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.
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Buying a license or permit
The free disabled veteran combination license, and permit for disabled hunters and anglers make it easier for everyone to participate.
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...
Special instructions and hunt maps
Where to fish
Abundant rainfall feeds the massive Willamette River watershed, tamed by a system of reservoirs stocked annually with hundreds of thousands...
Buying a license or permit
All Oregon-licensed anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon (catch-and-release and retention) on all rivers and tributaries in the Columbia...
How to hunt big game
Portable blinds are your best bet
The number of big game hunters using blinds has increased over the last 20 years. Be sure to follow regulations...
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...
How to fish
Long-leader gear is used to target midwater species like yellowtail rockfish, canary rockfish and widow rockfish, while avoiding bottom-dwelling species like...
How to hunt big game
An emergency hunt is an unanticipated hunt held on short notice to address acute agricultural damage. Many damage situations are...
How to fish
Find links to the current fishing and hunting regulations, as well as in-season regulation updates. Anglers must check in-season updates...
How to hunt big game
Rabbit hunting is the third most popular type of hunting activity in the U.S., behind wild turkey and deer hunting...
How to fish
Rockfish must be released when retention is prohibited or when an angler has reached the daily bag limit, but continues...
Oregon's outdoors are for everyone
ODFW believes everyone benefits from healthy fish and wildlife and from the chance to explore, connect and thrive outdoors. Join...
Where to clam and crab
Just a few miles south of Newport, the town of Waldport is on the shores of Alsea Bay. It is...
Where to clam and crab
In nearly every Oregon estuary, some species of bay clams can be found. However, abundances and variety of species is...
Where to fish
We've asked our fish biologists throughout the state to pick their favorite family fishing locations. These spots are great for...
How to fish
And for more than just bait
To most anglers, herring and anchovies are best known as bait. But they also can be fun to catch and...
Where to clam and crab
Nehalem Bay offers both beach and boat access to softshell and purple varnish clam beds.
How to fish
Water conditions, gear and flexibility all matter
Some anglers think coho are more aggressive and easier to catch while they’re still in the open waters of the...
Stop for boat inspections — it's quick, free, and protects Oregon waters. All vehicles towing or carrying watercraft or paddlecraft...
Where to hunt game birds
A beginner's guide to waterfowl hunting on Sauvie Island - Hunting in the Eastside Unit. Part 2 of a 5...
How to fish
Drought stresses fish and wildlife out
Where to clam and crab
Siletz Bay, located at the south end of Lincoln City, is a very popular destination for beach-goers and clam diggers...
Where to fish
Each year ODFW stocks millions of trout in dozens of reservoirs, lakes and ponds across the state. Finding these locations...