Fishing O'Neal Reservoir in Marion County, Oregon

• Overview

  O'Neal Reservoir lies within the bounds of Marion County, Oregon. Around the bank it is oak and grass. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. It is a small entry by Marion County standards. For a base, Hubbard sits 1.5 miles out. For a city, Salem is 19 miles off. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on O'Neal Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Marion County records list bluegill, largemouth bass and largescale sucker among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read O'Neal Reservoir before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while December sits near 40°F. Long warm spells define the calendar more than any cold. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Anyone fishing O'Neal Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Fowler Reservoir is 3.4 miles distant. Check the position on O'Neal Reservoir before loading the car.