Oregon Marine Reserves
Five reserve sites and the protected areas around them, with what each allows.
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Oregon marine reserves and protected areas
Oregon has five marine reserve sites. Each reserve bans the take of fish and shellfish, and most sit beside marine protected areas or a seabird protection area that allow some fishing. The rule printed for each area is the one in the ODFW boundary layer; the full rules are on oregonmarinereserves.com.
ODFW Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Area Boundaries (layer), read November 2, 2026; full rules on oregonmarinereserves.com.
Each Oregon reserve and protected area
| Area | Site | Rule in the ODFW layer | Square miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Falcon Shoreside Marine Protected Area | Cape Falcon | Allowed take: recreational take of fish by hook-and-line from shore. | 0.24 |
| Cape Falcon West Marine Protected Area | Cape Falcon | Allowed take: salmon by troll, crab. | 7.37 |
| Cape Falcon Marine Reserve | Cape Falcon | No extractive activities allowed. | 12.36 |
| Cascade Head North Marine Protected Area | Cascade Head | Allowed take: salmon by troll, crab, and recreational take of groundfish by hook-and-line from private boats. | 12.21 |
| Cascade Head Marine Reserve | Cascade Head | No extractive activities allowed. | 9.64 |
| Cascade Head West Marine Protected Area | Cascade Head | Allowed take: salmon by troll, crab. | 1.29 |
| Cascade Head South Marine Protected Area | Cascade Head | No net gear. | 9.6 |
| Otter Rock Marine Reserve Area | Otter Rock | No extractive activities allowed. | 1.16 |
| Cape Perpetua North Marine Protected Area | Cape Perpetua | Allowed take: salmon by troll, crab, and recreational take of fish by hook-and-line from shore. | 11.31 |
| Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve | Cape Perpetua | No extractive activites allowed. | 14.07 |
| Cape Perpetua Seabird Protection Area | Cape Perpetua | No take of Pacific herring, Pacific sardine, anchovies, smelt, or Pacific sand lance. | 22.22 |
| Cape Perpetua Southeast Marine Protected Area | Cape Perpetua | No trawl gear. No take of Pacific herring, Pacific sardine, anchovies, smelt, Pacific sand lance, or market squid. | 7.5 |
| Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve | Redfish Rocks | No extractive activities allowed. | 2.63 |
| Redfish Rocks Marine Protected Area | Redfish Rocks | Allowed take: salmon by troll, crab. | 5.1 |
ODFW Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Area Boundaries (layer), read November 2, 2026; full rules on oregonmarinereserves.com.
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Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Oregon marine reserve questions
How many marine reserves does Oregon have?
5 reserve sites, with 14 areas counting the protected areas around them.
Can I fish in an Oregon marine reserve?
No; take of fish and shellfish is prohibited inside a reserve.
Can I fish in a marine protected area?
Some take is allowed; the table prints what the ODFW layer allows for each one.
Which reserve is farthest north?
Cape Falcon, near Arch Cape.
Which is farthest south?
Redfish Rocks, off Port Orford.
Where are the full rules?
On oregonmarinereserves.com, linked from each area name.
Are reserve areas measured here?
Yes, in square miles from the ODFW layer.
Do coast pages show nearby reserves?
Bay and ocean pages list reserves within ten miles.