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Landing page
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.
November 01, 2017
Article
Find links to the current fishing and hunting regulations, as well as in-season regulation updates. Anglers must check in-season updates before fishing, especially for salmon, steelhead and marine fish. These seasons are typically set during the calendar year and can change quickly based on abundance, catch rates, water conditions and other factors.
Article
Bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat the rarest game mammals in Oregon today, with less than 100 bighorn sheep tags and 20 Rocky Mtn goat tags offered in 2015. The tags are “once-in-a-lifetime” so hunters who draw them can’t draw them again.
March 2, 2019
Educational Moment
For hunters, spring marks the beginning of the “turkey year” so let’s trace turkey activity through the year beginning in the spring. Spring nesting season The peak of the breeding season has already passed by the time the spring turkey hunting season opens April 15. Toms will breed with multiple hens throughout the spring and early summer. As the eggs develop, the hen will build a ground nest in a place with good cover and close to good brood habitat, which is normally an opening in the forest cover. Once she starts laying eggs, a hen will lay one egg
May 19, 2020
Article
ODFW biologists share the latest updates for wild turkey hunting in their local districts, as well as tips and tactics for bagging a bird. Report a banded turkey
August 11, 2025
Article
Legal hunting weapons and weapon restrictions for hunting big game and game birds in Oregon.
April 6, 2020
Article
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
August 18, 2025
Species and Subspecies
Wild turkeys are not native to Oregon but were first successfully introduced in 1961. Since then more than 10,000 turkeys have been transplanted to locations all over Oregon and continue to thrive in most game units through the state. Turkey hunting is a popular activity in Oregon and has grown more than ten-fold since a statewide spring season opened in 1987. Oregon’s six-week spring turkey season is among the most liberal in the United States. Hunters have an opportunity to take up to three gobblers during the spring season and up to two birds during the fall, one of which
Educational Moment
When preparing your turkey for the pot, you can either skin it or pluck it. Because wild turkeys have such thin skin, many hunters prefer skinning their turkeys as it ’s must faster than plucking the bird. Pick up where you left off gutting the bird Simply continue making the cut in the skin from the body cavity, all the way up the breast bone to the base of the neck. The skin is thin enough that you often can peel it free from the breast meat. Slide your thumbs under the skin and working it up and away from
May 19, 2020
Landing page
Round Butte Hatchery was constructed in 1972 to mitigate for the fishery losses caused by Pelton/Round Butte (PRB) Hydroelectric Complex. Round Butte and its satellite, Pelton Ladder, are used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and sockeye salmon.
November 15, 2017
Landing page
This 141-acre property along both sides of the Yachats River was first purchased in the early 1980s to provide forage for elk and help alleviate elk damage to surrounding agricultural land. It also provides public access to the Siuslaw National Forest along the Yachats River Highway, where there are few public access points.
February 07, 2018
Article
Most warmwater anglers traveling to the northeast area are probably heading to Brownlee Reservoir, a huge 15,000 acre waterbody located along the Oregon-Idaho Reservoir on the Snake River. Brownlee offers outstanding fishing for bass and catfish, but might be best known for its crappie fishery which attracts anglers from throughout the country. However, anglers shouldn't overlook the other fishing opportunities located further downstream below Brownlee in Oxbow and Hells Canyon Reservoirs, and in the Snake River itself. Even in the lower Grand Ronde, a river better known for trout and steelhead, anglers will find good smallmouth bass fishing during the
Article
To most anglers, herring and anchovies are best known as bait. But they also can be fun to catch and delicious for dinner.
Educational Moment
While turkey hunting is one of the safest forms of hunting, there are some safety tips hunters should follow. Be visible when you need to be The biggest risk in turkey hunting is being in the woods with other turkey hunters. Remember, everyone will be wearing camouflage and sounding like a turkey as they try to call in birds (including you). Therefore, you’ll want to make sure you and your location are visible while you’re walking to the blind or setting up, while you’re set up behind a tree and while you’re carrying your bird out of the field. A
May 19, 2020
Recreation Report
Columbia Fishing Dec 4, 2025 Current and upcoming fishing opportunities: Columbia River regulation updates for fall management period (August 1- December 31) are posted. Please see the fishing regulation update page for details. Announcements For the latest regulations, including in-season changes See the fishing regulations update page. Changes to 2026 sturgeon retention fisheries above Bonneville: Fishery managers are taking a new approach to the sturgeon retention fisheries in the Bonneville and The Dalles pools by delaying the openers in 2026. This is in an effort to increase the likelihood of the fisheries remaining open longer, after having to close within
September 05, 2017
Article
Wide distribution, an aggressive nature and willingness to take bait, flies or lures, makes cutthroat trout a popular target in western Oregon rivers and streams. Here are some tips for catching them.
Article
As much of Oregon continues to experience years of on-going drought, hunters, anglers and wildlife viewers can expect the continued warm, dry conditions to impact their activities. This page includes tips to help you continue to enjoy the outdoors during drought conditions.
Article
The Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation is required for all winter steelhead anglers fishing in the Rogue Basin or on the south coast from Dec. 1 to April 30. In addition, a harvest tag is required to keep wild winter steelhead in this area. Visit e-regulations
October 25, 2023
Article
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 (or after clicking the online link – go to Purchase from
August 28, 2025
