Fishing in Yamhill County, Oregon
County seat: McMinnville. Population 107,722.
- 3lake pages
- 7open launches
- 2river pages
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Getting to know the water in Yamhill County
107,722 Oregonians called Yamhill County home in 2020, with McMinnville as county seat. ODFW files most of the Yamhill County waters it names under the ODFW Northwest Zone rows, with drainages, not county lines, setting the edges.
Yamhill County shares 3 lake pages, and Barney Reservoir spreads widest. 7 open launches sit in the county on the OSMB map; 4 take a trailer.
Census 2020 population; BLM Oregon NHD lake outlines; OSMB Boating Access Sites; DLCD and ODFW shore access layers; 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations zone lists; read November 2, 2026.
A map of where to get on the water in Yamhill County
OSMB launch points, DLCD and ODFW shore sites, NHD lake points, PMEP estuary points; read November 2, 2026.
Lakes to try around Yamhill County
| Lake | Acres | Kind | OSMB launches | Fish mapped |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barney Reservoir | 342 (outline) | reservoir | 1 | brown bullhead, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout |
| Pacific Plywood Log Pond | 10 (outline) | lake | 1 | black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead |
| South Lake | 3 (outline) | lake | 1 | rainbow trout, steelhead |
The shortest drives from McMinnville to a lake guide outside Yamhill County.
| Lake | From McMinnville | Acres | Kind | OSMB launches | Fish mapped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Lake | 12 miles southeast | 29 (outline) | lake | 1 | black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass |
| Henry Hagg Lake | 19 miles north | 1,086 (outline) | lake | 4 | bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass |
| Willamette Slough | 21 miles south | 58 (outline) | lake | 2 | largemouth bass |
| Wirth Lake | 23 miles southeast | 18 (outline) | lake | 1 | bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass |
| Aaron Mercer Reservoir | 25 miles southwest | 56 (outline) | reservoir | 0 | cutthroat trout, largemouth bass |
| Silver Creek Reservoir (Marion County) | 27 miles southeast | 45 (outline) | reservoir | 1 | brown bullhead, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout |
BLM Oregon hydrography lake outlines (NHD), summed by GNIS name (layer), read November 2, 2026. Species: ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution layers (ODFW ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; a mapped species is habitat use ODFW records, not a catch report. ODFW publishes no lake depths in these layers.
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rainbow trout tops the tally of water pages within 40 miles of McMinnville.
Species from ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution layers, booklet exceptions and ODFW records, counted per water page within 40 miles; habitat mapping, not a catch survey.
The rest of the named lakes in Yamhill County
Yamhill County holds 11 more named lakes on the outline map.
| Water | Acres (outline) | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|
| McGuire Reservoir | 181 | Yamhill |
| Lambert Slough | 117 | Dayton |
| Haskins Creek Reservoir | 24 | Yamhill |
| Evers Lake | 22 | Lafayette |
| Tilikum Lake | 13 | Yamhill |
| Stringer Reservoir | 12 | Amity |
| Phil Olson Reservoir | 12 | Amity |
| Hawn Creek Reservoir | 11 | Lafayette |
| Woods Reservoir | 11 | Dayton |
| Rainbow Lake | 5 | McMinnville |
| North Lake | 2 | Willamina |
BLM Oregon hydrography lake outlines (NHD), summed by GNIS name (layer), read November 2, 2026.
Drift and wade water in Yamhill County
- Yamhill RiverODFW maps coho, spring chinook and winter steelhead runs, 2 OSMB launches, 7 booklet exceptions
- South Yamhill RiverODFW maps coho, spring chinook and winter steelhead runs, 1 USGS gauge
Other named rivers of Yamhill County (2)
- North Yamhill RiverODFW maps coho, spring chinook and winter steelhead runs
- Wind RiverODFW maps coho and winter steelhead runs
Stream gauges in Yamhill County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Willamette River At Newberg, Or | 10,900 cfs, 56.73 ft gage height | Nov 12 11:00 pm |
| South Yamhill River At Mcminnville, Or | 428 cfs, 12.22 ft gage height | Nov 13 12:00 am |
| Nestucca River Near Fairdale, Or | 2 cfs, 6.87 ft gage height | Oct 1 2:45 am Not updated since Oct 1, 2008. |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 12:34 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution stream names and runs, OSMB launches, booklet exceptions and USGS gauges; read November 2, 2026.
Where to launch in Yamhill County
- Dayton Boat Ramp on Yamhill RiverYamhill River, 1 lane, trailered launch, OSMB status: restricted
- Ediger Landing on Willamette RiverWillamette River, 1 lane, trailered launch
- Huddleston Pond Ramp on Pacific Plywood Log PondPacific Plywood Log Pond, 1 lane, trailered launch
- Lafayette Locks launch on Yamhill RiverYamhill River, 1 lane, hand carry launch
- Rogers Landing Paddle Access on Willamette RiverWillamette River, hand carry launch
- Rogers Landing on Willamette RiverWillamette River, 3 lanes, trailered launch
- South Lake AccessSouth Lake, 1 lane, hand carry launch
Closed sites stay as plain rows; check the OSMB note on any restricted launch.
Oregon State Marine Board Boating Access Sites layer (OSMB ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; status as OSMB publishes it. Oregon Coastal Management Program (DLCD) Shoreline Access Inventory (layer) and the ODFW shore access map, read November 2, 2026.
Stocked lakes and ponds of Yamhill County
Planned stocking in Yamhill County: 3 releases, 1 water, 5,600 trout by the schedule.
- South Lake3 releases planned, next listed: Apr. 12, 2027 – Apr. 16, 2027: 2,000 legal-size trout
ODFW weekly trout stocking schedule (planned releases; ODFW prints size classes, not species), myodfw.com, read November 2, 2026.
The booklet table for Yamhill County
Every Yamhill County water missing from the exception list uses the zone limits. ODFW prices the 2026 annual angling license at $50 for Oregonians and $138 for nonresidents. The Combined Angling Tag ($69 resident) records any salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or halibut kept.
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession; 8-inch minimum | Lakes: Open all year Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open May 22 – Oct 31, unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Salmon and Steelhead | In the aggregate: 2 adult salmon or steelhead per day, 20 per year. 5 jack salmon per day, 2 daily jack limits in possession. Wild salmon bag limits are determined annually. | Closed unless noted under Exceptions. Note: Regulation changes may occur throughout the year and are posted on the MyODFW website. |
| Sturgeon | Catch-and-release only. | Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons. |
| Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except tidewater areas of Columbia River. |
| Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Stri. | No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except tidewater areas of Columbia River. |
| Marine Fish and Marine Shellfish | See Marine Zone. | See Marine Zone. |
| Smelt | Unless specifically authorized under emergency rules, it is unlawful to take or attempt to take Eulachon smelt in inland waters, including bays, rivers, estuaries, and streams. | Unless specifically authorized under emergency rules, it is unlawful to take or attempt to take Eulachon smelt in inland waters, including bays, rivers, estuari. |
Exceptions printed for Yamhill County (9)
| Water | Species | Rule | Booklet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barney Reservoir | trout | Catch-and-release for trout. | p. 28 |
| Barney Reservoir | Artificial flies and lures only. | p. 28 | |
| Yamhill River and Tributaries | trout | Open all year for trout. Harvest allowed May 22 – Oct 31, 2 per day, 8 inch minimum length, remainder of year catch-and-release. | p. 49 |
| Yamhill River and Tributaries | coho, salmon | Open for coho salmon Aug 1 – Oct 31. | p. 49 |
| Yamhill River and Tributaries | Use of bait allowed. | p. 49 | |
| Yamhill River and Tributaries | coho, salmon | Open for coho salmon Aug 1 – Oct 31. | p. 49 |
| Yamhill River and Tributaries | Artificial flies and lures only. | p. 49 | |
| Yamhill River and Tributaries (* Tributaries and river sections not listed) | trout | Open all year for trout. Harvest allowed May 22 – Oct 31, 2 per day, 8 inch minimum length, remainder of year catch-and-release. | p. 49 |
| Yamhill River and Tributaries (* Tributaries and river sections not listed) | Artificial flies and lures only. | p. 49 |
Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (Northwest Zone page), read November 2, 2026. Water exceptions as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (booklet PDF; printed page shown), read November 2, 2026. In-season changes from ODFW override them. Fees as printed on the ODFW license, tag and permit fee page of the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (fees page), read November 2, 2026.
ODFW records tied to Yamhill County
No ODFW record traces to Yamhill County water, so the nearest record waters within 80 miles are shown.
| Species | Weight | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 8 lb 1.76 oz | Henry Hagg Lake | 2005 |
| Bullhead Catfish | 3 lb 7 oz | Henry Hagg Lake | 2001 |
| White Catfish | 15 lb 0 oz | Tualatin River | 1989 |
| Pumpkinseed Sunfish | 0 lb 7.68 oz | Lake Oswego | 1996 |
Oregon record fish as listed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (record fish article, dated March 4, 2026), read November 2, 2026.
Kokanee, bass and salmon contests in Yamhill County
1 organizer events involve Yamhill County; 0 remain.
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 2, 2025 | KFNW/OKBF Tour Event 5 Upper Willamette River 2025 | Willamette River | Kayak Fishing Northwest (KFNW) / Oregon Kayak Bass Fishing (OKBF) |
Organizer schedule and results pages (ODFW publishes no tournament calendar), checked November 2026.
Where Yamhill County anglers stock up
Listed shops across Yamhill County
- Bi-Mart (McMinnville)sporting goods store, McMinnville
- Bi-Mart (Newberg)sporting goods store, Newberg
Yellow Pages and store-locator listings, guide and charter business listings (county of the business), read November 2, 2026.
Near Yamhill County
Cities and towns of Yamhill County
- McMinnvillepop. 34,319
- Newbergpop. 25,138
- Sheridanpop. 4,639
- Lafayettepop. 4,423
- Dundeepop. 3,238
- Daytonpop. 2,678
- Willaminapop. 2,239
- Carltonpop. 2,220
- Amitypop. 1,757
- Yamhillpop. 1,147
Across the line from Yamhill County
- Washington County24 miles northeast
- Polk County24 miles south
- Tillamook County26 miles northwest
- Marion County43 miles southeast
Piscifun reels and line chosen with Yamhill County in mind
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Shorelines and riffles near Yamhill County, photographed
Photo: Rick Obst, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Michael Cornelius, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Sheila Sund, CC BY 2.0
Photo: born1945, CC BY 2.0
Settling the usual questions about water in Yamhill County
Where are the boat ramps in Yamhill County?
OSMB shows 7 open launches; 4 take trailers.
What is the biggest lake outline on the Yamhill County map?
Barney Reservoir, about 342 acres on its mapped outline.
What can an angler target in Yamhill County?
Rainbow trout lead the count of water pages within 40 miles, then cutthroat trout, largemouth bass and steelhead.
Is there a bait and tackle store in Yamhill County?
Bi-Mart (McMinnville) heads 2 listings.
Do guide services list an address in Yamhill County?
No charter or guide names it.
Where is the Yamhill County seat?
McMinnville holds the courthouse.
Which fishing license fits Yamhill County?
The 2026 fee page lists the yearly angling license at $50 resident, $138 nonresident. Keep a salmon or steelhead and you need the Combined Angling Tag too, $69 for residents.
Which county centre sits nearest Yamhill County?
Closest by centre point: Washington County, Polk County and Tillamook County.
Which zone rows govern Yamhill County?
In the booklet, the bulk of Yamhill County waters sit in the ODFW Northwest Zone pages, since zones track watersheds.
What is the next weigh-in in Yamhill County?
1 event on file from organizer pages, none ahead yet.
Which exception rows reach Yamhill County?
The 2026 booklet prints 9 water exceptions reaching this county, starting with Barney Reservoir; the table above shows each.
Which waters in Yamhill County does ODFW plant?
Yes: 1 water on the ODFW schedule, such as South Lake; releases are planned, not confirmed.
Choose your Yamhill County water
Lake pages list launches, species and limits.