2023 fishing regulations

The majority of the 2023 proposed changes to regulations are categorized as housekeeping corrections, changes to simplify regulations or to serve a conservation need. 

Anglers can comment on these proposed changes in three way:

• Send an email to the Commission at odfw.commission@odfw.oregon.gov.
• Send an email to odfw.sportfishingregulations@odfw.oregon.gov.
• Or sign up to testify in person at the August Commission meeting. You must sign up 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Here's how.

No new regulation proposals are being accepted for 2023. However, you're invited to send your suggestions to ODFW throughout the year. If you would like ODFW to consider a regulation change in the future you're encouraged to contact your local district fish biologist.

Statewide regulation

• Proposed regulation: In streams: No limit on the size or number of bass.
• Justification: Changes the current Zone Regulations.  Currently, there are twenty-four regulation exceptions that allow for no limit on the size or number of bass harvested in streams. This proposal would streamline and simplify the regulations by reducing the redundant regulation exceptions and implement a standardized regulation that would allow for no limit on the size or number of bass harvested in streams. In addition to simplifying regulations, this change will provide additional angling opportunity and aid in the conservation of native species that overlap with bass populations in streams.

Northwest Zone

Lake Creek; Mouth to Indian Creek

• Proposed regulation: Open for hatchery steelhead Jan 1 - Mar 31 and Dec 1-Dec 31.
• Justification: Modifies the season to be consistent with regulations on the Siuslaw River upstream of Lake Creek Protects spawning Chinook salmon that are present during October and November.

Lost Lake (Clatsop Co.)

• Proposed regulation: All landlocked salmon are considered trout.
• Justification: Lost Lake is stocked with surplus hatchery coho salmon to provide additional fishing opportunity. This change will allow these fish to be counted as part of the trout bag limit.

Nestucca River and Bay; Tributaries and river sections not listed

• Proposed regulation: Closed (included Clarence Creek Pond).
• Justification: Clarence Creek Pond is located above Clarence Creek Falls. The pond is created by a road and beaver activity, and functions as an in-stream pond. It should be managed as part of the stream to protect an isolated population of cutthroat trout.

Southwest Zone

North Umpqua River; All

• Proposed regulation: Modify section descriptions.
• Justification: Multiple changes to improve readability. There has been some public confusion and enforcement issues under the current section descriptions. Generally, no regulations will be modified, however any specific regulation changes are described below.

North Umpqua River; All open sections from mouth to marker at Soda Springs Dam

• Proposed regulation: No limit on the size or number of bass.
• Justification: Provides consistency with the rest of the Umpqua Basin bass regulations.

North Umpqua River; Tributaries from Soda Springs Dam to Slide Creek Dam

• Proposed Regulation: Fish Creek closed from mouth to USFS Rd 3701 (Big Camas) Bridge.
• Justification: Closure needed to protect the summer steelhead population that occurs in this area.

Willamette Zone

Cascade Lakes

• Proposed regulation: No limit on the size or number of brook trout; use of bait allowed.
• Justification: Includes Otter Lake to the list of Cascade Lakes. Allow for harvest on robust population of brook trout.

Green Peter Reservoir

• Proposed regulation: Remove exception “Salmon may be retained as part of the kokanee bag limit.”
• Justification: USACE will start out-planting adult Chinook above Green Peter Reservoir in 2022 in as part of their reintroduction efforts. This change will protect these out-planted fish.

Santiam River, Little North Fork; All

• Proposed regulation: Open for coho salmon Jan 1 - Aug 31 and Oct 15 - Dec 31.
• Justification: Provides an additional angling opportunity for coho in the Little North Fork, Santiam River. This season is consistent with the North Fork Santiam section where the Little North Fork enters the North Fork.

Central Zone

Deschutes River; Lake Billy Chinook to Benham Falls

• Proposed regulation: No harvest of rainbow trout over 20 inches.
• Justification: Protects the steelhead that are part of the Deschutes reintroduction program. This regulation is consistent with other locations where reintroduced steelhead may occur, such as the Crooked River, McKay, Ochoco, Whychus Creeks.

Fall River

• Proposed regulation: Wild rainbow trout must be released.
• Justification: Protects wild rainbow trout from being harvested. Fall River is stocked with hatchery rainbow trout and has a robust population of brown trout that can be harvested. This is consistent with upper Deschutes River regulations to protect wild rainbow trout.

Fall River

• Proposed regulation: Open May 22 - Sep 30 below Fall River Falls.
• Justification: Provides consistency with the upper Deschutes River regulations that also have this seasonal closure to protect wild rainbow trout during spawning.

Metolius Pond

• Proposed regulation: Open May 1 - Oct 31.
• Justification: Seasonal change needed based upon extensive public scoping. This will also help to reduce a potential use conflict when the pond is used as an acclimation facility as part of the reintroduction effort in late winter to early spring.

Wickiup Reservoir

• Proposed regulation: The Deschutes River Arm is closed from the boat ramp at Gull Point Campground to ODFW markers near Sheeps Bridge from Sep 1 - Apr 21.
• Justification: Identifies the boat ramp as the boundary instead of a marker buoy. It is difficult to for staff to maintain a marker buoy due to the fluctuating water levels in Wickiup Reservoir.

Northeast Zone

Big Sheep Creek; Above Little Sheep Creek

• Proposed regulation: May 22 - Oct 31; 2 trout per day; 8 inch minimum length. (Zone Regulation).
• Justification: Hatchery fish are no longer released in this section, access is limited, and angling pressure outside of May 22 - Oct 31 trout season is low.

John Day River; Mainline railroad bridge to North Fork

• Proposed regulation: Open all year for bass, catfish, and other warmwater fish.
• Justification: Due to recent hatchery steelhead closures, bass and catfish fisheries were unintentionally closed. This change will allow for these fisheries to remain open if trout, salmon, or steelhead fisheries are closed in this section of the John Day River.