Brown Trout in Oregon
Where Oregon brown trout turn up, and how many go home.
- 5 a daybag
- 28 lb 5 ozrecord
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brown trout and the ODFW zone tables
Oregon writes the brown trout limit into its "Trout" entry rather than a row of its own. As printed for the Northwest Zone: 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
ODFW lists 28 lb 5 oz as the top fish, Ronald Lane, 2002, Paulina Lake. Start with Upper Klamath Lake, Agency Lake and Wickiup Reservoir; 34 Oregon water pages carry it. Separate rules apply on 8 waters, Diamond Lake and Rogue River among them.
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| Zone | Row as printed | Bag and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Zone | 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. |
| Southwest Zone | Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays); 2 per day, 3 daily catch limits in possession; 8-inch minimum | Lakes: Open all year Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open May 22 – Oct 31 unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Willamette Zone | 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. |
| Central Zone | Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession; 8-inch minimum | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open May 22 – Oct 31, unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Northeast Zone | Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession; 8-inch minimum | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open May 22 – Oct 31, unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Southeast Zone | Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession; 8-inch minimum | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open all year, unless noted under Exceptions. |
| Snake River Zone | Trout | 6 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. | Open all year. |
| Columbia River Zone | Trout | 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession; 12-inch minimum | Closed in all waters unless noted by species under Exceptions. Additional salmon and steelhead seasons are determined on an. |
| Marine Zone | General Marine Species: Rockfish ("sea bass", "snapper"), Gr. | 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. |
Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (eRegulations), read November 2, 2026.
Exception waters for Oregon brown trout
| Water as printed | Zone | Rule as printed | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Lake | Southwest | Catch-and-release for tiger and brown trout. | p. 36 |
| Rogue River (Mainstem and tributaries above Lost Cr Dam) | Southwest | Open all year for trout, 5 per day (brook and brown trout not included in bag limit). | p. 34 |
| Clackamas River (Oak Grove Fork and tributaries between markers at upper end of Harriet Lake and Timothy Lake Dam) | Willamette | No limit on size or number of brook or brown trout. | p. 44 |
| North Fork Reservoir (Clackamas River) (North Fork Dam up to MP 32 on Hwy 224) | Willamette | No limit on size or number of brook or brown trout. | p. 46 |
| Lake Billy Chinook (Balance of reservoir) | Central | No limit on size or number of bass or brown trout. | p. 53 |
| Owyhee River | Southeast | Catch-and-release for brown trout. | p. 64 |
| Wood River | Southeast | 2 brown trout per day. | p. 64 |
| Youngs Bay Select Area (Clatsop Co.) (Hwy 101 bridge to marker at confluence of Youngs Bay and Klaskanine R., including Walluski R. tidewate | Columbia River | No limit on size or number of brook or brown trout in streams unless noted under Exceptions. | p. 75 |
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.
Heaviest brown trout recorded in Oregon
| Listed as | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout, Brown | 28 lb 5 oz | Ronald Lane | Paulina Lake | 2002 |
Oregon record fish as listed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (record fish article, dated March 4, 2026), read November 2, 2026.
Finding brown trout in Oregon
Still water for brown trout
- Upper Klamath Lake62,057 acres
- Agency Lake10,312 acres
- Wickiup Reservoir10,170 acres
- Crane Prairie Reservoir4,380 acres
- Lake Billy Chinook3,852 acres
- Crescent Lake3,824 acres
- Diamond Lake3,038 acres
- Lost Creek Lake2,522 acres
- Paulina Lake1,371 acres
- Lake of the Woods1,227 acres
- East Lake969 acres
- Lake Simtustus553 acres
- Miller Lake519 acres
- Lemolo Lake431 acres
- Suttle Lake265 acres
- North Fork Reservoir262 acres
- Haystack Reservoir219 acres
- Campbell Reservoir207 acres
- Little Lava Lake112 acres
- Gold Lake87 acres
- Toketee Lake79 acres
- Soda Springs Reservoir30 acres
- Lake Harriet17 acres
- Withers Lake4 acres
Streams mapped with brown trout
- Rogue RiverJackson County
- Deschutes RiverSherman County
- Clackamas RiverClackamas County
- North Umpqua RiverDouglas County
- Owyhee RiverMalheur County
- Sprague RiverKlamath County
- Williamson RiverKlamath County
- Wood RiverKlamath County
- Fall RiverDeschutes County
- Metolius RiverJefferson County
ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution layers (ODFW ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; a mapped species is habitat use ODFW records, not a catch report.
Kin of brown trout on the Oregon list
- Brook Troutfreshwater
- Bull Troutfreshwater
- Cutthroat Troutfreshwater
- Golden Troutfreshwater
- Lake Trout (Mackinaw)freshwater
- Rainbow Troutfreshwater
- Steelheadfreshwater
Camera views of fishing water around Brown Trout
Photo: Rick Obst, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
What Oregonians ask about brown trout
How many brown trout can go home per day in Oregon?
Using the Northwest Zone table: 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 Zones vary.
Where did the Oregon brown trout record come from?
28 lb 5 oz from Paulina Lake in 2002, angler Ronald Lane.
What Oregon lake or river is good for brown trout?
It appears on 34 pages, among them Upper Klamath Lake, Agency Lake and Wickiup Reservoir.
Do any Oregon waters set their own brown trout rule?
8 waters print their own rule, such as Diamond Lake.
When is brown trout season open in Oregon?
The Northwest Zone row gives: Lakes: Open all year Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open May 22 – Oct 31, unless noted under Exceptions. In-season changes are posted on MyODFW.
Does the plain angling license cover brown trout or is a tag needed too?
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).
Who keeps the Oregon brown trout record?
Record claims are handled by ODFW; see its record fish article for the steps.
How does ODFW name brown trout?
Oregon tables call it Trout, Brown and Brown Trout.
Plan an Oregon trip for brown trout
Every linked water spells out its launches and booklet exceptions.