The Clackamas River flows 82 miles from its headwaters in the Mt. Hood National Forest to its confluence with the Willamette River near Oregon City. Descending from an elevation of 6,000 feet to just 12 feet at its mouth, this picturesque river offers some of the best fishing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Known for its strong steelhead and salmon runs, the Clackamas supports diverse aquatic habitats ranging from steep mountain stretches in its upper reaches to more moderate gradients with wider floodplains and side channels in the lower sections. The river basin's environmental conditions vary significantly between the predominantly wild, forested upper watershed and the more developed lower watershed, which features a complex mosaic of natural, agricultural, rural, and urban areas.