in the bay in Bandon, and this fishery has reached about 55 percent of its quota.

Last week, a few fresh Chinook moved into the Coos Bay system. Best fishing has been near the forks of the river, and trolling spinners has produced the best bite.

Recent rains have moved most Chinook out of the bay on the Chetco River. This is a traditionally late run river and on Nov. 7 you may fish above the Highway 101 bridge, which will greatly expand your fishing opportunities.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is reporting that this year’s coho run is on track to be one of the largest salmon returns in the Columbia River basin over the past decade, with 703,000 coho forecasted to enter the Columbia at Astoria, compared to a run size of 472,000 coho last year.

Fishery managers increased the bag limit to three fish per day and has extended the season in many areas. Despite these measures, several ODFW hatcheries have been inundated with returning fish. Thousands of surplus coho are being processed all along the North Coast and the Columbia River in preparation for distribution to food banks around the state. In the past two weeks, ODFW staff and volunteers at six hatcheries have processed upwards of 2,000 fish per day and are turning them over to the Oregon Food Bank. ODFW is not sure how many fish will be processed, but it should be considerably more than the 22,000 pounds of filets from last year.

Large swells have kept most ocean fishermen in port, but if weather conditions permit, fishermen leaving from Port Orford can expect some productive fishing on the Elk River Terminal bubble fishery. This Chinook fishery is a small area, but has some large fish and some of the best scenery.

With the recent release of trout in Empire Lakes and Butterfield Lake, trout fishing continues to be outstanding. Empire Lakes, with its close proximity to Coos Bay and its foot paths that almost completely encircle both lakes, offers a great opportunity for a shore-based fishery that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

The recent rainfall and cold weather have put the black-tailed bucks in pre-rut conditions. The harvest has increased in the past few days and should remain good until the end of the season.

A report last week stated that black bears were foraging following the cold front, and there were some nice-sized bears taken.

If you were fortunate enough to draw an elk tag for the upcoming seasons, you’ll need to purchase them prior to the season opening.

Starting Thursday, my Oregon Outdoors radio show will be broadcasting for an additional hour from 2 to 5 p.m.

Good luck fishing and hunting.

Listen to the Oregon Outdoors Radio Show Thursdays from 2-5 p.m. on KWRO 630 AM and rebroadcast on Friday mornings from 7-10 a.m. on ESPN 1230 AM. Oregon Outdoors can now be heard on KDUN 1030 AM from Eugene to Port Orford on Friday evenings from 3-5 p.m. and on Saturday mornings from 6-8 a.m.