Steelhead in Oregon
Oregon zone limits, the ODFW record and water pages for steelhead.
- 3 a daybag
- 35 lb 8 ozrecord
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Oregon steelhead in brief
steelhead have their own entry, appearing in 9 zone tables. The Northeast Zone version reads: 3 per day.
The Oregon record stands at 35 lb 8 oz, caught by Berdell Todd in 1970 on Columbia River. Try Lake Billy Chinook, Applegate Lake and Emigrant Lake, three of the 115 pages that list it. 32 waters carry an exception for it, Nehalem River (Mainstem) and Bay and Nehalem River, North Fork first.
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| Zone | Row as printed | Bag and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Zone | Steelhead | 3 per day. | Closed in all waters unless noted by species under Exceptions. |
| Snake River Zone | Steelhead | 3 per day. | Closed in all waters unless noted by species under Exceptions. |
| Willamette Zone | Steelhead | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.
Where the booklet changes the steelhead rule
| Water as printed | Zone | Rule as printed | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nehalem River (Mainstem) and Bay (Up to Foss Rd (CC) Bridge (RM 15.1)) | Northwest | Open for Chinook salmon Jan 1 – Sep 15. Wild Chinook salmon may be harvested; 1 per day as part of daily salmon/steelhead bag limit. | |
| Nehalem River, North Fork (Mouth to Hwy 53 bridge) | Northwest | Open for Chinook salmon Jan 1 – Sep 15. Wild Chinook salmon may be harvested; 1 per day as part of daily salmon/steelhead bag limit. | p. 29 |
| Netarts Bay and Tributaries | Northwest | Closed to salmon, steelhead, and trout angling. | p. 29 |
| Applegate River (Mainstem and tributaries above Applegate Dam) | Southwest | Rainbow trout over 16 inches are not considered steelhead. | p. 34 |
| Ashland Creek (East and West Forks and all tributaries above Reeder Dam) | Southwest | Rainbow trout over 16 inches are not considered steelhead. | p. 36 |
| Chetco River (Mouth to Nook Cr) | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31 and Dec 1-31. | p. 36 |
| Chetco River (Above Nook Cr) | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31 and Dec 1-31. | p. 36 |
| Elk River (Mouth to Bald Mt Cr) | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31 and Dec 1-31. | p. 36 |
| Emigrant Creek (Mainstem and tributaries above Emigrant Dam) | Southwest | Rainbow trout over 16 inches are not considered steelhead. | p. 36 |
| Euchre Creek | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31 and Dec 1-31. | p. 34 |
| Glade Creek (Above lower crossing of FSR 2030) | Southwest | Rainbow trout over 16 inches are not considered steelhead. | p. 37 |
| Hunter Creek (Mouth to North Fork) | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31. | p. 37 |
| Jenny Creek and Tributaries | Southwest | Rainbow trout over 16 inches are not considered steelhead. | p. 37 |
| Pistol River | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31 and Dec 1-31. | p. 38 |
| Rogue River (Mainstem and tributaries above Lost Cr Dam) | Southwest | Only 1 trout over 20 inches per day, no steelhead present all rainbow trout are considered trout. | p. 34 |
| Sixes River (Mouth to Edson Cr) | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31 and Dec 1-31. | p. 39 |
| Sixes River (Edson Cr to South Fork) | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31. | p. 39 |
| Winchuck River (Mouth to Wheeler Cr) | Southwest | Open for steelhead Jan 1 – Mar 31 and Dec 1-31. | p. 34 |
| Cedar Creek (Sandy River) (Above markers 100 ft above intake dam) | Willamette | Closed all year for salmon and steelhead. | p. 44 |
| Clackamas River (Mainstem and tributaries (except Oak Grove Fork) above Faraday Diversion (Cazadero) Dam, excluding North Fork Reservoir and | Willamette | Closed all year for salmon and steelhead. | p. 44 |
| Estacada Lake (Clackamas River, River Mill Dam upstream to North Fork Dam.) | Willamette | Trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead. | p. 44 |
| McKenzie River and Tributaries | Willamette | Gear Restriction: Bait allowed May 1 – Jun 15 when angling for salmon and steelhead with hooks 5/8 inch gap or larger. | p. 46 |
| Molalla River (Mouth to Turner Cr Bridge) | Willamette | Open for any steelhead Jul 1 – Aug 31. | p. 46 |
| Row River and Tributaries | Willamette | Closed to salmon and steelhead angling in Mosby Cr and Mosby Cr tributaries. | p. 47 |
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.
Oregon state-record steelhead
| Listed as | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout, Steelhead | 35 lb 8 oz | Berdell Todd | Columbia River | 1970 |
Oregon record fish as listed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (record fish article, dated March 4, 2026), read November 2, 2026.
Oregon water ODFW maps for steelhead
Reservoirs with steelhead
- Lake Billy Chinook3,852 acres
- Applegate Lake949 acres
- Emigrant Lake807 acres
- Lake Simtustus553 acres
- Fish Lake (Jackson County)380 acres
- Haystack Reservoir219 acres
- Garrison Lake146 acres
- Olalla Reservoir103 acres
- Laurance Lake97 acres
- Ana Reservoir61 acres
- Estacada Lake60 acres
- Coffenbury Lake51 acres
- Lake Creek Reservoir42 acres
- Butterfield Lake11 acres
- Town Lake10 acres
- South Lake3 acres
Moving water for steelhead
- Willamette RiverMultnomah County
- Rogue RiverJackson County
- Deschutes RiverSherman County
- Columbia RiverClatsop County
- McKenzie RiverLane County
- Alsea RiverLincoln County
- John Day RiverWheeler County
- Umpqua RiverDouglas County
- Nehalem RiverTillamook County
- Clackamas RiverClackamas County
- Siuslaw RiverLane County
- Siletz RiverLincoln County
- South Umpqua RiverDouglas County
- North Santiam RiverLinn County
- North Umpqua RiverDouglas County
- Coquille RiverCoos County
- Nestucca RiverTillamook County
- Tualatin RiverClackamas County
ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution layers (ODFW ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; a mapped species is habitat use ODFW records, not a catch report.
Scenes of the rivers and lakes by Steelhead
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Oregon steelhead, answered
Which booklet row limits steelhead?
ODFW prints this for the Northeast Zone: 3 per day. Rows differ from zone to zone.
How heavy is the Oregon steelhead record?
Berdell Todd caught it: 35 lb 8 oz in 1970 on Columbia River.
Which Oregon waters are good bets for steelhead?
Lake Billy Chinook, Applegate Lake and Emigrant Lake lead 115 pages that list it.
Which Oregon waters change the steelhead rule?
Nehalem River (Mainstem) and Bay and others, 32 waters in all.
Is steelhead open now in Oregon?
The Northeast Zone season reads Closed in all waters unless noted by species under Exceptions. MyODFW carries any in-season change.
What do out-of-state anglers buy before fishing for steelhead?
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 steelhead record need?
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife certifies records and lists the rules in its record article.
How does the booklet name steelhead?
The ODFW names are Steelhead, Steelhead Trout and Steelhead above Willamette Falls.
Set out for Oregon steelhead
Pick a lake or bay above, then check its zone table before the drive.