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The Pacific Fishery Management Council finalized their recommendations for 2026 ocean salmon seasons on Sunday, April 12. The adopted seasons are available at the PMFC’s website, and graphics of the Oregon recreational and commercial troll seasons are available at www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/salmon/.

Seasons from May 16, 2026 forward are not official until final approval by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for waters within 3 nautical miles of shore.

Conservation objectives for California Coastal Chinook, Klamath River fall Chinook, and Lower Columbia natural coho salmon stocks constrained fisheries south of Cape Falcon this year, however both the recreational and commercial fisheries are more liberal this year than in 2025. The recreational all-salmon except coho season opened from Cape Falcon to OR/CA border on March 15 and will continue through October from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain and through August from Humbug Mountain to the OR/CA border. The daily bag limit is two salmon.

From Cape Falcon to the OR/CA border, mark-selective coho retention is allowed June 6 through August 23 or until the marked coho quota of 47,600 is reached. For the month of September, from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, an all-salmon season will occur with a 27,500 non-mark-selective coho quota.

Oregon ocean commercial troll salmon fisheries from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain will open April 14 through the end of June and again from September through the end of October, with a 7,000 coho quota during the month of September. From Cape Falcon to the Heceta Bank management line, the fishery will be open from July 16 -31 for all salmon except coho. The area between Humbug Mountain and the OR/CA border will be open from April 14 -30 and from May 16 through June 17. Participants in the commercial troll salmon fishery should be aware of changes to call-in reporting details in quota fisheries and if transiting through closed areas.

Management measures for fisheries adopted can be found here for sport fisheries and here for troll fisheries.

More information is on ODFW’s ocean salmon web page.

Other Information: Both commercial troll salmon fishermen and recreational anglers should review the full regulations prior to participating in the ocean salmon fisheries. Single point barbless hooks are required in all ocean salmon seasons. Commercial salmon trollers are reminded that they are restricted to no more than 4 spreads per wire for all seasons prior to September 1 in the area from Cape Falcon to the OR/CA border.

Contact:
Justine Kenyon-Benson
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
justine.kenyon-benson@odfw.oregon.gov
(541) 857-2546

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2026 Recreational Bottomfish Season

ODFW reminds anglers about the following 2026 recreational bottomfish season and regulations beginning Thursday, January 1, 2026. Changes from 2025 are in italics and underlined. 

Bag Limits

• General Marine Species:
• 4-fish bag limit
• Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit
• Cabezon: 1-fish sub-bag limit
• 16-inch minimum size limit
• Opens July 1
• Lingcod: 3-fish bag limit
• 22-inch minimum size limit
• Flatfish: 25-fish bag limit
• Sablefish: 10-fish bag limit
• Offshore long-leader fishery: 10-fish bag limit
• Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit
• For a 10-fish bag limit to apply, long-leader gear must be used outside (seaward) of the 40-fathom regulatory line
• 10 midwater rockfish species only
• Retention of yelloweye and quillback rockfishes remain prohibited.

The bottomfish fishery will again be open at all-depths year-round (no seasonal depth restriction).

Reminder: Beginning in 2026, an Ocean Endorsement is required for most anglers fishing in the ocean from beaches, jetties, and boats except when taking shellfish or when fishing for and retaining salmon or steelhead unless other marine finfish are retained. For more information on requirements and fees, please visit myodfw.com/articles/ocean-endorsement.

Additional information on the recreational bottomfish fishery can be found on the ODFW sport bottomfish webpage.

12-12-2025

The Rogue- South Coast Steelhead season runs from Dec 1- Apr. 30. The Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation is required for all winter steelhead anglers fishing in the Rogue Basin or on the South Coast. A harvest tag is required to keep wild winter steelhead in this area. Check the regulations for details:

https://www.eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/southwest-zone

Find the weekly trout stocking schedule here.

Best bets for weekend fishing:

• Winter steelhead are in the North Fork Nehalem, Necanicum River, Big Creek, and Klaskanine Rivers. These streams get early returning hatchery steelhead and will provide the best opportunity for catching winter steelhead in early[DO1] December. Check for flood conditions before heading out.
• Lost Creek Reservoir has had great reports by folks trolling for rainbow trout.
• Steelhead fishing is good on the Umatilla River.
• Taylor Lake was stocked recently with 400 surplus brood trout from Oak Springs.
• Approximately 400 brood trout were released recently at Haystack Rock. 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.
• Anglers report excellent kokanee fishing at Lake Billy Chinook.
• Steelhead fishing has been good on the Grande Ronde, Imnaha and Umatilla Rivers
• Yellow perch fishing is still an option in Recreation Creek, Pelican Bay Area of Upper Klamath Lake, Sevenmile Canal Mouth, and Fourmile Canal.
• Best fishing for wild, native trout in the Klamath Basin will be the Klamath River.
• There are some nice holdover trout in the Malheur River below Warmsprings right now.
• Surplus brood trout from Oak Springs hatchery were stocked in Taylor Lake and Pine hollow this week
• Crabbing in Newport is fair. Crabbing in Waldport has been good. Crab quality is good as shells have hardened and are full of meat.

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