The unusually mild winter in Northeastern Oregon has so far has deprived anglers who like to drill a hole in thick ice and drop a line into the frigid water of a local pond or reservoir.

Without the extended cold snap that usually happens during December or early January, the ice in most places hasn’t been thick enough for safe fishing.

But a change in the weather pattern starting Jan. 17 ushered in the coldest air of the season, with temperatures plummeting below zero in places, and ice is getting thicker.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, in its weekly recreation report on Jan. 15, noted that “there haven’t yet been the kind of deep, sustained cold temperatures needed for safe ice conditions to develop.”

This December was the warmest on record at the Baker City Airport, where temperature records date to 1943.

Todd Callaway, a longtime ice angler from Baker City, said his favorite spots are Unity Reservoir, in southern Baker County, and Malheur Reservoir, in northern Malheur County.

Callaway said on Jan. 16 that he hadn’t found any ice thick enough that he felt comfortable venturing out onto the frozen surface.

“I like to have at least four inches of ice,” Callaway said. “Usually by Christmas break there’s plenty of ice. This year it just hasn’t happened. I wouldn’t trust the ice the way the weather’s been.”

Callaway said he was optimistic, though, based on the frigid forecast, that ice will be safe soon in some places.

He said ice can thicken pretty rapidly when the temperature dips well below freezing at night and doesn’t get much above 32 degrees during the day.

Kyle Bratcher agreed.

Bratcher is the district fish biologist at ODFW’s Enterprise office.

On Jan. 16 Bratcher wrote in an email to the Baker City Herald that “we only have ice on Kinney Lake and stocked it in the fall to provide for an ice fishery. However, there is only about 3 inches of ice and there are clearly some thin spots. So, I’d exercise an abundance of caution if folks decided to venture out. We are supposed to have some colder nights over the next week and I’d expect that ice to shore up a bit if that happens.”

Kinney Lake is southeast of Joseph.

Ethan Brandt, fish biologist at ODFW’s La Grande office, said a report from Jan. 9 showed that Pilcher Creek Reservoir, west of North Powder, could be accessible.

But at nearby Wolf Creek Reservoir, thin ice along the shoreline made it impossible for anglers to reach thicker ice.

At Thief Valley Reservoir, east of North Powder, there was open water in the middle, and ice near the banks was too thin to be safe.

Arctic air finally arrives

Until mid-January, the coldest temperatures this season at the Baker City Airport were 14 degrees in November and 16 in December. Most years there is at least one day, usually in December, when the temperature at the airport dips below zero, or at least into the single digits.

But on Jan. 17 a cold front swept through from the north, bringing modified arctic air in the region for the first time since last winter.

(The coldest air remained east of the Continental Divide.)

The low temperatures at the Baker City Airport on Jan. 18-20 were 12, 14 and 9.

A weather station just below Phillips Reservoir, about 17 miles southwest of Baker City, recorded a low of 2 below zero on Jan. 20.

Phillips Reservoir, a popular ice-fishing destination where anglers can hook yellow perch and rainbow trout, was frozen on Jan. 16 but ice was relatively thin and there was no evidence that anyone had ventured out.

Temperatures elsewhere in the region included lows of 14, 5 and 1 degrees at Unity Dam; 11, 14 and 5 at the Joseph Airport; and 12, 18 and 10 at the La Grande/Union County Airport.

The National Weather Service predicts the chilly stretch to continue through the weekend, with nighttime temperatures in the teens and low 20s.

Nonfrozen options

Even with the sketchy ice situation, anglers are not without options in Northeastern Oregon.

Several rivers remain open for steelhead fishing, including the Grande Ronde, Imnaha, Umatilla and Wallowa.

The Snake River below Hells Canyon Dam also is open for steelhead fishing, and anglers can also catch trout and sturgeon in the canyon.

Larger reservoirs, including Brownlee, Oxbow and Hells Canyon, have trout as well as warmwater species such as perch and crappie.

And Wallowa Lake has been yielding kokanee as long as 20 inches.

Grande Ronde River

Steelhead fishing may begin to slow as the winter progresses and fish move upstream. When flows drop and clarity improves, some steelhead will be available into early spring.

Imnaha River

Steelhead are present throughout the lower Imnaha River. However, fishing can be slow when water temperatures drop. Trout and whitefish can be caught using a variety of techniques and can provide some fun fishing on the Imnaha. Bull trout and chinook salmon cannot be harvested and must be released.

Umatilla River

High flows over the last few weeks have caused a decent number of steelhead to push past Three Mile Falls Dam. Between rainstorms, fishing has been good near Pendleton. With little or no rain in the forecast, the river should drop into shape and provide good opportunity.

There is now a regulation in place with a hook gap size that may not exceed ⅜ inch in the section of the Umatilla River above the CTUIR reservation. This new regulation is to protect bull trout and decrease the chance of hooking mortality. As a reminder, if you catch a bull trout, recognized by its white spots, you should keep it in the water and release it as quickly as possible. No targeting of bull trout is allowed in the Umatilla River.

Wallowa County ponds

Marr Pond, Kinney Lake and many local forest ponds have been stocked with rainbow trout. Many different techniques will be effective, and these ponds can be great family fishing locations. With mild winter conditions, anglers should use extreme caution around any water bodies with ice cover as the ice may not be stable enough to support the weight of a person.

Wallowa Lake

The cooler months can be a great time of year to fish Wallowa Lake. The crowds are very light, with opportunities for anglers to have the lake to themselves. Kokanee can be caught jigging in about 80 to 100 feet of water, with fish as large as 20 inches being caught this winter. Rainbow trout frequent the area near the mouth of the Wallowa River at the south end of the lake and can be caught on nymphs slowly retrieved and spinners cast near shore.

Wallowa River

Steelhead have started moving into the river and will be available to anglers through the winter and into spring. In addition to steelhead, rainbow trout and whitefish can be caught. Jigs fished under bobbers can be a great way to catch steelhead while trout and whitefish will readily take flies or spinners.

Brownlee Reservoir

Not many anglers have been out recently. However, those who have gone out this winter have done well for perch and crappie. Some really nice perch are available, with some over 12 inches being caught. Throughout the rest of the winter, trout also will be available in the Powder River arm and in the main reservoir.

Oxbow and Hells Canyon reservoirs

Trout fishing can be good in these reservoirs during the winter, and some anglers have been catching perch lately.

Surplus hatchery steelhead were released into Hells Canyon Reservoir. For anglers holding an Oregon fishing license, these fish when caught in Hells Canyon Reservoir count toward their trout limit and do not need to be recorded on a combined angling tag when harvested. See the Snake River zone fishing regulations for details.

Snake River below Hells Canyon Dam

Steelhead fishing has been pretty good in Hells Canyon. Anglers have caught fish throughout the Oregon section of the Snake River upstream to Hells Canyon Dam. During the winter, fishing for trout and sturgeon can also be good in Hells Canyon.