Only adipose fin clipped trout may be kept.The upper end of the reservoir where trout are stocked offers the best fishing. For more information, visit PGE’s Parks and Recreation webpage.
Wild cutthroat, bull, brown and brook trout are also in the reservoir but these fish are catch and release only. A concession stand has fishing supplies and boat rentals at the upper end of the reservoir. There is no longer a minimum length for fin-clipped trout; only one trout over 20 inches may be retained.You can keep any non-native brown or brook trout caught here, but all wild trout (with intact adipose fins) as well as salmon and steelhead smolts must be released unharmed.There are relatively few brook and brown trout in this part of the Clackamas system, but you will find more of them in the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas above Harriet Lake.There are some protected bull trout in the Clackamas River system that must always be released unharmed if accidentally caught, although most tend to be farther up in the mountains.Just so you know before you go here to fish, North Fork Reservoir is popular with water-skiers and other power-boating enthusiasts on hot summer days.There is a speed-restriction zone on the upper end that can help anglers and campers out.During cool springs, especially in years with healthy snowmelt, North Fork Reservoir’s water can be a bit cold for ideal fishing in the first few weeks, but this reservoir will put out trout at a fair pace for its entire season.A former fishing guide here, Ken Bear Cole, has found water temperatures in the low 40s at the opener, while the best bite often occurs when the water is closer to 55 degrees.The ideal conditions usually exist from June through July and sometimes into early August.The fishing slows a bit in the hottest weeks of late summer, but there are still enough willing fish in the reservoir to make it worth your while.Then thanks to cooler weather and late-season fish plantings, angling picks back up again into September and up until the closure at the end of October.Shore anglers will find good access to willing fish near the boat ramp closest to the dam, which is at the northwest end of the reservoir (closest to Estacada).Another good bank fishing spot is on the lake side of the bridge that crosses the North Fork tributary at about mid-reservoir, just before reaching Promontory Park.At the park itself there is a more developed boat ramp, a full marina and an accessible fishing pier.For boat anglers, try fishing from under the large power lines downriver past the North Fork inlet area.Or, another popular boat-fishing area is down the reservoir farther, from a natural point up past the lower boat ramp, which is where much of the stocking occurs.Fishing with bait is the preferred technique for shore anglers. A concession stand has fishing supplies and boat rentals at the upper end of the reservoir. Open all year. Cole sprays artificial lures with nightcrawler-scented Berkley Gulp Alive.While trolling, vary your motor speed and your trolling path to change the action of your bait or lure. 5 trout per day, 8 inch minimum length.

North Fork Reservoir is a 350-acre reservoir of the Clackamas River behind North Fork Dam approximately 5.2 miles east of Estacada, Ore. Use of bait allowed. Many use a small ball of However, former guide Cole prefers the bobber method, which he said is exciting for many anglers because the bites are visible.He often fishes a piece of nightcrawler, salmon eggs or PowerBait products between 3 and 6 feet beneath the float. It might take ¼ to 1 ounce of weight to drop the rig down to fish level.He’ll follow the attractor with about 3 feet of the Vanish leader and either a lure or a third of a nightcrawler.When fishing with crawlers, he’ll thread them on a No.