Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

07/31/2026

The granddaddy of Oregon salmon fisheries kicks off tomorrow at Buoy 10!

Buoy 10 is actively managed throughout the season, which means things can change day to day. Keep up with any regulation changes at the link below.

Though Buoy 10 is mostly known as a boat fishery, there is great bank access and several techniques that work well for shore-based anglers. Check out this video from last year for gear techniques.

07/30/2026

07/29/2026

Anglers can double the odds of catching salmon in the Upper Willamette River this fall as coho again return to areas above Willamette Falls.

Effective Aug. 1 through Dec. 31, anglers with the two-rod validation may use two rods in all areas of the Willamette River upstream of Willamette Falls open to coho salmon retention, including tributaries and flowing waters. Two rods may not be used when fishing for sturgeon.

More info ⬇️

07/29/2026

All northeast Oregon Access and Habitat (A&H) access areas are closed to public access due to extreme fire danger.

The A&H access areas affected are M.R King Ranches, Troy Ranches, Iron Mountain, Virtue Flat, Foster Ranch, Glass Hill, Owsley Canyon, Bear Creek, Carman Ranch, Harshfield Ranch, Divide Ridge, Heppner Regulated Hunt Area, Social Ridge, Four Mile, and Bunker Hill.

ODFW has also closed the northern portion of White River Wildlife Area, including lands north of Rock Creek Road (FS Road 48), due to the advancing Grasshopper Fire, which has grown to an estimated 18,136 acres as of Wednesday morning.

Learn more below

07/28/2026

It’s World Nature Conservation Day, and a good time to recognize some of the great work Oregon’s hunters do for conservation, and not just for species that are hunted.

Walker Point meadow, west of Veneta, in the Coast Range, provides excellent habitat for black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, black bears, western bluebirds, numerous species of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and pollinators along with hoary, silver-haired and Mexican free-tailed bats.

The meadow was originally created in 2022 by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife with funding from Oregon Wildlife Foundation and donated plants from the The Xerces Society. The Oregon Hunters Association - Emerald Valley Chapter, has been partnering with ODF and ODFW to hand remove invasive species like foxglove, scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry.

During a typical field day, thousands of non-native plants are removed, making room for native forbs and grasses to flourish and making the area more attractive to wildlife.

In addition to benefiting game animals, pollinators, reptiles and amphibians, it’s also beneficial for birds, including a colony of purple martins that have taken up residence there. Purple martins are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need, and the meadow was originally created with purple martins in mind but restoring the Walker Point Meadow benefits a huge diversity of wildlife.

07/17/2026

Millions fewer hatchery salmon will be released in the lower Columbia each year if the Bonneville Power Administration follows through with cutting funding for the SAFE salmon hatchery program. If you care about salmon fishing, please share this post.

Links in comments and stories

07/15/2026

Largemouth Bass

Welcome to another Warmwater Wednesday, a weekly look at some of our favorite warmwater species to fish for in Oregon. Based on the quiz we ran on our Instagram Stories, most of you know a Largemouth bass when you see one. For those
who don’t, here’s a little review. Largemouth bass are distinguished from their Smallmouth cousins by their obvious large mouth and an upper jaw that extends behind the eye.

Largemouth in Oregon can exceed 25-inches in length and a weight of 12 pounds. The first record of a Largemouth bass being caught in Oregon was mentioned in The Oregonian newspaper as having occurred on the last Sunday in July in 1898. The first bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, were likely
brought to Oregon about a decade earlier.
Largemouth bass are found across the state in ponds, lakes, and river backwaters. They love slow-moving water with plenty of cover like w**d beds, sunken logs, and brush.

Fishing Tips:

• Best action begins when water temps warm above 50°F.
• In spring, try nightcrawlers, plastic worms, or slow jigs along structure.
• As temperatures rise, they hit topwater lures around w**d lines, docks, and logs —
especially early morning, evening, or calm nights.
• During hot summer days, go deeper with jigs or diving plugs.

State Record:

12 lb. 1.6 oz – Caught in 2002 at Ballenger Pond in Springfield, Oregon by B. Adam Hastings

If you’re looking for a classic Oregon warmwater adventure, largemouth bass are always
ready to put up a fight

07/14/2026

ATTENTION HUNTERS: It’s a ways till hunting season but we are following fire closures closely. Be sure you have a valid email in our licensing system so we can reach out if there are major impacts to your season.

For more information on how we respond when fire closures impact hunting opportunities, see the link in the first comment.

The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests have coordinated on an expansion of the temporary forest closure areas surrounding the Salmon, Olive Butte and Anthony Fires. This closure will encompass all three fires due to concerns for public safety and to facilitate firefighting operations in the area. The orders can be found on the three forests websites under alerts.

While it is early in the fire season, fire behavior is more in line with conditions normally seen in August. Officials are expecting critical fire weather and more lightning this week. These fires are occurring in areas of steep terrain with heavy fuel loading and exhibiting rapid growth with long range spotting ahead of the main fire.

This expanded temporary closure was closely coordinated with community leadership including counties, law enforcement and fire leaders with Oregon Department of Forestry. Conditions will be monitored daily to assess closure area needs for public and firefighter safety.

Residents should be prepared for changes in evacuation levels as fire conditions can rapidly change. Baker County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuations for the Greenhorn and Granite communities. To sign up for notifications in your area, visit Grant County Everbridge or Baker County Alert.

The public is asked to avoid the area for everyone’s safety and to facilitate the firefighting efforts.

For more information:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/malheur
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/umatilla
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/wallowa-whitman

Information for the Salmon Fire and Olive Butte Fire can be found at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalmonFireOR2026/
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orumf-salmon-fire
Phone: 541-407-5475
Email: [email protected]

Information for the Anthony Fire can be found at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WallowaWhitmanNF
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwwf-anthony-fire
Phone: 509-509-6869
Email: [email protected]