ODFW Weekly Recreation Report

Includes updates to fishing, hunting, crabbing, clamming, and wildlife viewing.

February 5, 2026

Come visit us at the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show Feb. 11-15 at the Portland Expo Center. Stop by our booth to chat about your hunt plans for 2026 or let us help you plan. Join the ODFW Passport activity and participate in magnet fishing at the entrance and win prizes. Enter the Trip of a Lifetime raffle to join ODFW on a fishing research trip in Oregon’s marine reserves or on a Rocky Mountain goat survey in northeast Oregon. Join one of our seminars to hear more about fishing and hunting opportunities from our biologists. ODFW in partnership with the Sportsmen Shows is offering free admission to 2026 Pioneer license holders; show your 2026 Pioneer license and photo ID at the door to get in free. We’ll see you there!

Check ODOT Trip Check online for statewide road conditions, closures and updates before you go.

Some wildlife areas closed to the public or closed to vehicles from Feb 1- April 15. Check Wildlife viewing on the weekly recreation report.

It’s your last chance to hunt geese in the NW Permit Zone as season ends in mid-February.

NEW turkey hunting opportunity: now through February 28, 2026, hunters may obtain a beardless turkey permit to allow the harvest of three hen wild turkeys or turkeys without a visible beard. See page 26 of the Game Bird regulations. This is a private land only hunt with separate regulations from the standard fall turkey hunt.

Complete your Spring Bear controlled hunt application by Feb. 10. Season opens April 1; look for our annual hunting forecast in late March.

Reminder that a Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation is required for all winter steelhead anglers fishing in the Rogue Basin or on the South Coast from Dec. 1-April 30. A wild steelhead harvest tag is required to keep wild winter steelhead in this area.

Find the weekly trout stocking schedule here.

Best bets for weekend fishing:

• As a general reminder for Anglers: Maximize distance from bank anglers and other boats. Safely row or motor around anglers and other boats and avoid motoring nearshore and in shallow areas!
• Check the zone in which you intend to fish before you head out. Access can change quickly with winter flooding, snow and ice conditions.

Northwest:

• Winter steelhead fishing has picked up on the North Coast this past week and has been fair to good. The Nestucca River, Wilson, and North Fork Nehalem Rivers have all been fishing well and will provide some of the best opportunity to catch hatchery steelhead.
• Coffenbury Lake, Vernonia Pond, Lost Lake, and Sunset Lake are stocked with surplus hatchery winter steelhead. Catching a steelhead in still water can be a fun and unique experience when the conditions on the rivers aren’t good.

Southwest:

• This is good time of year for Chinook anglers to check wild Chinook bag limits for the locations they are planning to fish.
• Lost Creek Reservoir has had great reports by folks trolling for rainbow trout.
• Ice fishing has started at Diamond Lake and some other areas.

Willamette:

• Several waterbodies will be stocked with trout Through February and March. .

Central:

• Broodstock rainbow trout were stocked into Haystack Reservoir, Ochoco Reservoir, Pine Nursery Pond, North Twin Lake and South Twin Lakes the last week of January. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to catch trophy trout from Wizard Falls Hatchery, many in the 4-8 lb range. As a reminder, to allow everyone a chance at catching one of these fish, only one fish over 20 inches long can be harvested each day.
• The Crooked and Metolius Rivers continue to provide excellent winter angling opportunities. Excellent dry fly and nymphing opportunities on Fall River.

Northeast:

• Trout and whitefish fishing should be good through winter on the Wallowa River.
• Steelhead are throughout the Grande Ronde, Wallowa, and Imnaha Rivers.
• Kokanee fishing has been good on Wallowa Lake.
• Perch fishing has been good at Phillips Reservoir with some large fish caught.
• Steelhead fishing is good on the Umatilla River.
• Trout can still be found on Willow Creek Reservoir.

Southeast:

• Best fishing for wild, native trout in the Klamath Basin will be the Klamath River.
• The Upper Williamson River above Kirk Road Bridge is now open year round. Access remains available.
• There are some nice holdover trout in the Malheur River below Warmsprings.
• Crappie are abundant in Wolf Creek Reservoir with some nicer fish around 8 inches available. Crappie fishing in Owhyee Reservoir has been good.
• Channel catfish are a popular option. Find them in the Snake River and Owyhee Reservoir throughout the summer and early fall.
• Biologists expect a temporary boost in productivity at Howard and Hyatt as large stretches of inundation zone are rewatered and producing aquatic food items again.  Trout should be fat and happy!
• Anglers have been catching good numbers of perch and some nice sized tiger muskies in Phillips Reservoir.

Marine

• Crabbing is slow in Newport, good in Florence. Crab quality is good with lots of meat.

Refer to the zone reports for more details and possibilities. 

Angler Education:

Steelhead 101 and other angler education opportunities are available.  Check the schedule at Angler workshops and events.

Hunter Education:

Hunter safety conventional courses and field days are offered in-person or choose an online course plus attend a live fire field day. Find a course in your area and get ahead of the game for the 2026 season!

Turkey hunting and Rifle Skills now available in workshops and events. Prepare for the hunt season, learn new skills or refresh for a more successful harvest. Plan your outdoor seasonal calendar now.