ODFW Articles
Need to figure out controlled hunts, find a place to clam, learn how to fish or get directions to a wildlife area? We've got information on all that and more, straight from ODFW biologists and other accomplished hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers.
Header image by Dave Budeau
How to fish
More people in Oregon fish for trout than for any other kind of fish. Anglers can experience a lifetime of...
Buying a license or permit
Buy licenses/tags online and print them immediately from any printer—or choose electronic tagging to carry your documents and tag fish...
How to clam and crab
Oregon crabbing is a year-round activity that can almost always yield a successful trip. Crabbing trips require minimal gear, often...
Public Comment Period is now closed as of 10/17/25.
ODFW is in the process of finalizing the Minam River Wildlife...
How to fish
Not all of Oregon’s high elevation lakes support fish populations. To help create fisheries in some of these off-road areas...
Buying a license or permit
In 2025, the Oregon Legislature established the Ocean Endorsement through House Bill 2342 to generate dedicated funding for marine fish...
How to fish
A quick guide to cleaning and storing the fish you catch.
wildlife viewing
Share your wildlife sightings through the Oregon Wildlife Conservation project
Join the community scientists who have shared their wildlife observations in Oregon throughout the iNaturalist app. Record your sightings of mammals, birds...
Where to fish
The south Willamette area covers the upper Willamette Basin south of Salem and includes the communities of Albany, Corvallis, Eugene...
Let us share your photos with other anglers, hunters and wildlife appreciators. When you submit your photos to ODFW, they...
How to fish
Surf fishing is one of Oregon’s most underutilized fisheries. There are hundreds of places to fish along Oregon’s sandy beaches...
How to hunt big game
Where-to and how-to go big game hunting in Oregon
Whether it’s spending more time outdoors or harvesting food for the freezer, there are lots reasons to become a hunter...
How to fish
In some Oregon state waters catch-and-release fishing is required in order to protect valuable fish resources. One way anglers can...
Where to fish
The John Day – Umatilla area includes the John Day River and Umatilla River basins, and Oregon’s upper reaches of...
Buying a license or permit
Or redeem your Sports Pac voucher
Find directions purchasing a tag online or from a license vendor, for redeeming your Sports Pac voucher, and purchasing a...
Hunters and anglers can still visit their local ODFW license agent to purchase and print licenses, tags and other documents...
Where to fish
Abundant rainfall feeds the massive Willamette River watershed, tamed by a system of reservoirs stocked annually with hundreds of thousands...
How to clam and crab
How-to and where-to catch crabs on Oregon’s coast
If you love Dungeness crab, you’ll love that you can harvest them yourself.
How to fish
Ice fishing is becoming increasingly popular in Oregon as anglers look for new ways to enjoy fishing year-round. Here are some...
Where to fish
The southwest area follows Interstate 5 from Drain south to the Oregon-California border and includes the communities of Grants Pass...
How to clam and crab
The Oregon Health Authority has issued an advisory for recreationally harvested softshell and gaper clams along the Oregon coast due...
A growing number of people take to the woods in winter, looking for antlers that have been shed by Oregon’s deer...
How to hunt big game
This step-by-step guide will show you how to purchase leftover tags from the controlled hunt drawing. Leftover tags are available online beginning...
Where to fish
The granite peaks of Oregon’s Blue and Wallowa Mountains form the backdrop for many of this zone’s glacier-carved lakes and...