Search myodfw.com

The north Willamette area includes the Columbia River from Bonneville downstream to St. Helens and the lower Willamette Basin north of Salem. The Columbia and Willamette both offer outstanding warmwater fishing for bass and a variety of panfish including crappie. Good fishing is also available in the area's lakes and reservoirs such as Henry Hagg Lake which has produced state record smallmouth bass and brown bullhead catfish.

Big Creek Hatchery began operation in 1941. It was refurbished in 1957 under the Mitchell Act as part of the Columbia River Fisheries Development Program – a program to enhance declining fish runs in the Columbia River Basin. The facility is used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of winter steelhead, fall Chinook, and coho.

Siletz Bay, located at the south end of Lincoln City, is a very popular destination for beach-goers and clam diggers. Some of the highest density purple varnish clam beds are easily accessed here. Its proximity to the ocean also makes it a very productive seasonal crabbing area

Lookingglass Hatchery was constructed in 1982 as part of the Lower Snake River Compensation Program (LSRCP) – a program to mitigate for spring Chinook and summer steelhead losses caused by four federal dams constructed on the lower Snake River. Lookingglass is used to rear spring Chinook for the Grande Ronde and Imnaha rivers as part of LSRCP. Lookingglass Hatchery serves as an adult collection, egg incubation, and rearing and release site for the spring Chinook destined for the Grande Ronde River systems. The Imnaha Satellite Facility is used for the collection of spring Chinook adults returning to the Imnaha River…

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.

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area is located in the Oregon Coast Range Mountains, in the northwestern part of the state. The wildlife area was established in 1969, with an initial purchase of 183 acres. It now encompasses 1,114 acres. The wildlife area’s purpose is to protect and enhance habitat to benefit native wildlife species, to reduce wildlife damage to adjacent properties, and to provide the public with an opportunity to observe wildlife in a natural setting.

A few waterbodies in Oregon are set aside just for younger anglers and those with disabilities—offering everything from warmwater and stocked trout to salmon and steelhead fishing.

Check out the latest point summary reports for all big game, and use the information to strategize while deciding which controlled hunts to apply for next season. Mark your calendar and apply early, starting December 1st: Apply now for a controlled hunt

The south Willamette area covers the upper Willamette Basin south of Salem and includes the communities of Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Springfield and Cottage Grove. Fishing for bass and panfish can be outstanding in the Willamette River and its many sloughs, but you'll need a boat for most locations because much of the banks are privately-owned. There also is good warmwater fishing in the area’s larger lakes such as Cottage Grove, Dorena, Foster, and Fern Ridge reservoirs, where crappie and large bass attract both seasoned and causal anglers. There are many smaller ponds inside and near the urban communities that offer…

Oregon offers some of the best upland game bird hunting in the West. The state’s diverse habitats support nine species of upland game birds— pheasants, chukar, Hungarian partridge, valley (California) quail, mountain quail, ruffed grouse, blue grouse, sage-grouse and wild turkey. There are upland hunting opportunities in every corner of the state, and one upland bird season or another is open continuously from September 1 through January 31. Throw in a six-week spring turkey season and you can hunt upland game birds in Oregon for more than half of the year! Also, since many of the species share similar habitat…

Coos Bay is Oregon’s largest bay. The lower bay (areas from the ocean entrance to the airport) is “marine dominated”, meaning there is little freshwater influence, and offers some of Oregon’s most productive shellfishing opportunities.

Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area was established in 1983, with the initial donation of land by the Oregon Wildlife Foundation (OWF) of 2,758 acres. In 1986 OWHF donated an additional 5,158 acres of land to the department. The Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area was initially established to provide permanent public angler access. However, especially with the 1986 acquisition, the wildlife area has grown to provide enhanced wildlife and fish habitat (i.e. through removal of livestock, riparian vegetation improvements, etc.) and more wildlife-oriented recreational activities such as hunting, boating, hiking and biking. In 2015, ODFW partnered with the Trust for Public Land to…

Gnat Creek Hatchery was constructed in 1960 as 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 used for egg incubation and rearing of spring Chinook and winter steelhead. Most of the production is released off-station. The hatchery is an easy drive toward Oregon’s coast on Highway 30 and a visitor-friendly place for the entire family. With lots to do, located on beautiful Gnat Creek and tucked away amid the rainforest, this is a worthwhile stop on the way to the coast.

Abundant rainfall feeds the massive Willamette River watershed, tamed by a system of reservoirs stocked annually with hundreds of thousands of rainbow trout. Some of these reservoirs also grow trophy-size largemouth and smallmouth bass, and lots of bluegill, brown bullhead and crappies. Salmon and steelhead navigate the Willamette and its productive tributaries, many of which are also home to rainbow and cutthroat trout.

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.