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Binoculars? Check. Field guide? Check. Now what? Learn the basics for bird watching.

Salmon, steelhead and smallmouth bass offer world-class fishing here year-round. Rainbow trout are stocked in the upper Rogue and in lakes nestled in settings as varied as fir forest and wind-swept dune. 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 welcome anglers to fish for surfperch against a backdrop of rugged capes.

Let’s go fishing! not enough time? Think again. If you live in the Medford area, there are a number of places you can get to in less than an hour. Directions, mileage, and times are approximate.

Steelhead have been called the ultimate game fish. These elusive and challenging fish can test an angler’s patience and persistence, but the reward is hooking into a fish that is famous worldwide for its line-peeling runs and spectacular, acrobatic fight.

The white sturgeon is one of Oregon's most iconic and distinctive fish species with a lineage dating back to the age of the dinosaurs. Due to population concerns, the sturgeon fishery is highly regulated in terms of retention opportunity and size limits. The structure of retention seasons is likely to change in 2026 with no New Year's Day opener in Bonneville and The Dalles pools, as quotas have been met in just a few days in recent years. Oregon and Washington will hold a joint state hearing Nov. 13, 2025 at 2 p.m. to discuss and lay out a new…

ODFW manages 20 wildlife areas across the state, each with a unique blend of fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities. Remember, you'll need a Wildlife Area Parking Permit for your visit. See the map and listing below to find the wildlife area nearest you.

Find the weekly statistics for waterfowl and upland game birds at Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Bird counts at Summer Lake WA

Find the weekly statistics for waterfowl and upland game birds at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area.

There are a variety of flatfish species that can be found off the Oregon coast.

Known for its high desert climate, sage-covered canyons, glacial peaks and mountain lakes, this zone is defined by the reach of Oregon’s finest trout stream. The Deschutes River is no bigger than a creek when it passes close by South Twin Lake on its way toward Wickiup and Crane Prairie reservoirs. But it soon gains power enough to grow athletic rainbow trout. The considerably tamer Crooked River offers good practice if you’re just learning how to keep your footing in a slippery freestone stream.

Let's go fishing! Not enough time? Think again. If you live in the greater Portland area, there are a number of places you can get to in less than an hour. Directions and times are approximate, mileage and generalized directions are from Pioneer Courthouse Square.

This newsletter provides a summary of Oregon’s 2023 sport halibut fishery.

Whether it's concerns about your local fishery, questions about an upcoming hunt, or comments about an agency policy, we want to hear from you. Please feel free to call or send us an e-mail.

Upon taking an adult salmon, steelhead, legal-size sturgeon or Pacific halibut, the angler must immediately enter the codes for the species caught, ocean port or stream, and the month and day of catch. The information from these tags helps ODFW manage the fisheries and estimate total harvest. Currently nearly 40 percent of anglers use e-tagging. Want to switch from paper to electronic? Login to your account and look under your profile to switch.

Here are the current volunteer opportunities at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Find the one that's right for you! Learn more about volunteering with ODFW

Regulating harvest, health, and enhancement of wildlife populations Living with wildlife Oregon's permitted wildlife control operators (WCO) are an individual, business owner, or the business owner's designee charging a fee to control furbearers, unprotected mammals (excluding moles) and western gray squirrels causing damage, creating a public nuisance or posing a public health or safety concern in incorporated city limits and associated urban development areas. They are permitted by ODFW and governed by a set of rules.