Fishing in Oregon
Coastal salmon rivers, crab and clam bays, Cascade lakes and high desert reservoirs, with the 2026 ODFW rules for every water.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 326lakes
- 108rivers
- 25coast pages
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Oregon lakes, rivers, bays and ocean
Oregon fishing splits along the Cascades. West of the mountains, coastal rivers such as the Rogue, Umpqua, Siuslaw, Nehalem and Wilson carry fall Chinook, coho and winter steelhead to bays where crabbers and clam diggers work the tide, and the Willamette Valley holds stocked ponds and warmwater sloughs within a short drive of Portland, Salem and Eugene. The Columbia River forms the northern border, with spring Chinook, sturgeon, shad and walleye.
East of the Cascades the country turns dry: the Deschutes and its reservoirs, Crane Prairie and Wickiup for big trout, Lake Billy Chinook and Detroit for kokanee, the high lakes of the Cascades, and reservoirs in the Klamath Basin and on the Owyhee and Snake for bass, crappie and redband trout. Offshore, ODFW splits the ocean into three subareas for salmon and halibut.
This guide holds 326 lake pages, 108 river pages, 25 coast pages, 989 launch pages, 230 tackle shops, all 36 counties and 197 towns, each with the 2026 ODFW zone rows for its water.
For the steelhead herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Oregon lakes with the most mapped acres
Goose Lake
94,292 acres, Lake County
Lake pageUpper Klamath Lake
62,057 acres, Klamath County
Lake pageLake Umatilla
50,097 acres, Morrow County and 3 other counties
Lake pageLake Wallula
32,492 acres, Umatilla County
Lake pageLake Bonneville
19,452 acres, Hood River County and 2 other counties
Lake pageBrownlee Reservoir
13,880 acres, Baker and Malheur counties
Lake pageCrater Lake
13,202 acres, Klamath County
Lake pageLake Owyhee
11,112 acres, Malheur County
Lake pageOregon salmon and steelhead rivers
Willamette River
55 launchs, Multnomah County
River pageRogue River
44 launchs, Jackson County
River pageDeschutes River
43 launchs, Sherman County
River pageColumbia River
36 launchs, Clatsop County
River pageMcKenzie River
27 launchs, Lane County
River pageAlsea River
21 launchs, Lincoln County
River pageJohn Day River
18 launchs, Wheeler County
River pageUmpqua River
17 launchs, Douglas County
River pageOregon bays, estuaries and ocean subareas
Central Oregon Coast Subarea
ocean area, Lincoln County
Coast pageColumbia River Subarea
ocean area, Clatsop County
Coast pageCoos Bay
bay, Coos County
Coast pageDepoe Bay
bay, Lincoln County
Coast pageLower Columbia River estuary
estuary, Clatsop County
Coast pageNehalem Bay
bay, Tillamook County
Coast pageNetarts Bay
bay, Tillamook County
Coast pagePort Orford Head
estuary, Curry County
Coast pageThe Willamette Zone table at a glance
| Species | Bag as printed | Season as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: catch-and-release only, unless noted under Exceptions; 8-inch minimum | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open May 22 – Oct 31 unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Kokanee | 10 per day unless noted under Exceptions. | Open all year. |
| Salmon and Steelhead below Willamette Falls and Columbia River Tributaries | In the aggregate: 2 adult salmon or steelhead per day, 20 per year. 5 jacks per day, 2 daily jack limits in possession. | Closed in all waters unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Salmon above Willamette Falls | 2 adult salmon per day, 5 jacks per day, 2 daily jack limits in possession. 20 salmon and steelhead per year in aggregate. | Closed in all waters unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Steelhead above Willamette Falls | 3 adult steelhead per day (in addition to daily salmon bag limit). 20 salmon and steelhead per year in aggregate. | Closed in all waters unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Sturgeon | Catch-and-release only, unless noted under Exceptions. | Catch-and-release: Open all year, except as noted under Exceptions. |
| Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and tidewater areas of Columbia River tributaries. |
| Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Striped Bass, . | No limit, unless noted under Exceptions. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and tidewater areas of Columbia River tributaries. |
| Pacific Lamprey | Refer to General (Statewide) Regulations for regulations covering the harvest of Pacific lamprey. | Refer to General (Statewide) Regulations for regulations covering the harvest of Pacific lamprey. |
Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (Willamette Zone page), read November 2, 2026.
Crab, clam and bottomfish rows from the Marine Zone
| Species | Bag as printed | Season as printed |
|---|---|---|
| General Marine Species: Rockfish ("sea bass", "snapper"), Greenling (“sea trout”. | Bag limits are set after this book is printed. Check current regulations before fishing on the Sport Bottomfish Seasons page. Retention of yelloweye and quillback rockfishes is prohibited. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. Seasons are set after this book is printed. |
| Lingcod (including green-colored lingcod) | 3 fish. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. Seasons are set after this book is printed. |
| Sablefish (black cod) | 10 fish. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. Seasons are set after this book is printed. |
| Flatfish (flounders, soles, sanddabs, turbots, and halibuts except Pacific halib. | 25 fish in aggregate. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. Seasons are set after this book is printed. |
| Surfperch (includes all marine perch species) | 15 fish in aggregate. | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
| Herring, Anchovy, Sardine, Topsmelt, Jacksmelt, and true smelts | 25 pounds in aggregate. | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
| Offshore Pelagic Species: Includes all tuna and mackerel species, swordfish, bil. | 25 fish in aggregate. White shark, basking shark, mega-mouth shark, and oceanic whitetip shark are prohibited and must be immediately released unharmed. | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
| Striped Bass and/or Hybrid Bass | No limit | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (Marine Zone page), read November 2, 2026.
Calendar dates for Oregon anglers
- Free Fishing Weekend (Presidents' Day Weekend): February 14, 2026 to February 15, 2026no license needed
- Free Fishing Weekend: June 6, 2026 to June 7, 2026no license needed
- Free Fishing Days (Thanksgiving Weekend): November 27, 2026 to November 28, 2026no license needed
- Columbia River Subarea (Cape Falcon, OR to Leadbetter Point, WA)All-Depth Season: Closed for the remainder of 2026
- Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Humbug Mountain to Cape Falcon)Spring All-Depth Season: May 1 through July 31, seven days per week, or until the quota is caught
- Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Humbug Mountain to Cape Falcon)Summer All-Depth Season: August 1 through October 31, seven days per week, or until the quota is caught
The heaviest fish on the ODFW record list
- Chinook Salmon, 83 lb 0 ozUmpqua River, 1910
- Striped Bass, 68 lb 0 ozUmpqua River, 1973
- Flathead Catfish, 42 lb 0 ozSnake River, 1994
- Macinaw or Lake Trout, 40 lb 8 ozOdell Lake, 1984
- Channel Catfish, 36 lb 8 ozMcKay Reservoir, 1980
- Steelhead Trout, 35 lb 8 ozColumbia River, 1970
- Brown Trout, 28 lb 5 ozPaulina Lake, 2002
- Rainbow Trout, 28 lb 0 ozRogue River, 1982
Guides, tackle shops and gear for an Oregon trip
- Guides and charters595 listings, most in Depoe Bay, Newport and Bend
- Tackle shops230 shops and marinas
- Crab rings on Amazonfor Dungeness off the bay docks
- Drift bobbers on Amazonfor winter steelhead on the coast rivers
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Oregon pages by water type and place
- Lakes326 lakes
- Rivers108 rivers
- Coast25 coast pages
- Countiesall 36
- Towns197 cities and towns
- Species53 fish and shellfish
- Tournamentskokanee derbies and bass events
- Water levelsUSGS, Corps and NOAA
Oregon rules, records and directories
- Every Oregon water, A to Zlakes, ocean areas, bays, rivers, counties, towns and fish on one list
- Oregon licenses and the nine zones2026 fees, tags, endorsements and zone tables
- Marine Zone rulesbottomfish, crab, clams and the ocean seasons
- Columbia River Zone rulesthe big river from Astoria to the Snake
- Special regulations by waterevery booklet exception, zone by zone
- Salmon and steelhead rulesthe Combined Angling Tag and the 20-fish year
- Free fishing weekendsthe 2026 dates when no license is needed
- Oregon record fishthe ODFW list of record weights
- Trout stocking scheduleplanned ODFW releases by week
- Reservoir levels and river flowUSGS gauges, Corps pools and NOAA tides
- Oregon coastocean subareas, bays and estuaries
- Marine reservesreserves, MPAs and what each allows
- Boat launchesMarine Board launches county by county
- Shore fishingpublic docks and piers on the bays
- Bait and tackle shopsstores and marinas by ODFW zone
- Guides and chartersdrift boats, ocean charters, fly guides
- Tournaments and derbieskokanee derbies, bass events, winners
- Protected fish and shellfishgreen sturgeon, bull trout, yelloweye and more
Species from Fishing in Oregon on camera
Photo: Alaska Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: kmitschke, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ed Bierman, CC BY 2.0
First-trip Oregon fishing questions, with ODFW answers
Which license does an Oregon angler need?
An Oregon angling license ($50 resident, $138 nonresident for 2026) covers anglers 12 and older; salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut go on a Combined Angling Tag ($69 resident).
Which Oregon lake page covers the most acres?
Goose Lake, at 94,292 acres of mapped outline.
How many Dungeness crab may I keep?
12 (males only).
When are the Oregon free fishing weekends?
February 14, 2026 to February 15, 2026, June 6, 2026 to June 7, 2026 and November 27, 2026 to November 28, 2026 in 2026; 2027 dates are not announced.
Who sets Oregon fishing rules?
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopts them and ODFW publishes them in the annual Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.
Why does Oregon use zones?
Rules follow drainages: seven inland zones, the Columbia River Zone and the Marine Zone each have their own table.
Do I need a tag for salmon and steelhead?
Yes; the Combined Angling Tag is needed at any age for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut.
Where are Oregon tournaments listed?
The Oregon tournaments page lists kokanee derbies, bass events and posted winners by water.