ODFW Recreation Report


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
2-24-2022
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2022 Columbia spring Chinook seasons set

See more details here.

Best bets for weekend fishing

With cold mornings, cold water and clear conditions throughout much of the state, it’s hard to put winter steelheading on the best bets list. Though with rain and warmer temperatures in the forecast, steelhead fishing may improve early next week. In the meantime, anglers looking for a fishing fix might want to focus on trout and marine opportunities.

  • Coffenbury Lake, Lost Lake and Vernonia Pond all have surplus hatchery steelhead available. 
  • Central Point’s Expo Pond and Reinhardt Park Pond in Grants Pass received trout stockings last week. Other trout destinations in the Rogue district include Medo Pond, Willow Lake and Lost Lake.
  • The trout stocking season is underway in several waterbodies in the Willamette Valley. Check the trout stocking schedule to find what’s been recently stocked.
  • Fly-anglers should look for hatches on the Fall, Metolius and Deschutes rivers during the warmer parts of the day.
  • The Klamath River Below the JC Boyle Powerhouse is a best bet for redband/rainbow trout. 
  • Ice fishing is holding on at Kinney Lake and Lake of the Woods.
  • Herring are spawning in the lower Coos Bay estuary and Yaquina Bay.
  • Anglers reported recent good catches of rockfish and lingcod near Charleston.
  • Crabbers were catching a fair amount number of crab in Winchester Bay.
  • Lingcod are available to shore anglers, especially this time of year when lingcod are closer to shore where they have nests in rocky areas.

Statistics for big game hunters

Find links to population, harvest and point summary reports that can help you decide what hunts to apply for.

Apply for a Premium Hunt

Premium Hunts offer a long season at the peak of the rut, no preference point advantage (great for new hunters) and an extra chance to hunt on top of your controlled or general season tag. Learn more about what’s available and how to apply.

Two rods allowed on lower Willamette 

Beginning March 1, anglers with a two-rod validation will be able to use two rods when fishing the lower Willamette for all game and non-game species. Except sturgeon, where there’s a one-rod limit. Find more details.




More Reports

States set initial 2022 Columbia River spring Chinook recreational seasons
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2-23-2022
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