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Seeing killer whales off the Oregon coast is a rare treat, but whale watchers can usually count on a pod of orca’s patrolling the coast in mid-April – just in time to intercept baby gray whales. Orcas are most often seen in the ocean off Depoe Bay and Newport, but can be spotted coastwide. The first thing you are likely to see when sighting killer whales is their dorsal fin. Male orcas have a dorsal fin that can be six feet in height, juveniles and females have shorter fins. These large fins can be seen from quite a distance. There
Build a wood duck house to encourage nesting. Walk a stream counting steelhead redds. Teach families to fish. Just some of the things ODFW volunteers do to help protect and enhance Oregon's natural resources. Current volunteer opportunities
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal disease infecting deer and elk across North America. While CWD has not yet been detected in Oregon, we have a chance to manage CWD if both hunters and wildlife managers work together. Get your animals checked and educate yourself and others about CWD. Check your test results
We're looking for ways to make our Recreation Report even more useful. Take a six-minute survey to tell us what you think the Rec Report should be, and you could win one of three thank-you gifts. Take the survey
Private lands accounts for just over half of Oregon’s land base and include farms, range lands, wetlands, forests and stream corridors. To improve landowner-hunter relations and engage landowners in the conservation of fish and wildlife, the Oregon Legislature created the Access & Habitat (A&H) Program in 1993. The law established a funding mechanism to provide grants to private landowners, timber and agriculture corporations, sportsmen groups, natural resource agencies, and others for projects designed to increase public hunting access to private lands and/or improve wildlife habitat.
Each fathom line, conservation area, and marine reserve is defined by a connecting series of waypoints (latitude and longitude). The waypoints are used for regulatory enforcement, while maps are provided for visual reference.
All anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon (catch-and-release and retention) on all rivers and tributaries in the Columbia River Basin need to have a Columbia River Basin Endorsement (CRBE).
This newsletter provides a summary of Oregon’s 2023 sport halibut fishery.
Legal shooting hours for game bird and Northwest Permit Goose during the 2023-24 hunting seasons.
Fishing licenses are valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. You can begin buying your next year's license on Dec. 1 of the prior year. If you have questions, please call ODFW licensing staff at 503-947-6101.
Hunting licenses are valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. You can begin buying your next year's license on Dec. 1 of the prior year. If you have questions, please call ODFW licensing staff at 503-947-6101.
Game bird seasons in Oregon run from July 1 to June 30, which means you'll need to purchase new upland and waterfowl validations before you hunt again in the fall. If you have questions, please call ODFW licensing staff at 503-947-6101.
Shellfish licenses are valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. You can begin buying your next year's license on Dec. 1 of the prior year. If you have questions, please call ODFW licensing staff at 503-947-6101.
Find hunt summaries and maps for Fern Ridge.
With just a couple of tools and a few minutes, The Fish Grip™, originally designed as a safer way for anglers to land fish, can easily be converted into a rockfish descending device. Fish Grips™ can be purchased at local tackle shops or online.
Not sure what to do with a fishing rod even if you had one? Thought about hunting but getting started seems like an impossible task? Then let us help you. During ODFW's hands-on workshops and family fishing events we will provide the instruction and gear you'll need to actually catch a fish or shoot a pheasant. Other classes will help you navigate the controlled hunt process, or show you what equipment you'll need to hunt or fish.
Fish counting through Willamette Falls fishway occurs at the main viewing window. Video cameras and time lapsed video recorders are used to record fish passage 24 hrs/day, 365 days/year. Our schedule for reviewing the tapes is Monday through Friday.
Many of the more popular fishing locations across the state are accessible to anglers with disabilities. ODFW tries to keep the information on this map current but it's always best to check with the waterbody manager for the latest information before going fishing.
Let’s go fishing! Not enough time? Think again. If you live on Oregon’s South Coast, there are a number of places you can easily travel to fish. Directions and times are approximate.
Follow this page for background on steelhead management, to provide feedback and learn about decisions when they happen for the Columbia, Deschutes, John Day, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Grand Ronde rivers. Sign up for email/text updates Update Feb 14, 2024: The pre-season forecasts for Columbia River basin upriver summer steelhead were recently developed. The aggregate forecast is improved over last year but still well below the 10-year average. Actual returns in 2023 (steelhead counts at Bonneville and Ice Harbor dams) were higher than pre-season forecasts and sufficient to keep steelhead fishing open on tributaries. The Deschutes, Umatilla, John Day, Grand