Archery season opens Aug. 30; Forest grouse seasons and Western Oregon quail seasons kick off statewide Sept. 1; Fall turkey opens in some places on Sept. 1. Scroll down for updates on hunting and wildlife viewing.

Best bets for weekend fishing:

• In the Willamette zone, the Willamette River and other water bodies are increasing in activity. Alton Baker Canal will be stocked each week through Sept. 22 with 1,000 hatchery rainbow trout!

  • Wild coho seasons adopted for coastal rivers, see the in-season updates page. The 2025 forecasted ocean abundance of Oregon coast natural coho is 289,000 fish, up from about 233,000 last year and the largest forecast since 2012. Seasons are similar to last year, with additional fishing days in some rivers and an across-the-board season bag limit of 3 fish in rivers that are open due to the strong forecast. Wild fall Chinook regulations are also posted.

  • Fall Chinook are in Nehalem Bay and anglers are catching them. Early returning fish have moved up into the head of tide and fresh fish are still coming in. The wild adult Chinook bag limit is 1/day and 2/season as part of the daily bag limit on the Nehalem. See the regulation updates online for more details.

  • The salmon bag limit in the Coos Basin increased on Aug. 19 from two to three fish in aggregate, one of which must be a hatchery salmon. More info

  • Fall seasons on the ODFW Columbia River including the popular Fall Buoy 10 fishery are underway. Did you know, you don't need a boat to access this premiere salmon fishery, there are miles of shoreline at Fort Stevens State Park where you can cast spinners (see YouTube video)

  • Summer steelhead retention has been extended until Aug. 31 from the Buoy 10 line upstream to Bonneville Dam. Check regulation updates for details.

  • On the North Coast, Tillamook Bay, the Nestucca estuary (Pacific City), Trask River, Nestucca River, and the lower Columbia tributaries (Big Cr., Gnat Cr., and Klaskanine R.) will provide the best opportunities for fall salmon.

  • Cedar Creek hatchery recycled summers to Pacific City the last couple weeks, to add additional angler opportunity including another 27 this week.

  • Check the trout stocking schedule and maps for locations near you, and invite some friends!

  • Fish on! Summer steelhead runs are on in the Nestucca and Wilson Rivers. Steelhead are found throughout many Oregon fisheries and some are getting caught.

  • Devils Lake was recently stocked with rainbow trout providing a great opportunity for paddleboard, kayak, or float tube fishing.

  • Mid Coast beaches offer some great opportunity for surfperch and other near shore species and clamming as well. Check out this link for more information on clamming during the minus tides.

  • There will be trout available most of the summer, but fishing will get more challenging as the water warms up. Fishing early morning and late evening, targeting higher elevation lakes that stay cooler increasing the odds of success.

  • The North Jetty of Tillamook Bay (accessible through Barview County Park) provides some good angling opportunities for rockfish and kelp greenling this time of year.

  • Cascade hike-in lakes offer beauty, serenity and the potential for untrammeled fishing opportunities.

  • Howard and Hyatt Lakes offer good fishing for largemouth bass right now.
  • Fishing for Brook Trout in the Upper Sycan, Upper NF Sprague, Upper SF Sprague, Long Creek, Sevenmile and Upper Williamson will be exceptional.
  • Fourmile Lake is your best bet for stocked rainbow trout in the Klamath Basin and Fishing for trophy Brown Trout is good at Miller Lake.

  • Reminder: the annual razor clam conservation closure runs through Sept. 30 on Clatsop Beaches. The closure restores the clam grounds and allows repopulation. Check tide tables here: https://tides.net/oregon/ and check for any closures. Razor clam digging is still open along the central and south Oregon coast.

  • Crabbing remains open along the Oregon coast.

  • It's a great time of year to fish for warmwater species. See our guide.

  • These examples are for demonstration purposes only. Refer to the zone reports for more details and possibilities.

 Know before you go:

Final weekend: Get a Sauvie Island Beaches Pass before you go! Required on weekends and holidays through Labor Day

Due to overcrowding at Sauvie Island beach parking lots, weekend and holiday beach parking now requires both the Wildlife Area Parking Permit ($10 daily / $30 annual) and the new free Sauvie Island Beaches Pass during the summer months. Plan ahead for your beach visit, as there are a limited number of free parking permits available each weekend day.

Both Beaches Passes and Wildlife Area Parking Permits can be obtained online or by visiting a license sales agent. Customers are limited to one Beaches Pass per date. Vehicles will also need to show their Beaches Pass and Parking Permit at the Eastside Check Station (Rentenaar and Reeder Rd) during some hours on weekends and will not be able to proceed to the beach parking lots without them--so plan ahead!

E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area shotgun range closed for renovations through October

The shotgun range at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area near Corvallis is closed for renovations. Improvements on the range will include expanding the shooting bays and implementing ADA compliant access to the site. ODFW expects work to be completed by October 31. Updates will be posted on the E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area Visitors Guide webpage. The archery park and other facilities on the wildlife area will remain open.

Hunting updates:

• Archery season opens Saturday Aug. 30. Remember to get your tag by end of day Friday Aug. 29 and check for fire closures before you go, see link to Hunting and Fire Danger page for helpful links, Hunting access and fire danger.
• CWD testing: Hunters are critical to the effort to detect Chronic Wasting Disease, a serious wildlife disease that has never been detected in Oregon but is found in most surrounding states. Successful hunters, please get your deer or elk tested for CWD, see how here CWD information and check stations .
• The Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest is temporarily closing the Huckleberry Mountain area in the High Cascades Ranger District Aug. 22-31 for Tribal ceremonial purposes. Rogue Unit general archery hunters should be aware of the closure over the archery opening weekend, Aug. 30-31.
• Forest grouse seasons kick off statewide Sept. 1, as do quail seasons in Western Oregon and some fall turkey seasons. Hunters, please turn in mtn quail and forest grouse wings, find a map of collection barrels by following this link: Turning in grouse and mountain quail wings and tails.
• Fall turkey season starts on Sept. 1 for WMUs 14-30. Find more information on Fall turkey seasons, techniques and limits in the Oregon Game Bird regulations

Hunter Education:

Look no further: hunter safety courses and field days

Choose between a conventional in-person course or complete one of the online education courses plus an in-person field day. Sign up for a location, date and time that works best with your schedule. Hunter safety education events are offered year-round and taught by certified volunteer instructors statewide. Hunting seasons are coming up fast - plan ahead to secure your seat now!

Youth Upland Game Bird Hunts - Registration is open for Youth Pheasant Hunts happening in a number of locations in September. These events give young hunters an opportunity to hunt in a controlled setting with a focus on safety and success. Some hunts require advanced registration via ODFW's licensing system. Youth Chukar Hunt! More opportunities for youth.

Adult Hunter Recruitment Program workshops and events.

These hands-on ODFW workshops will teach you the skills to improve your hunting performance and build your confidence in the field. ODFW offers a variety of classes and workshops statewide, throughout the year. Workshops are designed for adults – ages 18 and older. Register for an event.

Resources:

Wildfire season

Know before you go: Hunters need to check for fire-related closures before they head out, some helpful information on this page.

Toxic algae blooms

Reports of algae blooms that are toxic to people and pets have started. Check the Oregon Health Authority website for updated information.

View the report