Fishing at Aldrich Ponds is good. Fish are aggressive early in the morning, and the limit is two trout per day.

Rooster Tail or Mepps spinners work well. Fly fishermen should do well with scuds size #12-16. On the weekend of June 25, there was a hatch of black mayflies.

Fish grow quickly here because of the freshwater shrimp that inhabit both ponds. The main catch is rainbow trout, and average fish size is about 14 inches.

There seem to be better numbers in the upper pond, but the largest fish will be found in the smaller, lower pond.

The upper pond was drained by the Oregon Department of Wildlife two years ago because there were too many plants growing in it, but has been refilled and both ponds have been stocked.

The fish stop biting at about 7:30 a.m., and fishing is slow for the rest of the day. Fish seemed to be holding in the deeper, colder water and under the mossy vegetation that covers much of both ponds after 7:30.

The bridge at Flat Creek is closed, so the best way to access these ponds is to hike in from the 2150 road.

Take Highway 26 west from John Day for 20 miles, and then turn left at Fields Creek on Route 21. It is about 10 miles to the 2150 road, and then 15 miles to the trailhead.

The road is rough with washboards in some places, but is not bad. Four-wheel drive is not necessary. Follow the signs for Aldrich lookout.

The trail is not clearly marked, but is very close to the lookout and drops down the right side of the ridge.

Look for a small, yellow Forest Service sign on a barbwire gate and a rectangular white sign on the fence. The lookout is manned, so you can ask for directions.

The hike is on a well-maintained road, and is relatively short, but steep. No motorized vehicles are allowed. There are cows in the area, so be sure to close the gates after yourself.

The hike takes about an hour and a half at a quick pace. To reach the lower pond, stay on the road for another 10 minutes and take the first fork to the left. Do not follow the nearby stream – it doesn’t go to the ponds.

The best places to camp are on the south and north ends of the lower pond. Fishing should remain good as long as the water stays cold.

Here’s a look at other fishing spots.

John Day River – Fishing is good. The smallmouth bass should be done spawning, and success should pick up, said Tim Unterwegner, a biologist with the Canyon City office of the ODFW.

Average fish is 10 inches, and it is not difficult to catch a fish every five or ten minutes. Dark grubs with Smelly Jelly are productive.

Fishing should continue to improve as water levels drop. The greatest number of fish will probably be caught down-stream from Kimberly, but larger fish are often found on the North Fork.

Special regulations apply, depending on which stretch of the river you fish, so check the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

Strawberry Lake – Fishing is fair for Rainbow trout. Small spinners with brass-colored blades and white bodies work well. There is a small, grassy projection on the right side of the lake as you come up the trail that holds fish. The trail to Little Strawberry is free of snow to within a few hundred yards of the lake.

Strawberry Campground and the trailhead to the lake are 14 miles south of Prairie City on County Road 61.

Long Creek Pond – Three miles west of Long Creek, this pond is stocked every spring, but the water is getting too warm and fishing will likely be poor.

Reilly Cosgrove is a summer intern for the Eagle. He will be a senior this fall at eastern Oregon University.