4 Alerts
X
Effective Feb 1 through June 30, 2020, retention of hatchery Chinook salmon is allowed on the mainstem Umpqua River. Retention of wild Chinook salmon is prohibited.
Effective through March 31, 2020, all steelhead fishing is closed from McNary Dam to the OR/WA border.
Effective through April 30, 2020, the daily bag limit is one hatchery steelhead.
Steelhead, fall Chinook and coho bag limits reduced to one per day through April 30, 2020.
Recreation Report
Marine Zone
Regulation Updates
Looking for the latest crabbing and clamming updates?
Regulation updates as of January 1, 2020
These are in-season regulation changes adopted on a temporary or emergency basis or adopted after the regulation book was printed. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.
Sport Groundfish
More information can be found on the sport bottomfish seasons page
New for 2020
- There is a sub-bag limit of one China rockfish, one copper rockfish OR one quillback rockfish
- The seasonal 40-fathom depth restriction will be in place from June through August
Reminders
- Bottomfish anglers are allowed to fish at any depth through May 31.
- Yelloweye rockfish is prohibited at all times and in all waters.
- The general marine fish daily bag limit is 5 fish, no more than 1 of which may be a China rockfish, copper rockfish OR quillback rockfish; and no more than 1 of which may be a cabezon when the cabezon season is open.
- Cabezon is closed until July 1 and then the season will be open through Dec. 31 or until the quota is reached, whichever comes first.
- Descending devices are mandatory.
Recreation Report
Attention anglers – we want your photos!
Whether you’re out after trout or bass, steelhead or salmon, surfperch or rockfish, we’d love to see photos of your adventure. When you submit your photos to ODFW they could appear on our website or signs, or in social or brochures. What a great way to share your experience with others!
Saltwater News Bulletins
You can subscribe to receive e-mails and text message alerts for marine topics you are interested in. It’s easy to unsubscribe at any time. Your phone and e-mail information will remain confidential. Six different lists of interest to ocean enthusiasts are available: Bottomfish (recreational), Halibut (recreational), Ocean Salmon (recreational), Ocean Salmon (commercial troll), Commercial Nearshore Groundfish, and Marine Reserves.
BOTTOM FISHING
A series of winter storms arriving to the Oregon coast over the last week or so has pretty much kept recreational anglers off the ocean. So no new reports or information on how bottomfish fishing has been.
Excited to go bottomfish fishing but find yourself wondering what you can keep and how many? Click here
The bottomfish fishery is open at all depths. The General Marine Species bag limit is 5 fish.
Beginning January 1, 2020 there is a one-fish sub-bag limit for China, copper, or quillback rockfish. That means that out of the 5-fish daily bag limit, no more than one may be a China, copper, OR quillback rockfish. Cabezon will open July 1, 2020 with a one-fish sub-bag limit. Lingcod has a separate 2-fish bag limit.
Retention of yelloweye rockfish is prohibited by all anglers.
Anglers participating in the offshore longleader fishery frequently catch limits (10 fish) of large canary rockfish and yellowtail rockfish. The longleader gear fishery outside of the 40-fathom regulatory line is open all year.
Want to work on your identification skills of commonly caught bottomfish? Try the Common Bottomfish online quiz by clicking here. And also try the “Yelloweye Rockfish or Not?” quiz.
Vessels fishing for or retaining bottomfish (including flatfish) species or Pacific halibut in the ocean are required (1) to have onboard a functioning rockfish descending device, and (2) use it to descend any rockfish released when fishing outside of the 30-fathom regulatory line. For more information and videos, please see the rockfish recompression webpage.
In addition to the descending device rule, ODFW continues to encourage anglers to use a descending device when releasing ANY rockfish with signs of barotrauma. Signs of barotrauma, such as bulging eyes and a gut protruding from the mouth, are reversible when fish are returned to depth with a descending device. Use a descending device to safely return fish to a depth of 60 feet or more. Even fish that are severely bloated can survive after being released at depth.
Waypoints (for fathom lines and other restricted areas)
2020 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations
PACIFIC HALIBUT
Halibut fishing season is closed.
Additional information about sport halibut management, including landing estimates, can be found on the ODFW halibut management webpage.
OCEAN SALMON
Seasons now closed.
Details for the 2020 ocean salmon season, full catch and quota updates will be available here.
You’ll find a guide and tips to identification of salmon and steelhead on the Ocean salmon fishing page here.
SHORE AND ESTUARY FISHING
Public piers provide opportunities to catch surfperch and baitfish and to drop crab pots (but check first for crab health safety closures).
Surfperch are available in the surf year-round along sandy beaches and rocky shore, with the best fishing (and safest fishing) occurring when swells are small. Learn about ocean surfperch fishing.
When fishing from shore or inside estuaries and bays, it is important to check the tide. Many fish that swim into estuaries and bays, including salmon, surfperch, and Pacific herring, tend to come in with the tide. Catch of these species is more likely to occur closer to slack tide. Additionally, the accessibility of some areas can be completely dependent on the tide. Do not allow the incoming tide to become a safety issue.