Fish Report

Best bets for weekend fishing

• Salmon fishing – coho and Chinook – has been good in rivers along the coast, in the Willamette Valley and in northeast Oregon. Plan to hit the river as water levels start dropping after a major rain event.
   
• Fall can be one of the best seasons of the year for trout fishing.
  • Some waterbodies in the SW and Willamette zones will be stocked with trout for fall fishing.
  • Popular fisheries that were stocked heavily in the spring and summer will still have fish available to catch. With cooler temperatures, these holdover fish should be active and hungry as the try to bulk up for the winter.
  • With recent rains, water levels in rivers and streams are starting to return to normal. Look for trout to be active throughout the fall.
• The catch-and-release chum fishery is open in a handful of north coast rivers. Chum is one of five Pacific salmon species and an unusual catch for most salmon anglers.

November means elk hunting

General Any Legal Weapon seasons start Saturday with West Cascade Elk and Rocky Mtn second season, followed by Coast Elk seasons the next two Saturdays—plus many controlled elk hunts are happening. Don’t forget West Cascade elk is now in November (Nov. 6-12 this year), rather than the middle of Western Oregon deer season, a change made to improve hunt quality. Remember to get your elk tag or redeem your SportsPac voucher no later than the day before the hunt begins. 

Extended deer season for youth this weekend

Youth hunters with their own unfilled general Western Oregon Buck Deer Any Legal Weapon tag or W High Cascade (119A) tag may hunt this additional weekend (not open to Mentored Youth hunters).

Game bird harvest statistics at ODFW wildlife areas

As upland bird and waterfowl hunting continue, hunters can use the harvest statistics from ODFW wildlife areas to help plan their next hunting trip.

Take a duck hunting workshop

Duck hunting can be a great way to begin your hunting career – it’s accessible and there’s lots of opportunity. Take our two-day duck hunting workshop at the Coquille Wildlife Area on Nov. 20-21 and you’ll get the know-how and hands-on experience to go duck hunting on your own. For more information and to register.

Tips for e-tagging

Whether you plan to hit the field for elk or the water for salmon this weekend, here are some tips for tagging your harvest