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A dozen great rivers pour out of the Coast Range Mountains into tidal bays that welcome runs of salmon and steelhead. Bays are the year-round home to marine perch, rock fish, crabs and clams, while other species come and go with the seasons and tides. A handful of ponds dot the forested slopes, and there are dozens of dune lakes— many stocked with rainbow trout, and some harboring largemouth bass, perch, crappie and brown bullhead.

Wide open spaces, wild windy places, and extreme temperatures characterize Oregon’s largest, most remote fishing zone. Redband trout are native to its rivers and streams, including the Williamson, Malheur and Chewaucan. Brown and hatchery rainbow trout can grow to trophy-size in many of its lakes and reservoirs, many of which also feature crappie, yellow perch and bass.

There is year-round salmon, steelhead, trout and smallmouth bass in the Southwest Zone. Rainbow trout are stocked in the upper Rogue River and in lakes nestled among fir forests and wind-swept dunes. Big reservoirs provide fishing for trout and for thriving populations of largemouth bass, catfish, perch and crappie. Coastal bays serve as gateways to rich offshore reef fisheries, and miles of public beach allow anglers to fish for surfperch against a backdrop of rugged capes.

Abundant rainfall feeds the massive Willamette River watershed, tamed by a system of reservoirs that are stocked annually with hundreds of thousands of rainbow trout. Some of these reservoirs also grow trophy-size largemouth and smallmouth bass, as well as bluegill, brown bullhead and crappies. Smaller lakes and ponds nearer the valley floor provide springtime trout fishing close to home. Salmon and steelhead navigate the Willamette River and its tributaries, many of which are also home to rainbow and cutthroat trout.

Upper and Lower Bennett Dams are located southeast of the town of Stayton on the North Santiam River. Upper Bennett Dam is on the south side of Stayton Island and Lower Bennett Dam is on the north side.

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 Video

Rockfish must be released when retention is prohibited or when an angler has reached the daily bag limit, but continues to fish for other species. However, releasing rockfish isn’t as simple as just dropping them back into the water. Some rockfish need help to get back down to deeper water to recover from a condition called barotrauma.

We've asked our fish biologists throughout the state to pick their favorite family fishing locations. These spots are great for novice and experienced anglers alike.

Begun in 2014, the Tag Team Program helps ODFW fish biologists better understand the effectiveness of stocking efforts. It’s also a chance for anglers to participate in fishery management and, perhaps, come away with up to $50.

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.

Longleader gear is used to target midwater species like yellowtail rockfish, canary rockfish and widow rockfish, while avoiding bottom-dwelling species like yelloweye rockfish.

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

The present facility was constructed in 1925, across the North Umpqua River from an earlier trout hatchery built in 1920. The hatchery was closed in 1975 due to low stream flows and high water temperatures, and was reopening in 1979 after extensive reconstruction. In 2012 a state of the art fish passage ladder was completed. It included a fish viewing window for Rock Creek basin fish inventory and a fish trap facility. The hatchery produces fall and spring Chinook, coho, summer and winter steelhead, and rainbow trout. The facility is used for adult collection, spawning, incubation, and rearing of Chinook

Cole Rivers Hatchery was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in 1973 to mitigate for spawning and rearing areas blocked by the construction of Lost Creek, Applegate, and Elk Creek Dams. The hatchery was named in honor of Cole M. Rivers, a biologist on the Rogue River for 20 years. The facility is used for adult collection, spawning, egg incubation and rearing of spring Chinook, coho, summer steelhead, and winter steelhead, and egg incubation and rearing of fall Chinook and rainbow trout. Infrastructure Repair and Renovation Updates

Construction of this facility began in 1924 and production started in 1925 by the state of Oregon. Various renovations have taken place with the most recent being the addition of 4 new fish rearing raceways and improvements to the pollution abatement system which was completed in 2016. Other renovations made throughout the hatchery have utilized the Restoration and Enhancement Program.. The purpose of this facility is to enhance spring Chinook, winter steelhead, summer steelhead, and coho populations for various coastal streams. The facility is used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of spring Chinook, fall Chinook, winter steelhead, summer

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

Roaring River Hatchery was constructed in 1924. Many improvements have been made to the hatchery since original construction. In 1987 and 1996 new raceway ponds were constructed to replace the original raceways. The hatchery is a mixed-stock facility, producing both anadromous fish and resident trout. The hatchery is used for rearing summer and winter steelhead from fingerling to smolt. The rainbow trout program involves broodstock maintenance, spawning, egg incubation and rearing.

Leaburg Hatchery was built in 1953 to mitigate for lost fishing opportunity because of the many dams on Willamette Basin rivers. These dams include Cougar, Blue River, Carmen-Smith, Lookout, Dexter, and others. The hatchery rears rainbow trout, summer steelhead and Chinook salmon, and has a staff of four employees. Come visit our show pond and see huge white sturgeon and rainbow trout. There’s a viewing platform built by the McLaren School for Boys in 1993 to allow visitors to get a close up look at spring Chinook salmon spawning in the creek below. Leaburg Hatchery is temporarily closed to comply

Salmon River Hatchery was constructed in 1975. The facility is used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of fall Chinook, coho and summer steelhead.