Mid Valley Blogger: My Neighborhood(for two days) Waterloo Park

The spring chinook season is under way on the South Santiam River at Waterloo Park. May 10, 2012.

Justin Holloway, age 9 from Albany came to Waterloo with his dad Mike Holloway, fishing Saturday May 12, 2012, Waterloo Park, Oregon. It was Justin's first attempt to catch a summer steelhead on the South Santiam River just outside Lebanon, Oregon on Highway 20. The two said they would return the next day.

Waterloo Park outside Lebanon Oregon has much to offer: Picnicking, hiking, biking, fishing, bbq pits, camping(rv hookups), fishing, showers/bathrooms, and boat launches. Perfect for a family weekend(dogs too!)

(Waterloo, Oregon) Just a few miles east of Lebanon off of Highway 20 is Waterloo Park. Every spring here spring chinook fishing attracts fishermen from as far away as Scappoose and Coos Bay to angle for these tasty salmon. Waterloo Park provides two boat launches, full camping facilities(showers too!) as well as a few miles of riverbank access. 100 campsites all with RV hookups, picnic tables, and iron firepits with grills. The park boasts many trails suitable for hiking and mountain biking. There is a handicapped deck built "over" the river for handicapped fishing. There are horsehoe pits abundant around the park. BBQ day-sites exist and some have covered structures. Two playground are available for the kids and a "dog park" is also handy. A frisbee golf course exists and is popular.

The spring chinook season starts in May and is over by the end of June. These salmon are a smaller cousin of fall chinook salmon. Springers, as the anglers call them, are 6 to 30 pounds with most 10 to 15. Bait such as roe and prawns work best but all methods are successful.

Salmon are not the only angling offered by the South Santiam; rainbow trout, pike-minnow, and summer steelhead make up the catch. The steelhead range from 4 to 20 pounds and are taken by all methods. Trout fishing is restricted to barbless flies and lures only, consult regulations before you fish. An Oregon license and tag is required to harvest salmon and steelhead.

Waterloo Park in Linn County Oregon, a great place to camp with the family and maybe catch a few fish.

Here are some additional photos for the people in the back seat:

John Blanchard with a summer steelhead about to be filleted. And then barbequed.

One side is done. Observe the meat color. Steelhead to the core.

A cured-prawn rig. Notice the head has been cut off and the prawn "threaded" on the hook. A deadly bait drifted with a sinker or a float, personal preference.