Fish Report
Two rods allowed in upper Willamette starting April 16
by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
4-15-2022
Website
SALEM, Ore.—Anglers with the two-rod validation will be able to use two rods in the upper Willamette River beginning on April 16, under a temporary rule adopted by ODFW.
Effective April 16 through Aug. 15 for anglers with the validation, two rods can be used in all areas of the Willamette River above Willamette Falls, including tributaries, when the area is open to fishing for hatchery Chinook, hatchery steelhead, trout, warmwater gamefish or all non-game fish except sturgeon. Fishing for sturgeon remains restricted to the use of one rod per angler.
Anglers with the two-rod validation have been able to use two rods in the lower river downstream of Willamette Falls since March 1.
Two-rod validations cost $28 for both residents and non-residents. Licensed anglers who purchase the validation can use two rods wherever regulations allow them, which is primarily in ponds and lakes. When possible, ODFW extends the validations to specific streams like it did under this temporary rule.
Kids under the age of 12 do not need a validation to use a second rod in areas where two rods are authorized.
For the latest fishing regulations, see the Fishing Report for your Angling Zone in ODFW's Recreation Report, https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/