Includes updates to fishing, hunting, crabbing, clamming, and wildlife viewing.

July 9, 2026  

Stay dry and view Oregon’s amazing underwater world up close!

Always check an Oregon coast tide chart before you go, tread carefully on slippery rocks, step only on bare rock to protect marine life, and never turn your back on the ocean. Find more details, courtesy of Oregon State Parks, here: Oregon Tide Pools

Albacore tuna are back!  

Make sure you have your ocean endorsement when you hit the waves for this spectacular fishery. Learn more about Tuna Fishing in Oregon.

Razor clam harvesting closures beginning July 15.

The last day to harvest is July 14! Know before you go.

Summertime fishing outlook:

ODFW biologists are monitoring drought and heat impacts on fish. Regulations may change in some areas, and access could be an issue in others. But there is always something to fish for and it could be a great summer to target Oregon's warmwater game fish. View the outlook for your favorite fishing zone this summer and good spots to target warmwater fish.

Expanded opportunity for wild fall Chinook harvest in several coastal basins compared to last year, and wild coho fisheries will continue across much of the coast, offering a strong season ahead. Read about it here.

New Sauvie Island Beaches Parking Permit:

From June 15 - Labor Day, vehicles need a Sauvie Island Beaches Parking Permit ($10 daily) to park at Walton, Collins, and North Unit beaches on weekends and holidays. The traditional Wildlife Area Parking Permit will not be valid in these parking areas but can be used at other locations in the wildlife area (Willow Bar and Gilbert River boat ramp) and on summer weekdays. Purchase Sauvie Island Beaches Parking Permits online or through a license sales agent. Additional details about the permit are available at SauvieIslandParking.com.

Wildfire season is here. 

Check access before you travel, and carry a fire extinguisher, shovel and water. Sign up for alerts and find the latest information on wildfire activity at the Oregon Emergency Management website.

Wildlife viewing is at its peak this summer across Oregon!

Find opportunities for wildlife viewing.

Clean, drain, and dry boats and other watercraft after each use 

to prevent transmission of non-native species. ODFW Ashland Boat Inspection Station found golden mussels on a boat and biologists recently found a single quagga mussel at Prineville Reservoir. Mussels damage irrigation and hydropower systems and degrade water quality. 

Drought impacts stocking schedules.

Some areas are already too warm or shallow to support hatchery fish, which will be diverted to more suitable locations. Check local ODFW offices for the most updated stocking information. 

Catch-and-release techniques will reduce fish stress and increase survival. 

• Land fish promptly to prevent over‑exhaustion and avoid beaching to minimize the time they spend out of the water. Rubberized nets prevent snagging and reduce injury.
• Keep fish in the water while removing hooks and wet your hands before handling fish to protect their slime layer.
• Barbless hooks and pliers or a hook remover tool make release quicker and less harmful.
• Gently support fish in the water until they swim away on their own.
• Avoid fishing during periods of high-water temperatures or poor water quality when fish are already stressed.

Best bets for weekend fishing: 

• Albacore are a sought-after species, check the marine zone report for strategies on landing them.
• Bag limits are lifted for Thief Valley, Pilcher Creek, and Wolf Creek reservoirs. See the news release for more information: Bag limits lifted during drought
• Fish for trout or change up to warmwater game species. See the zone reports for best bets.
• Low tides make it easier to dig clams and view tidepools!

 Northwest:

• Trout season is open in the Northwest Zone streams. See the regulation booklet for limits, open areas, and bait restrictions. Cutthroat trout are present in most areas open to angling and sea-run cutthroat are starting to come into tidewater.
• Nehalem Bay will start getting “summer” Chinook this month. Bag limit is one wild adult Chinook per day and five for the season (July 1 to Nov. 30) as part of the overall daily bag limit.
• Spring Chinook fishing is slowing on the Trask, Nestucca, and Little Nestucca Rivers.
• Summer steelhead fishing remains fair on the Nestucca and Wilson Rivers with some nice fish being caught. Target first light and use stealthy tactics to up the odds of success.
• Trout stocking in the lakes has been completed for the spring. The next stockings will be evaluated for fall. There are still plenty of hold-over trout from the spring stockings and most North Coast lakes will still provide opportunity. As summer temperatures warm the higher elevation lakes that stay cooler will provide the best chances of success. Lost lake, South Lake, Hebo Lake, Lake Tahoe, and Town Lake are all good options for summer trout fishing.
• Warm water fisheries for bass and sunfish provide good opportunity for weekend fishing.
• Summer steelhead are on the move in the Siletz River and fishing has been fair. Multiple batches of summer steelhead were recycled to the lower river for additional angler opportunity in May and June. Recycled steelhead will have a colored tag at the base of the dorsal fin. Anglers are asked to please report tagged steelhead caught in the Siletz River to caleb.w.yann@odfw.oregon.gov with the date and general location where fish were caught to monitor recapture and harvest rates in the basin. Additional summer steelhead have been recycled to Olalla Reservoir to provide anglers additional opportunities.

Southwest: 

• Trolling at Lost Creek and Applegate Reservoirs continues to be very good.
• Howard Prairie and Hyatt Reservoirs have plenty of legal-size rainbow trout. Holdovers from last year are a good size.
• Spring Chinook are moving through the Middle Rogue, and a few anglers are reporting success. Try plugs or plunking along current seams on the inside bends of the river to intercept them. Early morning or evening when sunlight is not directly on the water will be the best time to intercept migrating springers.
• Cooper Creek Reservoir looks nice and clear. Go earlier in the morning or fish deeper for success.
• This is a good time of year to look for cutthroat in the Chetco River estuary. The estuary has very little bank access. Please be mindful of out-migrating salmon and steelhead smolt. If you catch these young salmonids, consider switching to barbless hooks and/or moving to a new location.
• If winds are light, Winchuck River and Sixes River estuary can be good places to target cutthroat.

Willamette: 

• Shad fishing is good in the Oregon City area.
• Several waterbodies will continue to be stocked with trout this week, however the upcoming hot weather will most certainly impact trout stockings. Many of the valley ponds are already too warm to receive their usual spring stockings. Check the stocking schedule for changes or try warmwater fishing.
• Spring Chinook continue to be caught in the Willamette below St Johns Bridge. Catch is increasing around Kelley Point Park. Target these fish early in the morning and on incoming to high tides with 360 trolling methods.
• The North Santiam River above Detroit Lake gets stocked weekly during the summer. There are several pull-outs and campgrounds along the river that provide good access. 

Columbia River: 

• Steelhead fishing is still good on the Columbia River below Kalama, and bank anglers caught a few sockeye over the weekend before the season closed. For the latest regulations for the summer management season, see the fishing regulation update page.

Central: 

• Stonefly season is winding down but good reports of nymph fishing on the lower Deschutes
• Anglers report excellent trout fishing opportunities at Lava and Little Lava Lakes
• North and South Twin Lakes were recently stocked with trophy rainbow trout.
• Anglers report excellent fishing for recently stocked and holdover trout at Three Creek Lake.
• Anglers report smaller than average (12-16-in) but abundant rainbow trout and 15-in kokanee and good fishing at Crane Prairie Reservoir.
• Anglers report good trout fishing and excellent kokanee fishing at Paulina Lake. Kokanee at Paulina Lake is amongst the largest in Central Oregon this year averaging 13-14 inches.
• Positive reports keep rolling in from East Lake with large numbers of rainbow trout in the 16-18-inch range, trophy brown trout over 24-inches, and kokanee 13-15-inches.
• The Crooked and Metolius Rivers continue to provide excellent angling opportunities for redband trout and mountain whitefish.
• Fall River was recently stocked, and anglers report good nymphing opportunities near the hatchery and the headwaters.

Northeast: 

• Penland Lake is producing limits of rainbow trout!
• Kokanee fishing has been good on Wallowa Lake.
• Perch fishing has been good at Phillips Reservoir with some large fish caught.
• Try Willow Creek Reservoir for trout, bass, and crappie.
• Smallmouth bass fishing on the John Day is currently very good

Snake: 

• Bass and trout can be caught downstream of Hells Canyon Dam.
• As the weather warms, fishing for bass, perch, and crappie will get good in Hells Canyon Reservoirs. Some large crappie are being caught in Brownlee Reservoir

Southeast: 

• Catch and Release for Redband Rainbow Trout with no bait is now required through Ocotber 31 on all Upper Klamath Lake including Pelican Bay, Crystal, Recreation, Harriman, Odessa, and Short, Fourmile, and Thomason Creeks, Fourmile Canal, and mouth of Williamson River.
• Willow Valley Reservoir is good for largemouth bass, yellow perch and some large crappie
• Miller Lake and Fourmile Lake will be good for hatchery rainbow trout.
• The Wood River below Weed Road is fishing well for Brown trout.
• Nice holdover trout in the Malheur River below Warmsprings right now.
• Crappie fishing in Owhyee Reservoir has been good.
• Perch fishing at Dog Lake has been good.
• Deadhorse and Campbell Lakes have been producing a lot of good sized holdover rainbow trout.

Marine 

• It’s that time of year, when we start to see the first albacore tuna off the Oregon coast! Focus in areas where the chlorophyll level is approximately 0.25 mg. and sea surface temperatures are 58oF or higher. Chlorophyll and sea surface temperature data is available from the Oregon Coastal Ocean Observing System (OrCOOS). Learn more about Tuna Fishing in Oregon.
• See season dates for Pacific Halibut
• Bookmark the Salmon pdf for reference on your upcoming ocean fishing trips.

Refer to the zone reports for more details and possibilities. 

Hunter Education:

Hunter safety conventional courses and field days are available--Sign up for ‘summer school’ to hunt this fall, classes are filling up fast! 

Shooting sports:

Aim for a more successful hunt this season by attending one of the July skills events! Choose shotgun, rifle, or all of the above.

Are you planning to hunt in another state this year? Plan ahead and request your Replacement Hunter Safety Card now.

Help protect Oregon's wildlife: Turn in poachers

Poaching takes a serious toll on of Oregon's wildlife. You can help by reporting poaching when you take to the field or hit the water this season. Find out more about poaching in Oregon, including ways you can report it.

View the report