ODFW Recreation Report


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
2-16-2023
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Free Fishing Weekend, Feb. 18-19

That’s this weekend! This President’s Day weekend (Saturday and Sunday) you don’t need a license to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. (Anywhere that’s open to fishing, crabbing or clamming, that is.) That’s no license, no tag, no endorsement, no validation needed. Check out the Recreation Report to make your weekend plans for fishing.

Youth turkey clinics

Turkey can be a great first hunt for young hunters. Help get them started with a youth turkey clinic on April 1 at the Denman Wildlife Area near Central Point or the White River Wildlife Area near Tygh Valley. Learn more, including how to register.

Best bets for fishing

This weekend’s best bets include trout, ice fishing and crabbing.

  • On warmer winter days, fishing for holdover trout can be great alternative to stalking steelhead in skinny water. Look for larger lakes and reservoirs that are stocked regularly in the spring/summer/fall, and where some of these fish are still around. Here’s a list to get you started: Lost Creek Res., Applegate Res., Cooper Creek Res., Henry Hagg Lake, Detroit Res., Floras Lk. and Garrison Lk.  
  • Several popular east side rivers that offer year-round trout fishing – including the Deschutes, Fall, Metolius and Blitzen.
  • The spring stocking season has started in the Willamette Zone at locations like Junction City Pond, Henry Hagg Lake and EE Wilson Pond.
  • We’ve gotten recent reports the ice conditions, and ice fishing, has been good in locations like Pilcher, Phillips and Wolf Creek reservoirs.
  • Crabbing on the coast have been very good to excellent with some locations reporting limits.

Need more details? Check out the zone reports.

Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a global bird watching event happening this weekend, Feb. 17-20. Spend time in your favorite places watching birds. Identify them, count them and submit them to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. Learn how you can participate.

Sign up to take, and teach, hunter education

Now is a great time to complete your hunter education requirements and there are several ways to do it. It’s also a great time to consider becoming a hunter education instructor. If you enjoy working with young people and sharing your passion for hunting, check out these 10 reasons to volunteer.





More Reports

OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Thursday, February 16th, 2023

Umatilla River: The steelhead fishing on the Umatilla has picked up in the past week
Hood River: Winter steelhead fishing on the Hood River continues to be slow
Alsea River: Winter steelhead are throughout the Alsea system
Kilchis River: The Kilchis is back to low and clear conditions
Miami River: The Miami is getting low and clear
Necanicum River: The Necanicum will be low and clear this week
Nehalem River: The lower Nehalem is steelhead green
Nehalem River- North Fork: The North Fork Nehalem is low and clear
Three Rivers: Three Rivers got a push of fish back to the hatchery trap this past week
Salmon River: Winter steelhead are in the Salmon River
Siletz River: Winter steelhead are moving up in the Siletz River
Siuslaw River: Winter steelhead are showing up on the Siuslaw River
Trask River: There are wild steelhead (catch-and-release only) throughout the system
Wilson River: Steelhead fishing on the Wilson was good the end of last week
Yaquina River: Fishing has been challenging the past few weeks but it’s starting to pick up
Chetco River: The Chetco is low and clear
Coos River: The Coos Basin steelhead rivers continue to run low and clear
Coquille River: The Coquille Basin steelhead rivers continue to run fairly low and clear
Elk River: Low and clear
Emigrant Reservoir: Emigrant has filled to 21 percent full
Fish Lake : Fish Lake is filling with the input of various springs and is now at 41 percent full
Rogue River- Lower: Fishing pressure has slowed as flows have dropped
Rogue River - Middle: Current flow is around 1,400 cfs
Rogue River- Upper: Hatchery summer steelhead are still available and being caught
Sixes River: Steelhead are scattered through the river
Winchuck River: Low and clear
John C Boyle Reservoir: The reservoir is ice-free
Upper Klamath Lake: The lake is 2.4 feet below full pool and 61 percent full
Klamath River - Upper - OR: Klamath River Fishing Report
Lake Of The Woods: Ice fishing has been slow to good depending on the day
Lost River: The river near Big Springs in Bonanza is also worth a few casts
Phillips Reservoir: Phillips Reservoir currently has about 12 inches of ice cover
Sycan River: Flows are 28 cfs


2-15-2023
ODFW staff recommendations for 2023 recreational Pacific halibut season dates Thank you to everyone who provide input via the online public...... Read More