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Lane County offers so much to explore — from coastal lakes and rivers to mountain lakes and streams. The Willamette River runs through the Eugene-Springfield metro area and is fed by three major rivers: the McKenzie, Middle Fork Willamette and Coast Fork Willamette. Florence is surrounded by large dune lakes, the Siuslaw River and Pacific Ocean. With so many places to fish, it’s no wonder Lane County is an angler’s paradise. For current regulations, call your local ODFW office or check MyODFW.com.

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.

Cascade Hatchery was authorized under the Mitchell Act and began operating in 1959 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 egg incubation and rearing of coho.

Wipers, a cross between striped and white bass, reach prodigious proportions in the productive waters of Ana Reservoir. Their size (up to 19 pounds) and hard-fighting nature make them a popular destination fishery with many anglers.

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.

Find maps, boundary descriptions and the percent public land for the Steens Mountain Unit.

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 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.

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.

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.