Oregon fish

Bluegill in Oregon

Oregon zone limits, the ODFW record and water pages for bluegill.

  • no bag capbag
  • 2 lb 5.5 ozrecord
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Photo of the species, not an Oregon water: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain

Oregon fish

Oregon bluegill in brief

The zone tables group bluegill into a row titled "Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Striped Bass, Sucker, No.". The Northwest Zone version reads: No limit.

The Oregon record stands at 2 lb 5.5 oz, caught by Wayne Elmore in 1981 on Farm Pond. Try Upper Klamath Lake, Lake Wallula and Agency Lake, three of the 63 pages that list it.

no bag capNorthwest Zone bag
2 lb 5.5 ozOregon record
63water pages
0exceptions
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Limits

Keeping bluegill legally, zone by zone

ZoneRow as printedBag and sizeSeason
Northwest ZoneBluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P.No limit.Lakes: Open all year. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except tidewater.
Southwest ZoneBluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P.No limit.Lakes: Open all year. Streams (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons.
Willamette ZoneBluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P.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.
Central ZoneBluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P.No limit.Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons only, except portions of Columbia River tributaries.
Northeast ZoneBluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P.No limit.Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons only, except portions of Columbia River tributaries.
Southeast ZoneBluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, and Yell.No limit.Lakes and Reservoirs: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout season.
Snake River ZoneBluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P.No limit.Open all year.
Columbia River ZoneBass, Striped Bass, Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, other Sunfis.No limit.Open all year.

Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (eRegulations), read November 2, 2026.

All nine Oregon zones

Records

Oregon state-record bluegill

Listed asWeightAnglerWaterYear
Bluegill2 lb 5.5 ozWayne ElmoreFarm Pond1981

Oregon record fish as listed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (record fish article, dated March 4, 2026), read November 2, 2026.

Where to look

Oregon water ODFW maps for bluegill

Reservoirs with bluegill

ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution layers (ODFW ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; a mapped species is habitat use ODFW records, not a catch report.

Related

Fish sharing a row with Oregon bluegill

Photos

Scenes of the rivers and lakes by Bluegill

Netarts Bay, Oregon
Netarts Bay
Photo: Rick Obst, CC BY 2.0
North Umpqua River, Oregon
North Umpqua River
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC BY 2.0
Crane Prairie Reservoir, Oregon
Crane Prairie Reservoir
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Toledo, Oregon
Toledo
Photo: Marina, CC BY-SA 2.0
Answers

Oregon bluegill, answered

Which booklet row limits bluegill?

ODFW prints this for the Northwest Zone: No limit. Rows differ from zone to zone.

How heavy is the Oregon bluegill record?

Wayne Elmore caught it: 2 lb 5.5 oz in 1981 on Farm Pond.

Which Oregon waters are good bets for bluegill?

Upper Klamath Lake, Lake Wallula and Agency Lake lead 63 pages that list it.

Which Oregon waters change the bluegill rule?

The zone rows apply to it on every water.

Is bluegill open now in Oregon?

The Northwest Zone season reads Lakes: Open all year. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except tidewater areas of Columbia. MyODFW carries any in-season change.

What do out-of-state anglers buy before fishing for bluegill?

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).

What does an Oregon bluegill record need?

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife certifies records and lists the rules in its record article.

How does the booklet name bluegill?

The ODFW names are Bluegill.

Set out for Oregon bluegill

Pick a lake or bay above, then check its zone table before the drive.