White Catfish in Oregon
Oregon zone limits, the ODFW record and water pages for white catfish.
- no bag capbag
- 15 lb 0 ozrecord
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Oregon white catfish in brief
The zone tables group white catfish 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 15 lb 0 oz, caught by Wayne Welch in 1989 on Tualatin River. Try Tualatin River, three of the 1 pages that list it.
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| Zone | Row as printed | Bag and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Zone | Bluegill, 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 Zone | Bluegill, 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 Zone | Bluegill, 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 Zone | Bluegill, 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 Zone | Bluegill, 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 Zone | Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, and Yell. | No limit. | Lakes and Reservoirs: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout season. |
| Snake River Zone | Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P. | No limit. | Open all year. |
| Columbia River Zone | Bass, 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.
Oregon state-record white catfish
| Listed as | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish, White | 15 lb 0 oz | Wayne Welch | Tualatin River | 1989 |
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 white catfish
Moving water for white catfish
- 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.
Fish sharing a row with Oregon white catfish
- Black Crappiefreshwater
- Bluegillfreshwater
- Bullhead Catfishfreshwater
- Channel Catfishfreshwater
- Flathead Catfishfreshwater
- Green Sunfishfreshwater
- Hybrid White Bassfreshwater
- Largemouth Bassfreshwater
- Pumpkinseed Sunfishfreshwater
- Redear Sunfishfreshwater
Scenes of the rivers and lakes by White Catfish
Photo: Luke Detwiler, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC BY 2.0
Oregon white catfish, answered
Which booklet row limits white catfish?
ODFW prints this for the Northwest Zone: No limit. Rows differ from zone to zone.
How heavy is the Oregon white catfish record?
Wayne Welch caught it: 15 lb 0 oz in 1989 on Tualatin River.
Which Oregon waters are good bets for white catfish?
Tualatin River lead 1 pages that list it.
Which Oregon waters change the white catfish rule?
The zone rows apply to it on every water.
Is white catfish 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 white catfish?
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 white catfish record need?
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife certifies records and lists the rules in its record article.
How does the booklet name white catfish?
The ODFW names are Catfish, White and White Catfish.
Set out for Oregon white catfish
Pick a lake or bay above, then check its zone table before the drive.