ODFW Newsroom

SALEM, Ore. — ODFW is accepting public comment until Nov. 11 on agenda items the Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider at their Dec. 11 meeting in Salem. Proposed 2027 groundfish regulations are on the agenda. While most are similar to those in 2026, one proposal could mark a historic milestone…

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW invites the public to view artwork entered in the annual stamp art contest on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 12:30-5:00 p.m. at ODFW Headquarters in Salem. The event is free and open to the public. Located at 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr SE, Salem, ODFW Headquarters will host the display of…

SALEM, Ore. – Cooler autumn weather triggers bears to begin their annual fall eat-a-thon, known as hyperphagia, to prepare for winter. During this intense feeding period, bears can forage up to 20 hours a day beginning in late summer when berries and fruits have ripened and peaking when pears and…

CLACKAMAS, Ore.– The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) are seeking applications for membership on the Columbia River Recreational Fisheries Advisory Group and the Columbia River Commercial Fisheries Advisory Group for the 2027…

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW is seeking qualified applicants to fill a Columbia Plateau or Blue Mountains position on the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund (OCRF) Advisory Committee. Interested individuals must apply by Oct. 30, 2026. Committee members meet four to five times each year both virtually…

SALEM, Ore. – Razor clam harvesting is now closed to all harvest coastwide the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today. Recent razor clam samples indicate levels of domoic acid (a marine biotoxin) are above the safety threshold. This includes…

CLACKAMAS, Ore. – Angling will be closed on the lowest reach of Eagle Creek in the Clackamas basin from Oct. 2 through Dec. 31 to give coho salmon a safe resting area amid ongoing low water flows. The closure is from the mouth upstream to SE Dowty Rd. bridge. The closure follows drought conditions…

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW is increasing Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) monitoring across Oregon, with new check stations planned as Any Legal Weapon deer seasons start statewide on Oct. 3. All successful deer and elk hunters are asked to turn in a CWD sample, and each sample submitted between Aug. 1, 2026…

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW is seeking qualified applicants to fill an ocean and inland recreational fishing position on the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Program Board. Interested individuals must apply by Oct. 16, 2026. Board members meet two to four times each year in various communities throughout…

Central Point, Ore. – With the lifting of some fire restrictions in Southern Oregon, some private lands within the Jackson Cooperative Travel Management Area (JACTMA) have reopened to walk-in only. And within the boundaries of the JACTMA, roads designated as Green Dot roads are currently open for…

SALEM, Ore. – Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington added recreational salmon fishing days in the mainstem Columbia River during a joint state hearing today. Anglers can now retain Chinook over the weekend (Sept. 26-27) from the Buoy 10 line upstream to the Highway 395 bridge at Pasco, WA and…

ENTERPRISE, Ore. – Bag limits for Chinook salmon and hatchery steelhead are changing on the Snake River starting Sept. 23 as fishery managers work to protect a record low steelhead run and lower than average fall Chinook run. For the area of the Snake River from the Oregon Washington state border…

PENDLETON, Ore. – Fall Chinook fishing will be closed from the Hwy 730 bridge upstream to Threemile Dam in the Umatilla River from Sept. 22 through Nov. 30, 2026. The closure reflects forecasts of a low return of fall Chinook and is intended to help fishery managers meet broodstock goals for…

NEWPORT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is holding four public meetings to receive input on the 2027 Recreational Bottomfish and Pacific Halibut Seasons. ODFW staff will be hosting in person meetings October 5, 6, 7, and 8 to discuss the 2027 recreational bottomfish and Pacific…

John Day, Ore. – The ODFW Restoration and Enhancement Board will meet from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Sept. 29. Topics will include program information and updates, and a Board review of 12 project proposals that were submitted for funding in cycle 4. See the meeting agenda at https://myodfw.com/2026…

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Conservation and Recreation Advisory Committee will meet from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 15. The committee will vote on funding a wildlife crossing project through the OCRF Wildlife Connectivity Lottery Bond Funds. The meeting will be held virtually through Teams. For more…

SALEM, Ore.—Oregon's Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Sept. 17-18 in La Grande to adopt 2027 Big Game Regulations. See the meeting agenda at https://myodfw.com/articles/commission-agenda-september-17-18-2026 Meetings are livestreamed and can be viewed on MyODFW.com website or the agency…

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW biologists confirmed that a blue-green algae likely caused the death of stocked rainbow trout recently observed at Burns Gravel Pond on Hwy 78. The pond is located two miles east of Burns, Ore., on Hwy 78 on property owned by ODFW. The pond's two basins are connected when water…

Milton-Freewater, Ore. – Representatives from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council gathered on Sept. 1 for a field visit to one of the region's most significant ongoing restoration efforts…

THE DALLES, Ore. – Several California bighorn sheep along the John Day River have recently tested positive for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi), the respiratory pathogen associated with pneumonia outbreaks in wild sheep. The detections mark the first known cases of M.ovi in the John Day River herd…

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – ODFW is giving away free wildlife forage seed to Southwest Oregon area landowners on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. The seed is free to the public from generous donations from the Rogue Valley, Curry, Josephine, and State-level Chapters of the Oregon Hunters Association, matched…

NEWPORT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends people avoid harvesting and consuming softshell and bay clams from Alsea Bay estuary after the Oregon Health Authority issued a recreational use advisory for Eckman Lake in Lincoln County. The OHA issued an August 28 advisory due…

SALEM, Ore.—ODFW is seeking public comment on a fish passage waiver request from the Oregon Department of Transportation at an Unnamed Tributary to Bear Creek in Jackson, County, OR. ODOT is extending a culvert on OR99S which triggers fish passage. In lieu of providing fish passage at the tributary…

UPDATE: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) did not authorize a wild coho season in the Alsea Basin for 2026 because escapement is not projected to meet full seeding requirements as required in the Oregon Coast Coho FMEP. Wild coho retention will remain closed in the Alsea Basin for the…

ASHLAND, Ore. – Mountain berries, a sought-after food source for bears are scarce or non-existent, so some are plying Ashland neighborhoods looking for food. The sightings of bears in town in late August is due to hunger from lack of forage – it is not the normal bear "eat-a-thon" that begins later…

SALEM, Ore. – Mussel harvesting is now closed from Cape Blanco to the California border the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today. Recent mussel samples indicate levels of domoic acid (a marine biotoxin) are above the safety threshold. People…

JOHN DAY, Ore- Steelhead fishing will close on the John Day River Sept. 1 to protect wild upriver summer steelhead migration and consistent with ODFW's John Day River Steelhead Framework. The closure will remain in place at least through Dec. 31. 2026 and likely continue into the new year. The…

SALEM, Ore. – Successful Oregon forest grouse and mountain quail hunters are asked to donate a wing and tail from harvested birds to support biological research. Hunters can deposit wings and tails in collection barrels located at major road junctions or highways in hunting areas, select ODFW…

Update 8/27/26: Northeast Oregon A&H access areas to reopen Aug. 29. LA GRANDE, Ore. – All northeast Oregon Access and Habitat (A&H) access areas will reopen effective Aug. 29. Improved conditions in northeast Oregon including cooler temperatures, higher humidity levels, reduced fire activity, and a…

UPDATE: ODFW has reduced closures within White River Wildlife Area, but some areas remained closed. All land within a level 3 GO NOW evacuation perimeter will remain closed. As evacuation levels are downgraded, access will increase. Please refer to the evacuation perimeter map before accessing the…

CLACKAMAS, Ore- After a "lights out" early season for the Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River, fishery managers from Oregon and Washington are adjusting regulations to manage Chinook harvest in this fishery and to ensure fisheries further upriver can continue as originally planned…

NEWPORT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is holding two public meetings to discuss the commercial black and blue rockfish and nearshore fisheries. The meetings will be held in person with virtual or phone-in options Sept. 2 in Tillamook and Sept. 3 in Port Orford. ODFW commercial…

ENTERPRISE, Ore. – Anglers may retain only one wild Chinook as part of the three adult daily bag limit for fall Chinook salmon per day when the season opens on the Snake River tomorrow, Aug. 18. All other permanent regulations remain unchanged. ODFW is adjusting regulations for the 2026 fall Chinook…

NEWPORT, Ore.–Chinook salmon fishing closes tonight, Aug. 17 at 11:59 p.m. from Leadbetter Pt., WA to Cape Falcon, OR. Hatchery coho fishing will continue in this area. Projected harvest of Chinook salmon in this area is near the quota allowance. The decision was made to reserve enough Chinook quota…

SALEM, Ore.—Members of the Oregon Hunters Association's Klamath Chapter, the West Cascade Chapter of Back Country Horsemen and Wallowa County landowner Lionel Sauvage were recognized for their contributions to Oregon's fish and wildlife during today's meeting in Salem. Landowner Lionel Sauvage and…

NEWPORT, Ore.— Recreational ocean fishing for hatchery coho between Cape Falcon and the Oregon/California border will close as of Aug. 19 as anglers near the 47,600 mark-selective catch quota. Chinook retention remains open as previously scheduled. The announcement follows an in-season management…

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW is seeking applicants for two vacancies on its Access & Habitat Board, announcing openings for both a Landowner Representative and a Hunter Representative. Applications will be accepted through Oct. 2, 2026. To apply, visit the A&H Program's "Get Involved" page at http://www.dfw…

SALEM, Ore. – The Private Forest Accord Advisory Committee will hold its regularly occurring meeting, virtually on August 11, 2026. For a full agenda and virtual login information about the meeting, please visit: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/habitat/PFA/meetings.html The public is welcome to attend…

SALEM, Ore.—The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Thursday and Friday, Aug. 13-14 in Salem. See the meeting agenda at https://myodfw.com/articles/commission-agenda-august-13-14-2026 On Thursday, Commissioners will visit projects showcasing work underway with partners to recover salmon…

SALEM, Ore.— ODFW will host a series of free upland game bird hunts for youth hunters starting in September. The hunts will take place around the state and youth hunters (age 17 and under) who have completed hunter education by the time of the event can sign up now for a hunt. ODFW and partners…

ROSEBURG, Ore. – North Umpqua River steelhead angling will close at 12:01 a.m., Aug. 10 through Nov. 30, 2026 from the mouth upstream to the marker below Soda Springs Dam. Low numbers of returning wild summer steelhead prompted state fishery managers to enact this targeted angling closure. The…

THE DALLES, Ore.—Steelhead and salmon fishing will close on the Deschutes River Aug. 15, to protect wild upriver summer steelhead and consistent with ODFW's Deschutes River Steelhead Management Framework. The Framework requires protective action when returns fall below established thresholds. Just 7…

CLACKAMAS, Ore.— Anglers can double the odds of catching salmon in the Upper Willamette River this fall as coho again return to areas above Willamette Falls. Effective Aug. 1 through Dec. 31, anglers with the two-rod validation may use two rods in all areas of the Willamette River upstream of…

SALEM, Ore.—ODFW is accepting public comments on the proposed 2027 Big Game Regulations and other agenda items the Commission will consider at their September meeting in La Grande. Comment using the links embedded with each agenda item provided on the September meeting agenda page. The deadline to…

Central Point, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) declared fire season in southwestern Oregon on May 15 this year due to drought conditions, and Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 (IFPL 2) went into effect on June 17, 2026. The ODF Southwest Oregon District is increasing the public use…

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW staff will be hosting an online public meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29 to discuss the 2027 Pacific halibut season. The meeting will be held online only, through Microsoft Teams (information below). ODFW manages Pacific halibut in partnership with the International Pacific…