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Protecting and enhancing Oregon’s fish and wildlife, and the habitats they use, for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations is at the heart of what we do.

Successful bear hunters must appear in-person at an ODFW office to check in their bear's skull.

This vast area covers the Columbia Basin through the Blue, Wallowa and Elkhorn mountains to Hells Canyon. Some of Oregon's most prized big game hunts are managed in this area.

Oxbow Hatchery was originally constructed in 1913 to provide additional rearing facilities for Bonneville Hatchery. It was relocated to this present site in 1937 following the construction of Bonneville Dam. Oxbow operated as a state-funded hatchery until 1952 when it was remodeled and expanded as part of the Columbia River Fisheries Development Program (Mitchell Act) – a program to enhance declining fish runs in the Columbia River Basin. The hatchery is presently used for interim egg incubation and early rearing of coho and spring Chinook salmon. No adult fish are collected or spawned at Oxbow and there are no fish…

Sandy Hatchery began operation in 1951 as a state-funded facility. In 1959, the hatchery became part of the Columbia River Fisheries Development Program (Mitchell Act) – a program to enhance declining fish runs in the Columbia River Basin. The facility is currently used for the adult collection of spring Chinook, winter and summer steelhead, and coho salmon. Coho and winter steelhead eggs are taken, hatched, ponded and reared to release on station.

The southwest area follows Interstate 5 from Drain south to the Oregon-California border and includes the communities of Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland. In this area, anglers can fish the famed lower Umpqua River, which offers one of the finest smallmouth bass fisheries in the country. Outstanding warmwater fishing for bass and panfish can also be found in the area's many lakes and reservoirs including Cooper Creek, Galesville and Emigrant Reservoirs, and Selmac Lake. Smaller ponds near Sutherlin, Grants Pass and Medford including those at ODFW's Denman Wildlife Area are also good bets, particularly for families or young anglers.

The north coast area includes the Lower Columbia River downstream of St. Helens to the Pacific Ocean, and the Oregon Coast from Astoria south to Yachats. The Columbia, and particularly its backwaters and sloughs, provide excellent fisheries for bass, crappie, and catfish.

This vast area covers the Columbia Basin through the Blue, Wallowa and Elkhorn mountains to the Snake River.

Whether it’s spending more time outdoors or harvesting food to fill the freezer, there are many reasons to become a hunter. Here’s how to take the first steps into the field.

Each year, thousands of fish are harvested illegally in Oregon. Anglers who wait all year for their favorite salmon or steelhead run shouldn’t face reduced opportunity because of poaching. To report poaching call *OSP or 1-800-452-7888

Hunter's Resources Hunter's Technique Hunter's Bounty Hunter's Plan Oregon hunter's bucket list: Over 34 million acres of public land open to hunters. Diverse habitats from coastal rain forests to eastern deserts, with a couple of mountain ranges in between offer several opportunities to hunt deer and elk.

Report a banded turkey

Willamette Trout Hatchery and the adjacent Oakridge Salmon Hatchery were combined in 1983 and operate today as Willamette Hatchery. The trout hatchery was constructed in 1922 and the salmon hatchery in 1911. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) rebuilt the salmon hatchery in 1952 to mitigate for fishery losses caused by Hills Creek, Lookout Point and the Dexter hydroelectric/flood control projects. The trout side was rebuilt between 1950 and ‘56. Today, Willamette Hatchery is used for adult holding/spawning, egg incubation and rearing of spring Chinook and rainbow trout. In addition, both summer and winter steelhead are reared at this…

The central area follows the Deschutes River Basin along the eastern slope of the Cascades, and includes the middle reaches of the Columbia River from Bonneville upstream to the mouth of the John Day River. The warm and dry summer months help to create productive warmwater fisheries in the area's larger reservoirs including Crane Prairie Reservoir, a consistent producer of sizeable largemouth bass, and Prineville Reservoir which is renowned for its crappie. In the Columbia River, outstanding fishing for bass and walleye can be found in Bonneville Pool and The Dalles Pool.