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Fire Closure: As of July 29, 2026, the northern portion of the wildlife area is closed. More information here: https://myodfw.com/news/odfw-closes-northern-portion-white-river-wildli… White River Wildlife Area was established in 1953. Located along the east slope of the Cascade Mountains in the north central part of Oregon, the wildlife area encompasses 29,480 acres. An additional 1,280 acres of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is managed by the ODFW bringing the total acres managed by the department to 30,760. The primary purpose of White River Wildlife Area is to provide winter range habitat for black-tailed deer and Rocky Mountain elk…

Surf fishing is one of Oregon’s most underutilized fisheries. There are hundreds of places to fish along Oregon’s sandy beaches, and there are plenty of fish within an easy cast from shore.

In the spring of 2019, several clients chartered an ocean fishing trip out of Coos Bay. They were promised trophy-size lingcod. They got a demonstration in illegal fishing practices.

The Columbia Basin Wildlife Areas are a composition of four Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (department) managed wildlife areas located along the Columbia River, in the Columbia Basin. The four wildlife areas (Power City, Irrigon, Coyote Springs and Willow Creek) are within the Columbia Plateau ecoregion. Management agreements for these areas were initially established between 1971 and 1977 between the department and Federal agencies which own the lands. The Columbia Basin Wildlife Areas, which total approximately 1,885 acres, provide an important landbase for the conservation and recreation of fish and wildlife within a highly privatized and altered landscape and…

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

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.

The Winchester Dam was built in November 1890 and is in the National Register of Historical Places. Constructed from large timber cribs, the dam was originally built 4-feet high and in 1907 the dam was raised to sixteen feet. Winchester Dam provided water and electricity for the town of Roseburg until 1923. In December 1945 a more permanent fish ladder and the first fish counting station on Winchester Dam was built. Two counters working the daylight hours, counted fish that swim over a white board located about four feet below the counter. The ladder was closed when counting was no…

Oregon offers spring and fall bear hunting seasons. Spring bear season requires a controlled hunt application, while fall bear is an entirely general season hunt. Apply for a controlled hunt

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Wide open spaces, wild windy places, and extreme temperatures characterize Oregon’s largest, most remote fishing zone. Scarcity makes water especially precious here, providing welcome oases in an often rugged, but spectacular landscape. Rainbow trout are native to its streams, including the Williamson, Malheur and Chewaucan rivers. And stocked rainbow and brown trout grow to trophy size in many of its lakes and reservoirs.

Located near the Elkhorn Mountain Range, Elkhorn Wildlife Area is best known for Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer herds that use the area during the winter. To keep deer and elk from feeding on agriculture lands when they come down from snow-covered higher elevations, ODFW operates 10 feeding sites on the area to feed 1,400 elk and 800 deer during the winter months.

The Buoy 10 fishery, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, offers anglers a chance to catch Chinook and coho salmon fresh from the ocean.

Mentored Youth Hunter Program allows youth 9 through 15 years of age to hunt without first passing an approved hunter safety education program. It gives unlicensed youngsters an unlimited opportunity to receive mentored, one-on-one field experience and training on the ethics, safety, responsibility and enjoyment of hunting while closely supervised by a licensed adult who is 21 years of age or older and who has a valid license and tag(s) for the dates, area and species being hunted. Register for the Mentored Youth Hunter Program free of charge online (in the youth account) or at any license sales agent where…

Teach, restore, study, host, build, communicate When you sign up to be an ODFW volunteer, you are helping to protect Oregon's fish and wildlife, manage ODFW properties and spark a passion in others to hunt, fish and appreciate the outdoors building and enhancing fish, wildlife and their habitats for current and future generations. Donating even one day a year is all it takes to be helpful. We can be as flexible as possible to find the right opportunity to fit your schedule. Join thousands of volunteers by sharing your time and talents with ODFW.